In an attempt to stop protests from happening in the state, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) signed a bill into law this week that would allow drivers to injure or kill protestors without consequences.
According to KHOU, House Bill (HB) 1674 signed the controversial bill on Wednesday, April 21 after the state’s Republican-led Senate voted 38-10 in favor of the measure last week.
According to the new law, it is considered “a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine for anyone who obstructs a public street during the course of a protest, according to the legislation.”
It also notes that “drivers cannot be held criminally or civilly liable for killing or injuring a protestor if they are ‘fleeing from a riot,’ and there is ‘reasonable belief’ that they are in danger.”
“We are sending a message today in Oklahoma that rioters who threaten law-abiding citizens’ safety will not be tolerated. I remain unequivocally committed to protecting every Oklahoman’s First Amendment right to peacefully protest as well as their right to feel safe in their community,” Stitt said.
