The Iowa Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit on behalf of two Grinnell College students who say police in Grinnell quelled their protest that involved a U.S. flag. I-C-L-U executive director Ben Stone says John Bohman and Juan Diaz are American citizens who expressed their views by displaying the flag upside down.He says they were voicing their displeasure over the U.S. government’s policy toward Iraq and the possible move toward war. Stone says the officers told the two they couldn’t fly the flag upside down or they’d be arrested.He says the statute used by the police officers has been proven unconstitutional in two cases, including one from the State of Iowa. Stone says the officers should not have intruded into the students lives.He says the police officers were misusing the law and says the same law has been used nationwide to stop protests against the government. Stone says the suit will ask the court to put the flag issue to rest.Stone says they seek a preliminary injunction to get police to quit threatening people with arrest for flying the flag upside down, and he says they’ll ask the judge to declare the statute unconstitutional. Stone says the two students are the only ones to contact the I-C-L-U with a complaint on the issue.
SEARCH THIS SITE
RECENT NEWS
- Students get a look at Air National Guard jobs in Sioux City
- Speaker says House GOP to seek UI, ISU, UNI tuition caps
- Supreme Court rules in favor of UI in Children’s Hospital construction dispute
- Law lets police check for minors inside vape shops, tobacco retailers
- Singer with ‘Iowa roots’ has dual role in Michael Jackson musical (AUDIO)