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PIOKETING OF MOVIE COMPANY OFF. DEFEHDED AS FREE SPEECH A recent attempt by Columbia Pictures Corporation to halt picket: “offices or distribution of communications terming it "unfair" drew a Minnosota Branch of the American Civil Liberties Unions we * Ina friend of the court brief filed with the U.S. olis, the ACLU opposed on free speech grounds Columbia's ' The order was sought against a group of independent theatre owners and their assoc: . tion, North Central allied, which had objected to film rentals demanded by Columb: . .7 They picketed Columbiats Mimeapolis office with Signs declaring: "Columbia is Unfair “to the Independent Theatre Owners," and planned to issue bulletins co: cerning F dispute with the movie company, : tty » . Considering only the’ civil liberties issues Columbia's. complaint on grounds that; \wolved, the ACLU brief oppo: "picketing 4s a means of expression protected by the constd tutional guar. of free speechsoo. a. toy 2 Le : dcketing or other publication, may ba not be subject to prior restrain’ . "Speech, whether by verbal utterance, punished if it transgresses legal limits, but by injunction or otherwise, “st . aint of picketing is 1e; is conducted in an unlawful manner as with a show of force, or (b) it seeks to co "Prior res gally justified only if (a) the picketiig the commission of an unlawful act, It is not justified merely because the pickets; on-thelr-prine{palls;~are-conconi tantly engaging “nr somo other illegal “aetivi "The court cannot control or forbid expression because of an allegation, hension or fact that in content it may be inaccurate, unreasonable, or false, Libel and slander laws protect persons and firms from unrestrained atta was pointed out, were og ta ae ay Fo? The suit was finally dropped, after the defendant agreed to refrain fron’ picketing for the present. The Minnesota ACLU had hoped the case would advance the courts as it believed the free speech point should have been the basis for faverable decision for the theatre owners, -- oe eS Ae _A-unsndmous three-man state ala Piedmont, California ordinance banning the building of a private Catholic sc! The decision was made in a case brought by the Catholic welfare Federatica which the ACLU of Northern California filed friend of the court briefs along with’ other organizations, The court ordered the city to le a building permit to the church organization for a parochial schoo . : i, In its opinion, the courts aid, "It is settled that Parents have the basic Stitutional right to have their children educated in schools of their own choice; Subject to reasonable regulations as to subjects required to be taught, manner of" "ts instruction, etc, Having this basic right in mind, no reasonable ground for permittirg public schools to be conducted in Zone “A and prohibiting all other schools teac! “the sams subjects to the same ge groups can be suggested." -* CIVIL RIGHTS COSPLAINIS ARISE IN OKINAWA Okinawa, main island of the ‘Ryukyu group betseen Japan and Formosa’ and the U.S. Armyts "bastion of the Pacific," has becoma an issue of civil rights under mi: tary government through complaints made to the ACLU by the Japanese Civil Libertie: Union, The complaints came from Okinawans resident in Japan. The Union has take: o the conplaints with the military authorities in Washington, who have under consider tion changes in administration, Okinawa 41 only area remaining where U.S. mild- tary rule is completes: - : : Bg The islands are held in trust ty eventual return to Japan, U.S. military authorities exercise complete power over: " native civil affairs, Complaints range from denial of self-government to extens: eeizures of farm land for military use without adequate compensation or provi. Settlement elnewhera, wot fe . ° The Union has made a series of’ suggestions to the military authorities fi fending wider rights to the native population of 750,000, subject only to military: ° security, L . . . a =