Civil rights group responds to Gaetz, Greene lawsuit claiming it ‘conspired’ to cancel rallies in California

A civil rights group that Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., claim “conspired” with two California cities to cancel their rallies in 2021 claimed “victory” over the two Republicans in a press conference Wednesday.

After Gaetz and Greene blamed several civil rights organizations — including the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC — for allegedly conspiring with the cities of Riverside and Anaheim to cancel speaking events by both Gaetz and Greene, a federal judge chastised the two on Friday, calling their allegation “a conspiracy theory that relies purely on conjecture.”

In an opinion issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Hernán Vera ruled that Gaetz and Greene could proceed with their lawsuit against the California cities, while also criticizing the two Republicans for blaming civil rights organizations for the cancellations.

LULAC responded with a press conference in Riverside, California, Wednesday, proclaiming “victory” over Reps. Greene and Gaetz.

“We’re here stating that Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz have lost to LULAC, have lost to other civil rights groups, and we’re taking a hard stance against these types of political stunts that should not be tolerated in our society,” Christian Contreras, legal counsel for California LULAC, stated.

‘America First’ rallies shut down

In 2021, Gaetz and Greene were holding a series of “America First” rallies across the country. However, following a backlash from civil rights groups in California, three of their events in Riverside and Anaheim were canceled.

Responding to the cancellations, the two Republicans held a “Free Speech Peaceful Protest” outside Riverside City Hall, The Hill reported.

In a civil rights lawsuit filed in July last year, lawyers for Gaetz and Greene, including John Eastman, argued that the two cities pushed the venues to cancel the representatives’ political rallies due to “viewpoint discrimination.”

The lawsuit also names nine civil rights groups as co-defendants alongside the cities of Riverside and Anaheim, MSNBC first reported: the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, the League of United Latin American Citizens, Unidos for La Causa, Women’s March Action, the Riverside County Democratic Party, Antiracist Riverside and Occupy Democrats.

The pair of politicians alleged that the civil rights groups who spoke out against the planned events conspired with the cities to shut down the rallies.

‘Legally and literally, a conspiracy theory’

The City of Riverside tried to get the case dismissed, but a federal judge ruled Friday that the two Republicans could proceed with the civil rights lawsuit.

In a 22-page opinion, Judge Vera wrote Saturday that Gaetz and Greene have a plausible case against the cities, according to Politico. He noted, however, that the allegation that the civil rights groups “conspired” with the cities is “utterly devoid of any specifics plausibly alleging such an agreement.”

Gaetz and Greene’s claims are “both legally and literally, a conspiracy theory that relies purely on conjecture,” Vera continued.

Vera went on to argue that as Gaetz and Greene argue their First Amendment rights were violated, the civil rights groups were exercising those same rights in calling for their rallies to be shut down.

“And without an unlawful conspiracy, all that is left to aver against the Nonprofit Defendants are the unremarkable allegations that they exercised their own First Amendment rights to lobby for the cancellation of the event. That is protected.”

Vera also stated that the two representatives’ blaming the civil rights groups should “shock in equal measure civic members from across the political spectrum.”