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Free Speech Booth, St Louis airport (lemmy.world)

submitted 6 days ago by Davriellelouna@lemmy.world to c/mildlyinteresting@lemmy.world

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[–] Placid@lemmy.world 67 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (9 children)

The U.S. Supreme Court determined that airports could not be considered a public forum to practice free speech. According to the ruling, airports exist solely for air travel and not for free expression.

Prior to the court’s decision, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a not-for-profit religious corporation, would often practice going into public places to distribute literature and asking for donations to support their religion.

Since 1992, airports across the country have adopted regulations governing speech, such as Lambert’s “Free Speech” booths.

https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/why-does-lambert-airport-have-free-speech-booths/#%3A%7E%3Atext=One+booth+sits+directly+inside%2Cliterature%2C+or+petitioning+and+protesting.

[–] ryannathans@aussie.zone 20 points 5 days ago (6 children)

So why make a booth then

[–] Placid@lemmy.world 29 points 5 days ago (1 children)

To give them a designated spot to stay in so they're not wandering around bothering people waiting to collect their bags from baggage claim. It limits disruptive and frankly antisocial behavior.

[–] ryannathans@aussie.zone 7 points 5 days ago (2 children)

But you could just kick them out or refuse them entry to the airport as they aren't required to permit free speech?

[–] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 5 days ago

Yes, but they can still annoy you with dumb lawsuits. Maybe this reduces those.

[–] Krudler@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

I'm not trying to justify or leap to any defense, just trying to understand myself.

But I'm kind of getting the feeling that they are trying to do a catch-all.

For all practical purposes, if it was a free-for-all of people treating airports like public forums, it just keeps sliding. The reason the airport is there is to facilitate people's travel, travelers don't want to be annoyed by constant destractions, let's face it, customs and enforcement wants the least amount of chaos. The airport doesn't want to bear the continual cost of extra staff to manage. Police don't want to have a hotspot of constant nuisance calls.

I think this type of post really inflames people, but in a way it seems to have practical purpose. I'm not even sure that it implies that free speech is not allowed in the airport. Just like tacitly... Dear annoying assholes that hide behind Free Speech, go stand here.

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