Free Speech

Our support of the Bill of Rights and the first amendment right to free speech is unequivocal. This includes challenging activities or actions that seek to curtail, limit or erase the free speech of others. However, we reserve the right to exercise our free speech by critiquing the speech of others, such as hateful speech, that is contrary to our core values, which support liberty and justice for all.

ACLU responds to excessive force used on protesters. Read more

ACLU defends "I can't breathe" t-shirts at school... Read more

Your free speech rights at demonstrations and protests. Know Your Rights

Privacy and Free Speech - It's Good for Business Graphic

ACLU Guide: How Companies Can Protect Privacy and Free Speech Read More

Case

Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee v. County of Sacramento

File Under :

Economic Justice, Free Speech

In May 2014, the County of Sacramento adopted an ordinance making it a crime to panhandle except when soliciting donations for charitable purposes. The ACLU Foundation of Northern California sued to stop the enforcement of the new law, which... Read more

News

Lawsuit Charges that Sacramento County’s Anti-Panhandling Ordinance is Unconstitutional

July 17, 2014

File Under :

Economic Justice, Free Speech

The ACLU of Northern California and the Law Office of Mark E. Merin today charged that an ordinance adopted in May by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors banning panhandling is unconstitutional. A lawsuit filed today in U.S District Court for... Read more

Blog

This is What Censorship Looks Like

July 15, 2014

File Under :

Free Speech, Immigrants' Rights

A black canvas near Gate 18 in the Sacramento airport’s Terminal B sits in place of a billboards intended to promote healthcare access for immigrants in California. Why? The airport has refused to use the original ads , claiming that they are too... Read more »

Blog

An FBI Counterterrorism Agent Tracked Me Down Because I Took a Picture of This

July 11, 2014

File Under :

Free Speech, Privacy and Government Surveillance

My name is James Prigoff. I am 86 years old and a retired senior corporate executive. I am also a professional photographer – in fact, I have been a photographer for most of my life. My specialty is photographing murals, graffiti art, and other... Read more »

Case

The Sacramento County Airport and the California Endowment

File Under :

Free Speech, Immigrants' Rights

The Sacramento International Airport features a wide range of amenities including various restaurants and shops, art displays, and a massage bar. The airport also rents scores of display cases for advertising throughout the terminals, including both... Read more

News

Lawsuit Challenges Government’s ‘Suspicious Activity Report’ Program

July 10, 2014

File Under :

Free Speech, Privacy and Government Surveillance

Civil rights groups filed a lawsuit today on behalf of five Americans who had their information entered into federal law enforcement databases for innocent things like taking pictures, buying computers, or standing in a train station, and were then... Read more

Blog

Suing to Defend Americans’ Right to Take Pictures in Public

July 10, 2014

File Under :

Free Speech, Privacy and Government Surveillance

What does an 86-year-old art photographer have in common with a young man with a video game habit? Not just a proclivity for perfectly innocuous hobbies, unfortunately. These days, engaging in either activity can get the FBI on your case. Read more »

Know Your Rights: Photographers

Issues :

Free Speech

Taking photos of things that are plainly visible from public spaces is a constitutional right. Unfortunately, officers keep ordering people to stop taking photos, and harassing, detaining and arresting those who fail to comply. Know your rights. Read more

Blog

Raul Ramirez photo by Rick Rocamora, 1991

Remembering Raul Ramirez

November 18, 2013

File Under :

Free Speech

The ACLU of Northern California suffered a double blow with the death of veteran journalist Raul Ramirez Nov. 15. Ramirez, who was the executive news editor at KQED, was also an ACLU-NC client for over a decade. Read more »

Blog

ACLU Releases Records in Freedom of the Press Lawsuit: Sloppy FBI Work Leads to Spying on Journalists

November 6, 2013

File Under :

Free Speech, Privacy and Government Surveillance

Remember when we filed a lawsuit to obtain the FBI's full records on Antiwar.com? New documents confirm that the FBI targeted and spied on Antiwar.com. Government surveillance of news organizations interferes with democracy and journalists’ ability... Read more »