Preacher Sues City over Fee for Anti-Abortion Banner

Christian preacher Bryan Conwell has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the city of Benson in the US state of Minnesota. He claims that his constitutional rights were violated after city officials and police demanded that he pay a $20 fee for holding a banner opposing abortion in a public parking lot during a farmers' market.

The lawsuit was filed by the Center for American Liberty, which argues that the city unlawfully made freedom of speech contingent on the purchase of a commercial permit. Conwell regularly stands in public spaces with his banner. He does not block anyone's path or sell anything, and he speaks only with people who approach him.

When he refused to pay the fee required of vendors, police fined him on 9 July for trespassing, and he received another fine upon his return a week later. Conwell now faces up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for each offense.

The lawsuit states that during one of the incidents, a police officer admitted there was ambiguity in how the rules were being applied, and said that the relationship between the offenses and the right to free speech needed clarification. Lawyers argue that the city violated Conwell's rights to freedom of speech and religion and discriminated against his views.

(foxnews, bak)