CLEVELAND, Ohio - A Cleveland crackdown on flash mobs won't be enacted now that the city council has upheld the mayor's veto.
A measure that would have made it a crime to use social media or cell phones to pull together a crowd was approved unanimously by council members last month and then shot down by Mayor Frank Jackson. The Plain Dealer reports the council voted 14-2 on Wednesday not to override Jackson's first veto since he took office in 2006.
Backers of the proposal said they wanted to stop sudden, violent gatherings. But the American Civil Liberties Union said the plan was unconstitutional, and Jackson said he was concerned about infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens.
Flash mobs are causing problems in several states including Wisconsin, Philadelphia, Illinois, and Kansas.