The Los Angeles City Council has voted to ban protesting within 300 feet of a targeted individual’s home.
The current law says that protesters need to be just 100 feet away from the targeted residence.
Protests have become increasingly aggressive in recent years and demonstrations at people’s homes have become fairly commonplace.
Though this tactic has been used by both the right and the left, the motion was introduced by Council President Nury Martinez and Councilman Mitch O’Farrell on August 31, two days after a medical freedom protester shared the addresses of councilmembers.
The protester had urged people to go protest the homes of the councilmembers if they voted to require at least partial proof of vaccination to enter the majority of indoor public spaces.
The council voted 12 to 2 to approve the ordinance — to the dismay of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“The city is saying, ‘if you want to target someone’s home, you have to be a football field away from either side,’” Sari Zureiqat, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, told the Los Angeles Times. “This could be around the corner or really far away.”
Zureiqat also wondered why it was important to allow people to feel safe and prevent them from being harassed in their own homes.
“My first thought is, is this ordinance even necessary?” Zureiqat said, according to the Times.
The vote was cast without discussion and will now go to a second procedural vote from the council.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told the Times that First Amendment rights “aren’t about targeting private citizens’ residential areas.” When asked if he would be signing the ordinance into law, he said that he will have to read it.
During an unrelated press conference on Monday, Garcetti said that some of the “darkest chapters” in US history involved people targeting private homes.
