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Criminalize Protestors Blocking Freeways
It’s outrageous enough to have pro-Hamas protestors decrying the actions of Israelis when they either don’t know what is going on in Israel or they claim that the reports on atrocities are all lies. But now it seems that the latest demonstrations they are pursuing, where roads and highways are blocked, are not only inconvenient to everyone else, but lives could be in jeopardy. These protests are being funded by George Soros money, in his ongoing attempt to destroy this country. It’s about time to issue serious penalties for these behaviors.
Most recently, protests that have been reported to have taken place in San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. These protests are not conducted by just a few demonstrators:
The protesters in Chicago were a group called the US Palestinian Community Network, and they formed a caravan of about 100 cars that drove first to some Chicago politicians’ homes before moving on to I-190 in Chicago and bringing trarffic to a halt. Both sides of the freeway were temporarily shut down, reported Yahoo News.
San Francisco’s new district attorney is determined to ensure that laws are enforced:
In November, similar protesters shut down San Francisco’s heavily traveled Bay Bridge for four hours.
Caught in the nightmare traffic jam were three transplant organs in transit to and from University of California San Francisco medical facilities.
UCSF transplant surgeon said the protest delayed vital surgeries. Such delays could have caused complications for patients, Dr. Garrett Roll said.
The new district attorney announced that 80 people would be charged with unlawful assembly and 29 vehicles were towed.
In New York, protestors brought traffic to a standstill on the Van Wyck Expressway; 26 people were arrested for disorderly conduct and impeding vehicular traffic. In Los Angeles, protestors dragged debris, traffic cones and trash bins onto a major road leading to the airport.
Unfortunately, I think these penalties are inadequate to deter the protestors, especially considering the ramifications of their actions. In many cases, Soros may be footing the bill for any fines these protestors must pay; that includes fines required for the release of towed vehicles.
There are potential penalties that may help to stop these protestors from their illegal demonstrations.
One writer recommended that those people injured consider tort action:
On Wednesday anti-Israel protesters blocked access to JFK and LAX airports in New York and Los Angeles, respectively. The laws of New York and California, like most states, recognize the tort. While there is no precedent applying this tort to road-blocking protesters, it fits the offense. The purpose of these demonstrations is to block the road to keep people from getting to the airport—deliberately and against their will.
In Mississippi, lawmakers considered criminalizing these actions:
Republican lawmakers in Mississippi are seeking to increase penalties for people who block public roadways during protests. Several Democrats, however, are expressing concerns about legislation that could be seen as criminalizing free speech. Republican Sen. Chad McMahan of Guntown proposed the ‘Freedom of Roadway Act’ to ‘criminalize the malicious obstruction of a public street, highway or road during an unpermitted protest.’ Senate Bill 2283 would require that protesters who block roadways with no permit be fined up to $1,500, serve up to a year in jail or both. The minimum punishment would be a $500 fine and a 25-day jail sentence.
Due to the possibility of a claim that free speech is being penalized, the legislation was amended to duplicate existing law that bans a “person” from blocking roadways. Unfortunately, the law died in committee.
In April 2021 in the midst of the George Floyd riots, Gov. Ron DeSantis took action:
At the bill signing Monday, DeSantis said, ‘If you riot, if you loot, if you harm others, particularly if you harm a law enforcement officer during one of these violent assemblies, you’re going to jail.’
The law increases penalties for protesters who block roadways or deface public monuments. It creates a new crime, ‘mob intimidation.’ And it requires that anyone arrested at a protest be denied bail until their first court appearance, likely making for overnight jail stays.
In protest, the ACLU spoke out:
Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said, ‘To be clear, the goal of this law is to silence dissent and create fear among Floridians who want to take to the streets to march for justice.’
No protestors have anything to fear, anywhere, as long as they follow the law.
This law should be one of many that forbid protestors from intimidating ordinary citizens and holding them hostage. People could die in their cars or in ambulances, unable to reach a hospital. It’s about time that lawmakers got creative and enacted laws that protect citizens, not criminals.
My last suggestion is not likely to be accepted, but I think anyone who is arrested should be required to view a video, even a short one, on the atrocities that Hamas has conducted. It should be a condition for release from jail.
Maybe that will change minds and hearts.
Published in Policing
I think anyone funding them should be charged under RICO.
Now that’s the kind of creative thinking I like to see! I hope others weigh in so that we can stop protestors from taking us hostage!
I can’t take credit. Democrats showed me the way!
in the Marxist playbook, the reaction is the action. These “protests” are designed to frustrate Americans and cause them to overreact. This is a problem for government to fix, but most city governments are sympathetic with the Marxists.
The Supreme Court has always upheld reasonable restrictions on time, place and manner to let people demonstrate and get their message out without interfering with other people’s needs to access services. Notice that oftentimes the proposed law changes are to increase penalties, not to make blocking businesses and roadways illegal. This is a law enforcement issue and the willingness or unwillingness of the various jurisdictions to face criticism for action or inaction.
So they are probably pretty happy using a minimum amount of law enforcement. It’s a gesture of sorts.
Maybe someone has to die in the traffic jam or lose a baby because she couldn’t get to the hospital in time.
People need to get out of their comfort zones on this one for penalties. They probably could care less about free speech. How about the lack of freedom for those who are trapped?
More than that, as we see more authoritarian action in general, these kinds of protests will likely increase and become more violent. Will they just wring their hands then?
At JFK airport, ‘pro-Palestinian’ protestors attempted to shut down flights by releasing large balloons. Interfering with aircraft is certainly a Federal crime; in fact there are several statutes that could be involved. The death penalty can be applied in some cases when a fatal accident results from the interference.
The FBI is said to be investigating, but no arrests so far and Buttigieg has had nothing to say.
So is the ACLU also speaking out against the laws already on the books about protesting in front of abortion clinics, laws that the federal government uses to justify armed raids on the homes of people who have previously protested?
When you compare this to how government criminalizes people who try to picket or protest abortion clinics (without blocking access)….
Thanks for this info, David. It is maddening to know that they aren’t taking these actions to heart. Making examples of just a few of these people would send a powerful message.
Excellent point!
Isn’t there already a law against obstructing traffic?
The local news went out and found a motorist who said he missed his flight because of this. But he is OK with it because he supports the cause. This is the Bay Area!
It seems enforcement of this is about the lowest hanging fruit to restore order to Western Civilization. If the roadway is a Federal Highway, it seems the FBI could get involved. But then again, the FBI supports the cause as well.
This may be the way to go. Take pictures of the protestors and then sue them for damages. I am pretty sure that a jury of ordinary citizens aren’t going to have much sympathy for people causing a traffic jam. Going to jail is a badge of honor. Paying someone damages is much less romantic and more likely to curb peoples behavior.
In this case the law should charge with protestors with assault and reckless endangerment. Their actions could have had severe consequences including death for the patients.
Your checklist for the trip to the airport, work, hospital, or grocery store:
Besides bear spray ;-) –what other kinds of penalties might be effective? Then again, bear spray…
Unfortunately, the use of bear spray would likely be considered assault and, even more unfortunately, the person who used it would absolutely be charged and prosecuted. That is really the reason you don’t see more of these activists taken care of by those that they inconvenience directly. Normal people recognize that they will be prosecuted and spend time in the poky if they take the needed action to clear the roadway of these jerks.
Money fines are nothing to protesters. Even Kamala donated to legal defense of criminals. And Soros will always pick up the tab anyway.
Even better let Soros and Kamala pay large settlements to inconvenienced people. Their resources while vast aren’t limitless
I wouldn’t go along with this part, but I agree with everything else in the OP. Even if there are no life-or-death consequences like with the organ transplant scenario, the effects of the highway shutdowns go far beyond the people on-site. How many people have to stay hours late at work because the person working the next shift is held up by a manufactured traffic stoppage? How many kids don’t get picked up because Mom or Dad is stuck? How many business are inconvenienced because the Thursday afternoon delivery had to be pushed back to Friday morning? And are these protest effective? I cannot picture a lot of people saying, “I was undecided on this controversial topic but now that Hamas supporters have ruined my day, I’m with them all the way!”
Yes, jail time is more likely to dissuade people than fines when there are people donating money to pay the fines of protestors.
I’m curious about your objection to this point (and do appreciate your support otherwise). Is it because it could cause them great emotional distress? I guess I’m cold-hearted, but I don’t much care.
But would MSM publicize it when the protest is for an approved agenda?
I’m pro-life, but I don’t think that pro-choice arrestees should be made to watch pro-life . . . I don’t want to make people angry by using the word “propaganda” but there it is. I am for free trade. When the anti-trade people have an illegal demonstration and are arrested, I don’t want them to be compelled to watch pro-free-trade propaganda. I do not like government telling people this is what you are supposed to believe, even if those beliefs are mine. The crime here is not having sympathy with the wrong side, it is trespassing and blocking traffic and creating a public nuisance. Compelling people to watch a government-endorsed message just strikes me as something that the Soviet Union would do.
What if I want to block the freeways in order to protest the lenient behavior toward these protesters?
That is my thought. I hope everyone of the passengers and airlines that suffered delays in their flights on New Year’s Day at JFK sue the pants off of all of those arrested.
Ok, I know this is mostly theoretical, as the chief prosecutors in these cities are not interested in protecting social order, but . . .
I have read a couple of suggestions to prosecute road-blockers for some type of kidnapping or false imprisonment charge since the victims have no real or practical opportunity to leave.
Is road-blocking not a form of what might be called “terrorism” and thus prosecutable under existing anti-terrorism laws? Normally we think of “terrorism” as intentionally causing physical damage or taking physical life or causing physical harm to make a point. But, intentionally taking a person’s time is nonetheless taking a portion of that person’s life to make a point. [This is said based on the concept of “terrorism” without knowing what the legal definition in the statutes is.]
MMm…mmmm. Probably not a good idea….
But aren’t those the kind of things the voters in those places have shown they support, by the way they vote?
Should we NOT want those people to get what they voted for, good and hard?