Pro-Life Advocate Sues San Diego Over “Bubble Zone” Law That Bans Pro-Life Free Speech– www.lifenews.com
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A California man who has engaged in pro-life advocacy outside of abortion facilities for the past 15 years is suing San Diego for its newly-enacted “bubble zone” ordinance. Under the city law, speech is restricted within 100 feet of the entrance to an abortion facility, and even further restricted within an 8-foot bubble around persons within that zone. On behalf of pro-life advocate Roger Lopez, Thomas More Society attorneys filed a federal lawsuit against the city on September 5, 2024. The lawsuit argues that the speech-restricting ordinance violates the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights of pro-life individuals to offer information on life-affirming alternatives, as well as the rights of the women entering an abortion facility to hear it.
The lawsuit alleges that San Diego amplifies favored pro-abortion speech and silences disfavored pro-life speech, despite the San Diego City Council’s past declaration that “it is vital to our democracy to allow free speech for all, even those with whom we vehemently agree.” The ordinance imposes a noise limitation within the 100-foot buffer that is softer than normal conversation and prohibits any act deemed to “harass or intimidate” in a vaguely defined manner. It also imposes a requirement to obtain express authorization before entering a passerby’s 8-foot bubble.