Freedom of Speech and Assembly

Let’s Stop The International Plan To Censor The Internet; The TPP

October 15, 2013 Thanh Lam, www.alternet.org Resist! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Internet Freedom, TPP

The changes proposed by the TPP could seriously undermine citizens’ rights to participate in a free and open Internet. We know from leaked drafts that these draconian measures could criminalize your everyday use of the Internet, force service providers to collect and hand over your private data, and give old industry conglomerates more power to fine you for Internet use. As opposed to fostering a global forum in which citizens can engage with one another, the TPP would stifle any kind of innovation within the Internet community. Over 100,000 citizens from all across the Trans-Pacific region have made it clear that they’re against the TPP’s dangerous Internet censorship plan. As negotiations are set to wrap up by the end of this month, this really is the last chance for global citizens to let their decision-makers know that they will pay a hefty political price for supporting a deal that censors the Internet.

SNCC: The Importance of its Work, the Value of its Legacy

October 14, 2013 Charles Cobb, www.sncclegacyproject.org Strategize! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Human Rights, Racism

Other movements gained strength from the pool of ideas found in SNCC: Chicano farm workers, who were facing sheriffs and going to jail in the late 1950s, invited SNCC workers to help with their efforts in the late 1960s. Discussion of sexism and women’s rights within SNCC, as well as SNCC’s real life examples of empowered, respected women who led local movements and held key positions in the organization, encouraged and reinforced a burgeoning feminist movement. But more than anything else, the SNCC legacy is found in the veterans, many of who have continued to work for “a more perfect union.” Five SNCC veterans have been recipients of MacArthur Foundation Genius awards. Former SNCC communications director Julian Bond became board chair of the NAACP. Former SNCC chair John Lewis is now serving his 11th term as congressman from Atlanta’s 5th congressional district. Across the country, and especially in the south, SNCC veterans are influential leaders and activists. Once young and mentored by “elders” who had long labored in the fields of social change, SNCC veterans now continue that tradition and are now, who “they” were. Ella Baker’s words best define this legacy: “We who believe in freedom cannot rest.”

Immigration Reform Activists Recently Arrested In DC

October 14, 2013 Esther Yu-Hsi Lee, ww.thinkprogress.org Uncategorized Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Health Care, Human Rights, Immigration

At the Camino Americano: Rally and March for Immigrant Dignity and Respect on Tuesday, October 8, 2013, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other House members, including two House Republicans, spoke about the need for immigration reform that includes a pathway to eventual citizenship. Eight House Democrats were arrested in a show of solidarity. ThinkProgress also interviewed a few civil disobedience protesters who were identified by red armbands. When asked why they were willing to risk arrest, they all stated that it’s the right thing to do. Here are their stories.

CPJ Report Reflects Seriousness Of US Press Freedom Gaps

October 13, 2013 Sandy Rowe, www.cpj.org Educate! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Human Rights, Media

On Thursday CPJ launched its first comprehensive examination of press freedom conditions in the United States. The report, "The Obama Administration and the Press: Leak investigations and surveillance in post-9/11 America," highlights the growing threat to reporting on national security and similar sensitive government issues. It was written by Leonard Downie, Jr., the former executive editor of The Washington Post. CPJ determined that a systematic examination of these issues was warranted and commissioned Downie to ensure the report was thoroughly and carefully reported. We knew Len's contacts, access, and reputation would be helpful in such an endeavor and that his integrity would ensure the report was comprehensive and fair. Based on Downie's findings, CPJ staff and board prepared a list of six recommendationsthat we have sent to President Obama.

“Take Back the Streets” Report Details Excessive Police Force Against Protestors

October 12, 2013 Staff, www.aclu.org Organize! Criminal Justice and Prisons, Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Human Rights, NSA, Police abuse

In response to increasing restrictions on personal freedoms and civil protest, national human rights organizations from 10 countries this week launched the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations (INCLO). They also released “Take Back the Streets: Repression and Criminalization of Protest Around the World,” a collection of case studies showing patterns of police crackdown and abuse against peaceful assembly, accompanied by concrete recommendations to expand free speech. "Fundamental rights and freedoms we enjoy are a direct result of protest movements of the past,” said Gastón Chillier, executive director of the Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales in Argentina. “Freedom of speech and as a result, our societies, will only flourish if peaceful assembly is protected from excessive police force and government obstruction.”

Journalist Group Criticizes Obama For Attacks On Journalists

October 11, 2013 Glenn Greenwald, www.theguardian.com Educate! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Human Rights, Media, Whistleblowers

It's hardly news that the Obama administration is intensely and, in many respects, unprecedentedly hostile toward the news-gathering process. Even the most Obama-friendly journals have warned of what they call "Obama's war on whistleblowers". James Goodale, the former general counsel of the New York Times during its epic fights with the Nixon administration, recently observed that "President Obama wants to criminalize the reporting of national security information" and added: "President Obama will surely pass President Richard Nixon as the worst president ever on issues of national security and press freedom." Still, a new report released today by the highly respected Committee to Protect Journalists - its first-ever on press freedoms in the US - powerfully underscores just how extreme is the threat to press freedom posed by this administration. Written by former Washington Post executive editor Leonard Downie, Jr.

Wendell Berry Speaks With Bill Moyers About Social Change

October 11, 2013 Chris Tackett, www.treehugger.com Strategize! Environment, Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Government, Media, Video

Berry on the slow process of making change: well we’ve acknowledged that the problems are big, now where’s the big solution? When you ask the question what is the big answer, then you’re implying that we can impose the answer. But that’s the problem we’re in to start with, we’ve tried to impose the answers. The answers will come not from walking up to your farm and saying this is what I want and this is what I expect from you. You walk up and you say what do you need. And you commit yourself to say all right, I’m not going to do any extensive damage here until I know what it is that you are asking of me. And this can’t be hurried. This is the dreadful situation that young people are in. I think of them and I say well, the situation you’re in now is a situation that’s going to call for a lot of patience. And to be patient in an emergency is a terrible trial.

Occupy Monsanto Protest Tossed Real Money Around Congress

October 11, 2013 Jared Gilmour, www.huffingtonpost.com Resist! Food and Agriculture, Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Monsanto, Video

Some 2,000 dollar bills fluttered from the fifth-floor balcony of the Hart Senate Office Building on Thursday, falling upon activists who shouted "Monsanto Money!," while tossing piles of cash in the air and making snow angels in pools of the bills. "The government is shut down, but you still have Monsanto lobbyists engaging with congressmembers," said activist Ariel Vegosen of Occupy Monsanto, a group that regularly stages demonstrations against the controversial agriculture and biotech company. "We're here today to say that's not OK. Money shouldn't dictate how Congress makes decisions." Capitol police arrested three of the 10 activists, who wore business clothes and wigs to pose as lobbyists from the fictional "Biotechnology Industry Awards Committee." Adam Eidinger, one of those arrested, said that the tossed money would be collected by the others and used to pay bail if necessary.

Five Stages Of Movement’s For Revolutionary Change

October 9, 2013 George Lakey, www.trainingforchange.org Strategize! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Human Rights, Nonviolence, Occupy

We need to go beyond what has been done plenty of times in history -- to overthrow unjust governments through nonviolent struggle -- and create a strategy that builds at the same time as it destroys. We need a strategy that validates alternatives, supports the experience of freedom, and expands the skills of cooperation. We need a political strategy that is at the same time a community strategy, one that says "yes" to creative innovation in the here and now and links today's creativity to the new society that lies beyond a power shift. With the help and feedback of many activists from a number of countries I've created a strategic framework that aims to support today's activists, something like the way Otpur activists were supported by their strategy. I call it strategy for a living revolution. The strategy not only encourages creating new tactics and more boldness in using the best of the old, but it also helps activists sort out which tactics will be most effective.

New York Capitol Unanimously Passes Anti-NDAA Resolution 11-0

October 9, 2013 Staff, www.pandaunite.or Resist! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Government, NDAA

This resolution was a collaborative effort between PANDA, the Patriot Coalition, Project SALAM, Jesse Calhoun, the Occupy Albany Civil Liberties Initiative, 518 Liberty Action Alliance, Campaign for Liberty New York, many other organizations, and numerous citizens from Albany and around the nation who flooded the council with calls, emails, written letters, and showed up for the vote. Kelley Citrin, Team Leader Emiritus for PANDA New York, noted: “I have never been more proud to be from the State of New York than I am today, because today reminded me that politics can still be noble, and government still responds when the cries of its people are loud enough, and persistent enough.” Albany’s stand proves that citizen activism works. One city, however, is not enough. Albany could be the start of a tidal wave. It’s time for every city in America to take the same step.

Gov. Walker Backs Down Allows Protests In Wisconsin Captiol

October 9, 2013 Jason Stein And Michael Phillis, www.jsonline.com Resist! Democracy, Freedom of Speech and Assembly

To settle a free speech lawsuit, Gov. Scott Walker's administration agreed Tuesday to pay more than $88,000 in attorneys fees and drop its hard-and-fast requirement that larger groups protesting in the Capitol receive a permit. The Walker administration faced a federal trial in January over the permitting requirement as part of a lawsuit brought by a protester with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin. Under Tuesday's agreement, the state Department of Administration would keep its permitting rules in place but also would allow up to five days of demonstrations if protesters simply give the state two days' notice. The state agreed to pay $88,271 in attorney fees for Kissick and a woman who sometimes sings Christmas carols who was later added to the lawsuit. Both sides said the state was required to pay the fees under federal civil rights law. The settlement comes after 21/2 years of frequent protests that grew out of opposition to Gov. Scott Walker's move to end most collective bargaining for most public workers.

Veterans Arrested At Their Own Memorial Protesting Afghan War

October 8, 2013 Ellen Davidson, www.stopthesewars.org Resist! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Video, Wars and Militarism

Nineteen military veterans and their allies were arrested Oct. 7 at New York City’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza for refusing to leave the park at the 10 pm closing time. The date marks 12 years of invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, and the arrestees were reading the names of the dead from the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam, as well as from the drone wars in Pakistan and other countries. The aims of the action, organized by Veterans For Peace members, were fourfold: Calling for an end to the 12-year war in Afghanistan. Calling for an end to all U.S. wars of aggression. Remembering all those who have fallen and been wounded by war. Standing up for our right, duty and sworn oath, to defend the Constitution and to assemble and organize

Update: Man Sets Himself On Fire On National Mall

October 7, 2013 Mike LaSusa, www.mikelasusa.wordpress.com Resist! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Human Rights

His motives are unclear at this point. Some reports cited eyewitnesses who say he saluted the Capitol building and that he may have referenced something about voting rights before lighting himself on fire. Whatever the case may be, the incident has achieved shockingly little airtime on both local and national media. Self-immolation has a long history as a form of political protest and the choice of venue for this particular incident strongly suggests that this is the case here. Politically-motivated self-immolation in the United States was a prominent protest “tactic” – as emotionless and academic as that term may be – during peak of domestic resistance to the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Here is a quick list (h/t Wikipedia) of those who self-immolated in protest of that war.

Veterans to Face Arrest at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza

October 7, 2013 Staff, www.stopthesewars.org Resist! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Wars and Militarism

Veterans and their allies will gather this evening at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza at 55 Water Street in New York to mark the 12th anniversary of the U.S. war and occupation in Afghanistan. Last year on this date, the solemn memorial service organized by members of Veterans For Peace to honor the dead from the war in Afghanistan and other U.S. wars, including the Vietnam War memorialized at that place, was interrupted at 10 pm by a police demand that they vacate the park, which is normally used at all hours by dog walkers,workers in nearby office buildings, and others. This year, they will return to protest the ongoing U.S. wars around the world, to honor the dead from those wars, and to assert their First Amendment rights to assembly and free speech. Should the police again demand that they vacate the memorial, many of them will again refuse, facing arrest and possible jail time.

Intervention as Radical Struggle

October 6, 2013 Javier Sethness, www.truth-out.org Strategize! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Human Rights, Organizing

In sum, it seems clear that radical struggle is the order of the day. Intervention, if it is to have concrete meaning or be relevant at all, seeks human happiness, tranquility, liberation - like art that is worth its name, in Marcuse's formulation. Undoubtedly, the threats aligned against the realization of these ends are considerable; Hegel was largely correct to identify history as a slaughterbench that sacrifices the happiness of humanity to hegemony. We can clearly see such analysis confirmed throughout the calamitous world today: Think of the recent Tazreen and Rana Square disasters in Bangladesh, or the 2011 Somali famine. However, it is also clear that humanity is capable of far more affirming projects than those that hold power today. Dialectical thought, and the praxis that may follow from it, can serve to overturn negation.

«1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 »

Daily movement news and resources