Citing Free Speech, A.C.L.U. Sues Washington Metro Over Rejected Ads<br />The ads rejected by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which runs mass transit services in<br />and around the nation’s capital, included one for an abortion pill, another promoting a new book by the right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, and yet another urging consumers to reject animal cruelty.<br />The American Civil Liberties Union sued the agency<br />that runs the Metro system in Washington, D. C., on Wednesday, claiming that its rejection of several advertisements — including one from the A. C.L.<br />Since 2015, the Metro agency has prohibited advertisements<br />that aim to “influence public policy,” or to “influence members of the public regarding an issue on which there are varying opinions,” according to its guidelines.<br />Ms. Rowland said it became clear how subjective that policy was when Mr. Yiannopoulos’s ads, which were accepted<br />by the Metro earlier this year, were taken down after about 10 days, following commuter complaints.
