Reps. Matt Gaetz, a Republican from Florida, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, have taken legal action against liberal advocacy groups and two cities in California for allegedly violating their First Amendment rights by coordinating the cancellation of their rallies. The scheduled America First rallies in Anaheim and Riverside in 2021 were canceled after pressure from activists and local government officials. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, claims that the cities coerced private venues into canceling the events, even threatening to revoke one venue’s permit. Gaetz and Taylor Greene, along with their funding committees, are seeking an injunction to prevent cities from coercing private venues to cancel future political rallies and are also requesting damages for emotional distress.
Ten advocacy groups are named in the lawsuit, which describes how they exerted pressure on the cities to cancel the rallies. The initial venue for the California rally, Pacific Hills Banquet & Event Center, canceled after learning that Gaetz and Taylor Greene would be speaking. The rally was then moved to the Riverside Convention Center but was subsequently canceled due to an issue with the certificate of insurance.
A third venue, the Grand Theater, was chosen but also canceled after facing pressure from local leaders. The lawsuit alleges that a city code enforcement officer informed the venue that their conditional use permit would be in jeopardy if they did not cancel the event.
The city of Anaheim has not yet received the complaint but is aware of it and will review it, according to Mike Lyster, the chief communications officer. Riverside has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Ultimately, Gaetz and Taylor Greene hosted the rally outside Riverside City Hall.
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