#criminalizingdissent — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #criminalizingdissent, aggregated by home.social.
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#US Manufactured Crimes and Spied on Peaceful #Protesters During #Minneapolis Metro Surge, New Court Filing Reveals
By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, August 14, 2026
MINNEAPOLIS -- "While #Dakotas were praying at a #SacredSpring for those held in federal detention at the #WhippleBuilding in Minneapolis -- the U.S. government was spying on, and stalking, the #WhippleWatchers, a new court document reveals.
"The government is refusing to release all of its documents on its surveillance of those watching the Whipple building. The Whipple building is on the site of a former concentration camp, where Dakota and Ho Chunk were imprisoned, suffered and died.
" 'The government admits withholding at least five #ProjectWhippleShield #ROIs (Reports of Investigation) from the initial disclosures,' the court filing states.
"In the current case, the court document for discovery filed yesterday describes how the U.S. government spied on and tracked peaceful protesters during the #resistance to #OperationMetroSurge.
"Not only were peaceful protesters spied on, #stalked and #doxxed, but the #surveillance was carried out to #ManufactureCrimes when none existed, states the court document filed by a defense attorney for one of the government's targets."
Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/08/us-manufactured-crimes-and-spied-on.html#Authoritarianism #Fascism #USPol #UnionBusting #SilencingDissent
#CriminalizingDissent #DefundICE #DefundDHS #CharacteristicsOfFascism
#DepartmentOfHomelandInsecurity -
A friend shared this with me. It's for real!
The top part is from page 7, the bottom part is from the forward.
From page 7 of the United States Counterterrorism Strategy:
"In addition to cartels and Islamist terror groups, our national CT activities will also prioritize the rapid identification and neutralization of violent secular political groups whose ideology is anti-American, radically pro-#transgender, and anarchist. We will use all the tools constitutionally available to us to map them at home, identify their membership, map their ties to international organizations like #Antifa, and use law enforcement tools to cripple them operationally before they can maim or kill the innocent. We will do the same with the state sponsors of such groups and those governments undertaking lethal plots on U.S. soil or against Americans anywhere.
From Trump's signed forward:
"Our new U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy is a return to common sense and Peace through Strength. As I said after our first successful counterterrorism mission, just days after I was sworn back in office – if you hurt Americans, or are planning to hurt Americans, 'We Will Find You and We Will Kill You.' "
Raw Story news article:
https://www.rawstory.com/counterterrorism/Archived version:
https://archive.ph/n7Y2hPDF [source of the graphic]:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-USCT-Strategy-1.pdf#USPol #TrumpSucks #CriminalizingDissent #CounterTerrorismStrategy #Anarchists #Activists
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I guess all #Goths are #Terrorists?
Wearing #AllBlack at #Protests Makes You Guilty of #Terrorism, Prosecutors Tell Jury
The Prairieland case is a major test of the Trump administration’s push to label “#antifa” protesters as #terrorists.
“They’re here asking you guys to put protesters in prison as terrorists.”
by Matt Sledge
March 12 2026,"Federal agents raiding the home of two alleged #antifa 'operatives' seized a telling piece of evidence, a defense attorney said during closing arguments in a landmark trial Wednesday.
"A printing press.
"That printing press was never presented to jurors. Still, the government has kept it locked away because it hated the #pamphlets and #zines it published, lawyer Blake Burns said.
"Burns represents Elizabeth Soto, one of nine defendants whose fates were in the hands of jurors as deliberations began Thursday. All are accused of roles during or after a late-night noise demonstration outside #PrairielandDetentionCenter, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility near Dallas that ended with a local police officer wounded by gunfire.
"The case has become a bellwether for the Trump administration’s crackdown on dissent from the left. The government charged people involved with the #AntiICE protest with a slew of charges, including attempted murder and terrorism counts that defense attorneys said are being used to #CriminalizeProtest.
" 'They’re here asking you guys to put protesters in prison as terrorists,' Burns, the defense lawyer, told jurors. 'That’s not happened before. And you are literally the only people in the world who can stop it.'
"During 10 days of testimony in a packed Fort Worth, Texas, courtroom, prosecutors bombarded jurors with images of radical zines printed on the press, anti-government internet memes, drawings of burning cop cars, and a video of an unidentified street brawl between far-left and far-right protesters.
"Prosecutors acknowledged those materials were protected by the #FirstAmendment but said they showed the roughly dozen people who assembled outside the ICE facility were steeped in antifa tactics.
"Eight of nine defendants on trial this month face material support for terrorism charges for wearing '#BlackBloc' clothes at the protest. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have hailed the first-ever use of terrorism charges against alleged antifa members."
Read more:
https://theintercept.com/2026/03/12/antifa-ice-protest-texas-trial-terrorism/Archived version:
https://archive.ph/UFFO9#USPol #CriminalizingDissent #CriminalizingProtest #Fascism #Authoritarianism #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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🚨 We all knew this would be coming... Don't like polluters? TOUGH SHIT! You're under arrest!!!
#FBI #Counterterrorism Agents Spent Weeks Seeking a #ClimateActivist — Then Showed Up at His Door
The visit suggests a possible FBI probe into #ExtinctionRebellionNYC as the Trump administration increases surveillance of #activist groups.
Jacqueline Sweet, February 12 2026
Excerpt: "Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, at least one of whom works on counterterrorism, went to the home of a former member of a #ClimateActivism group for questioning last week, potentially signaling a new escalation in the Trump administration’s promise to criminalize #nonprofits and #ActivistGroups as #DomesticTerrorists.
"Two FBI agents, one from New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, told a former member of Extinction Rebellion NYC they wanted to ask him about the group at his home upstate on Friday, an attorney for the group told The Intercept. The visit followed a prior attempt to reach him at his old address.
"The FBI’s apparent probe of Extinction Rebellion NYC comes as the Justice Department ramps up its surveillance of activists protesting immigration enforcement and the Trump administration creates secret lists of domestic enemies under Trump’s National Security Presidential #Memorandum7, or #NSPM7." 'I believe this to be a significant escalation of the criminal legal system against #XR and find it very troubling,' said Ron Kuby, the Extinction Rebellion attorney. 'This is usually the way we find out an actual investigation is underway and is often followed by other visits and other actions.'
"The former Extinction Rebellion member, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear for his safety, said that the visit came after a phone call in January from a special agent that he assumed was a scam.
" 'I was skeptical the phone call was really from the FBI, but after I declined to speak with the agent, she said that she was standing outside my door,' he said. She was actually at the activist’s former address, which he said made him additionally dubious. But last week, when the agents showed up at his current address, he said he saw the agent’s business card through his door."
Read more:
https://theintercept.com/2026/02/12/fbi-counterterror-extinction-rebellion/Archived version:
https://archive.ph/4Nq3X#USPol #ExtinctionRebellion #CriminalizingDissent #AntiProtestLaws #EPAFail #Polluters #Corporatocracy #CorporateColonialism #Oligarchy #EnvironmentalActivists #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #NoMiningWithoutConsent #ResistFascism #Authoritarianism #Fascism #Orwellian #ThoughtCrime #BigBrother #NineteenEightyFour #SilencingDissent #SilencingFreeSpeech #CorporationsAreTheRealTerrorists
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Three #AntiProtestLaws recently passed in #Arizona, #Kentucky and #Texas
Source: https://www.icnl.org/usprotestlawtracker/
Arizona
HB 2880: Banning #protest #encampments on #campusBars protest encampments on the campuses of state colleges and universities. Under the new law, individuals or groups that establish an “encampment” are no longer lawfully present on campus for the purpose of speech protections under Arizona law; they are criminally liable to prosecution for trespass; and they are liable for any damage they cause, including the "direct and indirect costs" of removing the encampment and "restoring" campus. The new law defines “encampment” as “temporary shelter” installed on campus and used to stay overnight or “for a prolonged period of time.” The law requires colleges and universities to order individuals to dismantle and vacate any encampment; if the individuals refuse to comply, the institution is required to take disciplinary action and report the individuals to local law enforcement for trespassing. The sponsor of the new law said that it was motivated by #ProPalestine protests on college campuses.
Full bill text:
https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/83353Status: enacted
Introduced 12 Feb 2025; Approved by House 3 March 2025; Approved by Senate 30 April 2025; Signed by Governor Hobbs 7 May 2025
Issue(s): #CampusProtests, #Trespass, Camping
Kentucky
HB 399: New penalties for protesters at the capitolCreates serious new criminal offenses that can cover #PeacefulProtesters at the state capitol, as well as anyone who “conspires” with or otherwise supports them. The first new offense applies to someone who enters the capitol, or impedes access to the capitol by a legislator or legislative staff, with intent to disrupt or impede legislative business—regardless of whether legislative business was in fact “impeded.” “Conspir[ing]” to engage in such conduct or “facilitat[ing]” another person to engage in the conduct is subject to the same penalties as actually engaging in it. It is a Class B misdemeanor (punishable by up to 3 months in jail) for a first incident, and a Class A misdemeanor (up to one year in jail) for subsequent incident. The law creates a second, more serious offense for someone who engages in “disorderly or disruptive conduct” inside the Capitol with intent to disrupt or impede legislative business, if their conduct in fact “disrupts” or “impedes” the legislature’s business—even momentarily. As written, the offense could cover a demonstrator who shouts a single chant during a legislative hearing. “Conspir[ing]” to engage in such conduct or “facilitat[ing]” another person to engage in the conduct is subject to the same penalties as actually engaging in it. The offense would be a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by up to one year in jail) for the first incident, and a Class D felony (up to 5 years in prison) for third and subsequent incident. Prior to passing the bill, lawmakers added an amendment which provides that the law will not be construed "to prohibit... [a]ssembly in traditional public forums, including but not limited to the Capitol rotunda and outdoor areas of the Capitol grounds." While helpful, the amendment does not immunize all peaceful protest activity that the law could potentially punish, including protest organizing. When he vetoed the bill (later overridden), Governor Beshear noted the risks it poses to lawful #FirstAmendment activity.
Full bill text:
https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/25rs/hb399.htmlStatus: enacted
Introduced 6 Feb 2025; Approved by House 7 March 2025; Approved by Senate 13 March 2025; Vetoed by Governor Beshear 25 March 2025; Veto overridden 27 March 2025
Issue(s): Protest Supporters or Funders, Police Response
Texas
#SB2972: New restrictions on #CampusProtestsRequires public colleges and universities to adopt new limitations on campus protests that among other things would ban protest encampments, limit protesters’ ability to wear a mask, and restrict vigils and other demonstrations at night. Under the law—which revises Texas’s 2019 law on campus speech—all public colleges and universities in the state must have policies that among other things prohibit: a) erecting tents or otherwise “camping” on campus; b) wearing a mask or other disguise while engaging in “expressive activities” on campus with certain intent, including intent to “intimidate others;” c) engaging in “expressive activities” between 10pm and 8am; d) engaging in “expressive activities” in the last two weeks of a school term by inviting speakers or using sound amplification or drums; and e) using sound amplification while engaging in “expressive activities” during class hours if it “intimidate[s] others.” Preexisting provisions of the law define “expressive activities” broadly as “any speech or expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment,” including but not limited to assemblies, protests, speeches, carrying signs, or distributing written material. As such, colleges and universities would seemingly be required to ban all kinds of expression between 10pm and 8am, from conversations in the dining hall to someone sending a text or wearing expressive clothing. The law repeals a provision in the 2019 law that established all common outdoor areas of campus as traditional public forums where anyone could engage in First Amendment activity, and replaced it with a provision authorizing the governing boards of schools to designate select areas as public forums.
Full bill text: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB2972Status: enacted
Introduced 14 Mar 2025; Approved by Senate 14 May 2025; Approved by House 28 May 2025; Signed by Governor Abbott 20 June 2025
Issue(s): Campus Protests, Face Covering, Camping
#USPol #CriminalizingProtest #CriminalizingDissent #AntiProtestLaws #TexasProtestLaws #KentuckyProtestLaws #ArizonaProtestLaws #ClothingBans #CollegeCampusProtests #MaskBans #EncampmentBans
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Arrests made in #ParliamentSquare as pro-#PalestineAction protests held across #UK
Dozens of #protesters assembled in central #London on Saturday afternoon
Sami Quadri, Megan Howe, July 19, 2025
"Fifty-five people have been arrested for displaying #placards in support of proscribed group Palestine Action, Met Police has said.
"Demonstrations are taking place in cities including London, #Manchester, #Edinburgh, #Bristol and #Truro after the group was officially proscribed as a terrorist organisation two weeks ago.
"Dozens of protesters assembled in Parliament Square on Saturday afternoon holding white placards that read: 'I oppose #genocide, I support Palestine Action.'
"Some demonstrators were led away in handcuffs, while others were carried off by officers. In a post on X, the Metropolitan Police said: 'Officers have moved in and arrests are taking place.'
"Police said the 55 people arrested were arrested under Section 13 of the #TerrorismAct 2000.
"The Met had previously said around 70 people were arrested at similar protests in Parliament Square over the past two weekends.
"#DefendOurJuries, the group coordinating the campaign, claims a total of 120 people have now been arrested across the UK.
"The force warned that anyone expressing support for Palestine Action was likely to be arrested, adding that officers were also monitoring for chants such as 'death to the #IDF', led by punk-rap duo #BobVylan at #GlastonburyFestival.
"The ban, under the #TerrorismAct2000, makes it a criminal offence to be a member of or show support for the group — with a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison. Wearing a badge or #TShirt bearing the group’s name now carries a potential six-month jail term.
"Palestine Action co-founder #HudaAmmori is seeking to challenge the ban, with a hearing to determine whether a judicial review can proceed set to take place at the High Court on Monday."
#CriminalizingProtest #CriminalizingDissent #FreePalestine #GazaGenocide #IsraeliWarCrimes
#BibiIsAWarCriminal #UKProtestLaws #AntiProtestLaws #UKPol #EnglandPol
#WorldPol #Authoritarianism #SilencingFreeSpeech -
Met warns against supporting proscribed groups ahead of #London #protests
Officers to monitor chants and conduct at #PalestineCoalition and counter-protests in Westminster
Joe Hadden
Friday 18 July 2025"The Metropolitan Police has warned that anyone showing support for proscribed organisations during planned protests in London this weekend could face arrest under #terrorism laws.
"An increased police presence is expected in Westminster on Saturday when a number of demonstrations are due to take place, including a large-scale march by the Palestine Coalition and a static counter-protest by Stop the Hate.
"The Met said it also anticipates further protest activity in support of the recently proscribed group #PalestineAction, which is now banned under the #TerrorismAct.
"Seventy people were arrested at similar demonstrations in #ParliamentSquare over the past two weekends, and the location of any action this Saturday is yet to be confirmed.
"Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who is leading the policing operation, said officers are experienced in managing events of this nature but warned that those who use the protests as an opportunity to express support for proscribed groups risk serious legal consequences.
" 'This Saturday’s Palestine Coalition protest is the first large-scale event of its kind since the proscription of Palestine Action and I want to make sure the implications of that change in the law are fully understood,' he said.
" 'Nobody will be committing an offence by simply supporting the Palestinian cause, taking part in the march or carrying flags, banners or other signs providing they don’t stray into hate speech or other offences.
" 'However, those who see this as an opportunity to test the limits of the law by expressing support for Palestine Action, whether at a standalone protest or as part of the Palestine Coalition protest, will likely be committing an offence and will very likely be arrested.'
"He added: 'I would urge those people to consider the seriousness of being arrested under the Terrorism Act and the very real long-term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances – that such an arrest is likely to have for their future.'
"Mr Adelekan also said the force is continuing to investigate '#OffensiveChanting' that took place at #GlastonburyFestival and has been repeated at recent protests in London.
"He said officers would assess chants at Saturday’s protest 'based on the specific circumstances' – noting that words shouted generally during the march may not constitute an offence, but could do so if directed at individuals in a way likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
" 'At previous protests, the area between the main march and any counter protest has seen the most heated exchanges. Officers will be particularly alert to conduct, including chanting, in this area and will be working with stewards to ensure crowds keep moving past this point,' he said.
" 'Where they become aware of behaviour that crosses the line from protest into criminality they will intervene and take appropriate action.'
"He said the best way for protesters to stay within the law is to avoid 'threatening, abusive and insulting language' or any support for banned groups. [!!!]
"The Palestine Coalition march will begin at #VictoriaEmbankment and proceed via #WestminsterBridge, #YorkRoad, #WaterlooBridge, #TheStrand, and #Whitehall, where speeches will be held."
#CriminalizingProtest #CriminalizingDissent #FreePalestine #GazaGenocide #IsraeliWarCrimes #BibiIsAWarCriminal #UKProtestLaws #AntiProtestLaws #UKPol #EnglandPol #WorldPol
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#Oklahoma court clarifies #RiotLaw amid legal battle for 2020 #protesters
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has clarified the state's definition of rioting, affecting the legal proceedings for five protesters charged in 2020.
Jason Burger, July 18, 2025
OKLAHOMA CITY — "The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has clarified the state's definition of rioting, impacting the legal proceedings for five individuals charged after a protest in 2020 over the death of #GeorgeFloyd.
"In 2020, five protesters were accused of blocking the path of an officer while painting a #mural outside the police department.
" 'The defendants, who were convicted in the state of Oklahoma, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, saying their free speech rights were violated by being forced to plead or go to trial,' said legal expert Ed Blau. 'What this opinion from the court of criminal appeals did was clarify to the federal court that covers Oklahoma — exactly what Oklahoma statutes mean when it comes to rioting.'
The protesters believed the law was vague or improperly defined."
#ProtestLawsOklahoma #VagueLaws #FirstAmendment #CriminalizingDissent
#Authoritarianism #Fascism #ACAB #Clampdown #CriminalizingProtest
#CharacteristicsOfFascism #USPol #AntiProtestLaws #GeorgeFloydProtests #BLM #ICantBreathe #BlackLivesMatter -
#RepublicOfGeorgia: First year of #Georgia’s ‘foreign agent’ law shows how #autocracies are replicating #Russian model − and speeding up the time frame
Published: March 28, 2025 6:25am EDT
"#Autocracy is on the move worldwide and becoming more resilient.
"One of the driving forces behind this phenomenon is something scholars call '#AuthoritarianLearning,' a process by which autocratic leaders study each other and adapt tactics based on what appears to work, and how to proceed when they encounter #resistance.
"Take Georgia. The ruling Georgian Dream party has steered the Caucasus nation from a path toward democracy back to autocracy – and it has done so by learning from Russia. In particular, it adopted a '#ForeignAgent' law in May 2024 – legislation that came straight from #VladimirPutin’s playbook.
"Sold to the public as increasing #transparency, the legislation has been utilized to persecute Georgia’s #opposition and arrest #dissidents with impunity.
"As researchers examining the structure and effects of autocratic regimes, we view Georgia’s first year of its foreign agent law as an example of how politicians are not only learning the tactics of Russian authoritarianism but improving on them in a shorter time frame."
#RightToProtest #AntiProtestLaws
#GeorgianLaws #CriminalizingDissent #CriminalizingProtest #HumanRights #RepublicOfGeorgia #GeorgianDream #ProtestSponsors #ExpandedPolicePowers #PoliceState #Authoritarianism #Fascism #Autocracy -
#SilencingDissent: The #Crackdown on #PeacefulProtest in #Europe
In our recently published Rule of Law report, Liberties’ members reported an increase in restrictions on the right to peaceful protest in all countries.
by Flore du Teilleul
April 10, 2025Excerpt:
"The right to peaceful protest is essential to our democracies, allowing people to come together with a unified voice to support or oppose key issues. It serves as a powerful mechanism for individuals to hold their governments to account and is often the last resort when prior messages go unheard. However, politicians often perceive this right as a threat, especially when force of numbers demonstrates support for an issue."In our recently published Rule of Law report, Liberties’ members reported an increase in restrictions on the right to peaceful protest in all countries - from bans on individual protests to the disproportionate use of force by the police and legislative changes. A widespread trend emerged of restricted #ProPalestine protests and #EnvironmentalDefenders receiving particularly harsh penalties.
Bans on Protests
"Restrictions on various protest movements justified on public safety grounds were documented in many member states. In #Germany, the Berlin Assembly Authorities implemented a temporary blanket ban targeting pro-Palestine demonstrations. Initially, the ban targeted celebrations of the mass murder and pro-Hamas demonstrations but later extended to all pro-Palestinian protests. Similarly, in #Latvia, an unregistered #FreePalestine movement protest was banned after an assessment by the state security service that the event would, among other risks, harm the country’s international interests.
"The Estonian police banned a protest in support of #Palestinians, which was later declared unlawful by the administrative court. In #Hungary, Prime Minister #ViktorOrbán publicly prejudiced support for Palestinians by linking it with terrorism, equating solidarity with civilians victims to threats to the public order. As the fifteen attempts to organise protests were successively banned, the government and the Prime Minister re-asserted their power by deciding what can be demonstrated for, namely, topics in line with their political interests. Following the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the Hungarian government has repeatedly declared and extended the state of danger, allowing for the adoption of emergency decrees restricting, among other rights, the freedom to assemble. Both the Hungarian Supreme Court and Constitutional Court upheld the protest bans on the basis of public safety and security, legalising the practice of police-authorised restrictions in times of conflict.
"Further restrictions, including bans on #slogans and #signs during #demonstrations, sought to criminalise protesters. Several individuals were arrested or fined for displaying signs or slogans related to Palestine. In #Belgium, activists faced administrative sanctions for carrying a #PalestinianFlag or the #keffiyeh. Similarly, in the #Netherlands, attendees of an #ExtinctionRebellion demonstration were prohibited from mentioning the conflict in the Middle East. The enforcement of restrictions went as far as arrests, as Croatian activists were charged with misdemeanor after projecting a message in support of Palestine on a building across from the Israeli Embassy in Zagreb.
"In Hungary, a demonstrator faced criminal charges after wearing a gas mask and removing it after being asked by the police. In a worrying trend of criminalising protest activities, several activists were arrested and charged with sedition before an Extinction Rebellion demonstration in the Netherlands.
Disproportionate use of force by the police
"The criminalisation of environmental and pro-Palestine protesters was worsened by the violent repression of the police through excessive use of force. This was particularly notable in Sweden, where student encampments in support of Palestinians were forcibly displaced and participants were charged with criminal offenses. #PainGrips, water guns and #WaterCannons were used against environmental activists, pro-Palestinian and anti-immigration demonstrators in Germany, the #Netherlands and #Ireland.
"Environmental activists faced similar fates, The NGO ‘#FranceNatureEnvironnement’ reported concerns to the UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders following the violent repression of protesters during a demonstration against the A69 highway. In #Sweden, a woman was dismissed from her job at the Swedish Energy Agency for participating in an environmental demonstration and a growing number of #EcoActivists were fined for participating in peaceful protests."
Read more:
https://www.liberties.eu/en/stories/rule-of-law-2025-protests/45384#RightToProtest #SilencingDissent #AntiProtestLaws #EuropeanLaws #Croatia #ACAB #CriminalizingDissent #CriminalizingProtest #FreePalestine #FreeGaza #EnvironmentalProtests #EnvironmentalActivists
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#HR1057: Penalties for #protesters on #InterstateHighways
"Would create steep new penalties for #protesters deemed to be 'deliberately delaying traffic,' 'standing or approaching a motor vehicle,' or 'endangering the safe movement of a motor vehicle' on an interstate highway 'with the intent to obstruct the free, convenient, and normal use of the interstate highway.' The new federal offense would be punishable by up to $10,000 and 15 years in prison—a far harsher penalty than is the case under many states' laws, which generally already criminalize walking or standing on the highway. The bill provides an exception for 'any lawful activity' authorized by federal, state, or local law. However, it could still seemingly cover far more than 'blocking' the interstate, including a #PeacefulProtest on the shoulder of an interstate or a convoy-style, driving protest that slowed traffic. The sponsor of the bill made clear that it was in response to protesters. The same bill was introduced as HR 7349 in 2024.
Status: pending
Introduced 6 Feb 2025.
Issue(s): Traffic Interference
Press release by bill sponsor Rep. #MikeCollins (GA-10):
https://collins.house.gov/media/press-releases/representative-mike-collins-reintroduces-safe-passage-interstates-actFull text of bill:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1057
#CriminalizingDissent #AntiProtestLaws #Authoritarianism #Fascism #Clampdown #CiminalizingProtest #Section25 #JustStopOil #SlowMarch #CharacteristicsOfFascism -
Statement of #IndependentTrialMonitors
On Verdict in #GreenpeaceUSA Trial:"It is our collective assessment that the jury verdict against Greenpeace in #NorthDakota reflects a deeply flawed trial with multiple due process violations that denied Greenpeace the ability to present anything close to a full defense. Attorneys on our team monitored every minute of the proceedings and found multiple violations of #DueProcess that denied Greenpeace its right to a fair trial. The problems included a jury that was patently biased in favor of #EnergyTransfer, with many members working in the #FossilFuel industry; a judge who lacked the requisite experience and legal knowledge to rule properly on the complex #FirstAmendment and other evidentiary issues at the center of the case; and incendiary and prejudicial statements by lawyers for Energy Transfer that tried to criminalize Greenpeace and by extension the entire #ClimateMovement by attacking constitutionally-protected advocacy.
"Our fear that this was an illegitimate #corporate-funded #SLAPP harassment case was confirmed by our observations.
"We will be issuing a full report documenting these violations and larger flaws in the case in the coming weeks.
"While the trial court verdict is in, the case is far from over. Greenpeace has a right to appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court and ultimately to the #USSupremeCourt. Our committee will continue its work monitoring this critically important case that raises troubling concerns for all advocates in the country."
— #MartyGarbus | #NataliSegovia | #JeanneMirer | #TerryCollingsworth | #StevenDonziger | #NadiaAhmad | #ScottWilsonBadenochJr. | #PaulPazYMiño | #AyishaSiddiqa | #WadeMcMullen | #KipHale | #SimonTaylor
Read individual statements:
https://www.trialmonitors.org/statement-of-independent-trial-monitors-on-verdict-in-greenpeace-trial
#NorthDakota #EnergyTransferPartners #StandWithStandingRock #NoDAPL #SLAPPs #ViewerSupportedNews #GreenpeaceUSA #SLAPPsLawsuits #CriminalizingDissent #NorthDakota #StandingRockSiouxTribe #StandingRockReservation #CorporateColonialism #BigOilAndGas #EnvironmentalRacism #WaterIsLife #KelcyWarren #ArrestKelcyWarren #ErikPrince #Blackwater #ACAB #FreeSpeech -
#CriminalizingDissent: #Greenpeace Ordered to Pay $667M to #DakotaAccessPipeline Firm over #Protests
#DemocracyNow, March 20, 2025
"A jury in #NorthDakota has ordered Greenpeace to pay more than $660 million in damages for defaming #EnergyTransferPartners, the corporation behind the Dakota Access Pipeline. The Texas-based pipeline company accused Greenpeace of orchestrating criminal behavior by training and providing funds to the #Indigenous-led protests at #StandingRock. Greenpeace and its supporters, including other #nonprofits and #advocacy groups, argued that the lawsuit is part of a conspicuous attempt by #corporations to destroy the right to #FreeSpeech. Longtime #HumanRights and #environmental lawyer #StevenDonziger, who was part of the independent trial monitoring team observing the trial, says it was purposely held in a region of the country with deep ties to the #FossilFuel industry. Donziger said most of the jurors in the case were connected to the industry and were 'predisposed' to rule in favor of Energy Transfer despite the 'false narratives' presented at the trial. Greenpeace plans to appeal the ruling."
Watch / listen / read transcript:
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/3/20/greenpeace_lawsuit_north_dakota_pipeline
#StandWithStandingRock #NoDAPL #SLAPPs #ViewerSupportedNews #GreenpeaceUSA #SLAPPsLawsuits #CriminalizingDissent #NorthDakota #StandingRockSiouxTribe #StandingRockReservation #CorporateColonialism #BigOilAndGas #EnvironmentalRacism #WaterIsLife #KelcyWarren #ArrestKelcyWarren #ErikPrince #Blackwater #ACAB -
So, I'm wondering if these are being launched to spy on #USCitizens -- maybe even take action against them? Weaponized #PoliceDrones is an idea that's been floating for years... Are we about to become a full #PoliceState?
Intelligence officials [FAIL TO] reveal source of drones in classified briefing
by Melissa Koenig, December 18, 2024
"US Coast Guard licensed captain and New Jersey resident Paul Sprieser, 56, has said he does not believe all the sightings can be explained by commercial aircraft or other sanctioned activities.
"'There's a large percentage of them that are not commercial aircraft, like these stationary objects in the sky that are the size of an SUV that are just hanging out there for five or six hours, or seven hours,' Sprieser told DailyMail.com.
"It is possible that the drones could be the result of a 2018 defense contract to develop and test '#counterterrorism' drones.
"The Department of Defense is allowed to deny claims of third-party technologies if the drones were placed on a secure tech list for contract disclosures, which means the government is applying special restrictions to the information.
"The restrictions are added when technologies protect national security or to keep advanced systems hidden from hostile nations, and the developer holds primary liability if the government is not operating the drones, Retired CIA Intelligence Officer Rudy Ridolfi explained to DailyMail.com.
"He noted that the Federal Aviation Administration issued an air restriction alert on November 21 prohibiting flights over the Picatinny base for 'special security reasons' through December 26.
"'This FAA notice shows US drone testing is happening in the area. It's a warning for others to stay out of the area during those dates,' Ridolfi said.
"'While the nature of the testing isn't specified, it's most likely the testing of payloads related to reconnaissance.'
"The drone sightings began in mid-November when drones were spotted over the US Army's Picatinny Arsenal and President-elect Donald Trump's golf course in Bedminster — both in New Jersey.
"In the weeks that followed, similar drones were reported throughout the state, especially in and around Morris county, and have since spread to other states in the region."
#AntiTerrorism #AntiTerrorismLaws #CriminalizingDissent #Authoritarianism #NDAA
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Why is violence against #EnvironmentalDefenders getting worse? Five things to know
Maxwell Radwin
11 Sep 2024"In January 2023, two men mysteriously disappear after speaking out against pollution from a controversial iron ore mine in Michoacán, Mexico.
"The following March, climate change protesters in Austria and Germany are beaten and pepper sprayed, and some have their homes raided by law enforcement.
"In September, a pair of youth environmental advocates are abducted by armed men and interrogated for days about their work fighting construction of a new airport in the Philippines.
"All across the world, environmental defenders continue to experience censorship, threats, physical attacks, kidnappings, disappearances and even death because of their work fighting climate change, deforestation, pollution and other environmental issues.
"Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, more than 1,500 environmental defenders have been killed for their work, according to Global Witness, a human rights and environmental NGO. The figures for 2023 look like more of the same. At least 196 people were killed last year defending the environment, up from 177 in 2022. And those figures are considered a low-end estimate."
#EnvironmentalActivists #WaterDefenders #EnvironmentalJustice #GlobalWitness #Mongabay #ReaderSupportedNews
#IACHR #ExtractiveIndustries
#Mining #Logging #LandDefenders #WaterIsLife #HumanRights
#Capitalism #Greed #Corruption
#CorporateColonialism #LatinAmerica #Phillipines #India #Indonesia #Honduras #DemocraticRepublicOfCongo #PublicOrderAct #SilencingDissent #HR9495 #CriminalizingDissent -
[#Podcast] #LawAndDisorder, September 9, 2024
#September11, 2001: Lessons Learned And Overlooked
"It has been 23 years ago this week since the attacks on September 11, 2001 in New York City, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA, killing nearly 3,000 people and injuring more than 6,000. On that day, the United States had a choice: The #GeorgeWBush administration could have treated the attacks as a violation of US and international law, launched a criminal investigation, and brought the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the rule of law. Instead, President Bush waged #EndlessWars against #Afghanistan and #Iraq, pushed through Congress the USA #PatriotAct, opened the notorious detention center at #GuantanamoBay which remain to this day, rounded up Muslims and South Asians for #IndefiniteDetention, initiated a wave of #CivilLiberties and #HumanRights violations, and committed wholesale torture against detainees and others.
"To assess the legacy of 9/11 and the lessons learned and the lessons overlooked, we’ve invited someone who was at the center of Bush’s #WarOnTerror. John Kiriakou is a journalist, former CIA counterterrorism officer, former senior investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and former counterterrorism consultant for ABC News.
"In 2007, Kiriakou blew the whistle on the CIA’s torture program, telling ABC News that the #CIA tortured prisoners, that torture was official U.S. government policy, and that the policy had been approved by President George W. Bush. He knew what he was talking about. In 2002, he was responsible for the capture in Pakistan of #AbuZubaydah, then believed to be the third-ranking official in al-Qaeda.
"He became the sixth #whistleblower indicted by the #Obama administration under the #EspionageAct of 1917 — a law designed to punish spies. He served 23 months in prison as a result of his revelations.
"In 2012, the #RalphNader family honored #Kiriakou with the Joe A. Callaway Award for #CivicCourage, an award given to individuals who 'advance truth and justice despite the personal risk it creates.' He won the PEN Center USA’s prestigious First Amendment Award in 2015, the first Blueprint International Whistleblowing Prize for Bravery and Integrity in the Public Interest in 2016, and also in 2016 the Sam Adams Award for Integrity in Intelligence, given by retired CIA, FBI, and NSA officers."
Listen:
https://lawanddisorder.org/category/criminalizing-dissent/#CIASponsoredTerror #CivilRights, #CriminalizingDissent #ExtraordinaryRendition #FreeSpeech #HumanRights #IraqWar #BushAdministraiton #HumanRights #HumanRightsViolation #TargetingMuslims #Torture #WarResister #Whistleblowers #CivilLiberties #CivilLibertiesRadio #EndlessWar
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#Tlaib, #ACLU, and advocates warn #HR9495 could empower Trump to silence nonprofits and stifle dissent
#Progressives and #CivilRights groups sound the alarm over legislation that could allow President-elect #Trump to strip nonprofits of their tax-exempt status without evidence, threatening #FreeSpeech and #democracy.
By Alexis Sterling -
November 15, 2024"The bill does not require officials to provide an explanation for designating a group, nor does it obligate the #TreasuryDepartment to present evidence of wrongdoing. This lack of accountability has raised alarm bells among advocates who see it as a tool for #authoritarian #suppression.
"#RashidaTlaib Tlaib has been one of the most vocal opponents of the bill, particularly given its timing amidst heightened protests over U.S. support for Israel’s military actions in #Gaza. 'This is authoritarianism,' Tlaib said. 'This bill is designed to silence dissent and give Trump #UncheckedPower to target groups he doesn’t agree with'.'
"Other progressive lawmakers echoed her concerns. Rep. #SummerLee (D-Pa.) called the legislation 'a giant threat to free speech,' warning that it would allow the government to “label any nonprofit as ‘terrorist-supporting’ without evidence or due process—opening the door to crush opposition and silence dissent.' Rep. #IlhanOmar (D-Minn.) added that 'no one person should have the authority to silence organizations that dare to challenge government policies or speak uncomfortable truths.'
"Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who is leaving Congress after losing his primary to a candidate backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (#AIPAC), described the bill as 'extremely dangerous.' He cautioned that it 'will sink us further into #authoritarianism. It is an extremely dangerous bill that would give the government unlimited power to stop the work of #humanitarian groups and target political enemies. All without transparency or evidence.'
While the bill is widely seen as a response to criticism of U.S. support for Israel, its potential impact goes far beyond organizations advocating for Palestinian rights. Costello warned that 'the danger is much broader than just groups that work on foreign policy. It could target major liberal funders who support #PalestinianSolidarity and peace groups who engage in #protest. But it could also theoretically be used to target #ProChoice groups, and I could see it being used against #environmental groups.'
"#JewishVoiceForPeace Action’s political director Beth Miller described the legislation as 'terrifying,' emphasizing its potential to suppress civil society across the board. “This bill should be a five-alarm fire for anyone who seeks to protect free speech, civil society, and democracy. This is part of a broader #MAGA assault on the right to protest that begins with attacks on #Palestinian rights groups and is aimed at outlawing the #SocialJustice movements that fight for progressive change. This is part of a well-worn authoritarian playbook to dismantle fundamental freedoms.”
#StopHR9495 #CriminalizingDissent #Activists #NonProfits #CharacteristicsOfFascism #Fascism
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House Fast Tracks Bill That Would Give #Trump Power to Target Nonprofits
The legislation would let the Treasury Department revoke tax-exempt status for any “terrorist supporting organization"
November 10, 2024
"The vague language in the bill could be used against nonprofits that support #Palestinian rights, #ReproductiveRights and #EnvironmentalProtections. "
Original article:
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/house-bill-trump-power-target-nonprofits-1235161151/Archived version:
https://archive.ph/MOe4R#SilencingDissent #FreePalestine #Activists #NoDAPL #Section25 #Fascism #Greenpeace #Blackwater #ErikPrince #CriminalizingDissent #CrackdownOnProtests #AntiProtestLaws #Genocide #ClimateActivists #ErikPrinceColonialism #CorporateFascism #CorporateColonialism #ClimateProtestors #CharacteristicsOfFascism
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And how much economic damage is from climate change and pollution from #FossilFuels? #BigOil is the real criminal here!
#ClimateProtesters are taking action against Big Oil. UK courts are handing them prison terms akin to rapists and thieves
By Kara Fox, CNN
September 14, 2024London CNN — "As #RightWing rioters attacked communities with #racist violence across parts of the UK last month, 22-year-old #ClimateActivist #CressieGethin sat in a prison cell.
"Her crime? Organizing a disruptive protest against new government-granted licenses to drill for oil — a planet-heating #FossilFuel — in the #NorthSea.
"In late July, a London court found #Gethin and four other members of the #JustStopOil activist group guilty of 'conspiring intentionally to cause a #PublicNuisance,' after recruiting protesters to climb structures along the M25 — a major ring road around London — bringing traffic to a standstill in parts over four days in November 2022.
"Prosecutors alleged that the protests, organized over a #ZoomCall, disrupted more than 700,000 drivers, caused economic damage of over £760,000 ($980,000) and racked up £1 million ($1.3m) in policing costs.
"Now Gethin and three others — Louise Lancaster, #DanielShaw and #LuciaWhittakerDeAbreu, who planned the disruption on the call — are serving four-year jail terms, while Just Stop Oil co-founder #RogerHallam was given five years. All are appealing.
"The sentences are believed to be the longest in the UK’s history for #nonviolent protest and were delivered under two new controversial laws that supercharged #policing powers to crack down on disruptive protests, even when they are peaceful.
"They place the act of planning a 'public nuisance' event, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, on a similar footing as #ViolentCrimes like robbery, for which punishments range from community service to 12 years’ jail, or rape, which is four to 19 years.
"The judge — who in court referred to the activists as '#extremists' — justified the long jail terms because all five activists had previously been convicted of one or more offenses in relation to direct action protest. Each were on bail for another set of proceedings when the Zoom call took place. He also noted people missed important doctor’s visits and funerals because of the protest.
"But activists like Gethin say their demonstrations are proportionate to the problem at hand — a rapidly warming world that threatens to transform life as we know it, through deadly #ExtremeWeather events and by pushing #ecosystems to their brinks. They are now battling the bolstered powers of the #police and courts to get their point across.
“'A very harsh sentence like this doesn’t make sense morally or legally — but it does make sense politically,' Gethin told CNN in a handwritten letter from HMP Bronzefield, a women’s prison just south of London’s Heathrow Airport.
"The laws have drawn criticism from the UN’s special rapporteur on #EnvironmentalDefenders, #MichaelForst, who said not only do they criminalize peaceful protest, but they are being enforced in 'punitive and repressive' ways."
Read more:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/14/climate/uk-climate-protests-policing-laws-prison-intl/index.html#BigOilAndGas #ClimateActivists #ClimateProtest #SLAPPs #CorporateColonialism #WaterDefenders
#ClimateDefenders
#EnvironmentalActivists
#SilencingDissent #SLAPPs #ClimateActivists #CorporateColonialism
#EarthDefenders #CriminalizingDissent #FreeSpeech #RightToProtest #BiodiversityNecessityDefense
#EarthDefenders
#SLAPPs #Fascism #CivilDisobedience
#Activism #ClimateStrike
#HumanRights #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct #ClimateNecessityDefense #Corporatocracy #CorporateFascism #ClimateCrisis #ClimateCatastrophe -
Thousands Sign Support for #Greenpeace and #RedWarriorSociety in #Pipeline #SLAPP
By Greenpeace International, #CensoredNews, Sept. 13, 2024
"We, the undersigned individuals and organisations, formally express our solidarity with Greenpeace against #EnergyTransfer’s meritless $300 million lawsuit.
" #PeacefulProtest and #FreeSpeech are fundamental human rights that underpin social progress. The Energy Transfer $300 million lawsuit against Greenpeace is an abuse of the legal system and a blatant attempt to silence legitimate work to protect people and our planet.
"This lawsuit makes allegations that affect people far beyond Greenpeace. It attempts to rewrite the history of the #Indigenous-led opposition movement at #StandingRock – by absurdly alleging that Greenpeace orchestrated the entire resistance.
"It seeks to hold the Greenpeace organizations in the US and Greenpeace International accountable for actions taken by unaffiliated and unknown individuals. This could have a chilling effect on anyone engaged in peaceful protest and assembly. It also attempts to sue over justified and protected speech, claiming it is '#defamation.' This is #corporate overreach that is part of a disturbing trend of attacks on advocacy and speech around the world.
"We will not allow lawsuits like this one to stop us from advocating for a just, green and peaceful future. On the contrary, we will ensure they have the opposite effect, increasing the support for organizations like Greenpeace and strengthening the broader movement for justice.
"This legal attack on Greenpeace is an attack on us all. We will not stand idly by. We will not be bullied. We will not be divided and we will not be silenced.
"This letter has been signed by more than 290 organisations, tens of thousands of individuals, and a growing list of public figures."
Source:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/09/thousands-sign-support-for-greenpeace.htmlRead the names of support organizations:
https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/69660/open-letter-to-energy-transfer/#StandWithStandingRock #BigOilAndGas #ClimateCrisis #ClimateActivists #ClimateProtest #SLAPPs #CorporateColonialism #WaterDefenders
#ClimateDefenders
#EnvironmentalActivists
#SilencingDissent #SLAPPs #ClimateActivists #CorporateColonialism
#EarthDefenders #CriminalizingDissent #FreeSpeech #RightToProtest #BiodiversityNecessityDefense
#EarthDefenders
#SLAPPs #Fascism #CivilDisobedience
#Activism #ClimateStrike
#HumanRights #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct #ClimateNecessityDefense #Corporatocracy #CorporateFascism #DakotaAccessPipeline -
“On Thin Ice”: Western Nations Crack Down on #ClimateActivists with Arrests & Jail Terms
Story by #DemocracyNow
September 12, 2024"As the #ClimateCrisis continues to accelerate, #wealthy governments in the West are clamping down on #ClimateProtest. According to a new report from #ClimateRightsInternational, #demonstrators around the world are being arrested, charged, prosecuted and silenced, simply for using their rights to free expression. One of those prosecuted is activist #JoannaSmith, who last year applied washable school finger paint on the exterior glass case enclosing Edgar Degas’s renowned wax sculpture, Little Dancer, at the National Gallery of Art to draw attention to the urgency of the climate crisis. She was charged and later sentenced to two months in federal prison for her #CivilDisobedience. We speak to Smith just a week after her release, and to #LindaLakhdir, the legal director of Climate Rights International. 'Countries who have held themselves up as beacons of rule of law are essentially repressing peaceful protest,' says Lakhdir. Smith says the nonviolent action she took was intended to highlight the disparity between a sculpture of a child protected from the elements with a strong plexiglass case and the billions of children around the world left unsafe and vulnerable by #ClimateChange's effects. 'The crisis is here now, it’s unfolding in front of us, and our governments are failing us,' she explains.
Read more:
https://www.democracynow.org/2024/9/12/climate_rights_international#WaterDefenders
#ClimateDefenders
#EnvironmentalActivists
#SilencingDissent #SLAPPs #ClimateActivists #CorporateColonialism
#EarthDefenders #CriminalizingDissent #FreeSpeech #RightToProtest #BiodiversityNecessityDefense
#EarthDefenders
#SLAPPs #Fascism #CivilDisobedience
#Activism #ClimateStrike
#ClimateActivists
#HumanRights #Corporatocracy
#Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#ClimateNecessityDefense -
#UNH drops charges against 7 out of 12 people arrested during #ProPalestine #protests
By Jeremy Margolis, Concord Monitor
Published August 1, 2024"A University of New Hampshire prosecutor this week dropped criminal charges against seven of the people arrested during a May 1 pro-#Palestine protest after they reportedly accepted plea agreements.
"The seven cases were dismissed nearly three months after UNH police charged 12 people with disorderly conduct and trespassing, nine of whom were set to be arraigned in Dover District Court on Wednesday.
"The agreements involved 30 hours of community service and a period under which the arrestees must remain in 'good public standing', according to Adeena Ahsan, a UNH graduate student who was not arrested but had been in communication with those offered plea deals.
"UNH prosecutor #FrankWeeks [who is also a police captain] declined to comment on the nature of the plea deals.
"Of the other five people arrested, charges had already been dropped against a 'counter-protester' after a friend of his emailed then-President of UNH James Dean that he had been 'mistaken for a protester,' according to a report from the Boston Globe.
"Cases remain pending against the other four, including against two students who are also facing assault charges. One of them, 21-year-old rising UNH senior #AidanTurner, has said he was mistakenly identified and then violently #arrested by Weeks, the UNH prosecutor who is also a police captain. His case is currently set to go to trial on Sept. 10.
"The other, 29-year-old graduate student #SebastianRowan, has been charged with two counts each of assault on a police officer and #ResistingArrest. His case is currently before a grand jury with an indictment decision expected by Aug. 21, according to court records.
"The other two people – 21-year-old #JasonPerra and 19-year-old #LoganONeill – have trials scheduled for October 2 and 9, respectively. Both have been charged with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct. It was not immediately clear whether they had been offered a plea deal or not."
#ACAB #NewHampshire #FreePalestine #PoliceBrutality #SilencingDissent #CriminalizingDissent #CivilDisobedience #StudentsForPalestine
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Japan asks Denmark to extradite anti-whaling activist #PaulWatson
Denmark announced Thursday that it has received Japan's extradition request for anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, who was arrested in Greenland last month on an international arrest warrant. Watson, the 73-year-old founder of #SeaShepherd, is facing charges related to a 2010 confrontation with Japanese #whaling ships, raising concerns over his potential extradition and the motivations behind Japan's request.
Issued on: 01/08/2024
"#Denmark's justice ministry said Thursday that it had received Japan's extradition request for anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, who was detained in #Greenland last month on an international arrest warrant.
"Watson, the 73-year-old American-Canadian founder of the Sea Shepherd activist group, was arrested on July 21 in Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, over a 2010 altercation with Japanese whaling ships.
"Watson, who featured in the reality TV series '#WhaleWars', founded Sea Shepherd and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (#CPWF), and is known for #DirectAction tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea.
"'The Ministry of Justice received a formal extradition request regarding Paul Watson from the Japanese authorities yesterday,' the ministry told AFP in an email."
[...]
"'#Japan has a personal vendetta against #PaulWatson, and this so-called offence is the pretext for revenge against a man who defied and therefore humiliated them,' [Francois Zimeray] told AFP.
"He said an extradition to Japan would be a violation of the European Convention on #HumanRights, since 'the country does not respect international standards on fair trials and prisons.'"
#Greenpeace #Ecocide #FreeSpeech #RightToProtest
#CriminalizingDissent
#BiodiversityNecessityDefense
#EarthDefenders #Fascism
#CivilDisobedience #Activism #ClimateActivists #HumanRights #SilencingDissent #Corporatocracy #Article20 #HumanRightsViolations #DefendNature #Japon #SaveOurSeas #FreePaulWatson -
Inside the last-ditch effort to stop the #MountainValleyPipeline
The project is over budget and behind schedule, with a lot of hard work left to do. Its opponents hope that makes #FossilFuel companies think twice about building the next one.
By Katie Myers
Published Jan 16, 2024"As day broke over the small mountain town of #EllistonVirginia, one Monday in October, masked figures in thick coats emerged from the woods surrounding a construction site. Three of them approached three excavators and, one by one, locked themselves to the machines, bringing the day’s work to a halt. As they did so, several dozen of their fellow protesters gathered around them, unfurling banners and chanting amid the groaning and beeping of construction equipment.
"They made their way across the field, over patches of bare earth, around sections of rusty pipe meant for burial beneath the mountain. Eventually the metal tubes will form yet another section of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which will soon carry 2 billion cubic feet of #fracked #methane from the #ShaleFields of #WestVirginia to #NorthCarolina each day. Their breath billowed in the crisp air. Beyond them stretched a bright blue sky, and mountains tinged with yellow. The past night’s rain pooled on the muddy and compacted soil beneath their feet.
"Workers in highlighter-yellow vests and hard hats milled around, some looking amused, others frustrated. One or two engaged with the #protesters, only to be told off by an irate site manager. A few miles away at the West Virginia state line, another three dozen or so activists did much the same atop #PetersMountain. One even managed to crawl under an excavator and lock herself in place, despite the cold. The others rallied around, enclosing her in a tight, protective circle.
Some might wonder why they bothered. After all, the project is, by the Mountain Valley Pipeline company’s estimate, 94 percent complete and will be wrapped up before summer. It stalled for several years amid legal fights over various permits, but Senator #JoeManchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, almost single-handedly revived it in 2022 in exchange for his support of key Democratic priorities. Since then, the Biden administration and the Supreme Court have all but assured its completion. With the approximately 303-mile pipeline approaching the final stretch after almost a decade’s work, it might seem hardly worth fighting at this point.
"A large contingent of steadfast opposition begs to differ — and will enthusiastically explain why. The pipeline is six years behind schedule, about half a billion dollars over budget, and, despite promises that it would be done by the end of last year, delayed once again. The remaining construction is over rugged terrain, with hundreds of water crossings left to bridge. The company recently postponed, shortened, and rerouted its planned extension into North Carolina, a proposal long stymied by permitting problems with the main line. And, just last month, #Equitrans, which owns the #pipeline and many others across the country, was said to be considering selling itself. The road to the pipeline’s completion remains rocky, its opponents argue, with many opportunities to make finishing it as difficult as possible.
"'We cannot let them destroy our land and water,' said a young woman named Ericka. Like many interviewed for this story, she gave only her first name out of fear of reprisal from #MountainValleyPipelineLLC, which has begun suing #protesters in a bid to silence them. She had brought her three children to occupy the land that day. 'What are we going to drink? Where are we going to live? People have to come here and stop this.'"
#SilencingDissent #DirectAction #ClimateCatastrophe #NoFracking #WaterIsLife #SLAPPs #Fascism #CriminalizingDissent #WaterProtectors #ForestDefenders #EnvironmentalActivists #ClimateActivists #ClimateJustice #CorporateColonialism #EcoActivists #Censorship
#HumanRightsViolations #Article20 #RightToProtest #BigOilAndGas -
ICYMI, from 2016: #StandingRock Medics Attacked by Police and Arrested
by Brenda Norrell, #CensoredNews
October 27, 2016CANNON BALL, North Dakota -- "One of the Standing Rock medics described how police targeted medics, and violently arrested medics, while they were treating people during the violent police attack on Standing Rock water protectors on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016 at Treaty Camp, directly on the path of Dakota Access Pipeline.
"The medic could see silencers on police weapons.
"'If they are here for peace, then why do their weapons have silencers on them?'
"As the medics struggled to treat those who were victims of the police attack, they became victims and were violently arrested.
"'The vehicle we were in had red crosses on it. They knew we were medics.They sprayed me head to toe. They pointed shotguns at my back while I was treating patients."
Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/10/standing-rock-medics-shot-by-police-and.html#StandWithStandingRock #DirectAction #Fascism #CriminalizingDissent #WaterProtectors #EnvironmentalActivists #ClimateActivists #ClimateJustice #SilencingDissent #CorporateColonialism #EcoActivists #Censorship #HumanRightsViolations #Article20 #RightToProtest #BigOilAndGas #ACAB
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Demonstrators Decry #SLAPP Lawsuits Targeting Movement Against #MountainValleyPipeline
via @igd December 21, 2023
"Report on recent protest in Abingdon, Virginia against SLAPP lawsuits targeting the movement fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP).
"Mountain Valley Pipeline is suing dozens of pipeline opponents in multiple jurisdictions for millions of dollars as part of a campaign of ongoing repression. Penn Stuart, the law firm behind the injunctions currently being levied against pipeline fighters in Virginia, and their Lawyer Wade Massie are hired by EQT Midstream, the largest partner in the MVP. Today, people had an office party at the Penn Stuart offices in Abingdon, VA, causing a ruckus."
Read more:
https://itsgoingdown.org/demonstrators-decry-slapp-lawsuits-mvp/#SLAPPs #DirectAction #Fascism #CriminalizingDissent #WaterProtectors #ForestDefenders #EnvironmentalActivists #ClimateActivists #ClimateJustice #SilencingDissent #CorporateColonialism #EcoActivists #Censorship #HumanRightsViolations #Article20 #RightToProtest #BigOilAndGas
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Don’t Stop: Continuing the Fight against #CopCity
Six More Months in the Movement to Defend the Forest
2023-12-12 via #CrimeThinc"Escalating Repression: #RICO and the Furtherance of the Conspiracy
"With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that the 'tactics of organized criminals' language Governor Kemp used on July 2 was not just boilerplate copy drafted by an intern, nor was the August 2 press conference simply propaganda to assure backers that the state could still protect their investments. These phrases and statements were shaping operations, carefully crafted interventions designed to position the government for their next operation: the blanket criminalization of the entire movement.
"On August 29, the Attorney General of #Georgia, Christopher M. Carr, filed an indictment with the Fulton County Superior Court, bringing charges against 61 people under Georgia’s version of the Rackeeter-Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act O.C.G.A. § 16-14-4. The indictment became public on September 5. The document, which is over 100 pages long and very poorly written, claims that the 'conspiracy' (which it names 'Defend the Atlanta Forest') was 'founded' on May 25, 2020—the day that #MinneapolisPolice officers murdered #GeorgeFloyd, precipitating a nationwide #uprising.
"This was a serious escalation. It did not catch everyone by surprise: the #AtlantaSolidarityFund has been braced for such charges since February. The authorities and their extreme-right proxies had been demanding a full-scale crackdown on the movement for over a year, spreading a conspiracy theory that the movement was a mafia controlled by a shadowy and well-connected group (a narrative some activists also reproduced, apparently with no sense of irony). According to one version of this conspiracy theory, circulated by far-right trolls, the Network for Stronger Communities (a Georgia-based nonprofit organization) operates a number of financial enterprises, including the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, that coordinate acts of terrorism in order to accumulate wealth and influence. Of the 61 accused, three were members of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. The 42 people already facing #DomesticTerrorism charges were also indicted, as well as a number of other people whose connection to the movement was unclear. The indictment alleged that some people had committed acts in 'overt furtherance of the conspiracy' such as buying #GlueSticks for #SignMaking. [UK is using similar tactics, arresting people for just having #Superglue or #BikeLocks in their possession.]
"The RICO indictment was not a legal procedure but a political act. It was not a judicial intervention to suppress criminal activity but a government measure to crush what the text describes as '#anarchism,' '#collectivism,' '#SocialSolidarity,' '#MutualAid.”
"It is not simply 61 people who are on trial. By dating the case to the murder of George Floyd, the prosecution showed that their real target was the entire population of millions that participated in the consequent revolt. This is not an unusual court case, but a new chapter in the fight between those who seek to preserve the hierarchies of a structurally white supremacist society and those fighting to destroy it root and branch. The indictment does not present a list of crimes. It describes the contours and values of a rival society emerging within the movement to stop Cop City, aspiring to reinvent the world according to a different logic.
"The Fulton County Judge assigned to the RICO case immediately recused himself. Until then, judges had not recused themselves from cases related to the movement even when they possessed obvious ties to the Atlanta Police Foundation."
#JusticeForTort #StopCopCity #ACAB #DirectAction #Fascism #CriminalizingDissent #ForestDefenders #EnvironmentalActivists #ClimateActivists #ClimateJustice #SilencingDissent #CorporateColonialism #EcoActivists #Censorship #HumanRightsViolations #Article20 #RightToProtest #SLAPPs
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How #corporate #SLAPP lawsuits endanger our rights and the #planet
by Chris Greenberg
25 April 2023"Hope creates the conditions for #ClimateAction. And climate action nurtures hope. Just as hope and action have a reinforcing relationship, so do fear and silence.
"The #polluting #corporations who put #profits over people and the planet know this and they use their resources to intimidate, to instill fear, and ultimately to silence the people directly impacted by their short-sighted, extractive greed.
"#SLAPPs, a type of abusive lawsuit, are a key tool used by corporate power to suppress #FreeSpeech and people power. These cynical lawsuits can force non-profit organizations like #Greenpeace International to divert precious resources away from campaigning for a more just and sustainable society. Perhaps even worse, SLAPPs can intimidate targets from challenging powerful corporations in the future.
"Every SLAPP, regardless of the defendant, is an attack on everyone who believes in the power of free speech and the right to #PeacefulProtest. No one should be bullied for speaking up on behalf of people and the planet.
"But CorporateBullies beware!
"In a massive win for free speech, a US federal court recently dismissed a seven-year lawsuit brought by #ResoluteForestryProducts against a number of Greenpeace staff members and entities, including #GreenpeaceInternational and #GreenpeaceUSA. The #Canadian #logging company sued the Greenpeace defendants for CA $100 million in an attempt to silence and bankrupt them, after criticism of its #unsustainable #forestry practices.
"Let’s take a closer look at SLAPPs so you can recognize them when you see them:
"What does #SLAPP stand for? SLAPP stands for '#StrategicLawsuitAgainstPublicParticipation '. These lawsuits are used by #corporations attempting to diminish or even stop public participation in civil society. SLAPPs often lack any kind of merit, and don’t need to result in a legal victory to achieve the outcome desired by corporate bullies.
"SLAPPs waste time and cause financial and sometimes #PsychologicalHarm to targeted individuals and organisations who have to hire #lawyers and engage in costly #LegalBattles, sometimes to the point of facing bankruptcy. These lawsuits attempt to silence free speech and limit peaceful #dissent by using litigation as a tool for deterring non-violent protest and even documenting and bearing witness."
#DigitalFreeSpeech #DirectAction #Fascism #CriminalizingDissent #WaterProtectors #ForestDefenders #EnvironmentalActivists #ClimateActivists #ClimateJustice #SilencingDissent #CorporateColonialism #EcoActivists #Censorship #HumanRightsViolations #Article20 #RightToProtest #SlowMarch #BigOilAndGas