DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge has issued an order that prevents state officials from banning a group of Des Moines Black Liberation Movement protesters from entering the Iowa Capitol grounds. U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger ruled Thursday that a ban requested by state legislative leaders and enforced by the Iowa State Patrol violates the constitutional rights of five protesters.

They were protesting at the Capitol on July 1 when a scuffle broke out with police. Troopers told them that legislative leaders had ordered them banned, some for six months and others for a year. The judge concluded the bans likely burden more speech than necessary.