NORFOLK, Va. — Two Christians barred from wearing signs that expressed their faith during a local celebration will no longer face those restrictions. After Alliance Defense Fund attorneys sent a
letter to city officials clarifying the constitutional right to religious free speech, the city agreed to revise a policy which prohibits Christians from engaging in some forms of public speech during the annual Norfolk Harborfest event, including wearing sandwich boards and the distributing religious literature.
“Christians shouldn’t be discriminated against for expressing their beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel Nate Kellum. “Christians are not required to request permission from the government before exercising their First Amendment rights. We are pleased that Norfolk officials have agreed to respect the constitutional rights of Christians citizens, and that they can now express their faith freely and without fear of harassment or arrest.”
On June 6, 2008, Tommy Pouchie and Mike Anderson went to Town Point Park, a public park located in downtown Norfolk, to express their religious beliefs through the use of signage, literature distribution, and dialogue. The date was chosen based on the occurrence of Norfolk’s Harborfest celebration, a free three-day event sponsored by the city of Norfolk and several other entities.
After the men began displaying sandwich signs with their religious message, a police officer approached and demanded that they remove the signs, stating that compliance would be the only way for the two to remain at the park. The men submitted to the officer out of fear of citation and arrest. They later learned that Harborfest rules also prohibit the distribution of religious literature without prior permission.
In a
letter, Norfolk officials stated that Christians will now be permitted to express their faith without restriction during future Harborfest events, and that any permit requirements would be be based only on the size of a particular group.
- Letter from ADF attorneys to city of Norfolk officials
- Letter from city of Norfolk officials clarifying policy on religious speech during Harborfest
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.
www.telladf.org