Great response to our free speech appeal

Let’s keep up the pressure!

Dear ,

What an amazing response to our Free Speech Appeal on Aug. 31. The battle over basic cherished rights in the nation’s capital is reaching a critical point.

We urged all supporters of the First Amendment to write a simple letter to the government of Washington, D.C., in defense of the right to publish and disseminate posters and leaflets. And did they write!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this exercise of grassroots democracy.

The D.C. government’s Public Space Committee was flooded with letters during the Comment Period for its proposed Emergency Regulations on postering in the District of Columbia.

People demanded that the $70,000 in fines against ANSWER for anti-war posters be dropped and that the District of Columbia end its illegal system that favors the speech of politicians and punishes outreach efforts from grassroots organizations.

Be the first to know: Click here to receive periodic email updates from the PCJF on the legal effort to defend the Bill of Rights.

We can win this fight by using the two means available to protect and defend constitutional rights—the courts and grassroots political activism. Both methods are needed to succeed in defense of Free Speech rights.

For the past four years, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) has engaged in a tireless effort to strike down the unconstitutional permitting regulations in Washington, D.C. The case was filed in the Federal District Court. The D.C. government argued that we had no right to sue. It then went then went to the U.S. Court of Appeals which ruled that the lawsuit could go forward. In July 2011, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia warned of an impending declaration of unconstitutionality against the D.C. government.

During this hard fought, four-year lawsuit, the attorneys from the PCJF have provided the very best legal expertise and work at every level of the case and they have done this work pro bono. They have not charged the plaintiffs one penny for this enormous legal effort.

This is a critical moment. By combining the legal and political fight, we can defend cherished rights.

I want to urge you to continue to show your support for this effort. Click this link and sign up with the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund for important email updates about the cutting edge issues affecting civil liberties and civil rights in the United States.

I would also encourage you to provide financial support for the pro bono legal work of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund. You can make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking here.

Sincerely,

Brian Becker, National Coordinator, ANSWER Coalition