Newport Beach Bans Protests Near Private Homes

NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Political activists and other protesters will no longer be allowed to picket outside any private home in Newport Beach.

The City Council voted 6-0 on Tuesday to prohibit picketing within 300 feet of individual homes, making Newport Beach the fourth city in Orange County to enact similar measures.

In a staff report (PDF) dated Aug. 13, City Manager Dave Kiff wrote protests occuring in residential neighborhoods have "an extremely adverse impact on the targeted residents" and "interfere with a person's right to privacy" and "sense of security in their home."

The ban was enacted partially in response to a protest in June outside the home of a San Clemente doctor who supports abortion rights, according to the Orange County Register.

Other Southland cities that have passed similar legislation include San Clemente, Tustin, and Huntington Beach.