It's Only Just Begun

The proposals, which strengthen or supplement existing laws addressing the blocking or obstructing of traffic, come in response to a string of high-profile highway closures and other actions led by Black Lives Matter activists and opponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

[...]

In North Dakota, for instance, Republicans introduced a bill last week that would allow motorists to run over and kill any protester obstructing a highway as long as a driver does so accidentally.

  Intercept

"Accidentally."

Republican state Rep. Keith Kempenich, has said that some accidents might occur if motorists “punched the accelerator rather than the brakes,” according to the Bismarck Tribune.

Accidentally, of course. In fear of their safety, no doubt.

“If you stay off the roadway, this would never be an issue,” said Kempenich.

[...]

In Minnesota, a bill introduced by Republicans last week seeks to dramatically stiffen fines for freeway protests and would allow prosecutors to seek a full year of jail time for protesters blocking a highway. Republicans in Washington state have proposed a plan to reclassify as a felony civil disobedience protests that are deemed “economic terrorism.” Republicans in Michigan introduced and then last month shelved an anti-picketing law that would increase penalties against protestors and would make it easier for businesses to sue individual protestors for their actions. And in Iowa a Republican lawmaker has pledged to introduce legislation to crack down on highway protests.

You are perfectly free to protest, but you have to do it where it doesn't bother anybody; ie., impact anything, make any difference.

In addition to the highway-protesting bill, Minnesota lawmakers also proposed a separate piece of legislation [allowing that] nonviolent obstruction of authorities would carry “imprisonment of not less than 12 months” and a fine of up to $10,000.

[...]

“[Obstruction of authorities] is frequently used in response to people who verbally challenge or try to observe/record police at protests.”

We'll need more privatized prisons, of course.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.