Brooklyn man is suing city, arguing his free speech rights were violated when he couldn’t get permission to paint a mural “more inclusive” than those saying “Black Lives Matter ”.
Neil Raymond says he wanted to use messages such as “Asian Lives Matter” and “White Lives Matter” to show “that lives other than black lives matter,” according to his federal court documents.
The city told Raymond in 2020 that with the exception of the unique painting of BLM murals in the five boroughs, it does not allow messages on public roads, according to legal documents.
But the lawsuit argues that Raymond was really turned down because of the message he wanted to post.
“I thought BLM was very left. I thought it was unfair for a political side to be shown to the world in my city, but the other sides are just not welcome, ”he told the Post.
The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday, seeks unspecified damages.
A group of conservative women lost a similar lawsuit in federal court earlier this year.
The town hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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