Prof. Jane Kirtley Interviewed on MPR News About DOJ Lawsuit Regarding St. Paul Church Protest

Professor Jane Kirtley, Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law, was interviewed by MPR News about the Department of Justice opening a civil rights investigation into a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul on Sunday. Dozens of protesters entered Cities Church. One of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, leads the St. Paul ICE field office. The DOJ said it is looking at violations of what’s called the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Prof. Kirtley said of the lawsuit, “I think in terms of the protesters’ activities, to me, this is a great example of what I would characterize as overkill in the sense that here in Minnesota, we have criminal laws, misdemeanors, for the most part, dealing with trespass and disrupting things in facilities that are not generally open to the public, which would certainly suffice if the church wished to make a complaint along those lines.”