In Statehouses Across U.S., Varied Rules Restrict Public Voices
While acts of protest big and small are common in legislatures, states often have rules in place to limit disruptions to government proceedings, with authorities given wide latitude to remove people who jeer, chant or are otherwise seen to interrupt debates.
Judge Blocks Tennessee House GOP Rule Banning Signs From Statehouse Galleries
A judge blocked a new rule banning signs in the galleries of the Tennessee House of Representatives, following a lawsuit filed on behalf of three women who were expelled for protesting during a special legislative session on gun legislation.
Tennessee Republican Lawmaker Orders Removal of Public During Special Session on Gun Legislation
Families close to a Nashville fatal school shooting broke down in tears Tuesday after a Tennessee Republican leader ordered state troopers to remove them and others from a legislative hearing room while they waited to testify in favor of gun control measures.
Eleventh Circuit Upholds Preliminary Injunction Against DeSantis’ ‘Anti-Riot’ Bill
Chief Judge Mark Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida granted a preliminary injunction against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “anti-riot” bill in September 2021, stating that the law was “vague and overbroad.”
California Legislature Considers Law Limiting Protest Activity Near Vaccine Sites
If passed, SB742 would create a 100-foot buffer zone around vaccination clinics where individuals cannot “knowingly approach a person... for the purpose of obstructing, injuring, harassing, intimidating, or interfering with... that person in connection with any vaccination services.”
Utah Police Arrest Woman for Stomping on Pro-Police Flag
A Utah Police officer is charging a 19-year-old woman with a hate crime for “stomping on a ‘Back the Blue’ sign” while “smirking in an intimidating manner,” The Salt Lake Tribune reported on July 9th. The woman could face up to a year in prison or a fine of up to $2,500 for allegedly destroying stolen property “in a manner to attempt to intimidate law enforcement.”
On June 21st, a federal judge dismissed lawsuits filed against then-President Donald Trump and other federal officials who were being sued for violating the rights of protestors last June. After a group of protestors were forcibly removed from Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C. on June 1, 2020, the ACLU of D.C., Black Lives Matters, and others filed suit against Trump, then-Attorney William Barr, and other federal officials alleging that they conspired to violate demonstrators right to protest when they cleared the park to allow Trump to pose for a photo op in front of a nearby historic church.
New Report Says Trump Did Not Order Shutdown of Lafayette Square Protests
After the U.S. Park Police (USPP) led law enforcement to forcibly shut down a mostly peaceful protest on Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., an hour before a city-wide curfew on June 1st, 2020, the protestors and the press have pushed for answers about who was responsible for the decision. More than a year later, the Department of Interior has published a report with some answers.