[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of
the Town of Barrington 10-9-1986 by Ord. No. 86-6. (Ch. IV of Title
Seven of the 1965 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
RHODE ISLAND GENERAL LAWS (AS
AMENDED)
Disorderly conduct — See § 11-11-1
et seq.
The Town of Barrington is primarily a residential
community. Virtually no residential areas within the Town have public
sidewalks, and only limited commercial areas have public sidewalks.
The residents of the Town of Barrington are desirous of being protected
in the peaceful and tranquil use of their personal residences. The
Town has an abiding interest in assuring that its public rights-of-way
are available for traffic and that persons utilizing the public rights
of way for passage on foot do not unreasonably interfere with vehicular
use thereof.
Picket lines and picketing shall be prohibited
in front of, adjacent to or with respect to any property used for
residential purposes, except where such picketing relates to a use
or activity being carried on within such property.
Where permitted, picketing shall be subject
to the following additional regulations:
A.
Picketing shall be conducted only on sidewalks or
other Town-owned areas normally used or reserved for pedestrian movement,
including easements and rights-of-way, and shall not be conducted
on a portion of any street used primarily for vehicular traffic where,
in the opinion of the Police Chief, such use would result in a threat
to the safety of the pickets or constitute an unreasonable obstruction
of traffic.
B.
Not more than 10 pickets promoting the same objective
shall be permitted to use a public area in which picketing is permitted
within one block in the Town at any one time.
C.
Such pickets may carry written or printed placards
or signs not exceeding two feet in width and two feet in height promoting
the objective for which the picketing is being carried on; provided,
however, that the words used are not defamatory or violence-provoking
in nature. The staff on which such placard is carried shall not exceed
40 inches in length, shall be made of wood, shall not exceed 3/4 of
an inch in diameter at any point and shall be blunt at each end.
D.
Pickets shall walk in single file and not abreast
and shall not march closer together than 15 feet, except in passing
one another.
E.
If pickets promoting different objectives desire to
use the same public area for picketing and such use would result in
the presence of more than 10 pickets thereon, the Police Chief shall
allot time to each group of pickets for the use of such public area
on an equitable basis.
It shall be unlawful for any person to carry
any gun, knife, blackjack, nightstick or other dangerous weapon or
instrument utilized as a weapon while participating in a picket line
or group demonstration.
Whenever the free passage of any street or other
public area in the Town shall be obstructed by pickets, persons picketing
shall disperse or move along when directed to do so by a police officer
of the Town.
Whoever violates any of the provisions of this
chapter shall be fined not more than $500. Each violation shall constitute
a separate offense.
