Somerville City Council Votes Overwhelmingly to Pass Ceasefire Resolution, First in Massachusetts
Prior to the 9-2 vote, hundreds of Somerville residents rallied in support of a ceasefire and packed the council chambers
Constituents Demanding Ceasefire Protest Outside Katherine Clark’s Beach Front Home
Constituents Marched with ‘Shrouded Children’ to Demand a Ceasefire and Accountability at Representative Katherine Clark’s Doorstep
Being Close to Suffering Changes Us: Wayne Hsiung’s Letter from Sonoma County Jail
Jailed rescuer’s deeply personal letter highlights how proximity to suffering shapes our views
Incarcerated Drone Whistleblower Daniel Hale Pushes for Presidential Commutation
Representative Ilhan Omar and experts will speak to the importance of Air Force veteran Daniel Hale shedding light on the opaque drone program and why the Biden Administration needs to issue an immediate commutation
#StopToxicTwitter Coalition Calls for Corporations to Stop Ad Buys on Twitter, as Elon Musk’s Layoffs Cut Content Moderation and Brand Safeguards
Experts and Advocates Warn of Serious Harms as Musk’s Layoffs Devastate Twitter’s Ability to Prevent Hate and Harassment Ahead of the Election
Chelsea Manning Challenges Grand Jury Subpoena, Support Committee Issues Statement in Solidarity
Alexandria, VA — Chelsea Manning has been summoned to appear and give testimony before a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) on March 5, 2019. Following a rich history of contributions to activist communities, Chelsea will utilize every available avenue to challenge this subpoena. In support of Chelsea, activists have begun […]
Charlottesville Anti-Racist Groups Issue Statement in Response to Over-Policing on Anniversary of Deadly White Supremacist Attacks
Charlottesville, VA — This weekend as Charlottesville community members prepared to mourn communal losses including Heather Heyer’s murder, reflect on the tragic events of last year’s deadly ‘Unite the Right’ white supremacist rally, and organize collectively against perennial systems of oppression, they faced the fifth largest deployment of law enforcement in Virginia history. This included hundreds […]
Charlottesville Rally Goers Refuse to Cede to Confines of Policing Apparatus Forced Upon Them
Charlottesville, VA — This evening UVA students and Charlottesville community members who intended to reclaim the North Plaza of the Rotunda and demand justice for those who have suffered at the hands of white supremacy arrived to a policing apparatus they did not agree to. In response to this situation UVA Students United as issued the […]
Peter King Skips Town Hall for Closed Door Meeting, Activists Release Transcript
Massapequa Park, NY – Members of new group, New York’s 2nd District Democrats (NY02 Dems) have been requesting meetings with Rep. Pete King. He has refused to schedule constituent meetings or hold a Town Hall. He has also been deleting dissenting comments from his Facebook page, and blocking constituents. On Friday, February 3, the group joined a […]
Hundreds Will Protest Peter King Friday Over Penning of Controversial Muslim Ban
Massapequa Park, NY – Hundreds of Long Island residents and local organizations will come together on Friday, February 3, 2017 for a demonstration outside the office of Congressman Peter King showing unity against President Donald Trump’s Executive Order banning refugees indefinitely from Syria and temporarily from 6 other Muslim majority countries. Protestors will march in front of Peter […]
Thousands Online Want to Give Chelsea Manning a Hug
Following reports that Chelsea Manning is on President Obama’s “short list” for a possible commutation, the Internet has exploded with support for the imprisoned transgender transparency advocate. Over the weekend, thousands of people started taking part in a spontaneous #HugsForChelsea campaign, posting photos of themselves with their arms outstretched as if waiting to give Chelsea Manning a hug, calling […]
ACLU and LGBT Groups Call on President Obama to Grant Clemency To Chelsea Manning
WASHINGTON, DC — The American Civil Liberties Union and over a dozen LGBT groups sent a letter to President Barack Obama today urging the commutation of Chelsea Manning’s sentence for disclosing classified information to the media to raise public awareness regarding the impact of war on innocent civilians. Manning is in the seventh year of […]
45 Organizations Form Growing Coalition Against Hate, Urge Trump to Eject Extremists from Inner Circle
Last week the Coalition Against Hate released the discriminatory records of individuals who have been raised as potential appointees or senior staff in a Trump administration with deep ties to racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. The Coalition urges Donald Trump to eject known extremists from his inner circle, such Senator Jeff Sessions, Representative Mike Pompeo, retired […]
Ahead of Bannon Visit 300+ MIT Faculty Sign Statement Upholding Values of Science and Diversity
CAMBRIDGE, MA — On the eve of Steve Bannon’s visit to nearby Harvard University over 300 MIT faculty and counting have taken a public stand
Chelsea Manning’s Lawyers Request Commutation of Sentence, Supporters Launch White House Petition
Washington, DC — Today, Chelsea Manning’s legal defense team released a letter sent to the U.S. Army and the Office of the Pardon Attorney, requesting the commutation of Ms. Manning’s 35 year court-martial sentence to time served and “a first chance to live a real, meaningful life.” The letter discusses the harsh and inhumane conditions […]
Community Control Over Police Surveillance Effort Launches with First Wave of Legislation in 11 Cities
NEW YORK — Local officials in 11 cities announced today that they are launching legislative efforts to bring transparency to the acquisition and use of local police surveillance technologies for the first time. The measures include mandating explicit city council approval and a public hearing process that maximizes community input into surveillance technology decisions. This […]
Joseph Buddenberg Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison in Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Case
San Diego, CA — This morning in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Joseph Buddenberg was sentenced to two years in federal prison for Conspiracy to Violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. The sentencing follows his signing a non-cooperating plea agreement in which he plead guilty to conspiring to free thousands of […]
State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez Loses Re-Election After Tireless Campaigning from Chicago’s Black Youth
Chicago, IL — The following is a statement from Assata’s Daughters on their victory in #ByeAnita campaign: “Chicago Black youth have kicked Anita Alvarez out of office. Just a month ago, Anita Alvarez was winning in the polls. Communities who refuse to be killed, jailed, and abused without any chance at justice refused to allow her to […]
Black Chicago Activists Fly ‘Chicago Stands with Laquan, Hillary Stands with Rahm’ Banners Across City Skyline
Chicago, IL — This afternoon, as primary voting is underway in Illinois, airplanes are flying across the Chicago skyline towing banners linking Hillary Clinton with unpopular Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, with whom Emanuel covered up the 2014 Chicago PD’s killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald while campaigning for his own re-election. The arial […]
Imprisoned ‘Guantanamo Diary’ Author Granted Periodic Review Board Hearing
New York, NY — The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that a Periodic Review Board hearing has been scheduled for June 2 to review the detention of Guantánamo prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi. Slahi’s deeply personal memoir, “Guantánamo Diary,” climbed to the top of The New York Times bestseller list last year and has been translated […]
Judge Rules FBI May Not Unilaterally Invent New FOIA Exemptions
Washington, DC — As reported in an exclusive report by Sam Thielman for The Guardian, a team of expert FOIA requestors and their attorneys has scored a major Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) victory against the FBI.
No New Animal Lab Fights Back Against Skanska Injunction with Anti-SLAPP Motion to Strike
Hillsboro, OR — On January 29th, No New Animal Lab, with representation from the Civil Liberties Defense Center, filed an anti-SLAPP Special Motion to Strike against injunctions filed on behalf of two executives of Skanska USA. Skanska and its key decision makers have been the subject of a year-long protest campaign, organized under the banner of No […]
On Eve of GOP Debate Carolinians Gather for Vigil at Mosque to Counter Xenophobic Rhetoric
Charleston, SC — Local Carolinians will hold a candlelight prayer vigil at the Central Mosque of Charleston {1082 King St, Charleston, SC} to pray for the GOP Presidential hopefuls on the eve of the debate. The group, comprised of members of South Carolina’s queer, muslim, christian, women’s rights, and latino communities, will gather at 5:45pm to […]
Will Potter Describes Being the First Journalist to Visit Federal Communication Management Unit
In a new TED Talk released today, investigative journalist and TED Senior Fellow Will Potter describes his experience as the first and only journalist to visit secretive prisons on U.S. soil that are referred to by prisoners and guards as “Little Guantanamo.” Communications Management Units, or CMUs, are experimental prison units in the United States for so-called […]