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DoomsdaysCW<p>UN <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HumanRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HumanRights</span></a> chief criticises UK <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PalestineAction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PalestineAction</span></a> ban</p><p>by Sam Francis<br>July 25, 2025</p><p>" 'The UK government's ban on Palestine Action is a 'disturbing' misuse of counter-terrorism legislation, the United Nations' human rights chief has warned.</p><p>"Volker Turk urged the government to lift the ban on the group, calling it 'disproportionate and unnecessary.'</p><p>"Earlier this month, Palestine Action was proscribed by the UK Government under the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TerrorismAct2000" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TerrorismAct2000</span></a> after activists claimed responsibility for spraying two military aircraft with red paint causing an estimated £7m worth of damage. </p><p>"The decision is currently being challenged in the High Court with a judgment due at the end of the month. The Home Office has been contacted for a comment.<br>Palestine Action ban 'abuse of power', court told</p><p>"The ban means that membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.</p><p>"More than 170 people have been arrested since the ban was introduced, under the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TerrorismAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TerrorismAct</span></a> of 2000. </p><p>"Turk, who has been the UN's high commissioner for human rights since 2022, said the ban 'appears disproportionate and unnecessary'. </p><p>" 'It limits the rights of many people involved with and supportive of Palestine Action who have not themselves engaged in any underlying criminal activity but rather exercised their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,' Turk said. </p><p>" 'As such, it appears to constitute an impermissible restriction on those rights that is at odds with the UK's obligations under international human rights law.' "</p><p>Read more:<br><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjxjpl8g0do" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">bbc.com/news/articles/cdjxjpl8</span><span class="invisible">g0do</span></a></p><p>Archived version:<br><a href="https://archive.ph/ElL2Z" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">archive.ph/ElL2Z</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UKPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>UKPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WorldPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WorldPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FreePalestine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreePalestine</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FreeGaza" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreeGaza</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EndTheGenocide" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EndTheGenocide</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HumanRightsViolations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HumanRightsViolations</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p>Another <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Goosestep" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Goosestep</span></a> toward full-on <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>authoritarianism</span></a> !</p><p>This Bill Would Fine Social Media Companies $5 Million Every Day for Not Fighting '<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Terrorism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Terrorism</span></a>' </p><p>The <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StopHateAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>StopHateAct</span></a> wants social media platforms to report their <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/moderation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>moderation</span></a> policies and outcomes to the government. And it’s not the only <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/censorial" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>censorial</span></a> measure Rep. <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/JoshGottheimer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>JoshGottheimer</span></a> wants.</p><p>Matthew Petti | 7.24.2025 5:25 PM</p><p>"The idea that the federal government even talked to social media platforms about their moderation was a major scandal. After the Twitter Files leak revealed that the Biden administration was privately leaning on one platform to suppress "misinformation," the courts blocked officials from communicating with social media companies for several months on free speech grounds.</p><p>"A bipartisan bill, however, would make it mandatory for social media companies to work with the federal government. The Stopping Terrorists Online Presence and Holding Accountable Tech Entities (STOP HATE) Act would require companies to provide triennial reports on their moderation policies—and violations they catch—to the U.S. attorney general.</p><p>"The bill requires companies to issue specific policies for groups the federal government designates as terrorists and the director of national intelligence to also begin reporting on terrorist usage of social media. Companies would be fined $5 million per day that they fail to comply.</p><p>"Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D–N.J.) and Don Bacon (R–Neb.) had first proposed the bill in November 2023. It died in committee at the time. Gottheimer and Bacon announced that they would be reintroducing the bill at a press conference on Wednesday alongside Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt.</p><p>" 'There is no reason why anyone, especially terrorists or anyone online, should access social media platforms to promote radical, hate-filled violence,' Gottheimer said at the press conference. He cited supportive social media comments about the May 2025 murder of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, and the AI platform Grok's sudden decision to declare itself 'MechaHitler' earlier this month.</p><p>"<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Meta" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Meta</span></a>, the company that runs <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Facebook" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Facebook</span></a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Instagram" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Instagram</span></a>, is already known to have a list of 'dangerous individuals and organizations' banned from the platform. When the list was leaked to The Intercept in 2021, it included around 1,000 entries taken straight from the U.S. government's foreign terrorist list, as well as various foreign and domestic entries sourced to private think tanks."</p><p>Read more:<br><a href="https://reason.com/2025/07/24/this-bill-would-fine-social-media-companies-5-million-every-day-for-not-fighting-terrorism/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">reason.com/2025/07/24/this-bil</span><span class="invisible">l-would-fine-social-media-companies-5-million-every-day-for-not-fighting-terrorism/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SilencingCritics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SilencingCritics</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SilencingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SilencingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Fascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TrumpSucks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TrumpSucks</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SocialMedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SocialMedia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Clampdown" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Clampdown</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Censorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Censorship</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Decentralize" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Decentralize</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DecentralizeSocialMedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DecentralizeSocialMedia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CharacteristicsOfFascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CharacteristicsOfFascism</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p>Expect these to become illegal under the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TrumpRegime" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TrumpRegime</span></a> (if they aren't already)...</p><p>A <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Demonstrators" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Demonstrators</span></a> Guide to <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ReinforcedBanners" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ReinforcedBanners</span></a><br>And How to Use Them</p><p>2025-06-16 via <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://todon.eu/@CrimethInc" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>CrimethInc</span></a></span> <br> <br>"This guide explores how to construct reinforced <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/banners" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>banners</span></a> that can function as a mobile <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ShieldWall" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ShieldWall</span></a> during demonstrations.</p><p>"To be clear, we do not encourage anyone to engage in illegal activity with banners or shields. We only offer these designs to satisfy the curiosity of historians."</p><p><a href="https://crimethinc.com/2025/06/16/a-demonstrators-guide-to-reinforced-banners-now-stronger-and-lighter" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">crimethinc.com/2025/06/16/a-de</span><span class="invisible">monstrators-guide-to-reinforced-banners-now-stronger-and-lighter</span></a> </p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CommunityDefense" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CommunityDefense</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WeKeepOurselvesSafe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WeKeepOurselvesSafe</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WeKeepEachOtherSafe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WeKeepEachOtherSafe</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ACAB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ACAB</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p>Feds Criminalize Aiding <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Protests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Protests</span></a> Against <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ICE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ICE</span></a></p><p>The <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> administration is targeting nonviolent acts like identifying masked agents and handing out <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PPE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PPE</span></a> in support of LA’s <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiICE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiICE</span></a> movement.</p><p>Akela Lacy<br>July 23 2025</p><p>Excerpt: " 'Roving patrols' operating without reasonable suspicion and denying access to <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/lawyers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>lawyers</span></a> violated the Fourth and the Fifth Amendments, the judge wrote. 'What the federal government would have this Court believe — in the face of a mountain of evidence presented in this case — is that none of this is actually happening.'</p><p>"Now, those accused of helping the anti-ICE movement are facing prosecution or investigation. Earlier this month, a federal grand jury indicted a man after he handed out <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FaceShields" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FaceShields</span></a> to people protesting ICE in Los Angeles two days after President Donald Trump deployed the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NationalGuard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NationalGuard</span></a>. </p><p>"<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AlejandroOrellana" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AlejandroOrellana</span></a>, 29, pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to aid and abet civil disorders. According to a grand jury indictment, the face shields were 'advertised as designed to protect from chemical splashes and flying debris.'</p><p>" 'Alejandro Orellana’s arrest for distributing supplies is an outrageous violation of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CivilRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CivilRights</span></a> and should be a wakeup call to people everywhere,' said California attorney Thomas Harvey.</p><p>" 'This appears to be a targeted, political attack on resistance to a military incursion on our communities,' Harvey said. 'Distributing supplies to protesters is not a crime. It’s a critical role to help keep people safe — especially in the face of some of the most violent police repression I’ve seen since the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Ferguson" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Ferguson</span></a> uprising.' "</p><p><a href="https://theintercept.com/2025/07/23/feds-criminalize-protests-masked-ice/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theintercept.com/2025/07/23/fe</span><span class="invisible">ds-criminalize-protests-masked-ice/</span></a></p><p>Archived version:<br><a href="https://archive.ph/sQii5" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">archive.ph/sQii5</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ACAB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ACAB</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CivilRightsViolations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CivilRightsViolations</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WeKeepOurselvesSafe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WeKeepOurselvesSafe</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WeKeepEachOtherSafe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WeKeepEachOtherSafe</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p>I'm not sure if this passed. Knowing the evil entrenched in Washington, I suspect it went through...</p><p>'Must cover the costs': Trump directs DOJ to 'enforce' a rule of civil procedure and seek security <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/bonds" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>bonds</span></a> from '<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/activist" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>activist</span></a>' groups that win injunctions against the government</p><p>Colin Kalmbacher Mar 7th, 2025 </p><p>"The memo, on its own terms, aims to curb the power of 'activist organizations fueled by hundreds of millions of dollars in donations' and 'activist judges' by pushing back against 'frivolous litigation.' "</p><p><a href="https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/must-cover-the-costs-trump-directs-doj-to-enforce-a-rule-of-civil-procedure-and-seek-security-bonds-from-activist-groups-that-win-injunctions-against-the-government/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lawandcrime.com/high-profile/m</span><span class="invisible">ust-cover-the-costs-trump-directs-doj-to-enforce-a-rule-of-civil-procedure-and-seek-security-bonds-from-activist-groups-that-win-injunctions-against-the-government/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingJournalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingJournalism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Fascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Corporatocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Corporatocracy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CorporateColonialism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CorporateColonialism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NoDAPL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NoDAPL</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NoKXL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NoKXL</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StandWithStandingRock" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>StandWithStandingRock</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EnvironmentalJustice" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EnvironmentalJustice</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p>Former <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Greens" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Greens</span></a> candidate may lose sight after being arrested in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SydneyAustralia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SydneyAustralia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/protest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>protest</span></a> at alleged <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Israel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Israel</span></a> technology supplier</p><p>Hannah Thomas, who ran against Anthony Albanese in the Sydney electorate of Grayndler, sustained facial injuries</p><p>Henry Belot, Fri 27 Jun 2025</p><p>"A former Greens candidate has been injured after allegedly resisting police arrest while picketing a business in Sydney’s west, with friends and family warned she may lose sight in her right eye.</p><p>"The protest, which attracted between 50 and 60 people, sought to stop pedestrian access to a business that was accused by protesters of 'supplying electroplating and surface coating services for a variety of applications including aerospace and defence technology' to Israel.</p><p>"The <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Greens" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Greens</span></a> alleged the company was reportedly 'involved in providing plating services for various parts used in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/F35" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>F35</span></a> jets' used by the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IsraeliMilitary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>IsraeliMilitary</span></a>. </p><p>"According to police, officers issued a move-on direction to the protesters at about 5.30am on Friday.</p><p>"The force alleged the protest was 'unauthorised', as those involved had not given advanced notice nor submitted a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/form" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>form</span></a> that protected them from being charged under <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a>."</p><p>Read more:<br><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/27/former-greens-candidate-may-lose-sight-after-being-arrested-in-sydney-protest-at-alleged-israel-technology-supplier-ntwnfb" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/australia-news</span><span class="invisible">/2025/jun/27/former-greens-candidate-may-lose-sight-after-being-arrested-in-sydney-protest-at-alleged-israel-technology-supplier-ntwnfb</span></a></p><p>Archived version:<br><a href="https://archive.ph/JSDu0#selection-1359.0-1434.0" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archive.ph/JSDu0#selection-135</span><span class="invisible">9.0-1434.0</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ACAB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ACAB</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ExcessiveUseOfForce" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExcessiveUseOfForce</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FailureToComply" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FailureToComply</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Bureaucracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Bureaucracy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLawsAustralia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLawsAustralia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SilencingFreeSpeech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SilencingFreeSpeech</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SilencingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SilencingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IsraeliWarCrimes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>IsraeliWarCrimes</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BibiIsAWarCriminal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BibiIsAWarCriminal</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FreePalestine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreePalestine</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NoWar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NoWar</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/VictoriaAustralia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>VictoriaAustralia</span></a>’s draconian new <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtest</span></a> laws will have a chilling effect on <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FreeSpeech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreeSpeech</span></a> — and won’t keep anyone safe</p><p>Far-reaching anti-protest measures and giving police more repressive powers only serve to increase the risk of escalating violence.</p><p>by Sarah Schwartz, Jul 9, 2025</p><p>"In response to the weekend’s attack on the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced she will forge ahead with new anti-protest measures and more <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/police" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>police</span></a> powers.</p><p>"In doing so, she is following what has become the new normal for state governments across the country: using acts of racism and violence as a pretext to <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ClampDown" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ClampDown</span></a> on unrelated democratic rights.</p><p>"Taking to the streets in peaceful protest is one of the main ways for people to come together and express our political views when our representatives aren’t listening to us. But this right is not without limits. Every person has a right to worship in safety. The attack on East Melbourne Synagogue was not a protest; it was an act of antisemitism. The suspect has been apprehended and charged with a multitude of criminal offences.</p><p>"Two other incidents over the weekend, the targeting of a business with ties to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — a US-backed <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Israeli" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Israeli</span></a> organisation linked to the massacres of unarmed <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Palestinians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Palestinians</span></a> seeking aid — and a weapons company with links to the Israeli military, are also being referred to as justifying new laws. It is important not to conflate these actions against Israel with an attack against a Jewish place of worship. International human rights law, as well as our current laws, already place limits on protests that involve intimidation and violence.</p><p>"So what is actually being proposed in response? The Allan government is suggesting the creation of a new criminal offence for wearing a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FaceCovering" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FaceCovering</span></a> at peaceful protests, banning 'dangerous attachment devices' (e.g. a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/chain" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>chain</span></a>, a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BikeLock" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BikeLock</span></a>) — which have long been used in non-violent civil disobedience — and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/criminalising" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>criminalising</span></a> peaceful protests around places of religious worship. </p><p>"The ban on face coverings would be a first in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Australia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Australia</span></a>. It would mirror measures used in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/authoritarian" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>authoritarian</span></a> states that force people to submit themselves to various forms of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StateSurveillance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>StateSurveillance</span></a>.</p><p>"<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/VictoriaPolice" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>VictoriaPolice</span></a> has been using facial recognition software for years without any regulatory or legislative framework to prevent breaches of privacy. This technology, combined with a ban on face coverings at protests, would essentially amount to an obligation on behalf of individuals to submit to surveillance by the state, corporations and other groups that surveil protesters.</p><p>"Unless you’re a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MiningCompany" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MiningCompany</span></a> spending hundreds of millions buying politicians’ favour or can wine and dine decision-makers, peaceful protest is one of the main ways for people to hold governments and corporations to account. Protests for the eight-hour workday, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WomensRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WomensRights</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FirstNationsRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstNationsRights</span></a> and the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiWar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiWar</span></a> movement have led to significant improvements in all of our lives.<br>Know something?</p><p>"Many people attending protests wear face coverings to protect their privacy and anonymity. For temporary migrants, the consequences of identification can include visa cancellation and detention. <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FarRight" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FarRight</span></a> groups, abusers of gender-based violence and other political groups have all been documented as engaging in doxing, surveillance and retaliatory violence against people identified at peaceful protests.</p><p>"Even with exemptions, a ban would mean that people who wear facemasks for reasons of health, disability status, or religious or cultural reasons would be at risk of police targeting and made to justify their use of a face mask.</p><p>"Adding new repressive police powers against peaceful protesters only serves to increase the risk of escalating violence at already heightened public demonstrations. People will not stop taking to the streets on issues they care about, even if the state tries to stifle their voices. Donald <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a>’s deployment of the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NationalGuard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NationalGuard</span></a> in response to protests in LA shows us how deploying more state force at protests increases rather than decreases the risk of violence. </p><p>"A ban on protests outside or within a certain proximity to places of worship would mean police could arrest those engaging in peaceful protests for a genuine, non-discriminatory purpose — for example, protests by survivors of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ClergySexualAbuse" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ClergySexualAbuse</span></a> or by congregants against the political activities of their own religious institutions.</p><p>"It would also have the unintended consequence of rendering large areas of the state no-go zones for peaceful protest, due to the high number of places of worship. Similar laws in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NSW" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NSW</span></a> are already being challenged for their <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/unconstitutionality" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>unconstitutionality</span></a>.</p><p>"Taken together, this suite of laws, which would provide police with extraordinary powers against people peacefully raising their voices against <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/injustice" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>injustice</span></a>, would have a chilling effect, deterring <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MarginalisedGroups" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MarginalisedGroups</span></a> from attending protests and exercising their rights to freedom of expression, which the Victorian government has sought to protect.</p><p>"Ultimately, banning face coverings at peaceful protests and banning protests outside places of worship would not have done anything to prevent what occurred over the weekend. Premier Allan knows this. Yet she is stuck in the same reactive law-and-order merry-go-round that saw NSW Premier Chris Minns enact fear-based, repressive anti-protest measures in response to what we now know was an opportunistic criminal conspiracy.</p><p>"Encouraging people to express their political views peacefully is the antidote to non-peaceful forms of protest and is something that all governments should be encouraging and facilitating. At times like this, we should be able to trust our politicians not to fuel division and panic through misguided and knee-jerk responses, but to take measures to address the root causes of racism and hatred."</p><p><a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/07/09/victoria-anti-protest-laws-police-powers-jacinta-allan-miznon-east-melbourne-synagogue/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">crikey.com.au/2025/07/09/victo</span><span class="invisible">ria-anti-protest-laws-police-powers-jacinta-allan-miznon-east-melbourne-synagogue/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProtestLawsAustralia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ProtestLawsAustralia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ACAB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ACAB</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SilencingFreeSpeech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SilencingFreeSpeech</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SilencingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SilencingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Authoritarianism</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p>Three <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> recently passed in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Arizona" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Arizona</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Kentucky" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Kentucky</span></a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Texas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Texas</span></a></p><p>Source: <a href="https://www.icnl.org/usprotestlawtracker/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">icnl.org/usprotestlawtracker/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p>Arizona<br>HB 2880: Banning <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/protest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>protest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/encampments" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>encampments</span></a> on <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/campus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>campus</span></a></p><p>Bars protest encampments on the campuses of state colleges and universities. Under the new law, individuals or groups that establish an “encampment” are no longer lawfully present on campus for the purpose of speech protections under Arizona law; they are criminally liable to prosecution for trespass; and they are liable for any damage they cause, including the "direct and indirect costs" of removing the encampment and "restoring" campus. The new law defines “encampment” as “temporary shelter” installed on campus and used to stay overnight or “for a prolonged period of time.” The law requires colleges and universities to order individuals to dismantle and vacate any encampment; if the individuals refuse to comply, the institution is required to take disciplinary action and report the individuals to local law enforcement for trespassing. The sponsor of the new law said that it was motivated by <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProPalestine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ProPalestine</span></a> protests on college campuses.<br>Full bill text:<br><a href="https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/83353" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/Bill</span><span class="invisible">Overview/83353</span></a></p><p>Status: enacted</p><p>Introduced 12 Feb 2025; Approved by House 3 March 2025; Approved by Senate 30 April 2025; Signed by Governor Hobbs 7 May 2025</p><p>Issue(s): <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CampusProtests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CampusProtests</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Trespass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Trespass</span></a>, Camping</p><p>Kentucky<br>HB 399: New penalties for protesters at the capitol</p><p>Creates serious new criminal offenses that can cover <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PeacefulProtesters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PeacefulProtesters</span></a> at the state capitol, as well as anyone who “conspires” with or otherwise supports them. The first new offense applies to someone who enters the capitol, or impedes access to the capitol by a legislator or legislative staff, with intent to disrupt or impede legislative business—regardless of whether legislative business was in fact “impeded.” “Conspir[ing]” to engage in such conduct or “facilitat[ing]” another person to engage in the conduct is subject to the same penalties as actually engaging in it. It is a Class B misdemeanor (punishable by up to 3 months in jail) for a first incident, and a Class A misdemeanor (up to one year in jail) for subsequent incident. The law creates a second, more serious offense for someone who engages in “disorderly or disruptive conduct” inside the Capitol with intent to disrupt or impede legislative business, if their conduct in fact “disrupts” or “impedes” the legislature’s business—even momentarily. As written, the offense could cover a demonstrator who shouts a single chant during a legislative hearing. “Conspir[ing]” to engage in such conduct or “facilitat[ing]” another person to engage in the conduct is subject to the same penalties as actually engaging in it. The offense would be a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by up to one year in jail) for the first incident, and a Class D felony (up to 5 years in prison) for third and subsequent incident. Prior to passing the bill, lawmakers added an amendment which provides that the law will not be construed "to prohibit... [a]ssembly in traditional public forums, including but not limited to the Capitol rotunda and outdoor areas of the Capitol grounds." While helpful, the amendment does not immunize all peaceful protest activity that the law could potentially punish, including protest organizing. When he vetoed the bill (later overridden), Governor Beshear noted the risks it poses to lawful <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> activity.<br>Full bill text:<br><a href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/25rs/hb399.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">apps.legislature.ky.gov/record</span><span class="invisible">/25rs/hb399.html</span></a></p><p>Status: enacted</p><p>Introduced 6 Feb 2025; Approved by House 7 March 2025; Approved by Senate 13 March 2025; Vetoed by Governor Beshear 25 March 2025; Veto overridden 27 March 2025</p><p>Issue(s): Protest Supporters or Funders, Police Response<br> </p><p>Texas<br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SB2972" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SB2972</span></a>: New restrictions on <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CampusProtests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CampusProtests</span></a></p><p>Requires public colleges and universities to adopt new limitations on campus protests that among other things would ban protest encampments, limit protesters’ ability to wear a mask, and restrict vigils and other demonstrations at night. Under the law—which revises Texas’s 2019 law on campus speech—all public colleges and universities in the state must have policies that among other things prohibit: a) erecting tents or otherwise “camping” on campus; b) wearing a mask or other disguise while engaging in “expressive activities” on campus with certain intent, including intent to “intimidate others;” c) engaging in “expressive activities” between 10pm and 8am; d) engaging in “expressive activities” in the last two weeks of a school term by inviting speakers or using sound amplification or drums; and e) using sound amplification while engaging in “expressive activities” during class hours if it “intimidate[s] others.” Preexisting provisions of the law define “expressive activities” broadly as “any speech or expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment,” including but not limited to assemblies, protests, speeches, carrying signs, or distributing written material. As such, colleges and universities would seemingly be required to ban all kinds of expression between 10pm and 8am, from conversations in the dining hall to someone sending a text or wearing expressive clothing. The law repeals a provision in the 2019 law that established all common outdoor areas of campus as traditional public forums where anyone could engage in First Amendment activity, and replaced it with a provision authorizing the governing boards of schools to designate select areas as public forums. <br>Full bill text: <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=SB2972" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/H</span><span class="invisible">istory.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=SB2972</span></a></p><p>Status: enacted</p><p>Introduced 14 Mar 2025; Approved by Senate 14 May 2025; Approved by House 28 May 2025; Signed by Governor Abbott 20 June 2025</p><p>Issue(s): Campus Protests, Face Covering, Camping </p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TexasProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TexasProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KentuckyProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KentuckyProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ArizonaProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ArizonaProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ClothingBans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ClothingBans</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CollegeCampusProtests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CollegeCampusProtests</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaskBans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MaskBans</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EncampmentBans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EncampmentBans</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p>Arrests made in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ParliamentSquare" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParliamentSquare</span></a> as pro-<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PalestineAction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PalestineAction</span></a> protests held across <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UK" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>UK</span></a></p><p>Dozens of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/protesters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>protesters</span></a> assembled in central <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/London" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>London</span></a> on Saturday afternoon </p><p>Sami Quadri, Megan Howe, July 19, 2025</p><p>"Fifty-five people have been arrested for displaying <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/placards" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>placards</span></a> in support of proscribed group Palestine Action, Met Police has said.</p><p>"Demonstrations are taking place in cities including London, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Manchester" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Manchester</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Edinburgh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Edinburgh</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Bristol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Bristol</span></a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Truro" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Truro</span></a> after the group was officially proscribed as a terrorist organisation two weeks ago.</p><p>"Dozens of protesters assembled in Parliament Square on Saturday afternoon holding white placards that read: 'I oppose <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/genocide" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>genocide</span></a>, I support Palestine Action.'</p><p>"Some demonstrators were led away in handcuffs, while others were carried off by officers. In a post on X, the Metropolitan Police said: 'Officers have moved in and arrests are taking place.'</p><p>"Police said the 55 people arrested were arrested under Section 13 of the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TerrorismAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TerrorismAct</span></a> 2000.</p><p>"The Met had previously said around 70 people were arrested at similar protests in Parliament Square over the past two weekends.</p><p>"<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DefendOurJuries" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DefendOurJuries</span></a>, the group coordinating the campaign, claims a total of 120 people have now been arrested across the UK.</p><p>"The force warned that anyone expressing support for Palestine Action was likely to be arrested, adding that officers were also monitoring for chants such as 'death to the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IDF" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>IDF</span></a>', led by punk-rap duo <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BobVylan" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BobVylan</span></a> at <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GlastonburyFestival" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GlastonburyFestival</span></a>.</p><p>"The ban, under the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TerrorismAct2000" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TerrorismAct2000</span></a>, makes it a criminal offence to be a member of or show support for the group — with a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison. Wearing a badge or <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TShirt" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TShirt</span></a> bearing the group’s name now carries a potential six-month jail term.</p><p>"Palestine Action co-founder <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HudaAmmori" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HudaAmmori</span></a> is seeking to challenge the ban, with a hearing to determine whether a judicial review can proceed set to take place at the High Court on Monday." </p><p>Source:<br><a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/arrests-made-in-parliament-square-palestine-action-protests-uk-b1239025.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">standard.co.uk/news/london/arr</span><span class="invisible">ests-made-in-parliament-square-palestine-action-protests-uk-b1239025.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FreePalestine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreePalestine</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GazaGenocide" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GazaGenocide</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IsraeliWarCrimes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>IsraeliWarCrimes</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BibiIsAWarCriminal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BibiIsAWarCriminal</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UKProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>UKProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UKPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>UKPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EnglandPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EnglandPol</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WorldPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WorldPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SilencingFreeSpeech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SilencingFreeSpeech</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p>Met warns against supporting proscribed groups ahead of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/London" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>London</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/protests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>protests</span></a> </p><p>Officers to monitor chants and conduct at <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PalestineCoalition" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PalestineCoalition</span></a> and counter-protests in Westminster</p><p>Joe Hadden<br>Friday 18 July 2025 </p><p>"The Metropolitan Police has warned that anyone showing support for proscribed organisations during planned protests in London this weekend could face arrest under <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/terrorism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>terrorism</span></a> laws.</p><p>"An increased police presence is expected in Westminster on Saturday when a number of demonstrations are due to take place, including a large-scale march by the Palestine Coalition and a static counter-protest by Stop the Hate.</p><p>"The Met said it also anticipates further protest activity in support of the recently proscribed group <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PalestineAction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PalestineAction</span></a>, which is now banned under the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TerrorismAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TerrorismAct</span></a>.</p><p>"Seventy people were arrested at similar demonstrations in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ParliamentSquare" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParliamentSquare</span></a> over the past two weekends, and the location of any action this Saturday is yet to be confirmed.</p><p>"Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who is leading the policing operation, said officers are experienced in managing events of this nature but warned that those who use the protests as an opportunity to express support for proscribed groups risk serious legal consequences.</p><p>" 'This Saturday’s Palestine Coalition protest is the first large-scale event of its kind since the proscription of Palestine Action and I want to make sure the implications of that change in the law are fully understood,' he said.</p><p>" 'Nobody will be committing an offence by simply supporting the Palestinian cause, taking part in the march or carrying flags, banners or other signs providing they don’t stray into hate speech or other offences.</p><p>" 'However, those who see this as an opportunity to test the limits of the law by expressing support for Palestine Action, whether at a standalone protest or as part of the Palestine Coalition protest, will likely be committing an offence and will very likely be arrested.'</p><p>"He added: 'I would urge those people to consider the seriousness of being arrested under the Terrorism Act and the very real long-term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances – that such an arrest is likely to have for their future.'</p><p>"Mr Adelekan also said the force is continuing to investigate '<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/OffensiveChanting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>OffensiveChanting</span></a>' that took place at <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GlastonburyFestival" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GlastonburyFestival</span></a> and has been repeated at recent protests in London.</p><p>"He said officers would assess chants at Saturday’s protest 'based on the specific circumstances' – noting that words shouted generally during the march may not constitute an offence, but could do so if directed at individuals in a way likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.</p><p>" 'At previous protests, the area between the main march and any counter protest has seen the most heated exchanges. Officers will be particularly alert to conduct, including chanting, in this area and will be working with stewards to ensure crowds keep moving past this point,' he said.</p><p>" 'Where they become aware of behaviour that crosses the line from protest into criminality they will intervene and take appropriate action.'</p><p>"He said the best way for protesters to stay within the law is to avoid 'threatening, abusive and insulting language' or any support for banned groups. [!!!]</p><p>"The Palestine Coalition march will begin at <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/VictoriaEmbankment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>VictoriaEmbankment</span></a> and proceed via <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WestminsterBridge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WestminsterBridge</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/YorkRoad" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>YorkRoad</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WaterlooBridge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WaterlooBridge</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TheStrand" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TheStrand</span></a>, and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Whitehall" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Whitehall</span></a>, where speeches will be held."</p><p>Source:<br><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-met-westminster-parliament-square-westminster-bridge-b2791807.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">independent.co.uk/news/uk/home</span><span class="invisible">-news/london-met-westminster-parliament-square-westminster-bridge-b2791807.html</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FreePalestine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreePalestine</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GazaGenocide" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GazaGenocide</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IsraeliWarCrimes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>IsraeliWarCrimes</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BibiIsAWarCriminal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BibiIsAWarCriminal</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UKProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>UKProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UKPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>UKPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EnglandPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EnglandPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WorldPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WorldPol</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p>Supporters rally for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProPalestinian" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ProPalestinian</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/protesters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>protesters</span></a> arrested in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PortlandME" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PortlandME</span></a></p><p>Aysia Reed,WGME<br>Thu, July 10th 2025 </p><p>PORTLAND, Maine (WGME) -- "The <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineCoalitionForPalestine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MaineCoalitionForPalestine</span></a> held a rally on Thursday outside of the Cumberland County Courthouse ahead of the criminal court arraignment of pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested in Portland in May.</p><p>"Twenty protesters, ages 22 through 87, were arrested in May for blocking Commercial Street.</p><p>"Ten of those protesters were arraigned on Thursday morning while the remaining 10 will be arraigned later this month.</p><p>"The Maine Coalition for Palestine says they were bringing attention to the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/genocide" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>genocide</span></a> in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Gaza" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Gaza</span></a>.</p><p>"The protesters were charged with class E misdemeanors for obstructing a public way.</p><p>"One of the people taken away in handcuffs was <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BobSchaible" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BobSchaible</span></a>, who's in his 80s [87 to be exact].</p><p>"He says this was his first time being arrested and said he would do it all over again to inspire action to get humanitarian aid to Gaza.</p><p>" 'Congress has to take a stand. We want the Portland people, more of them, to know what is happening,' Schaible said.</p><p>"Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights Chair Abby Fuller helped organize the protest in May.</p><p>" 'We have written our congressional representatives, we've called them, we've held rallies in the streets, we've done all kinds of things -- everything we can think of. And our government has not changed its policy of support for Israel,' Fuller said.</p><p>"Fuller was also arrested and charged with obstructing a public way."</p><p>Source:<br><a href="https://wgme.com/news/local/supporters-rally-for-pro-palestinian-protesters-arrested-in-portland-palestine-union-gaza-hamas-israel-maine-commercial-street-obstructing-a-public-way" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">wgme.com/news/local/supporters</span><span class="invisible">-rally-for-pro-palestinian-protesters-arrested-in-portland-palestine-union-gaza-hamas-israel-maine-commercial-street-obstructing-a-public-way</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineResists" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MaineResists</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FreePalestine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreePalestine</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BibiIsAWarCriminal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BibiIsAWarCriminal</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IsraeliWarCrimes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>IsraeliWarCrimes</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GazaGenocide" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GazaGenocide</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SilencingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SilencingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TrafficInterference" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TrafficInterference</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MainePol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MainePol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Maine</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HumanRightsViolations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HumanRightsViolations</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HumanRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HumanRights</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HumanRightsAreNeverWrong" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HumanRightsAreNeverWrong</span></a></p>

#ProPalestinian activists rally outside #PortlandME courthouse to support fellow #protesters

Morgan Womack, Portland Press Herald, Maine
Thu, July 10, 2025

Jul. 10—"A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the #CumberlandCountyCourthouse on Thursday morning ahead of a court hearing for their peers who were arrested at a protest in May.

"More than a dozen people rallied with signs and a #PalestinianFlag as 10 people — half of the group that was previously arrested — awaited their arraignments. During their hearings, they each pleaded not guilty to one count of #obstructing a public way. The rest of the group will appear in court at a later date, the protesters said.

"Jamila Levasseur, 70, of #WaldoME, was one of the 20 people arrested in Portland on May 21 after police accused them of blocking the intersection of Commercial and Pearl streets near the U.S. Custom House. She said at the time that she'd be arrested as many times as necessary to bring attention to the widespread #starvation and ongoing #Israeli airstrikes in #Gaza.

"When appearing at the stand, Levasseur told District Court Judge Jed French that she was 'protesting against #genocide in #Gaza' before entering her not-guilty plea. She referenced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin #Netanyahu's recent talks with President Donald #Trump, recognizing their joint strikes on #Iran and discussing plans for a 60-day #ceasefire that would halt Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

" 'Those are the #WarCriminals,' Levasseur said. 'We're not criminals.'

"Levasseur said she couldn't have anticipated that the war would still be going on 21 months after it began. She said she's thankful that a group of attorneys stepped forward to represent the protesters for free, and that the May demonstration in the Old Port attracted a new, larger crowd of supporters.

" 'More and more people are waking up, learning what's going on, horrified, and want to do something,' Levasseur said. 'The people we were arrested with, I didn't even know them all when we were arrested. ... It's not the usual suspects. It's just more ordinary people.'

"Levasseur and #AbigailFuller, 65, of Portland, were also arrested at a February 2024 protest on Franklin Street for obstructing a public way. Their charges in those cases have since been dropped.

"Fuller, who is also a lecturer at the University of Southern Maine, said she felt supported by the group of people outside the courthouse while walking into her arraignment. She pleaded not guilty and also told the judge she was protesting genocide when she was arrested.

" 'It feels good to be starting the process,' Fuller said. 'The Maine courts system takes a really long time, often, to get through, but this is the first step.'

"Fuller said she appreciates seeing new faces at protests, especially as airstrikes and shootings in the #GazaStrip continue, killing people attempting to receive #HumanitarianAid.

" 'Unfortunately, Palestinian deaths are not on the front pages of the newspaper anymore,' Fuller said. 'So, we're trying to keep that in the public eye.' "

yahoo.com/news/pro-palestinian

Yahoo News · Pro-Palestinian activists rally outside Portland courthouse to support fellow protestersBy Morgan Womack, Portland Press Herald, Maine

#Journalists among at least 13 arrested during #immigration-related protest in #CincinnatiOH

Police in #CovingtonKY, said those arrested had refused to comply with orders to disperse.

By John Seewer | The Associated Press

"Police in Cincinnati arrested at least 13 people, including two journalists, after demonstrators protesting the #immigration #detention of a former hospital chaplain blocked a two-lane bridge carrying traffic over the #OhioRiver.

"A reporter and a photography intern who were arrested while covering the protest for #CityBeat, a Cincinnati news and entertainment outlet, were among those arraigned Friday morning in a Kentucky court.

"Other journalists reporting on protests around the U.S. have been have arrested and injured this year. More than two dozen were hurt or roughed up while covering protests against #ImmigrationRaids in #LosAngeles.

"A Spanish-language journalist was arrested in June while covering a #NoKings protest near #AtlantaGA. Police initially charged Mario Guevara, a native of El Salvador, with #UnlawfulAssembly, #obstruction of police and being a pedestrian on or along the roadway.

"A prosecutor dropped the charges, but Guevara had already been turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is being held in a south Georgia immigration #DetentionCenter. His lawyers say he has been authorized to work and remain in the country, but #ICE is trying to deport him.

"Video from the demonstration in Cincinnati Thursday night shows several tense moments, including when an officer punches a protester several times as police wrestle him to the ground.

"Earlier, a black SUV drove slowly onto the Roebling Bridge while protesters walked along the roadway that connects Cincinnati with Kentucky. Another video shows a person in a neon-colored vest pushing against the SUV.

"Police in Covington, Kentucky, said those arrested had refused to comply with orders to disperse. The department said in a statement that officers who initially attempted to talk with the protest's organizer were threatened and met with hostility.

"Among the charges filed against those arrested were rioting, failing to disperse, obstructing emergency responders, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

"Reporter Madeline Fening and photo intern Lucas Griffith were charged with felony rioting and several other charges, said Ashley Moor, the editor in chief of CityBeat.

"A judge on Friday set a $2,500 bond for each of those arrested.

"The arrests happened during a protest in support of #AymanSoliman, an Egyptian immigrant who worked as a chaplain at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. He was detained last week after he showed up for a routine check-in with ICE officials at their office near Cincinnati.

"Protesters met in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday in support of Soliman, then walked across the bridge carrying a banner that read '#BuildBridgesNotWalls.'

"Covington police said that 'while the department supports the public’s right to peaceful assembly and expression, threatening officers and blocking #CriticalInfrastructure, such as a major bridge, presents a danger to all involved.' "

Read more:
nbcchicago.com/news/national-i

NBC Chicago · Journalists among at least 13 arrested during immigration-related protest in CincinnatiBy John Seewer | The Associated Press

#Oklahoma court clarifies #RiotLaw amid legal battle for 2020 #protesters

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has clarified the state's definition of rioting, affecting the legal proceedings for five protesters charged in 2020.

Jason Burger, July 18, 2025

OKLAHOMA CITY — "The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has clarified the state's definition of rioting, impacting the legal proceedings for five individuals charged after a protest in 2020 over the death of #GeorgeFloyd.

"In 2020, five protesters were accused of blocking the path of an officer while painting a #mural outside the police department.

" 'The defendants, who were convicted in the state of Oklahoma, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, saying their free speech rights were violated by being forced to plead or go to trial,' said legal expert Ed Blau. 'What this opinion from the court of criminal appeals did was clarify to the federal court that covers Oklahoma — exactly what Oklahoma statutes mean when it comes to rioting.'

The protesters believed the law was vague or improperly defined."

Read more:
koco.com/article/oklahoma-cour

#ProtestLawsOklahoma #VagueLaws #FirstAmendment #CriminalizingDissent
#Authoritarianism #Fascism #ACAB #Clampdown #CriminalizingProtest
#CharacteristicsOfFascism #USPol #AntiProtestLaws #GeorgeFloydProtests #BLM #ICantBreathe #BlackLivesMatter

KOCO · Oklahoma court clarifies riot law amid legal battle for 2020 protestersThe Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has clarified the state's definition of rioting, affecting the legal proceedings for five protesters charged in 2020.
Continued thread

"Fusion centers like #JRIC play a central role in how police understand #protest movements. The intelligence they produce is rapidly disseminated and draws heavily on open-source data. It often reflects broad, risk-averse assumptions and includes fragmentary and unverified information. In the absence of concrete threats, bulletins often turn to ideological language and social media activity as evidence of emerging risks, even when tied to lawful expression.

"DHS’s risk-based approach reflects a broader shift in US law enforcement shaped by post-9/11 security priorities—one that elevates perceived intent over demonstrable wrongdoing and uses behavior cues, affiliations, and other potentially predictive indicators to justify early intervention and expanded surveillance."

#ThoughtCrime #ACAB #Fascism
#Authoritarianism #Resistance #Journalism #PoliceState #CriminalizingDissent #FreeSpeech #Protestors #USPol #CriminalizingProtest #Orwell #BigBrother #DoublePlusUngood
#SurveillanceState #NineteenEightyFour

WTF!!! #DHS Tells #Police That Common #Protest Activities Are ‘Violent Tactics’

DHS is urging law enforcement to treat even #skateboarding and #livestreaming as signs of violent intent during a protest, turning everyday behavior into a pretext for police action.

By Dell Cameron, Jul 10, 202

"The #DepartmentOfHomelandSecurity is urging local police to consider a wide range of protest activity as violent tactics, including mundane acts like riding a #bike or livestreaming a police encounter, WIRED has learned.

"WIRED has made this article free for all to read because it is primarily based on reporting from Freedom of Information Act requests [#FOIA]. Please consider subscribing to support our journalism.

"Threat bulletins issued during last month’s '#NoKings' #protests warn that the US government’s aggressive immigration raids are almost certain to accelerate domestic unrest, with DHS saying there’s a 'high likeliness' more Americans will soon turn against the agency, which could trigger #confrontations near federal sites.

"Blaming intense media coverage and backlash to the US military deployment in #LosAngeles, DHS expects the #demonstrations to 'continue and grow across the nation' as #protesters focused on other issues shift to #immigration, following a broad 'embracement of #AntiICE messaging.'

"The bulletins—first obtained by the national security nonprofit #PropertyOfThePeople through public records requests—warn that officers could face assaults with fireworks and improvised weapons: #paint-filled fire extinguishers, smoke grenades, and projectiles like #bottles and #rocks.

"At the same time, the guidance urges officers to consider a range of #nonviolent behavior and common #ProtestGear—like #masks, #flashlights, and #cameras—as potential precursors to violence, telling officers to prepare 'from the point of view of an adversary.'

"Protesters on #bicycles, #skateboards, or even 'on foot' are framed as potential 'scouts' conducting reconnaissance or searching for 'items to be used as weapons.' #Livestreaming is listed alongside '#doxxing' as a 'tactic' for 'threatening' police. Online posters are cast as ideological #recruiters—or as participants in 'surveillance sharing.'

"One list of 'violent tactics' shared by the Los Angeles–based Joint Regional Intelligence Center—part of a post-9/11 fusion network—includes both protesters’ attempts to avoid identification and efforts to identify police. The memo also alleges that face recognition, normally a tool of law enforcement, was used against officers.

"Vera Eidelman, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union [#ACLU], says the government has no business treating #constitutionally protected activities—like #observing or #documenting police—as threats.

"#DHS did not respond to a request for comment."

Read more:
wired.com/story/dhs-tells-poli

WIRED · DHS Tells Police That Common Protest Activities Are ‘Violent Tactics’By Dell Cameron

#PortlandME #protesters arrested after blocking traffic to call for end of #Israel-#Gaza war

Maine Public | By Patty Wight
Published May 21, 2025

"Portland police arrested more than a dozen [18, I heard] #activists Wednesday afternoon as they staged a so-called '#DieIn' to protest the ongoing war in Gaza and the lack of #HumanitarianAid for #Palestinians.

"The demonstrators were part of a larger group that blocked a four-way intersection on Commercial Street for roughly an hour. #KristenSalvatore was among those arrested after refusing to leave the street despite several warnings from police.

" 'Well nothing else seems to be working. We have to draw attention to this issue. People are going about their lives as if nothing is happening, as if their taxes aren't paying to blow up children and destroy Gaza,' Salvatore said.

"Abby Fuller of the #MaineCoalitionForPalestine said the effort is intended '#DisruptBusinessAs Usual.'

" 'To make sure that powerful people who can make a difference and change policies know that we are not willing to let business go on as usual. And we plan on staying in the street as long as we can and up until arrest,' she said.

"On Thursday, more than a dozen #Mainers will go on a 40-day #HungerStrike. They hope it will keep attention on Gaza and lead to congressional action.

"This week, leaders from the U.K., France and Canada issued a joint statement calling on the Israeli government to end its military operations in Gaza."

mainepublic.org/maine/2025-05-

#MainePol #USPol #WorldPol #MaineResists #GazaGenocide #Genocide #IsraeliWarCrimes #BibiIsAWarCriminal #RightToProtest #ACAB #CriminalizingProtest #TrafficInterference #Maine

3 ways #Trump's #immigration #crackdown could hit #USCitizens

Brittany Gibson, Apr 23, 2025

"#Trump administration officials are suggesting their immigration crackdown could expand to include deporting convicted U.S. citizens and charging anyone — not just immigrants — who criticizes Trump's policies.

"Why it matters: Such moves — described by officials in recent days — would show how U.S. citizens could be impacted by the growing number of tactics President Trump is using to, in his view, improve national security.

"They'd also be certain to ignite new legal battles over how far Trump's team can go in fighting illegal immigration and responding to #dissenters.

"Zoom in: Here are three tactics the administration has teased that legal analysts say would challenge Americans' rights:

1. Sending convicted U.S. citizens to prisons abroad.

This has been floated as a spinoff of Trump's deal with El Salvador, where a high-security prison is holding about 300 U.S. immigration detainees that the administration says are suspected criminals and gang members.
"Homegrowns are next," Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele last week, referring to sending Americans convicted of crimes to serve time in foreign prisons.
"We always have to obey the laws," Trump said, "but we also have homegrown criminals that push people into subways, that hit elderly ladies over the head ... I'd like to include them in the group of people to get them out of the country."
Trump's suggestion — echoing a similar proposal Bukele made to Secretary of State Marco Rubio in February — drew a storm of criticism from legal advocates, who called it unconstitutional.

2. Putting critics of the administration's policies in jeopardy.

Some officials say U.S. citizens who #criticize administration policies could be charged with crimes, based on the notion that they're aiding terrorists and criminals.
"You have to ask yourself, are they technically aiding and abetting them, because aiding and abetting criminals and terrorists is a crime," White House senior director for counterterrorism Seb Gorka said in an interview with Newsmax.
Trump's team also has questioned the legality of civic groups providing #immigrants with "#KnowYourRights" trainings on how to respond to federal agents. Border czar Tom Homan suggested that such seminars help people evade law enforcement.
"They're trying to use terrorism laws to attack people for their speech and for their political activism, and that's an authoritarian effort," said Kerri Talbot, co-executive director of the Immigration Hub, an immigration advocacy group.

3. Questioning the authority of court orders.

The administration's resistance to returning Kilmar Abrego Garcia — who was legally in the U.S. with an order not to be deported back to El Salvador, but deported to the prison there anyway — has raised questions about how far Trump's team can go in trying to skirt court orders.
The White House says the decision to return #AbregoGarcia rests with El Salvador because the U.S. Supreme Court told the administration only to "facilitate" his return, not "effectuate" it.

Advocates worry the resulting confusion has laid the groundwork for Trump's team to send a #USCitizen to a foreign prison, then claim that person couldn't be returned.

A federal judge raised this concern in Abrego Garcia's case.
"If today the Executive claims the right to deport without due process and in disregard of court orders, what assurance will there be tomorrow that it will not deport American citizens and then disclaim responsibility to bring them home?" wrote Judge Harvie Wilkinson III.
"And what assurance shall there be that the Executive will not train its broad discretionary powers upon its political enemies?"

What they're saying: Michelle Brané, former executive director of the Biden administration's Family Reunification Task Force, echoed Wilkinson.

"If they can send a noncitizen to a prison in El Salvador without due process ... why would a U.S. citizen be safer?"

The White House didn't respond to a request for comment. But officials have argued that they have an electoral mandate for stricter immigration enforcement, and that opposition to their policies is against the will of voters.

Trump's handling of immigration polls well in public surveys.
But sending immigrants to El Salvador's prison without criminal convictions or due process does not — about 60% were opposed in a recent YouGov survey.

Between the lines: U.S. citizens have been mistakenly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) before, including cases this month in Arizona and Florida.

"People are realizing that this is going to impact all communities," Talbot said, "and that if one citizen can be picked up, then any of us can be picked up and put into proceedings, or labeled a #terrorist, or removed to a foreign prison."

Original article:
axios.com/2025/04/23/trump-imm

Archived version:
archive.ph/wUUdG

#SilencingDissent #CriminalizingProtest #CriminalizingDissent #USPol #DontQuestionBigBrother #Fascism #Authoritarianism #MemoryHoled #Orwellian #ThoughtCrime #WaterDefenders #LandDefenders #Resisters #HumanRightsDefenders #IhrePapiereBitte #Fascism #Authoritarianism #Nazis #SecretPolice
#Disappeared #USCitizens #ICEDetention
#IllegalDeportations#CharacteristicsOfFascism #Deportations #Disappeared #MemoryHoled #NineteenEightyFour #DoublePlusUngood

Illustration of an American flag with a chain link fence in the stars area, and barbed wire making up the stripes.
Axios · 3 ways Trump's immigration crackdown could hit U.S. citizensBy Brittany Gibson

It looks like #HandsOff was successful in that now the #TrumpRegime is going to try and silence the organizers!

Core Democratic groups are preparing to be targeted by the #Trump administration

By STEVE PEOPLES
Updated 12:14 PM EDT, April 15, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — "As President Donald Trump pushes the historical boundaries of executive power, some of the Democratic Party’s core political institutions are preparing for the possibility that the federal government may soon launch criminal investigations against them.

"The Democrats’ dominant national fundraising platform, #ActBlue, and the party’s largest #protest group, #Indivisible, are working with their attorneys for just such a scenario, according to officials within both organizations. Trump’s top political allies have suggested both groups should face prosecution.

"Other Democratic allies are planning for Trump-backed legal crackdowns as well. Wary of antagonizing the Republican president, most prefer to stay anonymous for now.

" 'Every one of our clients is concerned about being arbitrarily targeted by the Trump administration. We are going to great lengths to help clients prepare for or defend themselves,' said Ezra Reese, political law chair at Elias Law Group, which represents Democratic groups and candidates and is chaired by Marc Elias, the lawyer who has himself been a Trump target.

"An FBI spokesperson declined to comment when asked about potential investigations into ActBlue and Indivisible. But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not downplay the threat of a potential criminal probe when asked specifically whether Trump wants the FBI, the Treasury Department or any other federal agency to investigate Democratic groups."

Source:
apnews.com/article/democrats-t

Community organizer Emerson Wolfe leads a march hosted by Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids down Ottawa Avenue during a Hands Off! rally, April 5, 2025, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Arthur H. Trickett-Wile/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)
AP News · Democratic groups like ActBlue and Indivisible prepare to be targeted by TrumpBy Steve Peoples