PETA Withdraws KS State Fair Lawsuit

An animal-rights group has withdrawn its

lawsuit against the Kansas State Fair.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said in the lawsuit

that fair officials were restricting the group’s free speech rights

by requiring it to shield people from seeing images of animal

slaughter at its booth.

Just days before the fair opened last month, a federal judge

ruled fair officials could reasonably impose the restrictions.

A dismissal entered Wednesday in federal court shows that PETA

and the state will pay their own costs and attorneys’ fees from the

complaint.

PETA said in an email that it is pleased with the outcome. It

says the fair’s censorship and the lawsuit drove traffic to its

fair booth to discuss its message about cruelty to animals on farms

and during slaughter.