Senator pushes for penalties, charges after protest on I-40 bridge

Shay Simon
·2 min read
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — A state lawmaker is now pushing for tougher penalties in the future and charges after pro-Palestinian protestors blocked both sides of the I-40 bridge on Saturday.

Memphis Police showed up by the dozens on the bridge and across the downtown Memphis riverfront as traffic was blocked in and out of Arkansas and Tennessee for two hours, yet no arrests were made.

ORIGINAL STORY: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators shut down lanes on I-40 bridge

“Why the hell not go commandeer the Mississippi bridge because police are apparently going to show up if you please with a cherry on top move so traffic can continue,” said State Senator Brent Taylor.

That’s why Senator Taylor penned a letter to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation pushing for an investigation.

“The reason it’s become a frequent target is because there are never any consequences,” said Taylor.

But his recent bill hopes to change that by making blocking roads a felony and holding organizers accountable for any deaths or injuries.

“For them to think blocking them bridge would somehow cause a ceasefire in the Middle East shows how misguided they are and misinformed,” Taylor said.

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Memphis Mayor Paul Young praised law enforcement for their response during the protest and said safety is a priority.

“My reaction is let’s make sure all people are safe. For me in any protest situation, I want to make sure people can have their voices heard but also want to make sure it’s done in a safe manner. When they went on the bridge, I immediately got in touch with our police department, looking at Real Time Crime Center to make sure we were monitoring the situation. Our teams work very hard and I want to applaud them for ensuring it ended peacefully with no incidents, no violence,” he said.

While the protest hasn’t caused a ceasefire in Gaza, it has prompted local leaders like Mayor Young to look at what can be done to keep this from happening again.

“We are going to take a look at what we can do better but for now celebrate the fact that nothing bad happened,” Young said.

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