First Amendment
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlines five fundamental rights that individuals have with regard to the government: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom to petition the government, and freedom of religion.
Learn about the First Amendment's five fundamental rights, and scroll down to explore our work protecting First Amendment rights in Rhode Island through litigation, advocacy, and education.
The Latest
State Agrees to Allow Access to State House Rotunda by Protesters Before the 2026 “State of the State” Address
State officials have agreed to keep most of the first floor and rotunda at the State House open for use by the public immediately prior to, and during, Governor McKee’s upcoming annual “State of the State” address in January.
ACLU of RI Sues Governor McKee for Restricting State House Protest Before his January “State of the State” Address
“It is incredibly important in today’s political environment that the First Amendment rights of the people to assemble, protest, and petition the government are preserved. By filing this action, our clients have decided to stand up on behalf of all Rhode Islanders to preserve those fundamental rights.”
Cases, Campaigns & Legislation
Dec 01, 2025
National Alliance to End Homelessness v. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
This case was filed by a broad coalition of local governments and nonprofit organizations across the country — including Rhode Island-based nonprofits Crossroads Rhode Island and Youth Pride, Inc. — seeking to stop the Trump-Vance administration from creating unlawful and unreasonable restrictions for funding for proven solutions to homelessness, threatening to push hundreds of thousands of families onto the street as cold winter months arrive.
Oct 28, 2025
Tuttle v. McKee
This case was filed against Governor Daniel McKee on behalf of activists who were intentionally denied access to the State House for a rally and threatened with arrest prior to the annual gubernatorial State of the State address in January.
Aug 08, 2025
RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence v. Bondi
A nationwide group of 17 state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, led by the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (RICADV), filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the Trump administration from imposing unlawful restrictions on grants issued by the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) under the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
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