Is Free Speech Under Attack? I Looked at the Law Instead of the Headlines

Every time there is a protest or a viral confrontation with law enforcement, the same claim spreads almost instantly : “Free speech is under attack!”

I take the First Amendment seriously. Peaceful protest matters. Dissent matters. Criticizing the government matters. Those rights are essential in a free society. That is exactly why I chose not to react emotionally or rely on clips and headlines. I actually sat down and looked at the law. The real question is not whether free speech matters. It does. The real question is where free speech ends and where the law begins.

Here is the reality.

You can protest.
You can speak out.
You can criticize federal action.

But no one is legally allowed to interfere with a federal agent conducting a lawful arrest. Blocking officers, physically obstructing an arrest, or harassing law enforcement during an active enforcement action is not protected speech under the First Amendment. That distinction is not new. It is not vague. It is settled constitutional law. There is also clear federal statute on this.

Under 18 U.S. Code § 111, it is a federal crime to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere with any federal officer while they are engaged in official duties.

Under 18 U.S. Code § 1501, it is illegal to obstruct, resist, or interfere with a federal officer while they are attempting to serve or execute any legal or judicial process, including an arrest. This is not a gray area. The law is explicit.

Now I want to address the case of Alex Pretti directly.

In the case of Alex Pretti, it is a shame.
A shame that a life was lost.
A shame that he felt emboldened to interfere with an officer who was detaining or arresting someone.

Any loss of life is tragic and should never happen. That should not be controversial. We should all feel that weight.

But we also have to be honest about reality.

When you take a chaotic environment where the flames of chaos have been stoked by local and state representatives, this is the type of outcome you get. When public officials blur the line between lawful protest and physical interference, people are misled into thinking actions are protected when they are not.

You have to ask yourself an honest question.

What do you think would happen if you physically involved yourself in a police matter while armed?

At the very least, you are placing yourself in a position where the situation can end exactly the way it did for Alex. That is not a moral judgment. That is a factual one.

Our job as citizens of a civilized nation is to obey our law enforcement officers. If we believe there is injustice, there are lawful avenues to pursue it.

File a report.
Speak out on social media.
Go to the press.
Contact your mayor or governor.

In this case, those officials would hear every word.

What you do not do is take the law into your own hands and then act surprised when tragedy happens.

That does not protect free speech. It puts everyone at risk.

The First Amendment protects expression. It does not protect obstruction. Pretending otherwise does not expand our rights. It confuses them and leads to outcomes no one wants.

Read the law for yourself. Ignore the outrage bait.