Oklahoma lawmakers were forced into lockdown after furious protesters stormed the House of Representatives chamber.
The incident took place on Wednesday when a group of dozens of protesters entered the Oklahoma Capitol while a session was in progress.
As the angry protesters stormed the fifth floor’s House gallery, people were heard shouting “no justice, no peace” and “Black lives matter.”
Meanwhile, the Senate and House were forced into lockdown with lawmakers locking their chambers to stop the protesters from getting in.
Among other bills that the protesters gathered to demonstrate against is the anti-protest bill that grants immunity to motorists who unintentionally kill or injure protesters who block the roads while attempting to flee a riot.
The same bill also increases penalties for protesters who intentionally block public roads during demonstrations. From now, people who obstruct public roadways may face misdemeanor charges and up to one year in county jail on top of a fine as high as $5,000.
The bill was signed by Governor Kevin Stitt on Sunday as part of the state’s crackdown on riots across the nation.
“This is an important protection for citizens who are just trying to get out of a bad situation. When fleeing an unlawful riot, they should not face threat of prosecution for trying to protect themselves, their families or their property,” Rep. Kevin West said of the new legislation.
In one video shared by Dillon Richards of KOCO News on Twitter, one of the protesters came face-to-face with a lawmaker whom he started shouting at before he got pulled away by a female protester.
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