Friend, as we all prepare for upcoming fights in the Supreme Court, keep paying close attention to what's going on in the states right now, too. Trans rights, abortion rights, and protester rights are still under attack. And when you go after our civil liberties, the ACLU and our affiliates in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico will see you in court.

We're uplifting a major lawsuit to know about from our affiliate in Florida – which challenges one of nearly 100 anti-protest state bills introduced this year. Make no mistake, bills like the one in Florida – signed into law only weeks ago – are a direct response to the power and effectiveness of historic protests demanding justice for Black lives.

It's racist, unconstitutional, and an attempt to suppress dissent. So learn more now and we'll be back with updates on our growing number of state and national lawsuits very soon.

– The ACLU Team

Friend –

The ACLU of Florida, Community Justice Project, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP sued to block House Bill 1, the anti-protest law that chills free speech, silences dissent, and criminalizes peaceful protest in Florida.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Black-led organizations working on the ground in communities across the state – Dream Defenders, the Black Collective, Chainless Change, Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP, and the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville.

There is no question that HB1 was created to target demonstrations calling for police accountability in Black communities. HB1 is not an "anti-riot law," as the law's supporters claim. Law enforcement already has all the tools they need to protect public safety and prevent violence and property damage. HB1's text broadly and ambiguously expands the definition of a riot and creates additional offenses that will be disproportionately used against Black and Brown people.

In reality, here is what HB1 does:

• Violent counter-protestors could escape civil liability for killing peaceful protesters and demonstrators, injuring them, or damaging their property.
• You could be arrested and charged with a felony if others at a protest or gathering become violent or disorderly, even if you didn't.
• If you are arrested, you would be held in jail until a formal bail hearing.
• People could be sent to prison for up to 15 years for pulling down, defacing, or destroying a confederate flag or other shrines to white supremacy.
• The Governor and Cabinet could rewrite a city's budget if the city reallocates any policing resources or decreases its police budget.

Read more about what HB1 does.

By criminalizing our communities with new and enhanced crimes – for simply attending a demonstration – protesters now risk losing access to business licenses, housing, jobs, their right to vote, and more.

It's clear that the goal of this law is to silence dissent and create fear among Floridians who march for justice. It should not be a crime to voice one's dissent, viewpoint, or opinions in public spaces, yet that's exactly what Gov. DeSantis has done – criminalized being at a protest just because someone else does something wrong.

This law is blatantly unconstitutional. HB1 degrades, debases, and disgraces Florida and our democracy. That's why we are suing to defend Floridians' First Amendment rights.

In solidarity,

Anya Marino
Pronouns: She, her, hers
Deputy Legal Director, ACLU of Florida