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Dissent NewsWire
Defending Rights & Dissent Calls on Congress to Reject Cynically Misnamed Bill Designed to Hamper Human Rights Advocacy
Anti-semitism, like all forms of bigotry, is reprehensible, but the so-called Anti-Semitism Awareness Act is a cynical attempt to exploit good faith concerns about anti-Semitism to silence student speech. The bill’s real target is not anti-semitism at all, but student political speech in support of Palestinian human rights. As such, it is unconstitutional.
Judge Finds J20 Prosecutors Failed to Disclose Exculpatory Evidence, Mulls Sanctions
The prosecution in the J20 case was dealt another major setback today as Chief Justice Robert Morin found that they failed to disclose to the defense parts of an undercover video containing clearly exculpatory evidence. An edited version of the video was part of the prosecution’s case-in-chief during the first J20 trial and was expected to be so in an upcoming trial. Now, with the prosecution facing sanctions, there are questions as to whether they will be allowed to show the video at all.
Second Trial for Trump Inauguration Protesters Begins
The US Attorneys Office claims the trial isn’t about protest or dissent, but the crux of their case centers around the argument that a First Amendment protected march is a criminal conspiracy.
Urgent: Senate to Vote on Net Neutrality Tomorrow
Late last year, the FCC voted to repeal net neutrality. That terrible decision will take effect on June 11 unless Congress takes action. Tomorrow, Wednesday May 16, the Senate will hold an important vote to save net neutrality
Haspel Refuses to Say Whether Torture is “Immoral.” Senate Should Reject Her Nomination.
She also refused to say she would reject an order from Trump to torture someone, or reject a demand from him to swear loyalty to him during her confirmation hearing.
Your Right to Protest is Under Attack
Russia is part of a dangerous global trend of countries rolling back basic freedoms for opposition voices… but so is the United States.
Press-Freedom, Civil-Rights, Civil-Liberties Groups Call on ICE to Immediately Release Detained Journalist Manuel Duran Ortega
The Memphis police arrested Duran on April 3 while he was covering a local protest over the targeting of undocumented immigrants by local and federal law-enforcement agencies.
Appeals Court Reinstates No-Fly List Lawsuit by American Muslims Coerced to Spy by FBI. Victims May Sue Agents Who Listed them for Refusing to Inform
Today, a federal appeals court reinstated a lawsuit against 24 FBI agents alleging that they had placed or kept law-abiding American Muslims on the No-Fly List in an attempt to coerce the men into spying on their communities.
Defending Rights & Dissent Condemns Police Violence Against San Juan May Day Protesters
Puerto Ricans have a right to protest. As US citizens, they enjoy the same rights to freedom of expression and assembly as the rest of us. This right is especially important given their complete lack of say in a federal government that is bent on overriding their democratic institutions. The police violence against these protesters is completely unacceptable.
This May Day, Support Striking Teachers’ Right to Free Speech
Labor movements demonstrate the importance of the right to engage in collective action for a shared goal and to agitate for a more just world.