Dallas Bans Protests Near Freeways

The Dallas City Council has approved an ordinance that makes it illegal to protest near a freeway, reports Robert Wilonsky. The final ordinance expanded the reach of an earlier version of the bill from protestors carrying signs within 75 feet of a major freeway to a ban on “individuals carrying signs, wearing costumes, or engaging in other activities intended to draw attention to their signs or themselves.”

The bill lays out strict provisions about the spaces prohibited to protestors: “prohibit all conduct intended to distract motorists by individuals standing within the lateral curb lines of the highways, including adjoining service or frontage roads, as well as on bridges or overpasses over the highways.”

The ordinance has already inspired one lawsuit, and opponents expect more to follow the council’s approval.