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May 25, 2021

Federal Court Strikes Down Georgia Bill Requiring Contractors to Pledge Not to Boycott Israel
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A federal court has struck down a Georgia law banning the state from
doing business with anyone who supports the Palestinian-led Boycott,
Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. The ruling came in a
lawsuit filed by independent journalist Abby Martin, who was barred from
speaking at Georgia Southern University in 2019 because she refused to
sign a pledge against the BDS movement. Under Georgia law, any recipient
of a government contract larger than $1,000 must sign such a pledge.
Martin filed the lawsuit last year.

Abby Martin: "My right to speak at a conference on media at a public
university was conditioned on my pledge to never participate in my
constitutional right to engage in peaceful political action. It is not
just this particular conference, but my right to speak at any public
university or similar event in the entire state has been taken away
because I will not forfeit my constitutional rights by signing this
pledge."



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