2 publishers · first seen Wed, 28 Oct 2026 20:26 UTC · updated Thu, 29 Oct 2026 03:09 UTC
Iasmine Abdennabi, of Contra Costa County, Calif., has filed a federal lawsuit against Steve Gordon, director of the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), after the agency revoked her personalized license plate 'RVRTSEA' in September 2025. The plate, which she received in May 2024, was canceled following complaints that it referenced the slogan 'from the river to the sea' and could be interpreted as promoting violence or genocide, a decision upheld by an administrative law judge and adopted by Gordon in August. Abdennabi argues that the revocation violated her First Amendment rights, asserting the plate expressed support for equal rights between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea, not violence.
The DMV ruled the plate carried connotations offensive to good taste and decency and could incite violence, citing public complaints including one from a motorist who reported feeling fear and anxiety. Abdennabi’s lawsuit seeks to overturn the recall, restore the plate, and obtain a court declaration that the message, even if interpreted as the DMV claims, does not constitute incitement. The case is pending in the U.S.
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