REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 15 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday revived part of a lawsuit claiming that the District of Columbia enforced an anti-graffiti law against anti-abortion protesters in Washington but not racial justice demonstrators in 2020. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. The foundation claimed D.C. authorities abandoned enforcement of the anti-graffiti law during widespread protests in the city following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg dismissed the lawsuit in 2021, finding that the groups did not produce evidence of discriminatory intent by the D.C. government. “It is fundamental to our free speech rights that the government cannot pick and choose between speakers, not when regulating and not when enforcing the laws,” the court said.

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Persons: Samuel Alito, Wade, Elizabeth Frantz, “, Frederick Douglass, George Floyd, Erin Hawley, James Boasberg, Andrew Goudsward, David Bario, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, of Columbia, Appeals, Frederick, Frederick Douglass Foundation, Life, Washington, Alliance Defending, District, D.C, U.S . Constitution, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Washington, America, Minneapolis, U.S .