Evangelist Blocked From Festival Sues

St. Paul Pioneer Press reports on a lawsuit filed April 3 by the Center for Religious Expression (press release) on behalf of evangelist David Miller who was prevented by police from preaching at the 2014 Irish Fair-- an annual event on the Mississippi River near downtown St. Paul.  Miller and a group of friends, wearing expressive T-shirts, were about to enter the fair grounds to preach and hand out literature when they were told by police that the Irish Fair had a special-event permit, so it could make the rules (including banning protests). The lawsuit contends that the total ban on preaching at the festival being held on public property violates Miller's free speech rights.