CLEVELAND — People from all over gathered in Cleveland Saturday afternoon for a "protest while you can" rally.
According to the event organizer, "Ohioans from the Our Voices Together coalition will protest across the state to condemn anti-protest laws."
Similar events are planned in cities across Ohio. The events are in protest to House Bills 109 and 22 and Senate Bills 16 and 41.
The event organizers issued the following statement:
"The Ohio legislature recently introduced a host of bills that opponents say threaten Ohioans’ right to free speech. House Bills 109 and 22 would create higher fines and prison time for individuals involved in actions deemed to be a riot, and would increase penalties for 'diverting the attention' of a law enforcement officer, respectively. Senate Bills 16 and 41 would increase fines and prison time for individuals involved in a protest where first responders are harassed, intimidated, or injured and would require participants in a protest to provide financial reimbursement for the financial cost of policing an event."
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