Freddie O’Connell, the mayor of Nashville, announced on Friday that he is working to introduce new legislation aimed at “protecting First Amendment rights” while also ensuring people are safe to freely express themselves.
These new restrictive proposals come after protests by far-right groups have worried some; groups that the mayor himself has previously called “clown cars of a circus of fear and hatred.”
Extremist Protests
In July, multiple groups seen as hate groups descended on Nashville in a series of protest demonstrations. At the protests, some individuals carried flags bearing swastika logos and wore shirts that said “Whites Against Replacement.”
“It seems likely that we are unfortunately creating some kind of public image of Nashville as potentially welcoming to these ideologies,” said Nashville-based extremism expert, Amy Cooter. “It is perhaps also true that we will continue to see activity like this moving forward.”
Multiple Events
Nashville had been the location of multiple extremist protests during the month of July, which Cooter found surprising.
“It’s long been true that we sometimes see group activity like this in places where the group sees it almost as a political or cultural battleground…that could very well be true with Nashville being a pretty blue city in an otherwise red state,” Cooter said.
Safe Place for Speech
Cooter theorized that Nashville may have become a common protesting spot for more extreme groups because they see a lack of consequences and enforcement.
“We did see our mayor, we did see our governor come out with statements after the last batch of pop-up terrorism in Nashville from ‘Patriots Front,’ but in terms of how they interpret that…they don’t see that as a meaningful kind of consequences,” Cooter said.
Mayor’s Comments
In the aftermath of protests that some deemed as hateful, a group known as the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville held a pro-peace rally in late July that tried to encourage unity in the community.
“Those who abuse the powers of the First Amendment for the powers of hatred and fear are not entitled to tolerance and acceptance,” said Mayor O’Connell at the event. “We will continue our efforts to ensure they confront ongoing difficulty when they try.”
Campaign Against Hate
Democrat State Rep. Aftyn Behen recently created a campaign in Nashville to push back against extremist groups, fearing the possibility that their hateful speech could spill over into more violent acts.
“This will be a reoccurring instance and I think it’ll continue to get more and more violent if you are familiar with these groups’ track records,” Behn said.
Introducing Legislation
Following up on his promise to protect the First Amendment rights and the safety of those who want to express themselves, O’Connell on August 23 announced the introduction of new legislative efforts.
“I have worked with the Department of Law and Metro Council to introduce four pieces of legislation that boost public safety while simultaneously protecting First Amendment rights to peacefully gather and speak,” O’Connell said in a Mayor’s Office statement.
Political Tensions
Although O’Connell did not name any groups in the statement, he mentioned how he was wary of the possibility of political violence if he did not act.
“Political tensions are high, and this legislation will help us discourage behavior that can spark violence. When political violence prevents government functions or creates public safety issues, we must have the tools in our toolkit to respond effectively,” O’Connell said in the statement.
Four Pieces of Legislation
Working together with city authorities, O’Connell hopes to produce four new pieces of legislation that he feels can strike a balance of safety and free speech.
“We can protect both speech and spaces. Nashvillians should feel safe trying to access public resources. Today, we announced a legislative package intended to improve safety in common sense ways. I look forward to working with #MetroCouncilNash on these bills,” O’Connell wrote in an August 23 X post.
What is Being Proposed?
O’Connell is proposing the creation of free-speech “buffer zones” that will help “maintain public safety around public buildings and parking lots.”
He also hopes to adjust a mask-wearing ordinance that previously banned face mask-wearing, allowing there to be exceptions for religious or medical purposes.
Distributing Materials
Two of the legislative proposals will deal with items that protestors may bring with them. One ordinance would restrict the “placement of distracting signs over a highway” and add a $50 penalty for such an act.
Another ordinance would prohibit “the distribution of handbills on private property before sunrise and after sunset.”
Criticizing the Proposal
Online, some commenters felt that O’Connell was riding a dangerous line with government intervention in free speech and protests.
“I am 100% [anti-extremist] but this is bad. Buffer zones = areas where government will lack transparency. This is about civil rights and government accountability. Very disturbing Freddie,” wrote X user Rob Wynkoop.
