On a day meant to celebrate resistance to tyranny, Louisiana’s far-right lawmakers issued what critics are calling a thinly veiled permission slip for violence.
During Saturday’s No Kings Day protests across Louisiana—part of a national movement rejecting authoritarianism and Donald Trump’s taxpayer-funded military birthday spectacle—the Louisiana Freedom Caucus released a “public safety alert” reminding citizens they can legally drive through crowds of protesters if they feel endangered.
The timing of the message was not accidental. Protesters gathered in 10 Louisiana cities including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette, marching peacefully in opposition to growing authoritarian rhetoric and state-sponsored militarism. No injuries or violent incidents were reported anywhere in the state. Yet, the Freedom Caucus preemptively warned that drivers had the right to use their vehicles “to escape to safety.”
“When surrounded by angry, violent mobs, they have the option of driving out to safety,” the statement reads, referencing Louisiana R.S. 9:2792.10, a 2018 law that offers civil immunity—not criminal immunity—to drivers who hit someone while fleeing a perceived threat from unlawful road obstruction.
The message didn’t stop there. In a widely circulated graphic, the Freedom Caucus declared, “YOUR RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE IS NON-NEGOTIABLE! If violent protests block LA roads and you fear for your life, you have a right to escape in your vehicle without civil or criminal liability.” That second part is legally dubious: the statute provides no guarantee against criminal charges. Prosecutors and courts still determine whether force was justifiable.
Even so, critics say the rhetoric is doing far more than stating the law.
“This is a political stunt rooted in fear-mongering—not law, not justice, and certainly not leadership,” wrote Louisiana Democratic leaders in a joint statement issued the day before the protest. The statement was signed by the Louisiana Democratic Party, House and Senate Democratic Caucuses, and the Legislative Black Caucus.
They warned the Freedom Caucus’s words set a dangerous precedent, especially in a state with deep racial divisions and a history of violence against protest movements. As a grim reminder, the Democrats pointed to the 2017 Charlottesville attack, when white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr. drove his car into a crowd of peaceful demonstrators, killing Heather Heyer and injuring dozens. Fields was later sentenced to life in prison.
“We’ve seen what happens when this kind of rhetoric goes unchecked,” the Democrats said.
Despite the fearmongering, Saturday’s No Kings Day events remained entirely peaceful. In New Orleans, the protest was skillfully organized by Indivisible NOLA, a local chapter of the national grassroots network committed to protecting democracy. Protesters gathered at Mandeville and Decatur, lined up near the open field on the 2400 block of Decatur Street, and rolled out in a joyful parade-style march through the Marigny and French Quarter. The route wound through N. Peters, Franklin, Royal, and Spain, eventually crossing Elysian Fields and ending at Washington Square Park on Frenchmen Street. The crowd carried signs, chanted, and moved together in a show of peaceful resistance—demonstrating that civic engagement in Louisiana is alive and forceful, even in the face of threatening rhetoric from those in power.
Similar scenes unfolded in other cities across the state, including Baton Rouge and Lafayette, where residents gathered in solidarity as part of the nationwide protest movement.
But observers say the Freedom Caucus’s message may linger longer than the protest itself. By framing demonstrations as threats and leaning into the idea that drivers can act on fear, the group is fueling a narrative where protest is treated as provocation—and fear as justification for violence.
Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Beryl Amedée defended the messaging, saying, “Self-defense is a basic human right,” and that drivers should not be punished for trying to protect themselves. But no protest in Louisiana on No Kings Day involved any acts of violence or illegal road takeovers—making the statement seem less like preparation, and more like intimidation.
Whether it’s next week, next month, or this November, protests will continue in Louisiana over abortion rights, labor conditions, public education, and democratic erosion. What Saturday showed was that the people remain peaceful. It’s their lawmakers who seem eager to escalate.
