Oklahoma Bill to Protect Drivers Who Hit Violent Protesters While Fleeing Passes House

Protesters block traffic on Interstate 395 as protesters march from Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C., on June 15, 2020. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

A bill that could grant legal immunity for drivers who hit violent road-blocking protesters while fleeing from them has passed the House in Oklahoma.

House Bill 1674, authored by Republican state Rep. Kevin West, was passed 79-18 on Tuesday and proposes measures to crack down on violent protesters who block roads or highways to paralyze traffic—a tactic that was popularized last year during the widespread Black Lives Matter protests—some of which turned violent.