Charlotte Law students advocate debate protest ordinance
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CHARLOTTE – The conversation is well-thought and opinionated. But the law students in the Civil Rights Clinic class at the Charlotte School of Law have put a lot of research into what they say.
"Just because you see people gathering for the DNC," said one student to another student's questions about constitutionality.
Acting as public interest advocates, the students submitted written comments to the Charlotte City Council and even spoke during the public hearing before the ordinance changes were passed that will affect protestors.
"Our job for the people is to understand the law, interpret the law and say look, this doesn't fit. This is inconsistent with our rights and we should have the right that speech and how we want to portray that speech," said Lindsey Vawter, a student in the class.
The clinic participants are discouraged Charlotte City Council passed the ordinances changes Monday night and are now monitoring the implications of the new rules. One aspect to which they disagree, is giving the city manager the authority to declare an "extraordinary event" where a specific set of additional rules would go into effect.
Charlie Schmidt, another participant in the class said that's not in the public's best interest.
"To give that much power to one official that is not elected. Is not beholden to citizens and voters, we feel is very problematic,” he said.
The clinic participants called the ordinance changes too vague and over-broad and means innocent citizens could "get caught in the net" of the rules.