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CLEARWATER, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union is taking a stand for the owner of a Clearwater bait and tackle shop.
The store owner is locked in a battle with the city of Clearwater over a mural painted on the side of his building.
In January, city officials told Herb Quintero, owner of the Complete Angler, that he would be fined up to $140 a day if he did not remove the painting from his building.
Instead of painting over the mural, Quintero put up tarps and a sign displaying the First Amendment.
Now, Clearwater officials say that Quintero has to take the sign down or face fines of up to $500 a day.
Quintero says enough is enough. He says the painting is artwork and should be classified as a mural, not a sign.
The ACLU has stepped in to help Herb with his fight.
"When you look at the way the ordinance is enforced in Clearwater, there's so many exceptions where murals of this type have been allowed. For them to not allow it here is arbitrary," says Becky Steele with the ACLU.
For Quintero, this has been more than just a major headache.
"This is frustrating, but I can't just lay down. This is for every businessman that's ever been railroaded and made to take signs down or made to change the way they do business, and it's just not right" Quintero says.
The hope is that with the ACLU stepping in, the fines will stop for now as both sides continue to discuss the issue of the mural.
