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Dissent NewsWire
50th Anniversary of Police Murder of Black Panther Activists Fred Hampton and Mark Clark
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the murder of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. Hamtpon and Clark were activists with the Black Panther Party. Chicago police killed both men during a police raid ostensibly ordered by the Cook County state’s attorney. Subsequent revelations uncovered the role of the FBI in the raid. In our recent report, Still Spying on Dissent: The Enduring Problem of FBI First Amendment Abuse, we discussed the raid and how it is part of the FBI’s notorious COINTELPRO.
Patriot Act Extended Until March 15
A key provision that the NSA and FBI have used for mass surveillance, Section 215, was due to expire on December 15.
We need a Human Rights and Democracy Act for the U.S., and a PROTECT Act for American Protesters
On Wednesday, Trump signed two bills meant to support the protest movement in Hong Kong. Would that domestic protest movements got a fraction of the love Capitol Hill and the White House are showering on those in Hong Kong.
Groups Question Use of DHS Discriminatory Border Screening Policy
In a letter to DHS, 40 civil society groups challenge intrusive social media screening known as extreme vetting. Defending Rights & Dissent joined the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the Brennan Center for Justice, the Center for… [Read More]
A Deeply Undemocratic Bill Sits on Wisconsin Governor Evers Desk. He Should Veto It.
A coalition of national civil liberties, labor, and environmental groups has asked Governor Evers to veto the Felony Trespass Bill, which recently passed the Wisconsin state legislature. The bill is designed to silence opposition to pipelines within th… [Read More]
Defending Rights & Dissent Is Excited to Welcome New Board Members
Defending Rights & Dissent has some exciting news. On November 10, 2019, Azadeh Shahshahani and Patrick Edington joined our board of directors. Both Azadeh and Patrick are leaders in their field and deeply committed to defending civil liberties. We could not be more excited about them joining DRAD.
New Revelations About FBI Spying Renew Concern With Assessments
The investigatory powers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation are regulated not by any Congressional charter, but by guidelines promulgated by the attorney general. Thanks to George W. Bush’s lameduck Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who was the last attorney general to revise the guidelines, the FBI’s standard for opening an investigation is shockingly lax. The lax nature of current FBI investigatory powers are in the news again.
Anti-Protest Bills Threaten First Amendment Rights in Wisconsin and Ohio
The extractive industry is afraid. Concern about climate chaos, and opposition to their pipelines and fracking is growing. Rather than address concerns about the environment, they want to make their critics shut up. So they lobby legislators to pass bills silence the opposition.
Report on FBI Spying Garners Praise, Renews Concerns About Political Surveillance
Last week, Defending Rights & Dissent released the groundbreaking report Still Spying on Dissent: The Enduring Problem of FBI First Amendment Abuse. The report has received widespread praise and has once again raised the issue of FBI spying.
Victory! National Park Service Will Not Impose Onerous New Regulations on Protests on National Mall
Today, the National Park Service announced it will not adopt any of their proposed new regulations and restrictions on protests on the National Mall and the area around the White House.