ACLU takes over Times Square with multilingual campaign defending the First Amendment
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has launched a multilingual campaign in New York to reassure immigrants that they are protected by the Constitution and remind the general public of their rights under the First Amendment.
ACLU takes over Times Square with multilingual campaign defending the First Amendment
"This campaign is intended to remind people that the Constitution is for all of us. It doesn’t matter who you are or what language you speak. 'We the People' means everyone," said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the organization.
The creative comprises a series of electronic billboards in Arabic, English and Spanish in New York's Times Square and around bus stops in Washington DC.
The First Amendment in all three languages will also be displayed on a fence in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, as well as on a wall in the arts district of downtown Los Angeles.
Additional 'We the People' ads may appear in other cities and in other languages in the coming days and weeks.
The ACLU alleges that several vendors refused to run the billboards, including representatives selling space on some transit authorities which said they did “not accept issue oriented advertising".
ACLU has been particularly outspoken about President Donald Trump's immigration policies, with Romero saying: "From his attempted Muslim ban to his calls for media suppression to his remarks endorsing the use of violence against those who protest against him, President Trump has shown disdain for the rights and freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment, so we thought it was a good time to remind people of these rights."
The group recently enlisted comedians like Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey to help it raise funds via a Stand For Rights event streamed via Facebook Live.