Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell released details of a public safety proposal he plans to put before the Metro Nashville Council, revealing the mayor seeks to make an “adjustment” to the city’s existing rules regarding face masks and other face coverings in public spaces.
In a Friday statement from the mayor’s office, O’Connell confirmed four pieces of legislation he said would “boost public safety” but recognize “First Amendment rights to peacefully gather and speak.”
“Political tensions are high, and this legislation will help us discourage behavior that can spark violence,” said O’Connell.
A press release from the mayor’s office confirms a total four pieces of legislation are part of O’Connell’s safety proposal, including “[a]n adjustment to our mask-wearing ordinance.”
The mayor’s office did not publish additional details, but NewsChannel 5 reported O’Connell’s mask restriction is aimed at preventing groups like Patriot Front from concealing their identities while marching in Nashville.
Previous demonstrations have included marchers, with faces obscured by masks, carrying Nazi icons.
Nashville’s existing mask ordinance, according to the outlet, prohibits wearing masks in public places without a special reason, but the adjustment sought by O’Connell would reportedly add “religious reasons and medical purposes to the list of exemptions.”
The mayor additionally submitted proposals he said would “create buffer zones to maintain public safety around public buildings and parking lots,” ban “distracting signs” on highways, and prevent “distribution of handbills on private property before sunrise or after sunset.”
In his statement, O’Connell suggested the proposals are aimed at addressing possible public safety issues around government buildings in Nashville.
“When political violence prevents government functions or creates public safety issues, we must have the tools in our toolkit to respond effectively,” said O’Connell.
O’Connell previously referred to marchers reportedly associated with Patriot Front as “white nationalists” in July, when he said the city would begin “exploring how we can thoroughly address unlawful activity of the group and prevent it in the future.”
Despite questions and rumors regarding whether Patriot Front is a “false flag” group, including from the billionaire Elon Musk, both local media outlets NewsChannel 5 and WSMV 4 repeated the claim the marchers were part of a “white nationalist” group.
The public safety proposal comes as O’Connell seeks approval from voters for his transit referendum in November. While the mayor seeks to expand the transit program, his efforts may have been dampened by a string of violent crimes that occurred on Nashville buses or transit stations earlier this year.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
