Bill Would Heavily Restrict Funeral Protests by Westboro Group

Bill Would Heavily Restrict Funeral Protests

March 14, 2011
Stars and Stripes|by Leo Shane III
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger has said that Congress cannot stop groups like the Westboro Baptist Church from picketing military funerals, after the Supreme Court upheld the groups' First Amendment rights last month. But the Maryland Democrat also believes that lawmakers can put restrictions on those protests to protect mourning families.

Last week, Ruppersberger introduced legislation that would prohibit protests five hours before and five hours after military funerals, and force protestors to gather at least 2,500 feet away from the event. He said the rules would preserve the protestors' right to free speech without harassing the military families.
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Bill Would Heavily Restrict Funeral Protests