In response to Thursday’s protests on I-93, two lawmakers in Massachusetts filed legislation that would increase the penalties for blocking traffic.

With their arms linked inside 1,200-pound drums, a group of protesters aligned with the Black Lives Matter movement successfully brought highway traffic to a standstill on Thursday morning. Both I-93 Northbound at East Milton Square and I-93 Southbound in the Medford-Somerville area were at a standstill for most of the morning.

The protests were met with anangry response from regular commuters, police officials, and lawmakers. Twenty-nine people were arrested on charges including conspiracy, resisting arrest, trespassing, and disorderly conduct. They were released after pleading not guilty.


A similar protest in the future could bring harsher punishments if lawmakers have their way.

State representative Tim Whelan of Barnstable, a former Massachusetts State Police sergeant, announced in a Facebook post that he filed legislation that would increase penalties for people blocking traffic. The bill, titled “An Act to Enhance Safety on Public Ways,’’ would include penalties of prison up to a year and fines up to $2,500.

“The irresponsible acts of individuals today on Route 93 not only caused many thousands of our citizens to be inconvenienced, it also caused a drain on public resources at great monetary expense to the public,’’ Whelan’s statement said. “The fact that emergency vehicles, including ambulances transporting medically fragile patients, were delayed or re-routed is appalling.’’

Similarly, state representative Colleen Garry of Dracut filed two bills that would make protests like Thursday’s a felony,The Lowell Sun reports:

The Dracut Democrat filed two bills, amending attempted murder and manslaughter statutes to include “purposefully causing harm to an individual or killing an individual by blocking access to and/or a public highway or roadway.’’

Police said the protest blocked an ambulance from moving an elderly man who had been in a car crash to proper emergency care center. Nadine McGrath, the daughter of that man, excoriated the protesters for putting her father at risk in an interview with The Boston Globe.

“I’m so angry right now,’’ McGrath said. “I understand trying to make a point. But why that? Why would you do that? … He could have died.’’