The city of Florence in north Alabama has reluctantly agreed to settle a free speech lawsuit brought by an organization called Project Say Something, which has been staging protests against a Confederate monument. The lawsuit, filed by the organization and its founder, Camille Bennett, claims that the city violated their right to free speech by imposing unclear parade permit regulations and noise ordinances to hinder their protests against the “Eternal Vigil” monument. In a court filing on Monday, it was stated that both parties have tentatively agreed to new noise and parade ordinances for the city, and the lawsuit will be dismissed if the changes are adopted by the Florence City Council.
“We are really grateful to be a catalyst for change for our community. Before we started protesting, the noise ordinances were vague and there was really no legal framework,” said Bennett. The plaintiffs argue that the police chief used the parade permit regulations to relocate their demonstrations to a designated “protest zone” far from the courthouse. They also claim that while they were threatened with citations for violating the noise ordinance, the police turned a blind eye to threatening and noisy behavior from counter-protesters.
Project Say Something strongly believes that the Confederate monument has no place in a public space and has advocated for its relocation to a cemetery where Confederate soldiers are buried. The 20-foot-tall monument, known as “Eternal Vigil,” depicts an unnamed Confederate soldier and was erected in 1903 during a time when Confederate descendants were erecting memorials across the South to honor their veterans.
The protests against the monument began in 2020 following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The monument stands outside the Lauderdale County Courthouse, which falls under the jurisdiction of the county commission. However, Alabama’s 2017 Memorial Preservation Act prohibits the removal or alteration of monuments that are more than 40 years old, with violations carrying a hefty $25,000 fine. Some cities and counties, like Birmingham, have chosen to remove Confederate monuments despite the fine.
In conclusion, the city of Florence has reluctantly reached a tentative settlement in a free speech lawsuit regarding protests against a Confederate monument. While the plaintiffs are satisfied with the progress they have made, it is clear that there are still obstacles in place that protect the presence of controversial Confederate symbols in public spaces.
