united-states is-x-legal first-amendment
Would it be legal to hold this sign up outside the White House or another government building?
<p>Would it be legal for me to hold up this sign in front of the White House, the Capitol, or the SCOTUS building?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Yes</h2>
<p>The case you want to know about is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohen_v._California" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cohen v. California</a>: A young man was arrested for wearing a jacket with the words &quot;Fuck the Draft&quot; and SCOTUS decided, that that was First Amendment-protected speech and the arrest illegal.</p>
<p>The phrase <strong>מנא מנא תקל ופרסין</strong> is in Akkadian or Aramaic language but Hebrew script (as opposed to the Akkadian Cuneiform) and can be transcribed as Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin. It is also known in German as &quot;Menetekel&quot; or in English as the &quot;Writing on the wall&quot;. It stems from the biblical episode of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belshazzar%27s_feast" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Belshazzar's feast</a>. Literally, the text would be read as &quot;counted, counted, weighed, distributed&quot;. Its meaning elaborated in <em>Daniel 5</em> is generally understood as &quot;Your days are numbered; Your days are numbered; You have been measured and found wanting; Your kingdom will fall and be divided&quot;. While stemming from religious texts, in the depicted situation it is more likely meant as political speech, and in that fashion indistinguishable from a <a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/q/78237/10334">flag</a>.</p>
<p>It also does not call for imminent lawless action - the so-called Brandenburg Test after <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_v._Ohio" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Brandenburg v Ohio</a> - and thus remains in the protected speech area. Remember, that <a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/q/90142/10334">even preaching genocide can be First amendment protected</a>, as long as that line of imminent lawless action is not overstepped.</p>
<p>As this phrase does neither, it is protected speech.</p>
