As “despicable” as it might be, a subway ad that depicts Muslims in a critical light is protected by the First Amendment, Mayor Bloomberg declared today.
“America is different,” the mayor said on his weekly WOR radio show.
“We tolerate things that we may find despicable because the belief is the First Amendment protects you and me and we have to protect everyone else who’s going to have that freedom.”
The MTA tried to block the ad placed by conservative blogger Pamela Geller, but she won a federal lawsuit forcing the agency to display the provocative material in 10 stations next week.
The ads are costing Geller $6,000.
At the same time that he defended Geller’s rights, Bloomberg criticized the filmmaker whose negative movie about Muhammad has sparked riots around the world.
“I think it’s disgraceful that people go and kill people because of a movie or a trailer,” said Bloomberg.
“You should know if you’re going to make a trailer like that you’re going to kill people– or people will get killed because of it. Whether it should be or shouldn’t be, we have enough experience in the world to know that.”