The North Carolina House has approved an anti-riot bill initially put forth in 2021 but vetoed by Gov. Roy Cooper.
In a mostly party-line vote, the bill was approved 75–43, with six Democrats voting in favor of the bill. The bill passed with Democrat support by a margin large enough to override a veto.
Though it enforces harsher penalties for perpetrators of violence and looting, he said the bill preserves “every North Carolinian’s right to protest peacefully.”
Under the proposed law, a person would face felony charges and jail time if he or she caused damage to property or assaulted a citizen or emergency personnel during a protest or a state of emergency.
Critics Allege Racism
Critics of the bill have called it “racist” because they believe it would target black people.“People who commit crimes during riots and at other times should be prosecuted and our laws provide for that, but this legislation is unnecessary and is intended to intimidate and deter people from exercising their constitutional rights to peacefully protest," Cooper said after vetoing the 2021 version of the bill.
Dawn Blagrove, executive director and attorney for the social justice organization Emancipate NC, said the bill was a “racist piece of legislation” in a press conference Wednesday.
