OCEAN VIEW, Del. - The Ocean View Town Council has delayed a decision on repealing an ordinance that regulates public protests, opting to revisit the measure in October.
Protesters gathered outside Ocean View Town Hall on Tuesday, calling for the repeal of a recently adopted ordinance that places restrictions on public assemblies in town parks and other property.
Ocean View protesters push back against ordinance regulating public assemblies.
The ordinance, approved by the town council in July, requires a $150 permit fee, at least 36 hours’ notice, and limits protests to between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. It also prohibits participants from wearing masks.
Cheryl Siskin, one of the protesters, said the ordinance is unconstitutional.
“To put unreasonable burdens on the right of free speech has been prohibited under our Constitution for hundreds of years,” she said.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware also criticized the ordinance, sending a letter to town officials arguing that the notice requirement and time restrictions violate the First Amendment.
In response to the criticism, the Ocean View council agreed to revisit the measure, but deferred any action until October. That delay left some residents frustrated.
“They decided to defer for a rewrite, which would require at least another three-month process. So in the interim, an unconstitutional ordinance is still in effect here in Ocean View. And I’m very disappointed about that,” Siskin said.
According to the town council, the ordinance remains in effect for now but could be repealed or rewritten in the coming months.