As protests in favor of reproductive rights and constitutionalizing the right to abortion continue, some states are doing all they can to bar Americans from voicing their opinion. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday that will make protesting outside of a person's home illegal. The law follows a rise in protests outside the homes of Supreme Court justices after a draft opinion was leaked indicating that the court was planning to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case.
HB 1571 intends to prevent both picketing and protests outside people’s homes. According to the law, protests “with the intent to harass or disturb that person in his or her dwelling” are illegal.
Under the state bill, those who are found in violation could face second-degree misdemeanor charges. The law "requires specified warning before arrest," meaning law enforcement officers must warn protesters to leave before making any arrests. According to the law, arrests will be made “only if the person does not peaceably disperse after the warning.”\
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DeSantis claims the law will keep people safe regardless of the number of protests occurring.
“Sending unruly mobs to private residences, like we have seen with the angry crowds in front of the homes of Supreme Court justices, is inappropriate,” DeSantis said in a statement. “This bill will provide protection to those living in residential communities and I am glad to sign it into law.”
According to Orlando Weekly, the protest bill was one of at least eight bills to make it to DeStantis’ desk on Thursday. It was approved by lawmakers in March.
“This bill recognizes the right of privacy, safety and peace that we all deserve in our own home,” Sen. Keith Perry said in March. Perry sponsored the legislation through the Senate.
Republican state officials sent the bill to DeSantis’ office after accusing both the White House and Democrats of supporting abortion rights protests outside the homes of U.S. Supreme Court justices.
But DeSantis is not the only one to enact legislation as a result of the leaked Supreme Court document. According to Axios, last week the U.S. Senate passed a bill that would extend protections from the Supreme Court Police to the immediate family members of Supreme Court justices. The bill is currently awaiting approval from the House before heading to President Joe Biden.
"Look, I think the president's view is that there is a lot of passion, there's a lot of fear, there's a lot of sadness from many people across this country about what they saw in that leaked document," former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said earlier this month. "We obviously want people's privacy to be respected, we want people to protest peacefully if they want to protest. That is certainly what the president's view would be."
Of course, this isn’t the first time DeSantis or other GOP-dominant states introduced anti-protest bills. This time last year, 34 states proposed at least 81 anti-protest bills in the 2021 legislative year, Daily Kos reported. Those anti-protest bills focused on suppressing the voices of those in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The proposed bills planned to revoke the rights of people convicted of protesting, including their access to student loans, food stamps, unemployment, benefits, and health care.
One of the biggest concerns opposers of the Florida bill have is how law enforcement officers will determine if protesters have the “intent to harass or disturb.”
The new anti-protest law signed by DeSantis is expected to take effect on Oct. 1.