A San Diego Superior Court judge will hear arguments Friday as to whether a local LGBT grassroots group should be prevented from canvassing in front of a Target store, San Diego Gay and Lesbian News reports.  As reported in The Advocate:

In court documents, Target Corp. has alleged that the group, Canvass for a Cause, violates the retailer’s no-solicitation policy and has exhibited “angry and aggressive” behavior toward shoppers outside a Poway, Calif. Target store near San Diego.

In a statement to the Associated Press, a Target representative said, “Our legal action was in no way related to the cause of the organization and was done so to be consistent with our long-standing policy of providing a distraction-free shopping experience by not permitting solicitors at our stores.”

But attorney Bryan Pease representing CFAC wrote in a brief to the court that municipal code exempts the free speech activity of canvassers from the “prohibition against trespassing in areas that are open to the public.”

Moreover, he wrote, “canvassers employed by CFAC are trained to never follow people or get in anyone’s way, not only because doing so is illegal and wrong, but because it would be counter-productive to their efforts as a community outreach organization.”

“It’s very David vs. Goliath,” CFAC executive director Tres Watson told NPR. “We understand they’re the Goliath in the room. They’ve got all money in world to get us to stop talking about gay marriage.”

Tags: canvass for a cause, CFAC, san diego target court case, target and lgbt group