The frictions of highway protests in U.S. cities and the legislative backlash

Abstract

ABSTRACT Spaces of protest have long been of interest to scholars because of their transgressive and highly visible uses of urban space. However, the increased visibility such spaces bring also puts protestors at greater risk of a backlash from others who expect to be able to keep moving at their own pace. Starting in 2015, a series of protests in the U.S. began using large-scale transportation infrastructure in urban areas, especially Black Lives Matter activists. Shortly thereafter, in 2017, a series of bills were introduced in state legislatures across the U.S. to limit or criminalize this activity. This paper analyzes the arguments made by legislative sponsors and supporters of these bills, using the theoretical lenses of friction and the shoal to argue that in the highly mobile society of the U.S., fear of delay or disruption becomes even more powerful when combined with racialized fears of the city.