GRAHAM, N.C. — Editor's Note: Video from previous Graham protest story
A federal court judge ruled Alamance County cannot restrict protesters from public areas around the Graham confederate monument area or surrounding areas of the Alamance County Historic Courthouse.
The Alamance NAACP along with the ACLU and other groups filed a lawsuit against Alamance County over the ordinance in the wake of protests concerning the confederate monument in front of the courthouse.
The judge said preventing people from protesting on the steps of, sidewalks surrounding, and ground of the Alamance County Historic Courthouse violates their First Amendment rights.
The judge granted a preliminary injunction.
It means protests can be held on the sides of the courthouse steps, the lawns between the sidewalks and the courthouse, the sidewalk encircling the courthouse, and the shorter walkways connecting the steps on each side to the encircling sidewalk, and the area marked “reserved” between the Courthouse sidewalk and the Confederate monument, where cars do not drive or park.
"The County Defendants imposed a total prohibition on protests in the traditional public forum of outdoor areas surrounding the Alamance County Historic Courthouse. The total prohibition is not a time, place, and manner restriction, and however strong the governmental interests are, the total prohibition is not narrowly tailored. The plaintiffs are entitled to a preliminary injunction, which will issue by separate order," Judge Catherine Eagles said.
In July, a lawsuit was filed for a temporary restraining order after an ordinance made it illegal for anyone together with others to protest without getting explicit permission from the city’s police chief at least 24 hours in advance.