In 2022, Brian Strickland voted for legislation that would “crack down” on protesters and impose undemocratic additional permitting rules for protests and rallies. Opponents of the legislation alerted it would “stifle the right to protest” as State Representative William Boddie warned the bill would require permits for protests and rallies on public property, including the Georgia State Capitol. In 2026, Strickland doubled down on his support for cracking down on protesters, saying he believed it should be a crime for protesters to block an interstate and argued people could not use their First Amendment rights to “cause chaos.”
2022: Strickland Voted For Legislation That Would “Crack Down On Unruly Protesters” Following The 2020 Social Justice Protests. In 2022, according to the Georgia General Assembly, Strickland voted for S.B. 171, ‘“Safe Communities Act of 2021’; enact.” According to Georgia Recorder, “Legislation intended to crack down on unruly protesters – and that detractors argue could chill free speech and assembly – appears to be in limbo heading into the final week of the legislative session. During a recent scheduled hearing, the House Judiciary Non-Civil Subcommittee tabled Sen. Randy Robertson’s Safe Communities Act because he did not show up to present the bill as civil rights groups packed the small state Capitol room to speak out against it. The legislation is attracting a wide range of critics, including First Amendment lawyers, progressive organizations like the ACLU and Americans for Prosperity, a libertarian and conservative advocacy organization. […] Robertson, a Catuala Republican, introduced the bill in 2021 to stiffen the punishment of unlawful protesters and hold local officials more accountable after the social justice protests in 2020, which at times devolved into nighttime looting, violence, and arson.” The Georgia Senate passed the legislation and adopted by substitute 31 to 21. The Georgia House did not take substantive action on the bill. [Georgia General Assembly – S.B. 171 (2022), Introduced 2/11/21; Georgia Senate Vote 652, 3/15/22; Georgia Recorder, 3/26/22]
2022: Opponents Of The Legislation Warned It Would “Stifle The Right To Protest.” According to Center Square, “Legislators also considered Senate Bill 171, the ‘Safe Communities Act of 2021,’ inspired by protests nationwide over the past two years. Proponents said it would punish protestors who commit crimes, while critics said it would stifle the right to protest. The state Senate passed the measure, but the state House did not pass it before the session expired.” [Center Square, 5/3/22]
2022: Democratic State Representative William Boddie Said The Permitting Requirement Was One Of The Most “Problematic” And Undemocratic Pieces Of The Legislation Since It Would Have Required A Permit To Protest Or Rally On Public Property, Including The Georgia State Capitol Or Courthouse Steps. According to Georgia Recorder, “Rep. William Boddie, a East Point Democrat, said Roberton would have faced tough questions about the bill’s constitutionality from a judiciary panel composed of multiple attorneys and other members Boddie said it, it is unlikely that the bill would have enough support to pass the House committee. ‘One of the pieces of the legislation that was really problematic, I think for both conservatives and progressives, is it will make it where you have to have a permit to have a protest or rally on public property,’ Boddie said. ‘That includes places like the state Capitol or the courthouse steps. That’s just not democratic.’” [Georgia Recorder, 3/26/22]
2026: Strickland Said It Should Be A Crime For Protesters To Block An Interstate And Claimed People Could Not Use Their First Amendment Rights To "Cause Chaos." According to Brian Strickland on a Closer Look with Rose Scott, "HOST: You also supported legislation in terms of penalties and restrictions as relates to protests. So I want to get your thoughts in terms of. How do you see, I guess, what we would call maybe constitutional boundary here? People protest all the time. And I believe this legislation was if they were blocking streets. STRICKLAND: I'd say getting clear about what legislation it is. And so so, yeah, the. Look, you're right. Your First Amendment rights should be safeguarded. Right? It's such an important right and has so many layers to it. But what you can't do is use your First Amendment right to shout down somebody else and take their First Amendment right away or go and cause chaos in the streets. So if you're going to block an interstate and call that your First Amendment rights, you're not gonna do that in Georgia. I think that that should be a crime in itself. We have to protect people's right to speech. But you can't use that right to speech, to silence other people. HOST: Or hurt other folks. STRICKLAND: Or hurt people. Right." [Brian Strickland - Closer Look With Rose Scott, 9/29/26] (AUDIO)