Obama judge hands progressives a win over anti-Trump '8647' message amid rising threats
An Obama-appointed federal judge has issued a final ruling allowing an anti-Trump "8647" flag to be flown, delivering a win to a progressive activist group as the National Mall remains...
By Fox News · Fox News
An Obama -appointed federal judge has issued a final ruling allowing an anti-Trump "8647" flag to be flown, delivering a win to a progressive activist group as the National Mall remains a hot zone for vandalism and threats against President Donald Trump. Progressive group Accountability Now USA flew the flag near the National Mall, and alleged that the National Park Service (NPS) violated their First Amendment rights by threatening to revoke their permit. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington, D.C., ruled on Monday that the flag is protected political speech. The administration has previously interpreted the number "86" as a political threat , pointing to its common use in the restaurant industry to mean removing or refusing service, while 47 appears to refer to Trump as the 47th U.S. president. "This opinion is from an Obama-appointed judge. Flying a flag that is a threat to the Office of the President of the United States should not be permitted under any administration," a Department of Interior spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "In what world have we lost all decency to demand that any threat against the President be taken very seriously?" OBAMA JUDGE CLEARS LEFT-WING GROUP TO FLY OMINOUS FLAG AIMED AT TRUMP ON HIS OWN TURF "[Its] '8647' flag... is not a true threat to the President or incitement of violence," Moss said in his ruling. The group also displayed two flags accusing President Trump of sexually assaulting a minor. Moss ruled that those displays are "not legally obscene" and therefore remain protected by the First Amendment. Moss was appointed to the federal bench by former President Barack Obama after previously serving in former President Bill Clinton ’s Justice Department. He has also contributed to and volunteered for Democratic candidates and causes. OBAMA JUDGE CLEARS LEFT-WING GROUP TO FLY OMINOUS FLAG AIMED AT TRUMP ON HIS OWN TURF The judge noted in a previous order on the case that "a true threat to the life or safety of the Pres…