National Crackdown on Protests Spreads to Boston
Boston City Council is weighing an ordinance that would curb targeted residential picketing aimed at the homes of public officials, joining jurisdictions that have approved or are considering similar measures in Maine, Maryland, Michigan and California.
Landwebs
The Boston city council is weighing an ordinance that would halt “targeted residential picketing” between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m., limiting hours for protests aimed at a particular home. Public officials in Maine, Maryland, Michigan and California have already proposed or passed measures to curb what they say is a rise in targeted harassment related to demonstrations against public vaccination efforts and pandemic rules, reports the Wall Street Journal. Some members of the council have voiced concern that the ordinance as written could be overreaching, and demonstrators say it will hurt their ability to directly engage elected officials, but other public officials have said that instances where protesters have shown up outside their homes, and the homes of their family members, crosses a line.
Since early January, 2022, soon after Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a vaccine mandate for city employees, protesters have been showing up at her home, playing heavy metal music at 7AM, chanting “Happy Birthday, Hitler” on her birthday, and promising that her children will grow up without a mom because she’ll be in prison. Boston Police Sgt. John Boyle said there haven’t been arrests, but the department does send personnel to the scene and asked the protesters to stop using bullhorns and drums. The proposed ordinance is bolstered by a past U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows bans on targeted residential picketing as long as they are content neutral and leave open alternative channels such as marching through a neighborhood.
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