Freedom of Expression
The ACLU of Maine is committed to protecting and expanding First Amendment freedoms through its work on a variety of issues including political protest, online expression and journalists' rights.
What you need to know
1920s
Since the 1920s, the ACLU has been involved in virtually all of the landmark speech cases to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
1933
A nationwide ban on "Ulysses," a novel by James Joyce, was lifted in 1933 following an ACLU challenge.
1997
In a landmark 1997 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with the ACLU’s argument that the Internet itself is a free-speech zone.
Our client was blocked from a public event in Bangor, simply for criticizing Vice President Vance online. We're suing.
Freedom of speech, the press, association, assembly, and petition: This set of guarantees, protected by the First Amendment, comprises what we refer to as freedom of expression. It is the foundation of a vibrant democracy, and without it, other fundamental rights, like the right to vote, would wither away.
The ACLU of Maine is committed to protecting and expanding First Amendment freedoms that allow people to speak their minds, challenge those in power, protest injustice, and fully participate in democracy.
We work in the courts, at the State House, and with communities across Maine to defend these rights. We challenge government censorship and retaliation, educate people on their right to protest and demonstrate, defend free speech in schools and public institutions, and fight efforts to restrict access to books, ideas, and information.
—Freedom of expression is the matrix, the indispensable condition, of nearly every other form of freedom.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo in Palko v. Connecticut
Featured Cases
Harvard v. Health and Human Services – Academic Freedom
McGonigle v. Curran – Free Speech at Government Events
Know Your Rights: Freedom of Expression
Protesting
Training: ICE, Privacy, Protest, and Observing
The Latest
Civil Rights Organizations Urge Students, Parents, Teachers, and Staff to Know Their Rights as the Academic Year Begins
Back to School: A Know Your Rights Guide for Students, Faculty, & Staff
Cases, Campaigns & Legislation
AAUP v. Rubio – Freedom of Association
Harvard v. Health and Human Services – Academic Freedom
McGonigle v. Curran – Free Speech at Government Events
Stay Informed
Sign up to be the first to hear about how to take action.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.