California Resident Sues State Over Revoked License Plates With 'From the River to the Sea'
A California resident, Yasmin Abednabbi, is suing the state's DMV for revoking her personalized license plates that read "From the River to the Sea." She claims the cancellation violates her free speech rights. The DMV revoked the plates after receiving complaints that the slogan was offensive and supported terrorism. Abednabbi argues the plates were meant to express support for human rights.
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- California resident Yasmin Abednabbi is suing the state DMV over revoked license plates.
- The plates displayed the slogan "From the River to the Sea," abbreviated as "RVRTSEA."
- Complaints alleged the slogan supported terrorism and was offensive.
- Abednabbi claims the revocation violates her First Amendment free speech rights.
- The DMV cited potential racial or ethnic disparagement as grounds for cancellation.
A California resident has filed a federal lawsuit against the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) after her personalized license plates bearing the slogan "From the River to the Sea" were revoked. Yasmin Abednabbi, who lives in the San Francisco area, ordered the plates in December 2023, two months after the October 7th attacks. The plates, which displayed the abbreviation "RVRTSEA," were intended to express support for human rights for all people living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, according to her lawsuit.
Abednabbi received the plates in May 2024, but they were canceled in October 2025 following complaints from other drivers. One complainant reportedly told the DMV that they were "shocked that the DMV would even issue this plate. It supports terrorism and encourages violence." The California DMV acknowledged that the phrase could be interpreted as "racially or ethnically disparaging" and subsequently invalidated the plates. An administrative judge also ruled in favor of the cancellation.
The resident is now suing, asserting that the DMV's action infringes upon her First Amendment right to free speech. The California DMV regularly rejects thousands of personalized license plate applications for various reasons, including duplication, obscenity, sexual references, and policy violations. The department's regulations prohibit plates that could be considered offensive to good taste, decency, or specific groups.
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