Our fight against tyranny during this COVID-19 “pandemic” continues. Here are the highlights for May:
* On May 4, we filed a full-throated response to a brief filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who recently intervened in the lawsuit we filed in federal court in Minnesota last November on behalf of Sally Ness, a grandmother who was tired of the City of Bloomington’s failure to enforce its own ordinances against a local mosque and its associated school.
For many years, Ness has been documenting the public controversy surrounding the Dar al-Farooq mosque (DAF) and its associated school, the Success Academy, both of which are located in her Bloomington neighborhood.
Ness would often film zoning and other violations committed by DAF and the Success Academy that were disruptive to the neighborhood. Ness would publicly disseminate this information via a blog and Facebook page. She would also bring these violations to the attention of the City, which ignored her concerns and the similar concerns of her neighbors.
Last August, City police officers confronted Ness and warned her that because people associated with DAF and the Success Academy felt “threatened” by her filming she should “stop” because she could be charged with a felony for violating the Minnesota harassment statute.
Ellison intervened in the lawsuit to defend the Minnesota statute, which he claims prohibits “video harassment,” and to defend its enforcement against Ness.
*On May 7, we filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his police commissioner.
The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of political activist Pamela Geller, challenges Mayor de Blasio’s recent announcement that, pursuant to his executive orders, the First Amendment no longer applies in the City of New York as he has made it unlawful to peaceably assemble and protest.
* On May 12, we filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction (TRO) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in our lawsuit against New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his police commissioner.
Our motion asked Judge Denise Cote to issue an immediate order forbidding Mayor de Blasio and the New York City Police Department from preventing public group protests in the City via the Mayor’s COVID-19 executive orders.
* On May 15, AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel David Yerushalmi argued our emergency motion for a TRO in our lawsuit against the New York City mayor and his police commissioner. The presiding judge denied our motion on the record and entered a final order dismissing the case to permit us to file an immediate appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which we did.
* On May 21, we filed an emergency motion for an injunction pending appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit against New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his police commissioner in our lawsuit filed on behalf of political activist Pamela Geller.
Our motion asks the federal appellate court to immediately reverse Judge Denise Cote’s order refusing to issue an injunction forbidding Mayor de Blasio and the New York City Police Department from preventing public group protests in the City.
* Due to the lead AFLC has taken in challenging these draconian and tyrannical executive orders issued during this current pandemic, we have been asked to give numerous media interviews to discuss the issues, including this interview given by AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel Robert Muise to Reason.com.
* As always, we have several other important cases in the works! We must be vigilant and persistent in our fight for faith and freedom!
Thank you for your prayers and financial support. We couldn’t do what we do without them!