There have been many protests across the country, and several have resulted in the blocking of roads and highways. On Thursday, Feb. 9, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee pushed for a law to protect drivers from civil liabilities if they inadvertently hit a protester. Daniel Bastola, senior, said, “This is a reasonable law”.
This bill was introduced ten days after there was an incident at a protest in Nashville in which a vehicle hit a few of the protesters. The driver explained he was surrounded by protesters who would not let him through. They began beating on his windows and doors, and several people jumped onto the hood of his car. Other reports said he never slowed down, claiming he hit the protesters purposefully. No actions were taken against the driver. Connor Hughes, junior, said, “Drivers should be protected if protesters think that it is okay to block a road or interstate.”
The law would only protect the driver if they exercised “due care” while driving. The meaning of “due care” was not defined, but it was said that if the driver was in any way trying to hit a protester, he or she would not be protected by the law. Senator Bill Ketron from Tennessee released a statement in which he said, “We believe that citizens have the right to protest. There is a procedure for peaceful protest, and the purpose of that process is to protect the safety of our citizens. Protesters have no right to be in the middle of the road or our highways, for their own safety and the safety of the traveling public.” Similar bills have been proposed in Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, and North Dakota, all locations of other incidents involving the blocking of roads by protesters.
