The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Mississippi street preacher who was arrested for preaching outside an amphitheater in the City of Brandon.
Gabriel Olivier’s story begins like many other free speech battles. He stood outside an amphitheater with a loudspeaker and signs showing images of aborted babies. City officials accused him of insulting passersby, calling them “whores,” “Jezebels” and “nasty.”
The authorities responded by forcing him to confine his activities to a “protest zone” under a new city ordinance which restricted demonstrations near the amphitheater and also limited the volume of those participating in protests. In essence, they pushed Olivier out of sight of his intended audience, according to The Washington Post.
Unanimous victory at the U.S. Supreme Court for Gabe Olivier! 🎉
— First Liberty Institute (@firstliberty_) March 20, 2026
We are thrilled the Justices affirmed Gabe’s right to have his day in court. This is a win for the freedom to share your faith in public and for every American to challenge unconstitutional ordinances.
Because of… pic.twitter.com/GmSKV5fFJm
The police arrested Olivier in 2021 after he resisted police orders to move into the designated protest area. Instead, he remained in his spot and continued preaching with his loudspeaker near the building’s entrance. While prosecutors accused him of hurling insults at attendees, his lawyers said he was engaged in peaceful evangelism on public property.
Olivier eventually pleaded no contest to the charges and received a suspended sentence, a year of probation, and a $304 fine. The preacher responded with a federal lawsuit to have the ordinance declared unconstitutional and to prevent the local government from enforcing it against him in the future.
A long battle through the court system ensued. A federal district judge dismissed Olivier’s case, arguing that ruling in his favor would undercut his conviction. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, saying he could not use a civil lawsuit to accomplish what he failed to do in criminal court.
However, several judges dissented, insisting that the court should not bar purely First Amendment challenges. Olivier and his attorneys appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that he was not seeking to wipe out his conviction but to strike down the law that prevents him from continuing to exercise his right to free speech.
The Supreme Court on March 20 sided with the preacher and revived his lawsuit. This means he can continue with his efforts to strike down the law even though his conviction will remain on his record.
This was the right move on the Supreme Court — especially from a First Amendment perspective. It’s one thing to regulate the volume of noise someone is making. It’s quite another to force them to go to an area where their speech can’t be heard. It’s even worse to put someone in handcuffs over the issue.
Even if the prosecution’s allegations about him calling people names is accurate — which hasn’t been proven — then it is still protected speech as long as he’s not actively harassing people after the walk away from him. If people don’t like what he is saying, nobody is forcing them to listen.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member