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Residents press Long Branch council over Pier Village flag display; city attorney says flag area is private property
Summary
Public commenters urged the council to treat the Pier Village flag display as a public-forum issue and protested a rule that requires speakers to state home addresses; the city's legal counsel responded that the specific flagpoles are on private property and the council lacks authority to order removal.
Multiple residents used the council’s public-comment period to press officials about a recent display of Israeli flags at Pier Village and the city’s public comment disclosure rules. Jeff Walstein, who identified himself as born in Long Branch and currently residing in Tinton Falls, said the city’s requirement that speakers state full home addresses on a live-streamed record creates safety risks and violates his First Amendment rights. "This rule is not required by federal or state law, and in my situation, it creates a very real safety risk," he said, and added he would state his name and municipality but would not disclose his private home address on a replayable stream.
Walstein argued…
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