The Washington Post reports
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that a 79-year-old vendor must obtain a license to sell political buttons on D.C. streets.
The vendor, Frank Enten, had asked the judge to temporarily block the District from requiring him to get a vending license and site permit to sell his buttons.
He and his attorney, Andrew Tauber, had argued that the District regulations improperly chilled Enten's political speech. They said that the selling of political buttons was protected under the First Amendment and that the District should not be allowed to require him to obtain such paperwork. D.C. police have arrested him and chased him off street corners because he did not have a license.
The District had argued that Enten was no different from people selling hot dogs and T-shirts. They said the restrictions were designed to ensure that the city didn't become crowded and disrupt commerce on sidewalks. District lawyers said the regulations were "content neutral" and did not discriminate against anyone's viewpoints.
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