Tempe advocates challenge new city ordinance with ballot referendum

FACT BRIEF: Did the Tempe City Council vote to expand permit requirements in ways that could affect protests?

Did the Tempe City Council  vote to expand permit requirements in ways that could affect protests? is reporting published by Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, Arizona's only nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide investigative reporting. Yes. In July 2025, the Tempe City Council approved an ordinance mandating permits for any public gathering exceeding 30 people, including protests and other events that don’t require pre-registratio…

Tempe advocates challenge new city ordinance with ballot referendum

A coalition of advocacy groups is canvassing for voter signatures to challenge Tempe’s new ordinance with a ballot referendum. The controversial new rule requires a permit for gatherings of 30 or more people on city property or in parks. The city says the new process will streamline things and make it easier to keep track of events, but advocacy groups worry that the ordinance undermines their work and makes it harder to provide critical resourc…