Seattle Improperly Imposed a “Heckler’s Veto” on Street Preacher at “an Abor...
Seattle Improperly Imposed a “Heckler’s Veto” on Street Preacher at “an Abor…From yesterday’s decision in Meinecke v. City of Seattle, written by Judge Jay Bybee, joined by Judges Margaret McKeown and Daniel Bress: Appellant Matthew Meinecke’s speech was not well received by his audience. On two separate occasions in June 2022—an abortion rally and an LGBTQ pride event—Meinecke sought to read Bible passages to attendees gathered in the city of Seattle. When those attendees began to abuse and physically assault Meinecke, Seattle police officers asked Meinecke to move and ultimately arrested him when he refused, rather than deal with the wrongdoers directly…. On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In response, a significant number of people gathered on Second Avenue outside the federal building in Seattle to protest the decision. Meinecke arrived that afternoon dressed in a shirt and tie and went to a…