U.S. appeals court upholds protest ban on Supreme Court plaza

Demonstrators stage a protest on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, January 20, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld a federal law banning protests on the marble plaza directly in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law does not violate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Susan Heavey)