Protesting now illegal?

[LMNO]

Could someone with more knowledge please vet this for me?  It seems kind of disturbing.

http://rt.com/usa/trespass-bill-obama-secret-227/

[Doktor Howl]

Could someone with more knowledge please vet this for me?  It seems kind of disturbing.

http://rt.com/usa/trespass-bill-obama-secret-227/

March 10, 2012.

Interesting.

[Doktor Howl]

I remember something about this.

Give me a bit.

[Cain]

It's complicated.

In February 2012, the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act was passed in the Senate by unanimous consent and (as HR 347) approved by the House of Representatives by a lopsided vote of 399-3; the bill was then signed into law by President Obama. This bill was an updating of an existing law, originally enacted in 1971, that restricted access to areas around the president, vice president, or any others under the protection of the Secret Service.

HR 347 did not technically make it "illegal to protest anywhere the Secret Service is present," as a law to that effect had already been in place for over forty years. The primary differences between the previously existing law and the updated version enacted by HR 347 are:

    The old law made it a federal offense to "willfully and knowingly" enter restricted buildings or grounds, now the law only specifies that one must "knowingly" enter such a space to be in violation of the law.

    The updated version specifically defines the phrase "restricted buildings or grounds" to include "the White House or its grounds, or the Vice President's official residence or its grounds."

Opinions vary as to the impact of these changes.

Legal opinions are given on the article.

[Cain]

Also worth remembering: RT is Russian state television.  While it's not overt, bias against the US and overplaying antidemocratic and authoritarian policies is strongly encouraged, whether those policies actually are or not.

Just saying, it's about on a level with the NYT (mostly factual, but with sizeable amounts of steaming bullshit) and so should be treated accordingly.

[LMNO]

Ah. Snopes. Yes.

So, it sounds like a word change to make it possibly easier to get a conviction, but it's not a "new law".

[Doktor Howl]

It also makes it possible to convict with no intent or motive.   

[Left]

It also makes it possible to convict with no intent or motive.   

I find it darkly amusing that I did something that would break this law...unfurled a banner at a Pat Buchanan rally.
Funny, there I was just escorted out.
Also the Sec serv guy searched my purse.