CLEARWATER, FL – Pro-life sidewalk counselors do quiet, courageous work—showing up on public sidewalks to offer a message of truth, hope, and real alternatives to women in need. They offer a caring voice, a pamphlet, and a reminder that someone is willing to help. In Clearwater, Florida, the city passed a “buffer zone” law to make much of that work impossible. Today, as part of an agreement to resolve a lawsuit filed by Thomas More Society on behalf of a group of heroic sidewalk counselors, a federal judge entered a permanent injunction blocking the city from ever enforcing the law again.

“This is a tremendous victory for the First Amendment and for every person who believes in the God-given right to speak truth in the public square,” said Tyler Brooks, Senior Counsel at Thomas More Society. “Clearwater tried to use the pretext of ‘safety’ to drive these pro-life advocates off the sidewalk and away from the women they serve. It didn’t work. A federal court has now permanently restored our clients’ rights in a resounding vindication of First Amendment rights for every pro-life voice in America.”

The ordinance, passed by the city in March 2023, effectively created a 38-foot no-speech zone on the public sidewalk outside the facility during business hours. Pro-life ministry Florida Preborn Rescue, which had long used that stretch of sidewalk to speak with women arriving by car, suddenly found themselves banned from being able to distribute pro-life pamphlets with information about abortion alternatives to women in need.  

In June 2023, Thomas More Society sought a preliminary injunction against the buffer zone in federal court, and, after being denied, appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In December 2025, the appellate court reversed, issuing a landmark ruling making clear that municipalities cannot prioritize ‘safe access’ to an abortion facility at the expense of free speech on a public sidewalk—in this case, pro-life sidewalk counselors handing out constitutionally protected pro-life information on public sidewalks.

“The permanent injunction entered today cements the Eleventh Circuit’s ruling as a landmark precedent for pro-life sidewalk counselors nationwide,” added Brooks. “Municipalities across the country have tried to weaponize buffer zone ordinances to silence pro-life speech, and this ruling sends a clear message that it will not stand. Our peaceful clients never gave up, and because of their faithfulness, pro-life voices in Clearwater are permanently protected. At Thomas More Society, we believe every life deserves a defense, and we will never stop fighting for it.”

Today’s order also authorizes Thomas More Society to seek attorneys’ fees and costs from the City of Clearwater under federal civil rights law.

For inquiries or interviews, please contact Katie Clancy, Communications Director, at kclancy@thomasmoresociety.org.