Louisiana Passes Key Bill Letting Churches Protect Themselves from Leftist Protesters
Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed two bills allowing churches to remove people disrupting their services.
The legislation — which also increases criminal penalties for such conduct — comes months after left-wing protesters disrupted services at Cities Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, over a pastor’s association with federal immigration enforcement.
Landry said that the state would not tolerate such conduct, as noted by a May 19 report from NOLA.com.
“In Louisiana, we are committed to maintaining the right to worship without interference and we remain steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding religious liberty,” he said.
With the legislation I recently signed, churches in Louisiana now have the authority to remove agitators from places of worship.
Religious liberty is paramount in Louisiana!
Great job to Representative @FirmentGabe and @RepSchlegel! pic.twitter.com/hLVBNY9Aaj
— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) May 18, 2026
“With the signing of these two bills, those protections just became stronger.”
The first measure signed by Landry was House Bill 294, proposed by state Rep. Gabe Firment, a Republican.
That bill shields people lawfully on church property from civil and criminal liability if they use force to remove trespassers asked to leave.
But the legislation does not permit deadly force, and makes clear that the force must be “limited to an amount reasonably and apparently necessary to terminate the trespass or substantial disruption, or force proportionate to that used by the person committing the trespass or causing the disruption.”
The other measure, House Bill 68, was introduced by state Rep. Laurie Schlegel, a Republican.
It expands the definition of “disturbing the peace” to cover disruptions at worship services.
Anyone convicted of such conduct would face prison sentences of between 30 days and 6 months.
The Department of Justice has charged at least 39 individuals involved with the Cities Church disruption, according to a report from CBS News.
One individual is former CNN reporter Don Lemon, who pleaded not guilty.
The defendants are being prosecuted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which allows federal prosecutions of those blocking abortion facilities, but also includes protections for houses of worship.
They are also being prosecuted for conspiring to interfere with the rights of the Christians worshipping in the church.
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