Pro-Hamas Protesters Could be Prosecuted Under KKK Law

Yost’s letter says, partially (authentic emphasis):

Ohio Revised Code 3761.12 makes it a felony to commit a criminal offense–even a misdemeanor, equivalent to trespass–with two or extra different folks whereas sporting masks. The statute in full reads:

“No person shall unite with two or more others to commit a misdemeanor while wearing white caps, masks, or other disguise.”

A violation of this “anti-disguise™ legislation is a fourth-degree felony punishable by between six and 18 months of imprisonment. Those responsible may additionally pay as much as $5,000 in fines and spend as much as 5 years on neighborhood management. (See Ohio Revised Code 3761.99.) This punishment is considerably better than misdemeanors that usually observe minor infractions that accompany pupil protests.

I don’t want to see anybody’s First Amendment rights abridged, nor see anybody stunned that they violated the legislation.

The First Amendment is a defend in opposition to the federal government, not a sword in opposition to fellow college students.

In the primary place, college students ought to protest inside the boundsof the legislation, and never commit crimes. In the second place, they need to personal their advocacy and keep away from sporting masks.

Yost urged educators to make college students conscious of the legislation and penalties.

Pro-Hamas “encampments” have appeared on dozens of campuses all through the nation, utilizing antisemitic rhetoric