Community members against a proposed Wal-Mart “super center” in their neighborhood were not allowed to wear buttons or T-shirts during a city hall meeting in Littleton last week.
Now, with another meeting taking place tomorrow, there are questions over the legality of baring residents from wearing certain T-shirts and its relation to the First Amendment.From the Denver Post:
“We felt like we were being railroaded,” said Robert Davis, 65, who was forced to turn his “Littleton Against Wal-Mart” shirt inside out. “This flies in the face of the First Amendment.”
A half-dozen or more police officers told numerous opponents to remove or cover their regalia or leave, according to witnesses.
Opponents also have well-known civil rights attorney David Lane working on a possible lawsuit, and more problems could happen tomorrow if others decided to wear their convictions.
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The Wal-Mart crowd, however, is the first to be restricted in Littleton City Center, Bailey said. A violation of the rule is a misdemeanor that carries a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail.
Wal-Mart is a multi-billon dollar company and the largest private employer in the United States. Its new store would be only one of many that dot the Denver-Metro suburban area.
“I would encourage every one of those people to wear a T-shirt with a message on it,” Lane said Saturday.
