Reply to Canceled Right-Wing Event at the Cleveland Park Library

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele]I have no idea what grounds led to the event being cancelled and, without knowing that, I don't whether the cancellation was justified. But I think it is important to know that these were not just "right-wing personalities". Chaya Raichik is the person behind LibsofTiktok and Jack Posobiec was one of the main proponents of PizzaGate. [b]Both have been linked to acts of violence.[/b] In Posobiec's case, it was just up the street from the library. I find it interesting that the Ward 2 Chair of the DC GOP apparently reserved the room for this group.

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Please expand on this statement. [/quote]

Certainly you are aware of the armed attack and attempted arson at Comet Pingpong that resulted from Posobiec's PizzaGate conspiracy theories. For some background on Libsoftiktok, see this:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/09/02/lgbtq-threats-hospitals-libs-of-tiktok/

Both were also involved in the January 6 events at the Capitol.

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these are not the kind of links that justify prior restraint under the 1st Amend. The standard is extremely high. [/quote]

Except the precedent for determining WHERE free speech can be exercised is well set. Jack and company are still free to demonstrate on the street outside if they wish. But the SCOTUS has certainly upheld the notion of "free speech zones" at events. I think the library is probably well within its rights to deny space if they have reasonable reason to fear violence. [/quote]

false. this is not what the First Amendment says. [/quote]

But it IS what the Supreme Court of the United States has interpreted it mean.[/quote]

No, it is not what the Supreme Court has held.  A public forum cannot deny free speech based on a fear -- no matter how well-founded -- that the exercise of free speech will lead to violence (either by those who support the speaker or those who oppose the speaker).  That's a prior restraint (or "heckler's veto") and it is not permitted.  As a PP mentioned, if there is a fear of violence, the government has a duty to provide an appropriate police presence to permit the event to go forward.  The Supreme Court has held that speech promoting/encouraging violence may fall outside the protection of the 1st Amendment, but that is a different issue.

The 1st Amendment does permit reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on speech (i.e. you can only hold an event at a library when it is open), but those must be applied on a viewpoint/content-neutral basis and cannot have anything to do with the crowd's anticipated reaction to the speech.[/quote]

exactly. flip the script - could the library cancel a drag queen story hour on the grounds that probosiec et al were going to protest?[/quote]

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