Rhode Island State Police stand outside a barrier preventing demonstrators from entering the State House rotunda on Jan. 14, 2025, where the “People’s State of the State” was initially scheduled to be held. (Photo by Christohper Shea/Rhode Island Current)
Nine months after progressive advocates were barred from holding a rally in the State House rotunda ahead of Gov. Dan McKee’s State of the State address, the ACLU of Rhode Island is suing the governor to ensure the area is never roped off from the public again.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, claims the governor violated protesters’ First Amendment rights when his office, without notice, reserved the rotunda just 30 minutes before their planned “People’s State of the State” rally on Jan. 14…