Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY

A7
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 5 February 2020

Sons of Confederate Veterans

appeals Christmas parade denial

By KEVIN McGILL
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A
group that was denied
permission to march in a
Louisiana city's Christmas
parade when it insisted
on carrying Confederate
battle flags asked a federal
appeals court Tuesday to
revive its lawsuit alleging In this photo made available by the Florida Highway patrol
constitutional violations. shows confiscated drugs following the arrest of two men Tues-
day, Feb. 4, 2020, Santa Rosa County, Fla.
The permit for the Louisiana Associated Press
Sons of Confederate Veter-
ans was denied in late 2015, Package labeled 'Bag
months after the slayings of
nine black worshippers at a Full of Drugs' leads
South Carolina church by
white supremacist Dylann
Roof. Pictures on social to Florida arrests
media of Roof posing with
Confederate battle flags MIAMI (AP) — Two men a trooper clocked them
led to renewed opposi- In this June 3, 2011 file photo, Sons of Confederate Veterans and charged with drug traf- going 95 mph (153 kph) on
others march through downtown Shreveport, La., on their way to
tion to public displays of commemorate Confederate Memorial Day near the Confeder- ficking could have done Interstate 10 on the state's
Confederate iconography ate flag and monument in front of Caddo Parish Courthouse. a better job hiding their Panhandle, according to
around the nation. Associated Press wares than using a pack- a Florida Highway Patrol
In the city of Natchitoches, age labeled "Bag Full of arrest report. The trooper
a nonprofit group that or- But the case hinges largely Jack Truitt, attorney for the Drugs," Florida authorities determined that Rein-
ganized the annual pa- on the role of a nonprofit HDBA. And attorney Ron- said. hardt was the subject of
rade denied a permit to group — the Historic District ald Corkern, arguing for the Ian Simmons and Joshua an active felony warrant
the SCV after city officials Business Association. That city, insisted that permitting Reinhardt, both 34, were for violation of probation
expressed concerns that group, which runs the pa- was not a city decision. pulled over in Santa Rosa in Orange County. He re-
some in the city would be rade under an agreement Attorneys questioned both County on Saturday after quested backup.q
offended by the display of with the city, denied the sides closely on how city of-
Confederate battle flags, permit. ficials' actions might have
and that protests might dis- Last year, U.S. District Judge influenced the HDBA.
rupt the procession. Dee Drell dismissed the law- "The mayor had his lawyer
Judges with the 5th U.S. Cir- suit, which named the city conduct the meetings,"
cuit court of Appeals pan- and the HDBA as defen- Judge Jennifer Elrod noted
el that heard arguments dants, saying the HDBA was when Corkern discussed
Tuesday made clear that not a government agency, city officials' efforts to
the Confederate group or "a state actor" in legal reach a compromise with
had legitimate freedom terms, and that the city did the SCV.
of speech issues if a gov- not issue the permit. Questioning Knadler,
ernmental agency denied Arguing for the SCV, attor- Haynes questioned wheth-
them a permit — even ney Dick Knadler cited a er the mayor's public op-
amid security concerns. letter written by the mayor position was a binding city
Judge Catharina Haynes and concerns expressed at policy, absent a vote by
rhetorically asked whether city public hearings. He ar- the City Council.
African Americans could gued that the HDBA acted The three-judge panel —
be denied permission to at the behest of the city Elrod, Haynes and Leslie
march in a parade if white and in a government role. Southwick — gave no in-
supremacists threatened to "My client is not a govern- dication when they would
disrupt the event. ment entity," responded rule.q