Local Vendors Sue City of San Antonio Over First Amendment, Civil Rights Violations

Suit lists five San Antonio Park Police officers as additional defendants claiming vendors suffered civil rights violations at hands of police

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – With the official start of summer just a few days old, visitors eager to see a bustling Riverwalk full of local merchants, vendors, and artists may be sorely disappointed.

In response to the passage of two city ordinances last November that effectively prohibited any vending on the Riverwalk, a group of Riverwalk vendors have filed suit against the City of San Antonio and five San Antonio Park police officers in federal court over First Amendment and civil rights violations.

The lawsuit, filed by Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) on behalf of three local vendors, asks the court to declare the two ordinances unconstitutional. It also asks for damages for the abuse the vendors suffered when the City of San Antonio resorted to illegal methods to drive them away from the Riverwalk.

“The Riverwalk was designed as an open space for all the citizens of San Antonio to pursue their varied interests, from commerce to artwork, social interaction to political advocacy, and the many other pursuits that bring pleasure to the citizens of this diverse city,” said TRLA attorney Aaron Haas. “Unfortunately, the City has increasingly driven away the local merchants, artists, pamphleteers, vendors, and others who made the Riverwalk an exciting and lively space for our city.”

The two challenged ordinances place severe restrictions on the First Amendment rights of all residents of San Antonio. The ordinances make it illegal for anyone to distribute, present, or exhibit goods anywhere on the Riverwalk without the permission of city officials. No exceptions are made for political, social, artistic or religious items. Under the ordinances, the distribution of religious literature, the offering of political pamphlets, the production of artwork and the solicitation of charitable donations are all prohibited.

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