NORTH CAROLINA: GOP Reps Introduce Bill To Charge Protesters Who Block Streets With “Economic Terrorism”

The Raleigh News & Observer reports:

Protesters who damage property or block traffic could face tougher penalties under a criminal offense called “economic terrorism” proposed last week in North Carolina’s legislature.

The bill from several N.C. House Republicans comes months after Charlotte faced weeks of protests following the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. While most of the protesters were peaceful, some broke windows, looted stores and shut down Interstate 85 and Interstate

Rep. John Torbett [photo], a Gaston County Republican, is the primary sponsor of House Bill 249. He says drivers who came upon protesters on Charlotte highways last fall “feared for their lives,” and his bill would “add a little bit more of a deterrent by heightening awareness and adding a penalty.”

“The first core responsibility of government is the safety and security of its citizens, and this will assist in that effort,” Torbett added.