ACLU sues WMATA for barring 'political' ads

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for rejecting four ads that were deemed too "political,” including one ACLU ad featuring the First Amendment in English, Spanish, and Arabic, the USA Today reports.

The ACLU and the local ACLU chapters from Virginia and the District of Columbia were joining to represent a diverse group of plaintiffs: Carafem, a health care network specializing in birth control and medication abortion; People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals; Milo Worldwide LLC, the corporate entity for English political commentator and provocateur Milo Yiannopolous; and the ACLU itself.

The four plaintiffs in our case span the political spectrum, illustrating the indivisibility of the First Amendment. https://t.co/IR9CtYzpsk

— ACLU National (@ACLU) August 9, 2017

WMATA’s policy, which has been in place for two years, forbids accepting ads “intended to influence members of the public regarding an issue on which there are varying opinions” or “intended to influence public policy.” For the full story, click here.