Northbrook trustees say First Amendment limits removal of public‑forum display as residents clash over blue triangle symbol

President Kathleen Ciesla and the village attorney told residents at the Village of Northbrook trustees meeting that the village lacks legal authority to prohibit or remove a privately posted display in the Shermer Walters public forum, after weeks of local controversy over a sign that uses an inverted blue triangle and messages in support of migrants.

Ciesla said the village has preserved the space as a designated public forum for “over half a century” and that displays there are protected by the First Amendment. Village Attorney Greg Smith told the trustees and the audience that, under U.S. Supreme Court precedents, the village may apply “reasonable time, place and manner” restrictions but may not deny or remove a display because of its content. He said the village may only refuse a display if it violates the forum’s physical safety rules.

The question has prompted sustained public comment. Dozens of residents, clergy and local leaders spoke during the meeting’s public‑comment period, offering sharply divided views. Supporters of the display said it raises attention to migrant treatment and invokes a reclaimed symbol of…