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Vehicles assaults on protests are rising. A Tennessee bill helped fan the flames, researcher says, as trio of Memphis cases hit court. Memphis Commercial Appeal

G.A. Hardaway is no stranger to being delayed by a crowd.

The Democratic representative from Memphis said that in 2017, when he and other Tennessee lawmakers were meeting on the issue of removing Confederate statues from Memphis parks, Neo-Confederates blocked his way as he was trying to getto another meeting.

They were 30, 40, 50 deep, and they came out to confront me, Hardaway recalled. One got in my face and told me that I should be grateful, because if it wasnt for slavery, Id be back in Africa on the jungle trail

I couldnt do anything but stare him down.

Hardaway could have done something, though.

He could have risked injuring that racist by punching him or shoving him out of his way, and then try to cobble together a bill that would absolve him or anyone else of incurring penalties if they hurt an objector who blocked their path.

But he didnt.

Thats because Hardaway understands that in America, people are entitled to express themselves even though sometimes, they can offend or inconvenience others.

But in the age of Trump, it seems that idea has been forgotten if they ever understood it at all by people who believe they have the right to injure or even kill people who get in their way.

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Demonstrators block a truck that allegedly hit a member of their group when the driver refused to stop as on Young near Cooper on June 5, 2020.(Photo: John Beifuss/The Commercial Appeal)

According to a recent investigation by The CA, Republican lawmakers have been laying the groundwork for years to absolve people who drive into protesters of any real accountability.

In Tennessee, a few months before 32-year-old Heather Heyer was killed when James Alex Fields Jr. rammed his car into her and other protesters in Charlottesville in 2017, Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, co-sponsored a bill that would grant civil immunity to drivers who unintentionally run into protesters.

The bill died in subcommittee, but the atmosphere it and similar legislation around the nation stirred up Hardaway read responses during hearings on the 2017 bill from people who thought it would allow them to legally run into protesters remains.

Shiloh Barnat Goodman got caught in the winds of that atmospherein June,when 18-year-old Anthony Marcuzzo injured her, her16-year-old daughter and two college students when he drove his SUV into a Black Lives Matter protest in Memphis, according to a police detective's review of surveillance video.

Another driver, 26-year-old Beau Albauer, also allegedly drove his car toward protesters that day but didnt hit anyone.

Marcuzzo has been charged with misdemeanor offenses, while Albauerwas charged with a felony.Their social media activity indicate that they bore some animus toward the protesters.

Yet Republican lawmakers who have energized an atmosphere in which some drivers believe inconvenience is a reason to injure protesters had no problems with protesters disrupting Affordable Care Act town hall meetings back in 2009.

They also had no problems with Neo-Confederates inconveniencing people like Hardaway to express their objections sometimes threateningly over the removal of Confederate monuments.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen remembers dealing withTea Party protesters at his ACA meetings.

While those protesterswerent holding up traffic to make their point, they did hold their fellow citizens hostage from asking legitimate questions about the proposed law by jeering them down, and by employing other tactics to disrupt and threaten, he said.

They were obstreperous, and disruptive, and accusatory and pugnacious, Cohen said. "They came for the purpose of being disruptive, and it was like that all over the country. It drowned out the opportunity for a lot of people to talk.

While Cohen and other congressmen had to be wary of Tea Party protesters whose actions might point to them being a possible security threat, what they didnt do was focus on passing laws that would let people get away with hurtingthose protesters.

They still had the right to speak those kinds of laws were never considered, Cohen said.

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So, what does this current situation reveal?

It reveals that for some, protest is only legitimate if the protest is about protecting the status quo; the status quo being Confederate monuments and abusive police not having to face consequences for killing unarmed Black people.

It reveals how somein power are so invested in that status quo, and so threatened by change, that they will legitimize those who would resort to injuring or killing people who dare to challenge that status quo.

And its awful that instead of proposing legislation to deal with the crisis that has brought protesters into the streets Black people who die at the hands of police are more than twice the rate of white people some Republican lawmakers and law enforcement officials would rather gin up or abet an atmosphere that puts more people at risk for dying after being hit by drivers who believe that peoples right to free expression should take a back seat to them being inconvenienced.

People are late to work, or late to appointments, because of an accident, or because there's work being done on the street, all the time, said Hardaway, who said the Tennessee Legislative Black Caucus plans to research a domestic terrorism bill to bolster investigations on the intent of drivers who plow into protesters.

The reason such inconvenience is being viewed as justifying assault is simple, Cohen said.

This is happening because of Trump, he said. Hes encouraging it. Its very disturbing and its very un-American.

You can reachTonyaa Weathersbee at 901-568-3281, tonyaa.weathersbee@commercialappeal.com or follow her on Twitter: @tonyaajw.

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Why are those who cheered Tea Party protests fine with BLM protesters being run over? | Weathersbee - Commercial Appeal