Oakland removes Canik handgun billboard ad, violates First Amendment
6:00am Monday, May 12, 2025
A recent controversy over a billboard in Oakland, California, has brought to light the city’s troubling firearm and ammunition advertising restrictions. The billboard advertised Turkish firearm manufacturer Canik’s Mete MC9 pistol. But the targeting of firearm-specific speech — even if it is commercial speech — for additional regulation is constitutionally suspect.