Opinion ID: 3045763
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Significance of the Governmental Interest

Text: The District Court determined that the restriction 17 enforced by Sergeant Camacho promoted traffic safety and traffic flow in Rose Alley – interests that the Court found “compelling.” We rejected that conclusion in our analysis of Snell’s Free Exercise claim, but find that the government interest in protecting public safety and ensuring the free flow of traffic in Rose Alley, while not “compelling,” was real and could be termed, “significant.” Our reasoning here largely mirrors our analysis in McTernan, where we addressed a similar factual situation. There, we underscored the risk of collisions between drivers, clients, personnel, and protesters in Rose Alley. That hazard, we found, was exacerbated by the specific characteristics of Rose Alley, including its narrow physical dimensions and the presence of large trucks. These concerns, centering on the layout and use of the alley, apply with equal force here. Accordingly, we conclude that the government interest in promoting traffic safety and traffic flow in Rose Alley, while not “compelling,” were “significant.” 10