WASHINGTON–People caught rioting would have to pay for the cost of federal policing and would not be able to get federal unemployment, if a bill introduced by Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), passes the U.S. House, the Senate and becomes law.
It’s called the “Support Peaceful Protest Act”, and penalizes people who are caught committing acts of violence, looting, or vandalism.
LISTEN: Rep. Jim Banks talks anti-rioting bill and Ft. Wayne couple who were accosted
Banks said in an interview Friday that he posted a picture on his Twitter account of a Ft. Wayne couple, which he describes as leaders in the community, who were at the White House to hear Pres. Trump speak, being accosted by a mob as they left.
“The photo of them leaving…has gone viral on the internet,” he said. “As they left the angry mob got in their face. A violent mobster with both middle fingers in this woman’s face, trying to incite them.”
Banks said the couple kept on walking.
“Antifa thugs are descending on suffering communities, disrupting peaceful protests and leaving violence, looting and vandalism in their wake. They turned Milwaukee, Seattle and Portland into warzones, and now they’re moving the chaos to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Who knows which community is next?” said Banks.
“Due to enhanced federal benefits, taxpayers are giving wages to jobless rioters that are destroying our communities. We need to cut them off from their funding and make them feel the full financial consequences of their actions.”
Banks said anyone who is convicted of rioting would have to remit payment for the hours of federal police who protect government sites in DC and all over the country.
He said he supports peaceful protests, but believes that the people who are not protesting, but are rioting, are largely unemployed.
“Many of these people are not working. They have the time to show up every day at some of these violent protests like in Washington, D.C. and they’re getting $600 a week of unemployment to do it, and that’s got to stop.”
