#CODEPINK Demands #Biden Pardon the #Activists and #Whistleblowers

Dec. 18, 2024

"CODEPINK calls for the pardon of several political prisoners, activists, lawyers and other individuals who faced targeted prosecution or unjust imprisonment. President Biden has just over 30 days left in the Oval Office where he can exercise his pardon power. In recent weeks, he pardoned his own son, fraudsters, and a former judge who took millions in kickbacks to send children to prison under false charges. We demand President Biden issue pardons to whistleblowers, truth tellers, activists, and land-defenders such as:

#LeonardPeltier
#StevenDonziger
#AssataShakur
#MumiaAbu-Jamal
#JulianAssange
#EdwardSnowden
#JohnKiriakou
#JamilAlAmin
#KamauSadiki
#ShukriAbuBaker
#GhassanElashi

"CODEPINK believes that to build a more just and peaceful world, we have to protect the people and our planet. The United States has a long history of repression, unjust prosecution, and wrongful imprisonment of activists who strive to make the world a better place.

"Figures like Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, John Kiriakou and other whistleblowers who faced prosecution for telling the world the truth about the US military, CIA torture, or the US surveillance apparatus have done the people of the world a great service. Their bravery and great personal sacrifice shed a light on grave injustices that were being carried out in the name of the American people without their knowledge.

"Indigenous activists like Leonard Peltier who’s case was riddled with recanted statements from key witnesses and other due process issues, is serving two consecutive life sentences at the age of 80. He’s been in prison since 1976 and maintains his innocence.

"Steven Donziger, a lawyer that fought on behalf of the indigenous people of the Ecuadorian amazon against Chevron’s harm to their land, faced prosecution as a retaliation from the Chevron company. Activists defending our earth and our rights and individuals shedding light on injustice play a vital role in our mission to educate on war and imperialism. We send them our solidarity.

"We also recognize the prison system in the United States as a tool of the war economy that disproportionately prosecutes and locks-up poor people and people of color. As an organization, we teach that the war industry, prison industry, and all oppressive systems in the U.S. are interlinked.

"Free all political prisoners, end repression of peace and justice advocates!"

https://www.codepink.org/pardonpoliticalprisoners

HT @rmblaber1956

Pioneering research reveals growing dangers and repression of climate activism globally

Press release issued: 11 December 2024

"A new report has uncovered the many risks of participating in climate and environmental protests across the world – and how more countries are criminalising and repressing this activity in a bid to keep it in check.

"The report, led by the University of Bristol, is the first to examine global statistics on this form of protest and identify alarming trends. It reveals that more than 2,000 climate and environmental protesters have been killed over the past 12 years and that a raft of new anti-protest legislation has been enacted.

"It calls for governments, police forces and the legal system to help protect people’s right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression."

"Lead author Dr Oscar Berglund, Senior Lecturer in International Public and Social Policy at the University’s School for Policy Studies, said: “This research sheds important light on how the growing pursuit of climate and environmental protest is being handled globally. Our evidence clearly shows a global crackdown in liberal democracies as well as autocracies.

"'This is worrying because it focuses state policy on punishing dissent against inaction on climate and environmental change instead of taking adequate action on these issues. It also represents authoritarian moves that are inconsistent with the ideals of vibrant civil societies in liberal democracies.'

"The findings showed murders and disappearances of climate and environmental activists are common in many countries, with international non-governmental organisation (NGO) Global Witness reporting at least 2,106 killings between 2012 and 2023. Brazil had the highest number with 401 fatalities, followed by 298 in the Philippines, 86 in India, and 58 in Peru.

"A significant proportion of climate and environmental protests involved arrests, according to the research. The highest proportion, one in five, was found in Australia, followed by 17% in the UK – much higher than the international average of 6.3%.

"Non-violent protesters were also found to be given lengthy prison sentences to act as a deterrent. For example, this year in the UK many climate activists have been sent to prison, with the longest sentence being five years.

"The report defines environmental protests as being aimed at stopping specific environmentally destructive projects, such as fossil fuel exploration and #extraction, #deforestation, dam building or #mining. #ClimateProtests are described as more urban-based events, which tend to have broader policy demands, such as ending oil exploration, or more overarching political demands, for instance enacting a #GreenNewDeal.

"The researchers analysed data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) and Global Witness to gather global data and explore trends as well as new anti-protest legislation introduced in countries in different parts of the world.

"Four main ways were identified to criminalise and repress climate and environmental protests. Anti-protest laws are being introduced, criminalising groups, introducing new crimes, making punishment more severe for existing crimes, increasing police powers, and giving officers impunity when harming activists. Protest is also being criminalised through prosecution and courts.

"Dr Berglund explained: 'This involves using existing legislation, including anti-terror or anti-organised crime laws, to curb protest. Climate protest is being de-politicised in the courts, prohibiting mentions of climate change or environmental damage in proceedings, or otherwise changing court processes in order to increase the likelihood of activists being found guilty.'

"The third category is through policing, which is carried out not only by state actors like police or military, but also private security and military or organised crime groups. This sees a range of attempts to prevent protests through using stop and search, arrests, physical violence, and threats and intimidation of protesters.

"Dr Berglund said: “Perhaps most shockingly, we found killings and disappearances to be common in some countries. In many ways, these are an extension of policing as they are either carried out or permitted by the same authorities, often following death threats and other forms of intimidation.”

"The report makes numerous recommendations, including for public authorities to conduct regular evaluations and publish data demonstrating how their actions help safeguard the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. It also calls for anti-terror and anti-organised crime legislation against climate and environmental activists to stop.

"Dr Berglund said: 'Human rights frameworks should be at the forefront of policing considerations and operations to ensure that the public can exercise their right to protest without impediment or fear.'

"'Climate and environmental protests are increasingly prevalent, for good reason as the climate crisis worsens, and responses to this activity are evolving at pace. Further research is needed to better understand the situation so suitable measures can be identified and implemented to protect human rights and keep protesters safe.'"

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2024/december/climate-activism.html

#CriminalizingDissent #ACAB #Autocracy #Corporatocracy #Fascism #CriminalizingDissentIsAutocracy #ClimateCrisis #GlobalBurning #CorporateFascism #HumanRights #CivilLiberties #ClimateActivists #Blackwater #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock #ClimateAction #PipelineProtests #WaterProtectors #BigOilAndGas #AntiProtestLaws #SLAPPs #ErikPrinceColonialism #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#Project2025 #HR9495 #GlobalWitness #AntiTerrorLaws

#Republicans Are Already Trying to Grant #Trump Dangerous Powers

Opinion by #HafizRashid
November 15, 2024

"House Republicans are trying to push through a bill that would give President-Elect #DonaldTrump powers as president to designate #nonprofit organizations as '#TerroristSupporting' even after it was seemingly defeated earlier this week.

"The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act #HR9495 would allow the secretary of the treasury the ability to revoke any nonprofit organization’s tax-exempt status by branding it with a terrorism label. Earlier this week, the bill failed to receive the necessary two-thirds majority in the House to advance to the Senate.

"But on Monday, the House Rules Committee plans to hold a hearing that could set up a new vote on the bill, which initially had the support of all but one Republican and 52 Democrats. With the GOP only holding a seven seat majority in the chamber, they would need the support of more Democrats to advance the bill, which was introduced to combat #protests against #Israel’s war on #Gaza.

"Under any circumstances, the bill would threaten #FirstAmendment rights to #FreeSpeech, but after Trump’s election last week, there are now fears that the president-elect could use these new powers to crack down on his enemies with little recourse. Many #universities and #NewsOutlets are nonprofit organizations in addition to #activist groups.

"After the bill’s initial failure on Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union [#ACLU] celebrated the rejection of 'new broad and easily abused powers.'

"'The freedom to #dissent without fear of government retribution is a vital part of any well-functioning democracy, and now is not the time to grant the executive branch new powers to investigate and functionally shut down and silence its critics,' said Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel for the ACLU, in a statement.

"Now, the bill could be given a retooling and sent up for a vote again, giving a president who has already threatened to use the #military against his critics even more sweeping powers. The question is if #Democrats will recognize the bill as granting dangerous powers to the presidency, or see it as a chance to clamp down on protesters they have tried to ignore at their peril for the past year.'"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/republicans-are-already-trying-to-grant-trump-dangerous-powers/ar-AA1uaihv

#ClampDown #WorkingForTheClampDown #Fascism #CharacteristicsOfFascism #DonTheFascistCon #StopHR9495
#CriminalizingDissent #KristiNoem
#Blackwater #ErikPrince #Autocracy
#SilencingDissent #ClimateActivists
#AntiWarActivists #WaterProtectors
#PeaceActivists #ClimateJustice #Protests #StandWithStandingRock
#GazaGenocide #LebanonGenocide

It's not over yet... A pox on #Harris for not speaking out against #IsraeliWarCrimes and alienating #ArabAmericans!

House #GOP Moves to Ram Through Bill That Gives #Trump Unilateral Power to Kill #Nonprofits

Dozens of #Democrats still support the bill — giving the Republican-controlled House plenty of breathing room to pass it next week.

Noah Hurowitz
November 15 2024

"A controversial '#nonprofit killer' bill is back on track after it was blocked earlier this week.

"A majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives rejected the bill on Tuesday out of fear that it could grant President-Elect Donald Trump legal tools with which to target his ideological foes, but Republicans are swiftly pressing ahead.

"The #StopTerrorFinancing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, which would empower the secretary of the Treasury to designate any #nonprofit as a '#terrorist supporting organization' and revoke its tax-exempt status, is set to go before the Committee on Rules on Monday for a hearing that could tee up the bill for a new floor vote.

"The hearing was announced Thursday evening, just two days after 144 Democrats and one Republican voted against the bill as part of a fast-track parliamentary procedure that required a two-thirds majority.

"The bill, also known as #HR9495, has come under withering criticism from a broad coalition of organizations that say its sponsors are pushing it as a means of cracking down on free speech — particularly speech in support of #Palestine. In a joint statement earlier this week, a coalition of #ArabAmerican and #MuslimOrganizations pledged to continue to fight the bill.

"'This bill was designed to #criminalize organizations and #activists who oppose the U.S.’s unconditional support of #Israel’s #genocide of Palestinians and the slaughter of #Lebanese civilians,' read the statement, which was signed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, American Muslims for Palestine, and others. 'We will continue to stand firm in protecting all organizations’ freedom to speak and operate without fear of political retribution.'

"Offices for the chair and ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, through which the bill must pass, did not respond to requests for comment.

"With #ProIsrael groups lobbying for the bill, it gained popularity among House Democrats, in part due to a provision providing tax relief to Americans held hostage abroad.

"The reelection of Trump, however, galvanized opponents, including Rep. #LloydDoggett, D-Texas, who led the charge to reject the bill on Tuesday. Doggett doubled down on Thursday after learning of the newly scheduled Rules Committee hearing.

"'In this mislabeled bill, House Republicans are hiding behind hostages,' Doggett said in a statement to The Intercept. 'Their rush to reconsider this bill is solely to offer Trump more and more power, while Trump’s nominees for key #NationalSecurity posts this week indicate how he will be using it.'"

Read more:
https://theintercept.com/2024/11/15/nonprofits-trump-bill-gop-republicans/