By Mark Niese | Atlanta Journal-Constitution | March 29, 2018
Photo by Jeremy Redmon

A federal judge has ruled that police must allow protesters to wave signs in the Georgia Capitol as they oppose an immigration enforcement bill.

U.S. District Judge William Duffey granted a temporary restraining order Thursday allowing the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia and others to silently display posters in the Capitol Rotunda and the balcony around the Rotunda.
Protesters aren’t allowed to bring posters or signs into the state House or Senate chambers.
The court order bars Capitol police and other law enforcement from prohibiting the protest activities.
“Today is a victory for the First Amendment. Georgians demand that their constitutional freedoms and rights be respected, especially in the Gold Dome,” said Sean Young, the legal director for the ACLU of Georgia.
Protesters have been opposing Senate Bill 452, which would require prosecutors to verify whether defendants are in the country illegally, among other provisions.

See ACLU of Georgia press releases with copies of the court documents.

The ACLU of Georgia Files Lawsuit Demanding the State Capitol Police, Georgia Building Authority Stop Barring Protests in the State Capitol Building

Federal District Court Rules in Favor of ACLU of Georgia and Orders Capitol Police to Allow Display of Hand-Held Signs in the Capitol Building