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Woman who flipped off Trump motorcade sues employer for axing her

Now she’s giving the bird to her former employer.

Juli Briskman, the Virginia cyclist who gave a middle-finger salute to President Trump’s passing motorcade last October, is suing the government contracting firm that fired her after the gesture went viral on social media.

“I filed this lawsuit against my former employer today because I believe that Americans should not be forced to choose between their principles and their paychecks,” Briskman, 50, said in a statement posted Wednesday on her law firm’s website.

The mother of two was fired from her job at Akima LLC last November when she came forward to say she was the cyclist pictured flashing the bird at the president as his motorcade left the Trump National Golf Course in Sterling, Va.





Her lawyer, Maria Simon, said the company violated her client’s right to freely express herself.

“Juli’s expression of disapproval of the President is fundamental political speech protected by both the United States Constitution and Virginia state law,” Simon said. “Akima’s actions — forcing Juli to resign out of fear of unlawful retaliation by the government — violated the basic tenets of Virginia employment law. Ms. Briskman chose in her private time and in her capacity as a private citizen to express her disapproval of President Trump by extending her middle finger.”

Akima did not comment.





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