Officials Force Man to Leave State Capitol Because They Were Offended by His Shirt
This article originally appeared on WND.com
Guest by post by Bob Unruh
Officials in Colorado’s government, those responsible for the state Capitol building in the crime-ridden downtown Denver, decided to eject a man from the facility.
Because they didn’t like his shirt.
And now word comes from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression that it has dispatched a letter asking them to correct the situation, or “face a First Amendment lawsuit.”
Colorado is noted for its attempts to force people to speak its leftist-approved messages, regarding Christianity, homosexuality, transgenderism and the like. It has lost twice at the Supreme Court in recent years on that very topic.
The newest situation developed when Jeffrey Hunt was forced out of the Capitol’s senate gallery.
So FIRE is demanding that the sergeants-at-arms allow Coloradans to silently and respectfully express their opinions with pins and apparent at the Capitol.
Hunt told Fire, “I was shocked when I was asked to leave the senate gallery simply for wearing a pro-life sweatshirt. I felt like I was being targeted for expressing my American right to free speech. My goal with this case is to make sure this type of censorship doesn’t happen to anyone else, especially in the heart of our state’s democracy.”
He’s a radio host, and former employee of Colorado Christian University, which also calls itself “Pro-Life U.”
March 21, 2023, he was at the state senate with members of a group to oppose three leftist proposals that would set up a state assault on pro-life crisis pregnancy centers.
He wore a sweatshirt with the logo “Pro-Life U.”
And security official Ben Trujillo ordered him out because that is a “political statement.”
Trujillo and his chief, Frank Lombardi, “gave Hunt a choice: Remove the sweatshirt and re-enter the gallery or wait outside the gallery. Hunt chose the latter.”
Josh Bleisch, FIRE lawyer, said, “If there’s anywhere people’s First Amendment rights should be safe, it’s in their state capitol. Hunt had every right to be there silently expressing his opinion.”
Ironically, those security officers just a few weeks earlier had allowed students advocating for gun control to wear slogans insisting on that political agenda in the Capitol.
“Officials can’t kick you out of public galleries just because they don’t like the message on your shirt,” said FIRE attorney Raul Ruiz. “We look forward to vindicating Hunt’s rights, and the rights of every American, regardless of their opinions.”
The security officers have a deadline only days away to respond, or FIRE will sue.
Copyright 2024 WND News Center
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