Republican lawmakers introduce bills to curb protesting in at least 17 states

[riversedge]

Source: washington post



https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src&w480





By Christopher Ingraham February 24 at 11:37 AM

Since the election of President Trump, Republican lawmakers in at least 17 states have introduced or voted on legislation to curb mass protests in what civil liberties experts are calling an attack on protest rights throughout the states.

From Virginia to Washington state, legislators have introduced bills that would increase punishments for blocking highways, ban the use of masks during protests, indemnify drivers who strike protesters with their cars and, in at least once case, seize the assets of people involved in protests that later turn violent. The proposals come after a string of mass protest movements in the past few years, covering everything from police shootings of unarmed black men to the Dakota Access Pipeline to the inauguration of Trump.

Some are introducing bills because they say they're necessary to counter the actions of paid or professional protesters who set out to intimidate or disrupt, a common accusation that experts agree is largely overstated. You now have a situation where you have full-time, quasi-professional agent-provocateurs that attempt to create public disorder, said Republican state senator John Kavanagh of Arizona in support of a measure there that would bring racketeering charges against some protesters.

..............

Democrats in many of these states are fighting the legislation. They cite existing laws that already make it a crime to block traffic, the possibility of a chilling effect on protests across the political spectrum, and concerns for protesters safety in the face of aggressive motorists...........................

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/02/24/republican-lawmakers-introduce-bills-to-curb-protesting-in-at-least-17-states/?tid=sm_tw&utm_term=.3002a62c69ab

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Next thing you know, some idiot GOPer will make a law to ban TownHalls!!

Link to tweet

[Cosmocat]

1. J U S T F U C K I N G A S S H O L E S

I mean ... REALLY?

[Dawson Leery]

2. ...from the party that did not want to fight Hitler.

[UCmeNdc]

3. Cracking down on Freedom!

[Initech]

4. 1st amendment guarantees a right to protest, assholes!

Well, they already knocked off one of our freedoms - freedom of the press. If they go for 3, do they get one free?

[Scarsdale]

21. Names

Publish EVERY name, then let's vote them OUT. They are elected t represent us, not their orange blowhard "leader"

[yuiyoshida]

5. Not only will you NEED to show your Papers crossing state lines....

IF you protest they will be legally allowed to crack your head open. Welcome to the United Soviet States of Amerikka.. (Remember when Republicans made a big fuss over who was wearing an American flag pin? Not so much any more.. Now they can wave Russian flags)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028702130

[NoMoreRepugs]

23. I have to believe these Conservaturds don't even know those are the Russian flag colors

[yuiyoshida]

24. They don't , ignorance is bliss.

n/t.

[lostnfound]

6. Banning masks will be double-edged swords -- provocateurs / infiltrators depend on them

How will they be able to stage burning trash cans and broken Starbucks windows if they can't hide their faces?

[elmac]

7. The Nazi fascists are trying to mimic Hitlers Enabling Act of 1933 nt

[George II]

8. It's going to be a busy year for the ACLU.

[NoMoreRepugs]

22. agree - time to send them a little extra $$$

[Ligyron]

9. Authoritarian Cowards.

Guess we'll have to fight this in court after someone is arrested.

Donate every spare dime to the ACLU folks.

[Ccarmona]

10. The Will of the People

Be Damned. The Right is trying to trash the Constitution right in front of us. Between these attempts to quash free assembly and Trump's mangling the meaning of Freedom of the Press, they will go to no ends to silence us. It's an open admission that they know they're wrong, but don't won't to allow anyone to stand up and tell them so.

[lordsummerisle]

11. k&r n/t

[KewlKat]

12. i hope this is an issue president obama's new group

Will be working on.

[hibbing]

13. I'm sure will be added to that list...including mine n/t

[Liberalagogo]

14. Washington and Oregon?

Really?

[IdiotsforPalin]

18. It will never get through in Washington....

Just some Trump supporting Repuk who is wasting time and money. Inslee will never allow it.

[Blue Idaho]

15. "See You in Court..."

Time for another donation to ACLU.

[raccoon]

38. My thoughts exactly. nt

[Vinca]

16. It doesn't get any more unAmerican than that.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. Looks like an ALEC infestation

When you see these draconian laws suddenly appear in simultaneous states, it's like an Al-Qaeda... err... Al-ECa planned attack.

[mopinko]

19. can we make these assholes take a 7th grade civics test before

they take their oaths of office?
this wouldnt piss me off half as much if the majority of them werent lawyers.

[NurseJackie]

20. This is why we have the ACLU.

[Thekaspervote]

25. Even the most rat wing judge is not going to go against the 1st amendment

Fools, all the time we had to tolerate the tea party rags...they protested and no laws were put forward in the democratic held government. Just who do they think they are!???
Yes donating as much as I can to the ACLU. Did read just now that the new AZ law has to pass the house ,they seemed to think that was questionable. It that crazy gov out there will do anything, so he will sign it should it pass the house. The tail end of the article "the ACLU is watching this closely."

Makes my blood boil!

[Lanius]

26. What special little snowflakes

For a group of people who act tough and talk tough, Republicans sure are wimps. Don't they feel safe with all those "good guys with guns" walking around?

[JDC]

27. Shame!

[guillaumeb]

28. The GOP is attempting to frame the message as:

real hard-working Americans versus paid, professional leftists.

Reality has nothing to do with it. And the hard core Trumpers will accept this framing.

[Ilsa]

44. Like that incident at the women's march,

Where a well-heeled women was getting into a her nice vehicle loudly commenting on "don't these people have jobs?" A protestor loudly told her, "It's Saturday, bitch."

[guillaumeb]

45. Exactly.

I was at a protest recently where an observer asked me why I was not at work. I replied that I worked from the age of 14 until 62 and asked if he had anything intelligent to say. He walked away.

[DavidAbel]

29. Similar

They did similar things in the uk. But there was never this level of sinister undercurrent, more just cowardice and control.

I wonder what it will take to stop the Trump/republican/Putin axis of evil and prevent it destroying America?

It's not like they are even trying to hide the dismantling of institutions and safeguards. Fascism is a known process and this is eerily following the natural course of this tumorous approach to governing.

[Cosmocat]

43. Oh, we are now officially an authoritarian, fascist

State ...

[unblock]

30. funny how protesting never bothered them when obama was president.

gee, i wonder why....

[Bengus81]

31. BULLSHIT,never happen. nt

[Bengus81]

32. How about DRUNK Trump voters that KILL people in bars??

Because they look like they came from "somewhere else"??

[MFM008]

33. Inslee VETO

And me laughing.

[redstatebluegirl]

34. It is time for the supreme court to get a case of the suppression of free speech issue to decide.

[marybourg]

35. Well, I'm going to be protesting this afternoon

in front of Congressman Trent Frank's district office, State Senator John Kavanagh. Come on down and find out whether I and my fellow protesters require pay to do it. We'll give you an earful.

[Doreen]

36. I wish they would just say what it really is.

destruction of freedom of speech. That is simply all it is.

I am actually surprised that Washington state if one of them because we are a blue state. I mean I live in a red county but I thought we were mostly blue.

[Blue_true]

41. One person can introduce a bill.

A republican likely introduced it with some republican sponsors. So even if your legislature is blue, the bill gets introduced, but it's unlikely to pass. Notice that Oregon also has a bill introduced.

[pecosbob]

37. Disgusting misuse of office...

violation of multiple constitutional amendments. Hell has a special place for this type of societal predator.

[burrowowl]

46. Hope fully even

the present SCOTUS would rule against these laws.

[MyNameGoesHere]

39. When freedom to assemble is revoked

None of the rules of peaceful protests apply any more. The government has forfeited its right to govern.

[Egnever]

40. Well Oregon and Washington arent going to fly.

Any bills like that likely won't make it past the HAHA stage in those two states.

[applegrove]

42. Protests are free speech way more so than campaign donations

re: Citizens' United.