freiburg.social

DoomsdaysCWFrom 2024: States Are Restricting Protests and Criminalizing DissentUnited States of Suppression is a series documenting the recent crackdown on dissent and protests in the U.S. This op-ed discusses what happens when protesting becomes a crime.By Elly Page and Alana Greer June 26, 2024Excerpt: "Since 2017, 21 states across the country have passed new laws that restrict protests — nearly 50 in total — with dozens more being introduced annually."Most of these new laws increase criminal penalties for conduct, like interfering with traffic, involved in some kinds of protests. Under laws passed in states such as <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Arkansas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Arkansas</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Iowa" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Iowa</a>, and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Tennessee" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Tennessee</a>, protesters can spend up to a year in jail for 'obstructing' public <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/streets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#streets</a> or <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/sidewalks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#sidewalks</a>, even though these are traditional venues for First Amendment-related activities. After protests against the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KeystoneXL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#KeystoneXL</a> Pipeline, 14 states dramatically increased penalties for trespassing, which would usually amount to a petty offense, if protesters enter lands with <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pipelines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pipelines</a> or <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pipeline" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pipeline</a> construction sites."In many cases, these laws go further than punishing individual protesters to include the people and organizations that support them, putting organizers and community groups at risk. Under a recent law in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oklahoma" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Oklahoma</a>, an organization that 'conspires' with people to hold a protest can face felony penalties if the protest is deemed to be an 'unlawful assembly' — which state law defines vaguely enough to include a three-person protest that 'disturbs the public peace.' " Read more: <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/states-restricting-protests-criminalizing" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.teenvogue.com/story/states-restricting-protests-criminalizing</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#CriminalizingDissent</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Authoritarianism</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Fascism</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Clampdown" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Clampdown</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#CriminalizingProtest</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CharacteristicsOfFascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#CharacteristicsOfFascism</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#USPol</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PipelineProtestors" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PipelineProtestors</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TrafficInterference" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TrafficInterference</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DisturbingThePeace" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DisturbingThePeace</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BogusCharges" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BogusCharges</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Crackdown" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Crackdown</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SLAPPs" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SLAPPs</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/VagueLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#VagueLaws</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProtestOrganizers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ProtestOrganizers</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProtestSponsors" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ProtestSponsors</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProtestSupporters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ProtestSupporters</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#FirstAmendment</a>

DoomsdaysCWFrom 2023: Explainer: What are your rights to <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/protest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#protest</a> in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Australia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Australia</a>? by Amal Naser"Which states have criminalised protest and what forms of protest are criminalised?"<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HumanRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HumanRights</a> organisations have been increasingly critical towards some Australian states over new legislation which seemingly targets <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EnvironmentalProtests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#EnvironmentalProtests</a> in the midst of a global <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Climatecrisis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Climatecrisis</a>."There are dozens of protest regulations across many states, with five (<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NSW" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#NSW</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Queensland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Queensland</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SouthAustralia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SouthAustralia</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Tasmania" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Tasmania</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Victoria" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Victoria</a>) introducing forms of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AntiProtest</a> regulation most recently. South Australia's new laws, passed just last month, increase maximum fines from $750 to $50,000 along with potential jail time, and were prompted by disruption of an <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/OilAndGas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#OilAndGas</a> conference by protestors in early May."In the aftermath of protests which sought to block port operations and shut down economic action to draw attention to demands for climate action, the NSW Parliament passed legislation which could see protestors face up to a $22,000 fine and/or prison for a maximum of two years. The legislation targets individuals who block major roads and new tunnels and/or disrupt <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/port" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#port</a> operations in major ports such as <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Newcastle" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Newcastle</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PortBotany" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PortBotany</a>."In 2022, Tasmania passed anti-protest laws by way of the Police Offences Amendment (Workplace Protection) Bill 2022 under the guise of protecting Tasmanian workers. Under these laws, any protestor who obstructs a workplace during protests could face up to 12 months in prison, the Human Rights Law Centre reported:" '…community member protesting the destruction of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/OldGrowthForests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#OldGrowthForests</a> on a forestry site could face a penalty of over $13,000 or 2 years in prison; and An organisation supporting members of the community to protest could be fined over $45,000.'"Similar laws were also passed in Victoria. <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiLogging" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AntiLogging</a> protestors who 'hinder, obstruct or interfere with timber-harvesting operations' can face up to 12 months in prison and/or a $21,000 fine. PVC and metal pipes which are often used in protest activities are now prohibited in working sites, with additional powers provided to police to search suspect individuals who are 'reasonably suspicious'."In 2019, on public safety grounds, Queensland passed legislation which bans locking devices as modes of civil disobedience. These are tactics used to make it difficult for police to remove protestors and are often used by protestors to lock themselves to property and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pipelines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pipelines</a> to prevent construction of environmentally-harmful projects. Protestors face up to two years in prison and/or a $6,000 fine. It was rationalised on the basis of activists lacing devices with 'butane canisters' and other devices which were harmful for law enforcement. However, there is no evidence of the use of these devices."Read more: <a href="https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/commentary/explainer-what-are-your-rights-to-protest-australia" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/commentary/explainer-what-are-your-rights-to-protest-australia</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PipelineProtestors" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PipelineProtestors</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BigOilAndGas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BigOilAndGas</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BigLogging" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BigLogging</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ACAB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ACAB</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/RightToProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#RightToProtest</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SilencingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SilencingDissent</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProtectTheForests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ProtectTheForests</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AustraliaAntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AustraliaAntiProtestLaws</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/RisingTide" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#RisingTide</a>

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