Last week, the D.C. Council passed the Residential Tranquility Amendment Act of 2010, which prohibits masks and nighttime protests outside of residences.The law was introduced by Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh and specifically addresses protests held outside of residences at all hours of the day. It prohibits protesters from wearing masks, requires protesters to give police at least two hours notice of peaceful, maskless protests and makes it a crime for people to protest between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.”This bill strikes the balance between the First Amendment right to protest and the right to enjoy some amount of peace and tranquility in one’s home,” Cheh’s Chief of Staff V. David Zvenyach said. “[Protesters] have taken advantage of loopholes in the enforcement of existing laws. After numerous meetings with stakeholders and law enforcement officials, it became clear that a legislative solution was necessary.”The law was written in response to protests held by the group Defending Animal Rights Today and Tomorrow, according to the D.C. National Lawyers Guild newsletter. Residents had complained about the noise level and time of night at which the demonstrations took place. After the protests, the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary held a public hearing on the issue in February 2010.”We are prisoners in our own home; we are harassed. We certainly respect peoples’ First Amendment rights, but we also believe that there is something called privacy … we have a right to not be fearful …,” D.C. resident Steve Goodman said at the meeting.D.C. resident Doreen Conrad said that the protests generally consisted of 12 to 40 people clustered on the sidewalk with bullhorns and masks chanting slogans outside the homes of their targets.In an interview with The Washington Examiner, Cheh claimed that the legislation is necessary to protect residents’ safety and peace of mind.The new act, however, has quickly raised civil rights questions. The American Civil Liberties Union is one group that has come out in opposition to the legislation.In a letter to Mayor-elect Vincent Gray, the ACLU opposed the bill.”Peaceful residential picketing is a quintessential First Amendment activity and is a valuable part of our expressive freedom,” it read.According to the ACLU, there are various legitimate reasons for people to wear masks while protesting in residential areas. For example, masks are often used by employees or tenants picketing outside of their employer’s or landlord’s home to avoid repercussions. Other protesters use masks for street theater or to make a political statement.”