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Welcome to Defending Rights & Dissent
Join the grassroots movement to fulfill the promise of the Bill of Rights for everyone. Together, we can make police and intelligence agencies accountable to we the people whom they serve. It’s time to convert your concern and outrage into political action. Let’s do this.
Dissent NewsWire
Journalism and Free Press Groups Demand Answers About Disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi
DRAD joined the Society of Professional Journalists today, along with 28 other journalism and press freedom organizations, to urge the Saudi Arabia ambassador to the U.S. to launch a full investigation into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Terry Albury is a Conscientious Whistleblower
FBI agent Terry Albury saw inherent racism in the FBI’s targeting of local communities of color, and sought to blow the whistle on that racism and the agency’s unethical use of paid informants. He will be sentenced under the Espionage Act next week.
Take Action: Don’t let Pennsylvania Criminalize Protest
The Pennsylvania Legislature is considering an outrageous bill that could be used to criminalize protest at an array of locations including gas pipelines, which the state calls “critical infrastructure.”
How to Write Strong Comments to the National Park Services Defending Our Right to Protest
If a new set regulations passes, activists will face serious hurdles in organizing protests on the National Mall or at the White House, potentially making such demonstrations a thing of the past. We need your help in defending the right to protest. The National Park Service is asking for comments on their proposed regulations and they need to hear from. You have until October 15 to submit them.
Chicagoland Advocates Sue Over Secretive Surveillance Program Known as CVE
“The first step is for DHS, DOJ, and the FBI to give us the records we’ve asked for so we can show the public what’s going on here,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, executive director of the AAAN. “And the next step is for the federal government to shut this program down, because we’re confident that by shedding light on these programs, it will be apparent that CVE is a domestic spy operation in Chicago’s backyards.”
A New Website for the NSA’s Inspector General
The National Security Agency Office of the Inspector General (NSA OIG) announced today the launch of its new, independent website – sharing much more information with the public about its work.
Victory for the Right to Boycott, As Federal Court Blocks Arizona Anti-BDS Law
On September 28, 2018, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction against an Arizona anti-boycott law. Like many states, Arizona passed a law targeting supporters of Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) for Palestinian human rights. The law denies state contracts to parties who boycott Israel.
Report Exposes North Carolina’s Deep Involvement in the CIA’s Illegal Torture and Rendition Program
Today, the North Carolina Commission to Investigate Torture (NCCIT) published a report, Torture Flights, that investigates North Carolina’s role in the CIA’s illegal Rendition and Torture program, and traces 49 cases of torture in which the state was directly involved.
#FamiliesBelongTogether Stages National Day of Action Calling for JPMorgan Chase & Wells Fargo to Stop Financing For-Profit Prisons Profiting from Immigrant Family Detention
Protesters rally outside JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo headquarters in New York and San Francisco and deliver hundreds of thousands of petitions and letters to local bank branches in all 50 states.
Dangerous New Bill Would Expand the Patriot Act
The bill, known as the Empowering Financial Institutions to Fight Human Trafficking Act of 2018 (HR6729) has two very big problems.