Boston City Council Passes Ordinance Limiting Protests Outside Private Homes

BOSTON (CBS) – The Boston City Council voted on Wednesday to pass an ordinance banning protests outside private homes from 9 p.m.-9 a.m.

Mayor Michelle Wu filed the ordinance, which passed City Council by a 9-4 vote. Councilors Ricardo Arroyo, Kenzie Bok, Liz Breadon, Lydia Edwards, Tania Fernandes Anderson, Michael Flaherty, Ed Flynn, Ruthzee Louijeune and Brian Worrell voted for the proposal.

Under the Ordinance on Targeted Residential Picketing, violations are punishable by fine.

"This ordinance balances the needs of our residents to have an expectation of privacy and peace in their homes in the early morning hours with the right to protest," Arroyo said in a statement. "It is narrowly tailored with reasonable limitations on time, place, and manner of speech while being content neutral. This ordinance would allow for all picketing, even targeted residential picketing, for twelve hours of the day."

The policy will take effect when Mayor Wu signs it.

Protesters have been shouting loudly, banging drums and blowing whistles outside the Wu's Roslindale home as early as 7 a.m. in recent months.

"Boston has a strong legacy of activism, and it's important to uphold and protect the ability to speak out and advocate fiercely to keep our democracy strong," Wu said in February. "But in a moment of divided national politics, we can't normalize the harassment and hate spilling over into our communities."