Republican lawmakers are pushing a federal law to criminalize the blocking of streets during protests, following a string of disruptive demonstrations across major U.S. cities. The proposed bill could carry penalties of up to five years in prison.
Key Facts:
- Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) is introducing the “Safe and Open Streets Act” to make blocking roads a federal crime.
- The bill targets recent protests, including anti-ICE and pro-Palestinian actions, that have obstructed highways in cities like Los Angeles, Durham, and Richmond.
- Violators could face fines or up to five years in prison under the proposed law.
- Several GOP senators—Ted Budd, Marsha Blackburn, Tommy Tuberville, and Bill Cassidy—are co-sponsoring the legislation.
- Lawmakers argue the tactic endangers public safety and delays emergency responders.
The Rest of The Story:
Protests in cities such as Los Angeles and Richmond have recently escalated to include major roadway blockages.
In some cases, demonstrators used physical barricades like ladders and chicken wire to stop traffic.
Video footage captured protesters attacking officers and obstructing emergency vehicles, sparking concerns about public safety.
Sen. Tillis’s proposed legislation would elevate these actions to federal crimes.
“The emerging tactic of radical protesters blocking roads and stopping commerce is not only obnoxious to innocent commuters, but it’s also dangerous and will eventually get people killed,” he told Fox News Digital.
Other lawmakers echoed this sentiment, with Sen. Marsha Blackburn warning that these roadblocks could prevent ambulances from reaching critical patients.
The push comes amid frustration over what many Republican lawmakers see as inaction from state and local authorities—particularly in Democrat-run cities—during such events.
The bill aims to enforce consistent penalties nationwide when protesters unlawfully obstruct public roadways.
NYC avenue is being shut down by mobs of anti-ICE protesters who are illegally marching and blocking traffic.
Allowing these criminals to continue their crimes only encourages them.
Arrest and jail them or they’ll never stop.pic.twitter.com/2VNLwJH1FB
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) June 10, 2025
Commentary:
It’s about time lawmakers addressed the chaos caused by street-blocking protesters.
Americans should never be forced to sit helplessly in their cars, surrounded by screaming activists with no way out.
That isn’t free speech—that’s a hostage situation in plain sight.
Every minute counts in an emergency.
If a protester blocks an ambulance or fire truck from getting through, someone could die.
That’s not civil disobedience; it’s criminal negligence.
A clear federal law with real consequences would send a needed message: this behavior won’t be tolerated.
For too long, these disruptive tactics have been excused or ignored, especially in left-leaning cities where enforcement seems optional.
But public safety isn’t political—it’s basic governance.
People have a right to move freely and go about their lives without fear of mob interference.
When protesters turn highways into battlegrounds, it’s no longer a demonstration—it’s an attack on civil order.
Using violence, fire, and physical blockades crosses a red line.
These are not peaceful assemblies.
They’re organized efforts to paralyze cities and intimidate law enforcement.
The Constitution protects speech and peaceful assembly—not the right to trap innocent families in traffic.
The left often defends these protesters as brave dissidents, but there’s nothing brave about endangering lives from the safety of a crowd.
Let’s call it what it is: domestic terrorism.
When groups deliberately obstruct traffic and threaten anyone who tries to pass, they’re using coercion and fear to achieve political aims.
That fits the definition.
If the local DAs won’t act, then it falls to the federal government to step in.
This bill gives law enforcement the teeth it needs to keep streets open and citizens safe.
And if protesters try to block my vehicle, I’ll do what any sane person would: keep moving.
My family’s safety comes first.
The Bottom Line:
Street-blocking protests have escalated into dangerous standoffs, leaving drivers and emergency responders at risk.
The new bill from Sen. Tillis and others aims to stop this behavior with real penalties.
Free speech ends where public safety begins—and this law draws that line clearly.
\
Read Next
– Trump Administration Cracks Down on Obamacare Fraud, Ends Coverage for Illegal Immigrants
– Iranian Missile Hits Historic Mosque in Haifa Injuring Muslim Clerics
– LA Dodgers Pick a Side, Donate \$1,000,000 to Families Affected by ICE Raids
– New Evidence Blows a Hole In Media Narrative Surrounding Minnesota Political Assassin Vance Boetler
– New York City May Be on The Verge of Electing a True Socialist as Mayor
