TAMPA - The Tampa Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Tampa for civil rights violations stemming from the wrongful arrest of two grandmothers and another man during a demonstration organized last year for President George W. Bush and Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Filed in the Tampa Division of U.S. District Court, the lawsuit seeks damages and other sanctions against the city on behalf of protestors Jan Lentz, Sonja Haught and Mauricio Rosas. All three were arrested on June 4, 2001 while lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights during the protest at Legend's Field in Tampa.

"We weren't exactly 20-year-old rabble rousers," said Lentz, the grandmother who carried an "Investigate Florida Votergate" sign demanding an investigation into Florida's 2000 election fiasco. Local and federal law enforcement officers forced her off the field in handcuffs. "Our intention was not to make any trouble. We came down there to register our disapproval of the President in a totally peaceful way, but instead were treated like criminals."

On June 4, 2001, the protestors - one carrying a sign that said "Boo!" - arrived with tickets in hand at the security checkpoint at Legend's Field. Shortly after entering the stadium, they were approached by security personnel who demanded: "Lose the sign and you can stay."

"I wanted the President to see my message," said Rosas, a gay activist who attended the rally to protest President Bush's refusal to sign a proclamation acknowledging June as Gay Pride Month. "We had a right to be there to protest in a peaceful and respectful way."

When the protestors declined to give up their signs, they were handcuffed and lead down a tunnel to the basement of the stadium where they were held for several hours. Prior to being released, all three protestors were charged with trespassing and ordered to appear in court. (Haught received an additional charge of disorderly conduct). They were then escorted back to their cars and told not to return. The criminal charges against all three protestors were eventually dropped.

"The protestors had every right - just like the hundreds of other people there - to lawfully exercise their free speech rights, but they were arrested in an attempt to silence them and shield the government from criticism, " said ACLU cooperating attorney W.F. "Casey" Ebsary, Jr of Tampa.

In addition to Ebsary, the ACLU cooperating attorneys litigating this case are: Will Knight and Luke Lirot of Tampa. Video is available on our Video pages.