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Non profit Knight First Amendment Institute threatens to sue Trump over blocked Twitter critics

Poynter – “The Knight First Amendment Institute, a nonprofit advocacy group based at Columbia University, threatened to take legal action against President Trump if he does not unblock critics on Twitter. The demand, made in a letter to President Trump, was sent on behalf of Holly O’Reilly and Joseph M. Papp, two Twitter users who were blocked by the president’s account after criticizing him on the social media network. The letter argues that President Trump’s Twitter account constitutes a “designated public forum” and is subject to the protections of the First Amendment. According to precedent established by the Supreme Court, designated public forums are places “set aside by government for expressive activities” including “parks, sidewalks and areas that have been traditionally open to political speech and debate.” “This is a context in which the Constitution precludes the President from making up his own rules,” said Jameel Jaffer, the Knight Institute’s executive director, in a statement accompanying the demand…”

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