A U.S. Army veteran who was arrested after holding a sign in front of a Georgia city hall in support of homeless veterans has taken legal action.
On Tuesday, The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) filed two lawsuits on Jeff Gray’s behalf alleging that his First Amendment right was violated. One lawsuit was filed against the City of Alpharetta, Georgia, and another against two of its police officers along with the police chief of the City of Blackshear, Georgia, for Gray’s search and arrest and his repeated detainment.
According to the U.S Constitution, the First Amendment means “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
“If the First Amendment means anything, it must mean that you can hold a sign in front of city hall without being handcuffed. We look forward to vindicating Jeff’s rights and reinforcing the rights of all,” FIRE attorney Adam Steinbaugh told Fox News Digital in a statement.
According to a report on the FIRE website, Gray was arrested for ‘panhandling’ during his peaceful protest. The report also stated that police issued a criminal citation against Gray “for not getting a government permit to express his viewpoints on public property.”
However, FIRE added in its report that Americans do not need “a government permission slip to speak” because the First Amendment “is their permission slip.”
In January 2022, Gray stood outside Alpharetta City Hall holding a sign that read “God Bless the Homeless Vets” to raise awareness for the hardship homeless vets are facing. He also used his own camera to capture reactions from police officers and from the public.
“I have been harassed, trespassed, handcuffed and arrested countless times for peacefully exercising my First Amendment rights. My intention is to ensure that all Americans from the wealthiest millionaire to the poorest homeless person can exercise these rights without fear of consequence from our government,” Gray said in a report from FIRE.