Calif. high court to rule on Hare Krishnas at airport
A decades-long dispute between Hare Krishnas and the Los Angeles International Airport over soliciting donations appears to be nearing a resolution, as the California Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday over whether the airport is a public place, the Associated Press reports.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness of California argues that the airport is much like a public park, and should therefore be open to solicitors.
California's other major airports are supporting Los Angeles' position that airports are private property. Such a finding would support a ban on solicitations, which airport officials say are security risks and impede travelers.
The Hare Krishna group sued in 1997, but the case goes back to 1974 when the religious organization first began soliciting donations at the airport commonly referred to as LAX.
Since then, airport officials complain that numerous other groups and individuals have flocked to LAX to solicit donations.
The Los Angeles City Council passed a law in 1997 prohibiting the receiving of donations at the city-owned airport. The council later changed the law to allow solicitations in designated areas until the initial federal lawsuit was filed.
Lawyers for the city argue that they always had the right to prohibit such behavior but their authority increased even more after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when airports were required to tighten security.
In 2006, a federal trial judge in Los Angeles sided with the city, finding that the airport is a "nonpublic" forum.
The religious group appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which referred the case to the state Supreme Court to determine whether the airport is private or public property.
If the state Supreme Court decides that the airport is public property, Los Angeles city officials will have to overcome a bigger legal hurdle to enforce the prohibition.
The state Supreme Court is expected to rule within 90 days.
Comments
OMG - the Hare Krishna still beg at the airport? I thought they went the way of the dinosaur on that type of fundraising.
Posted by: Buck | January 7, 2010 11:00 AM
Airports are security zones and are no longer places for public gathering.
People hanging around the airport notwithstanding their purpose are a security risk and must be discouraged.
Why do not the Hare Krisishna try sending some delegates to India to raise funds from the newly rich Indians.
We could use the Hare Krishnah in Afghanistan to teach love to the "throat-slitting Taliban.
What if some terrorists decide to show up at our airports dressed as Hare Krishhah beggers.
Posted by: concerned citizen | March 5, 2010 8:18 PM
concernedcitizen,
I assume your concern for airport security would have you ban Jehovah's Witnesses and proselytizing Evangelicals, as well? Both are as annoying as Hare Krishna's and not nearly so entertaining.
Posted by: BankStreet | March 6, 2010 11:14 AM
I would ban all these religious groups from the Airport. They are the most annoying people on Earth trying to save you from yourself. I always tell the Jehovah's and Evangelicals that I am a Hindu with Multiple Gods and they have no answer.
Thanks to the overreaction of our Homeland security , my beloved Airport instead of being a place to visit and watch planes take off have a beer, has become the most boring place on Earth.
We should have a database of all Americans whose background has been checked and only focus on foreigners or Muslim groups because that is where all the action is.
The NIgerian madman is also a Fundamentalist Muslim. Wherever you see Sharia laws you will find terrorists. It is a very simple test.
Sharia laws =Terrorism.
Saudi Arabia , Nigeria, Somalia, Iran,
all terrorist heavens.
Posted by: concerned citizen | March 6, 2010 9:40 PM
Add Oklahoma City to your list, concerned citizen....
Posted by: BankStreet | March 8, 2010 5:49 AM