I’m thinking about a lot of those scenes where reporters or photographers go after a celebrity or person in the news. If a news person, photographer or paparazzi will not let you pass, or continues to stick a camera or microphone inches from your face as you walk do you have some legal right to physically engage them?
Not exactly an answer to your question. But I beleive there was a case (if I remember correctly it invovled Arnold Swartznegger, in his pre-governor days) of a paparrazzi being successfully prosecuted for “wrongful improsonment”, for boxing him (in car) so he could take a photo. Less obvious how the same would apply on foot.
depends on your definition of “engaging.” You’re allowed to reach out a hand and kind of brush a person aside (not push, mind you, but sorta like you’d do in a class full of students when some are blocking the rows between desks). So long as your physical movements can’t be interpretted as violent or excessive there’re no laws, as far as I know, saying you can’t touch someone.