The council has been accused of a “ban on free speech” against an island campaign group seeking Sunday opening of the Lewis Sports Centre.
The comhairle removed a banner which the Families into Sport for Health (FiSH) group had tied to railings outside the facility in Stornoway.
The banner was only on display for 18 hours from Sunday evening until it was taken away on Monday.
Campaigners maintain the council went over the top by “getting lawyers” onto them and does not take similar action against other people placing notices on railings.
Fish spokesperson, Pauline Matterson, said they received a letter from the council’s solicitor.
They had hoped the local authority “would be more receptive to a community organisation like ourselves who are promoting the health and wellbeing of families and individuals in the Western Isles.”
While the council reached a democratic vote not to test out Sunday opening of the sports centre, any islander is also democratically entitled to campaign against councillors’ decisions, she highlighted.
Ms Matterson, a member of the Fish management committee, said: “It feels like they are fighting us every step of the way instead of working with a community organisation.”
She added: “We will continue to campaign for access to the sports centre.”
The lawyer’s letter said: “The fact that the railings are owned by the comhairle, a public body, does not mean that the public has a right to fix any material to them.
“It would be normal practice for a group or organisation who wished to place any material on the comhairle’s property to request to do so in advance.”
However, there are almost zero chances of permission “for advertising to promote the private interests of a particular organisation unless those interests aligned with the comhairle’s.”
Fish said it shared similar aims with the council over promoting sport and health.
The council said there had been some e-
Meanwhile, another Fish banner has so far been left untouched at a roundabout railings in Stornoway but the council will not guarantee not to remove it.
► Councillors vote over Sunday opening of Lewis sports centre
Council accused of freedom of speech attack
25 November 2016
