US civil liberties group will defend alt-right star Milo Yiannopoulos, to the horror of some

A prominent attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union has criticised the organisation’s decision to back the alt-right personality Milo Yiannopoulos in a lawsuit against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

The ACLU filed a lawsuit Wednesday in US District Court in Washington alleging that the transit agency’s ad policy violates the First Amendment. The organisation also challenged the DC subway authority’s decision to reject or remove four controversial ads - including a promo poster for a book by Yiannopoulos - from stations, trains and buses. The ACLU argues that Metro’s restrictions on advertising are overly broad, unevenly enforced, and a violation of the First Amendment.

But in defending Yiannopoulos, the ACLU’s latest action also angered some of its traditional and strongest supporters, even within its own ranks - like Chase Strangio, a staff attorney with the organisation.

In a message posted on Twitter on Thursday, Strangio expressed disappointment in the organization’s decision to represent Yiannopoulos, a polarising figure because of views he expresses that many consider racist, sexist, xenophobic and transphobic.

“The ACLU has a long history of representing despicable people in the service of protecting the valuable First Amendment principles and in some cases I support the decisions that have been made and in other cases I do not,” Strangio said. “Milo preys on the deep-seated hatred for Black people, other people of colour, trans people, immigrants, Muslim people and women that is sadly a central tenet of our social fabric and political system.”

“He is vile,” Strangio added. “And I am sorry for any platform and validation that he receives.”