Lawsuits challenge Oklahoma anti-protest law; riot charges

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Six Oklahomans have filed two federal lawsuits that challenge a state law intended to crack down on protesters and they allege that their civil rights were violated when they were arrested in Oklahoma City in 2020.

The six say the anti-protest law is unconstitutionally broad and vague. The law passed in 2021 increases the penalties for blocking roadways and grants immunity to motorists who kill or injure rioters.

The second lawsuit alleges that the constitutional rights of five of the six plaintiffs were violated when they were charged with inciting a riot following a confrontation with police. The charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor.

The sixth plaintiff alleges that he was wrongly implicated in the confrontation.