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Dissent Newswire

March 6, 2023

69 Organizations Urge that Domestic Terrorism Charges Against Defend the Atlanta Forest Protesters Be Dropped

69 environmental, human rights, and civil liberties organizations sent a letter to Georgia prosecutors urging them to drop domestic terrorism charges against Stop Cop City/Defend the Atlanta Forest protesters. The charges represent a draconian escalation seemingly intended to chill First
February 24, 2023

The Supreme Court sleeps on defending boycotts and the right to political expression

In an absurd ruling, the Eighth Circuit denied that boycotts are political expression. Now, the Supreme Court has denied writ of certiorari, letting the Eighth Circuit’s ruling in Arkansas Times LP v. Waldrip stand. This is a missed opportunity for
February 15, 2023

The FBI, Anti-Globalization Protests, and FOIA Deception

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, international financial summits, like the IMF and the World Bank, attracted masses of protesters. In many cases, protesters engaged in civil disobedience. They were also met with brutal repression by police that included
February 15, 2023

The Cop City Domestic Terrorism Charges are an Intimidation Tactic

The past several months have seen a showdown between forest defenders and police in DeKalb County, Georgia. A contingent of climate activists calling themselves Defend the Atlanta Forest occupied forest land to block construction of what they have termed “Cop
January 24, 2023

We Mourn the Passing of Victor Navasky: Long-Time Board Member, Crusading Journalist, Historian of the McCarthy Era, Staunch Civil Libertarian

Defending Rights & Dissent mourns the passing of longtime board member Victor Navasky.  Victor was a pioneering journalist, editor, and publisher.   “Victor was a powerful voice on our Board of Directors for over 30 years. His deep knowledge and astute
January 23, 2023

The Killing of ‘Cop City’ Protester Tortuguita Terán is a Blow to Dissent

On January 18, state troopers shot and killed Tortuguita Terán, an environmental activist protesting forest destruction in DeKalb County, near Atlanta, GA. Defending Rights & Dissent is dismayed by this repression of dissent and condemns it in the strongest possible
January 19, 2023

Civil Society Groups Condemn the Prosecution of Haoyang Yu

Although the Biden Administration has put an end to the “China Initiative,” biased prosecutions against Chinese Americans haven’t stopped. Defending Rights & Dissent recently sent a letter expressing concern about the prosecution of Mr. Haoyang Yu to the US Attorney’s
January 11, 2023

Congressional Oversight Over Domestic Surveillance Is Needed, But It Must Be Serious, Not Partisan Score Settling

Yesterday, in a party-line vote, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a resolution calling for the creation of a committee to study the “weaponization of the federal government.” Although the select committee will be housed within the Judiciary Committee, non-Judiciary
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#OTD in 1987, ACT UP protesters staged their first protest on Wall Street. 250 members disrupted traffic to target Big Pharma for price gouging HIV/AIDS drugs and to demand a national policy to fight AIDS.

The FDA, pressured by the outcry, shortened its drug approval process.

Tell Congress: instead of banning TikTok, pass comprehensive privacy legislation!
https://rightsanddissent.salsalabs.org/no-tiktok-ban

In a push to dismiss a lawsuit against alleged CIA spying on American attorneys and journalists who visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the CIA and former CIA director Mike Pompeo contend they had no "reasonable expectation" of privacy https://thedissenter.org/cia-says-assange-visitors-had-no-privacy-rights/

Another anti-riot bill has passed at the state level. This Wisconsin bill defines a riot as any group of three people that commit violence - including property damage. Adding felony charges to protests involving vandalism endangers dissent.
https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-riot-penalties-protest-legislation-2f5cb69097cb138d38745f820459feb9

"The country’s online privacy problems run far deeper than any single app. And the people most responsible for failing to safeguard Americans’ data, arguably, are American lawmakers." https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/24/tiktok-online-privacy-laws/

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