Texas will tighten its laws on protest marches. What does that mean in Houston?
https://www.chron.com/social-justice/art...ad-16201553.php
May 26, 2021
Updated: May 26, 2021 9:32 a.m.


Houston Police trail marchers during a peaceful Free Palestine demonstration on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 in Houston.
Jay R. Jordan / Chron staff

A bill expected to soon be signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott will allow police to charge protesters with a felony if they are accused of obstructing emergency vehicles when blocking the street.

House Bill 9, which passed in both bodies of the Texas Legislature on Monday, would make blocking an emergency vehicle a state-jail felony punishable by up to two years in jail. It also requires anyone who receives probation for blocking a roadway to serve at least 10 days in jail.

Abbott tweeted his support for the bill Saturday.

"Peaceful protest doesn’t include blocking roadways and preventing emergency vehicle access," Abbott said. "That chaos won’t be tolerated in Texas."-- excerpt, rest at link above --