Photo Credit: © Can Stock Photo Inc. / bluneo (man) | Helenmarlen (park)
Photo Illustration: © Can Stock Photo Inc. / bluneo (man) | Helenmarlen (park)
Most of us have had these experiences: We’ve seen the rambling, disheveled man stumbling around in a park distributing leaflets to bewildered park patrons about some grand governmental conspiracy. Or the embarrassing extremist group that insists on posting information about its organization on any piece of government property it can find. Can these people be asked to leave park district property and take their offensive signs with them? What about their First Amendment rights?
Imposing Reasonable Restrictions
Park-district officials can limit that obnoxious protester’s ability to harass park patrons through reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on the protester’s speech in an open public forum like a park. As long as the district has a valid reason for these restrictions, and does not choke off the protester’s ability to convey his message, these restrictions will be upheld. The park district may restrict the following: