'We have a right': Illinois bill would crack down on roadway protesters

CHICAGO - A proposed bill in Illinois aims to establish harsher punishments for individuals who obstruct roadways during protests.

The initiative is spearheaded by State Representative Dan Ugaste, of Geneva, prompted by a recent demonstration that disrupted access to O'Hare International Airport.

During the protest, which occurred on Monday, roads were congested, and travelers heading to the airport found their paths obstructed by pro-Palestine demonstrators. Approximately 40 protesters were eventually arrested and charged with misdemeanors.

Ugaste has introduced House Bill 5819, which seeks to impose tougher penalties on individuals who block busy public roads for five minutes or longer, or hinder the passage of first responders.

"We should be very careful where we as a country start to control protests that what makes us American anymore," said Father Michael Pfleger, with Saint Sabina Church, who’s no stranger to expressway demonstrations. "We shut down the Dan Ryan because we wanted to cause folks to think that children are dying in this city and unacceptable numbers and we got to call attention to it."

FOX 32 legal analyst Karen Conti provided insight into the legal implications of the bill. She noted that while protesters are typically charged with misdemeanors such as disorderly conduct or trespassing, the new bill proposes upgrading these offenses to a Class 4 felony.

"There's a crossover because a misdemeanor, you can't do more than one year in prison, but for a felony, you could do up to three in a Class 4 felony. So there's actually a lot more jail time available for a Class 4 felony, but they both can be probational," Conti explained.

Chicago police said the 40 arrested on Monday were charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and trespassing.

House Bill 5819 now heads to the Rules Committee.