Paul Johnson, a grandfather, just wanted to share his religious faith with people in his town, Sweetwater, Tennessee, so he went downtown for the Solar Eclipse Festival in August and stood on the side of the road to greet people. His lawyers explain he did not “enter the parking lot adjacent to him or the portion of the festival where booths were set up but stayed on a public way.” “He did not in any way obstruct traffic or cause any other problems.” Such actions, however, have been determined by city
officials to be a “demonstration” and, therefore, illegal without a permit. And no one’s handing out permits. That’s the basic outline of a demand letter from First Liberty and the Center for Religious Expression that was sent to Mayor Doyle Lowe, police chief Robert Byrum, city attorney John Cleveland and recorder Jessica Morgan. The letter demands that the city change its practices and allow Johnson to read the Bible “on a public sidewalk without a permit.” READ MORE