Boston City Council approves nighttime residential picketing ban in 12-1 vote

BOSTON -- March 30, 2022, Boston City Council bans targeted residential picketing at night in a 12-1 vote. The council approved an ordinance sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu and shepherded by Government Operations Committee Chair Councilor Ricardo Arroyo that prohibits picketing specifically directed at a private residence between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m., with fines of $50, $150, and $300 for successive offenses within a 12-month period. Arroyo noted the ordinance does not prevent daytime protests and that a provision bars enforcement data from entering any Boston Regional Intelligence Center database. Councilor Frank Baker cast the lone no vote, arguing "the legislation comes out after it's happening to her," a reference to protests at Mayor Wu's home, and saying the rule encroached on First Amendment rights. The same meeting saw the council vote unanimously 13-0 to extend nine of Boston's 14 remaining urban renewal plans through March 31, 2023, while allowing five to sunset immediately, securing a six-month BPDA progress check-in as part of the deal.