Savannah To Allow Signs At St. Patrick’s Day Parade After ACLU Lawsuit
Members of the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band take part in the 2015 St. Patrick’s Day parade in Savannah. Vice President Mike Pence is planning to attend this year’s parade. Savannah officials have walked back a ban on certain signs at Saturday’s event.
Stephen B. Morton / Associated Press file
Savannah will host Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday as he attends the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The city has walked back a ban on certain signs at the event.
Previously, a Savannah spokesperson announced that poster signs would not be allowed in a section of the parade route where there will be enhanced security.
But Friday morning, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia filed a federal lawsuit arguing that the rule was unconstitutional.
Legal Director Sean Young said prohibiting signs would violate paradegoers’ free speech.
“It makes one wonder whether the city of Savannah was spending a little too much time being protective of the vice president’s feelings and not the constitutional rights of its own citizens,” Young said.
Within a couple of hours, the city provided a clarification. The spokesperson said signs would be permitted and the original ban was a miscommunication with the Secret Service.
That’s even though a document showing what items would not be allowed in the security zone included the words, “poster sign.”
The city said poster signs on sticks or those that are larger than 20 feet by 3 feet still won’t be accepted.
The ACLU has withdrawn its lawsuit.
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