It is the purpose of this article to protect persons who are lawfully picketing in an orderly manner against interference or injury by those who might attempt to intimidate them by acts of violence or by the use of threatening or abusive words or gestures, and to preserve the public peace and tranquility while lawful picketing is taking place. It is also the purpose of this article to protect persons who are not picketing and who are acting in a lawful manner against interference or injury by those who might attempt to intimidate them by acts of violence or by the use of threatening or abusive words of gestures.
(1973 Code §18-1)
(a) Peaceful picketing in the furtherance of a lawful purpose shall be permitted in the Town when it is done under the following conditions:
(1) Picketing may be conducted only on the sidewalks reserved for pedestrian movement and may not be conducted on the portion of a street used primarily for vehicular traffic.
(2) Not more than five pickets promoting the same objective shall be permitted to use one of the two sidewalks within a block of the Town at any one time.
(3) Such pickets may carry written or printed placards or signs not exceeding two feet in width and two feet in length, promoting the objective for which the picketing is done; provided, that the words are not defamatory in nature or would tend to incite violence.
(4) Pickets shall march in single file and not abreast, and may not march closer together than fifteen feet, except in passing one another.
(5) If pickets promoting different objectives desire to use the same sidewalk for picketing and such use would result in the presence of more than five pickets thereon, the Chief of Police shall allot time to each group of pickets for the use of such sidewalk on an equitable basis.
(6) “Block” means that portion of a street lying between street intersections.
(b) Picketing done contrary to the provisions of this article shall be unlawful.
(1973 Code §18-2)
No person shall physically interfere with any picket or other person lawfully in the use of the sidewalk or address profane, indecent, abusive or threatening language to or at any such picket or other person which would tend to provoke him or others to a breach of the peace.
(1973 Code §18-3)
(a) The police officers of the Town, in the event of the assemblage of persons in such numbers as tend to intimidate pickets pursuing their lawful objective through numbers or through use of inflammatory words or gestures, may direct the dispersal of persons so assembled and may arrest any person who fails to absent himself from the place of such assemblage when so directed by the police.
(1973 Code §18-4)
(b) Whenever the free passage of any street or sidewalk in the Town shall be obstructed by a crowd, the persons composing such crowd shall disperse or move on when directed to do so by a police officer. No person shall refuse to so disperse or move on when so directed by a police officer as herein provided.
(1973 Code §18-5)
No person shall prevent, by the use of force or threats, any other person from lawfully entering or leaving at will any building or place being picketed, whether such other person be an employee or employer within such building or place or whether to have some other lawful reason for entering or leaving.