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Dissent NewsWire
Full House for Panel On History of Political Policing
Around 100 people gathered at The People’s Forum last Thursday, for a discussion of “Still Spying on Dissent: The History of Political Policing.” The event showcased Defending Rights & Dissent’s groundbreaking report Still Spying on the Dissent: The Enduring Problem of FBI First Amendment Abuse and comes on the heels of the 100th Anniversary of the Palmer Raids, one of the most notorious abuses of civil liberties in US history.
MoCo Council Bill Would Exacerbate School-to-Prison Pipeline and Maryland’s Already Nation-Leading Black Youth Incarceration Rate
The bill would put more cops in schools.
Transparency Groups Oppose Senate Plan to Restrict Press During Impeachment Trial
Defending Rights & Dissent joined with 17 other civil society organizations on a letter objecting to restrictions place on members of the media. The letter includes a brief history of Senate efforts to stymie transparency. January 17, 2020 T… [Read More]
Cotton, Cruz, and Braun Attempt to Weaponize DOJ Against Dissidents
On January 13, Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Braun (R-IN) sent a letter to the Department of Justice, asking DOJ to open an investigation into “the activities of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and its sister organiz… [Read More]
Times Up for Mass Surveillance.
Lawmakers this spring have the opportunity to end massive surveillance programs that erode civil liberties without making Americans safer.
Defending Rights & Dissent Condemns Border Detentions of Iranian-Americans, Urges Congress to Assert Their Constitutional War Powers
Days after Donald Trump ordered the assassination of an Iranian general, sparking concern of a US war with Iran, over 60 individuals of Iranian descent, including US citizens and permanent residents, were detained, had their passports confiscated, and were interrogated about their political beliefs at the US-Canadian border.ending Rights & Dissent strongly condemns these detententions. It is flagrantly unconstitutional to subject someone to detention because of their national origin or ethnicity.
It’s Chelsea Manning’s Birthday, Demand Her Freedom Now!
Today is Chelsea Manning’s birthday. She is spending it yet again behind bars. We need you to demand her freedom now.
ICE Initiates Force Feeding of More Hunger Strikers in Louisiana and Texas facilities
ICE agents are force-hydrating at least five asylum seekers from India detained at Jena-LaSalle Detention Facility in Jena, Louisiana and force-feeding three men at the El Paso Processing Center in El Paso, Texas. The eight men have been on prolonged hunger strike, some nearing two months without eating.
Defending Rights & Dissent Opposes Trump Executive Order Equating Support for Palestinian Rights with Anti-Semitic Discrimination
Anti-semitism is a real threat and should be opposed. Civil rights laws are an important and necessary tool in upholding the rights of all people. However, it is a distortion of civil rights to use federal civil rights law to silence political speech and advocacy for Palestinian human rights.
Defending Rights & Dissent Comment on DOJ IG Review of FBI’s Trump Campaign Investigation
Yesterday, the Department of Justice Inspector General released a long awaited report on the FBI’s conduct during “Operation Crossfire Hurricane,” the counterintelligence investigation into certain associates of the Trump campaign.