Boos v. Barry

A District of Columbia law prohibited displaying any sign within 500 feet of a foreign embassy if the sign tended to bring that foreign government into 'public odium' or 'disrepute.' Boos and others (plaintiffs) wanted to carry signs criticizing the Soviet Union and Nicaragua on public sidewalks near those embassies. They sued Mayor Barry (defendant), challenging the law under the First Amendment. The district court granted the mayor summary judgment, the court of appeals affirmed, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.

Whether a District of Columbia law prohibiting signs critical of a foreign government near its embassy violates the First Amendment.