Redondo Beach, Free Speech, and Day Laborers out of Reach

In 2004, Redondo Beach crafted an anti-solicitation ordinance to deal with the rising tide of day laborers hocking for work along Artesia Boulevard.

According to the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals, the statute enacted was overly broad, violating freedom of speech.

Contrary to the pro-laborer stance of the LA Times, however, Redondo Beach and other municipalities have not declared war on individuals looking for work. They oppose the obstruction to commerce and traffic throughout the city.

We cannot dress up protection for our communities under the unjustified malign that such ordinances are "anti-immigrant." Cities have a responsibility to respect the rights of those walking in their communities along main thoroughfares, including motorists, shoppers, and businesses.

In the future, if Redondo Beach chooses to redraft the ordinance, they need merely focus on the obstruction involved, not the speech, not primarily the reasons for why individuals or groups are taking up space on the sidewalk or near the streets.