THE BOSTON GLOBE2 Hours Ago

Gun rights backer sues Lexington over rally permit

LEXINGTON, Mass. (AP) — A gun-rights activist has sued Lexington after selectmen withdrew his permit for a rally planned for the Battle Green last month.

The Boston Globe reports (http://b.globe.com/13VqTFS ) that Billerica resident Stephen Redfern sued in Middlesex Superior Court. He says the town's selectmen violated his right to free speech and peaceful assembly when they voted to pull his permit for the rally.

Selectmen granted the permit to Redfern in March. But at an emergency meeting the day after the April 15 bombings at the Boston Marathon the board pulled the permit. It imposed a moratorium on gatherings on the Battle Green until May 1, citing public safety.