COUNCILMEMBER PINTO ANNOUNCES EMERGENCY BILL TO ADDRESSTARGETED DEMONSTRATIONS AT RESIDENCES
Washington, DC – Today, Councilmember Brooke Pinto announced the introduction of the Residential Tranquility Emergency Amendment Act to address ongoing concerns of demonstrations targeting individual residences with excessive sound and the throwing of projectiles as intimidation tactics.
“We must protect the fundamental right to protest and express one’s views; a value we carry forward proudly in the District of Columbia and in our country. We also must ensure the reasonable expectations of residents that their homes be protected from significant excessively loud disruptions and threatening actions when they are in their homes; impacts that can be felt by entire communities,” said Councilmember Brooke Pinto. “I believe we can and must get this balance right.”
The Residential Tranquility Emergency Amendment Act would prohibit persons targeting a residence for purposes of a demonstration from using amplified sound devices in a residential zone and amend the hours during which demonstrations of three or more persons targeting a residence can occur to daytime hours. In addition, the bill would prohibit a person from launching or throwing a projectile onto the residential property of another with the intent to cause fear, to intimidate, to retaliate, or to protest or disparage the conduct, belief, opinions, action, membership affiliation, religion, race, ethnicity, political party membership, speech, or writings of a person living or working at that residence.
“The persistent use of amplified sound devices in residentially zoned areas poses significant health risks to residents and threatens the peace and tranquility that residents should rightfully expect in their homes. The changes proposed in the Residential Tranquility Emergency Amendment Act represent an urgent and necessary approach to safeguarding the well-being of District residents and addressing challenges to residential peace and security while respecting people’s First Amendment rights,” said Councilmember Brooke Pinto.
The bill is expected to be voted on by the Council at an Additional Legislative Meeting on Tuesday, October 29th.
*Update: The bill passed and is now in effect.