Pres. Trump ramping up to stop rallies

Donald Trump is ramping up his attack on free speech and the First Amendment.

At a recent rally in Montana he praised a Republican member of Congress who body-slammed a reporter last year, and said it helped him win the election.¹

But that's just part of Trump's widening war on free speech. His Interior Department is considering proposals to ban protests on the sidewalk in front of the White House and also charge organizers "event-management" fees for rallies on the National Mall that could run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.²

We know what this is about: Trump wants to shut down the next Women's March, March for Our Lives, or Battle for the Net rally.  Publicly addressing our grievances with our government is a fundamental right, and the Constitution prohibits the restriction of that right by any law or policy.³

But Trump's interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, says that protests impose a "heavy cost" on government that protesters need to cover—and his proposal will force protesters to pay for everything from barriers to law-enforcement salaries to repairing grass that is stepped on. These costs would make protesting prohibitive for most people—which is exactly what Trump wants.⁴

And this new policy would cover nearly every public space in Washington, D.C.—including the National Mall and the space in front of the White House—as well as other public spaces managed by the National Park Service, like the sidewalk in front of Trump Tower.⁴

If Trump's policy stands, it could be only a matter of time until states and municipalities follow suit, taking away our most public and effective means of protesting unfair and inhumane government practices. Demand Progress would have our legs cut out from under us—we could no longer stage game-changing actions like our Verizon Wireless protest last year.

It's clear that Trump is determined to silence free speech, whether from the media or from protesters. Trump consistently belittles the White House press corps and repeatedly threatens the media with violence. 

Robert Cruickshank, , Demand Progress

Sources:

1. CNN, "Trump jokes about congressman assaulting reporter: 'Any guy who can do a body slam ... he's my guy'," October 19, 2018
2. Department of the Interior, "Special Regulations, Areas of the National Park System, National Capital Region, Special Events and Demonstrations," August 7, 2018
3. Legal Information Institute, "First Amendment," accessed October 19, 2018
4. Department of the Interior, "Special Regulations, Areas of the National Park System, National Capital Region, Special Events and Demonstrations," August 7, 2018
5. The Washington Post, "The Trump administration wants to tax protests. What happened to free speech?" September 11, 2018

Saturday in Tucson: National Day of Action to Resist Trump's Racist Immigration Agenda

This Saturday, people across the country are rising up to protest Trump's criminalization and mass incarceration of immigrant families. RSVP now to attend the event in Tucson. Click below to RSVP:

The Trump administration's racist and inhumane treatment of immigrants is immoral and unacceptable. On June 30, people all over the country are fighting back.  Here are the details: What: Families Belong Together event When: Saturday, June 30, 2018 at 9 - 11 a.m. (local time) Where: Armory Park, Tucson, AZ Note: Please wear white to show you stand in solidarity with immigrants. Massive public pressure forced Donald Trump to address his cruel family separation policy last week, but his latest executive order has created another crisis. Instead of stopping DHS from ripping children from their families, Trump's new directive gives DHS the power to detain children and parents in family prisons indefinitely.1 Exchanging one humanitarian crisis for another is not a solution. We must keep up the fight to protect our immigrant family members, friends and neighbors from these vile attacks. CREDO is joining MoveOn, National Domestic Workers Alliance and other progressive allies to protest these egregious violations of immigrants' civil rights and demand that the Trump administration stop criminalizing, locking up and separating immigrant families. There are more than 500 events happening on Saturday – it is a crucial moment for us all to speak out. - Nicole Regalado, CREDO Action Click below to RSVP: Reference: Mark Joseph Stern, "Trump Fixed Nothing Today," Slate, June 20, 2018.

Don’t let Trump’s Justice Department silence dissent

One year ago, on January 20, police arrested more than 200 individuals protesting the inauguration of Donald Trump. Last month, the first six defendants were acquitted on all charges.

But now, federal prosecutors are refusing to drop the charges against 187 remaining defendants, even though the vast majority were peacefully protesting the election of President Trump, and there is no way they could have been involved in any property damage.

This attempt by police and prosecutors to jail individuals who were merely present at these protests, exercising their free expression rights, is a direct assault on free speech.

The aggressive prosecution of these remaining protesters smacks of politics, not the law. The Justice Department is sending a clear message that dissent against the policies of the Trump administration will be dealt with severely.

Sign the petition calling on federal prosecutors to drop the charges against the remaining protesters unless they have direct evidence that particular individuals engaged in property damage. 

Join us in calling on the D.C. City Council to launch a truly independent investigation into how police were allowed to use a controversial tactic called “kettling” to indiscriminately round up and arrest over 200 protesters—in violation of D.C. laws meant to protect First Amendment activity.

Peaceful protest and dissent are protected legal rights. And the appetite for patriotic dissent against the Trump administration is likely only to grow.

With Washington, D.C., being the epicenter of much of that protest, it is critical that the D.C. City Council strengthen free speech protections to prevent another unlawful mass arrest of peaceful protesters.

One recently acquitted protester said that the verdict “shows the country that the jury was unwilling to do what the government wanted them to do, which was criminalize dissent.”

Sign the petition to protect the First Amendment free speech rights of all protesters.

- Suzanne Nossel

Executive Director. PEN America

Dear Chief of Police....

I am becoming more and more concerned with the militarization of our police forces. I watched horrified as police in N. Dakota shot tear gas and water cannons at the peaceful Water Protectors who bravely stood up against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Isn't it against the law to use chemical warfare on civilians? Aren't police supposed to protect citizens, not greedy oil corporations? Some vets were so outraged that they headed to Standing Rock to make a human shield to defend the Water Protectors.

After several peaceful marches in Tucson, some activists and concerned citizens went to protest when President Trump held a campaign-style rally in Phoenix. Some, expecting a peaceful demonstration, brought their children. The next day, I watched a video of  Phoenix police, in full riot gear, shooting tear gas and rubber bullets into a relatively small crowd of chanting protesters after the Trump rally ended. This was definitely overreach by the police. Just because you have military surplus weapons at your disposal doesn't mean you should use them - especially on the people you are sworn to protect.  

Now our president has reversed the restrictions on military hardware for police. My fear is that if the police have the weapons they will feel compelled to use them - like they did at the Phoenix protest. So Dan and I decided to write the Phoenix and Tucson Chiefs of Police and ask them not to accept any more military surplus. 

Do we want a police state?

Here are our letters that we mailed this morning: 

Phoenix protest 

Dear Chief Williams,

I am writing regarding the Phoenix Police Department’s response to the anti-Trump protestors after the rally on August 22, 2017. I have several friends who drove to Phoenix to protest. Some were human rights activists, some were just good citizens. There were even some parents with children. Yes, children. Because they expected a peaceful protest like we had in Tucson. I am concerned about how the police handled the situation after the rally. This video shows what appears to be a serious overreaction by the police. https://www.facebook.com/RealNewsAz/videos/1987765628123220/

It appears that the officers on the line were being provocative with their full riot gear on and then they charged through the barriers and started firing tear gas at a small number of peaceful protestors who were doing nothing more than chanting slogans. Since when is it acceptable to use chemical weapons on civilians? Isn’t that illegal even in wartime? Is it your objective to promote martial law? Even if some of the protestors were yelling at the police that is no reason to escalate the situation. Your officers need training on how to deal with angry protestors and separate any anarchists from the crowd so things don’t escalate to a point where the destruction of property occurs. Actually listening to the citizens or talking it out can go a long way. But there is no chance for listening when cops shield themselves with helmets, face shields, gas masks, and ear plugs.

Why were peaceful protestors met with a line of police in riot gear in the first place? Can’t you see that the presence of heavily armed police could promote fear and anger that might incite a riot? Militarizing the police is not the way to deal with citizens expressing their right to free speech. It is the duty of the police to protect the people. In this time of civil unrest, it is more important than ever that the police build trust with the people they serve, not treat them like criminals or the enemy. In Tucson, we had a peaceful march and the police were there to protect us from angry haters. The police officers stood on the sides and we thanked them as we walked by. Police will be able to serve better, if they build trust by getting to know people – not through fear and intimidation. Building good relationships will encourage people to work with the police and report crimes in their neighborhoods, making our communities safer for everyone.

Now Trump has reversed the restrictions on military hardware for police. Please, don’t militarize our police. It will only encourage more violence and vandalism on the streets. The police are there to protect us, not to incite peaceful protestors into war.

Sincerely,
Jana Segal

Tucson march

Dear Chief Magnus,

I wanted to thank you and the Tucson Police Department for your professionalism and restraint. I have participated in a number of protest rallies since the election of President Trump. The crowds were large and, in some cases, angry; but it felt as though your officers were there to protect us from harm. They quietly kept the crowd under control, managed traffic, and were courteous and professional.

What a contrast to what we witnessed in Phoenix! There, the officers appeared to provoke a small group of noisy but peaceful protestors by showing up in full riot gear, forming a skirmish line, and aggressively advancing on the protestors, who were still behind the barricades the police had erected to keep them away from the Convention Center. When the protestors raised their voices in protest, they started firing tear gas. That is no way to deal with citizens. Again, the contrast with the professionalism of TPD is like night and day.

I recently saw news reports that President Trump has authorized the sale of additional military arms to police departments, including grenade launchers and bayonets. When, exactly, would a police force ever need to use either one of those?!!! I presume we can count on you to maintain your professionalism and not purchase any of these weapons, even if they are being offered to you by the Federal Government.

Thank you for your service protecting the citizens of Tucson.

Daniel P Stormont

Here are their addresses if you would like to write your own letter. 

Chief Williams

Phoenix Police Department

620 W Washington St

Phoenix, AZ 85003

Chief Magnus

Tucson Police Department

270 S Stone Ave. 

Tucson, AZ 85701-1917