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#firstamendment

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DoomsdaysCW<p>From 2021... This started before <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a>, but things are way worse now!</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> Threaten <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Indigenous" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Indigenous</span></a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Climate" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Climate</span></a> Movements</p><p>“<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriticalInfrastructure" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriticalInfrastructure</span></a>” laws in over a dozen states wrongly invoke national security to justify targeting <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PipelineProtesters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PipelineProtesters</span></a>.</p><p>Kaylana Mueller-Hsia, March 17, 2021</p><p>"In 2016 as a member of Congress, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DebHaaland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DebHaaland</span></a> stood for four days in solidarity with protesters at the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StandingRockSioux" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>StandingRockSioux</span></a> Reservation against construction of the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DakotaAccessPipeline" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DakotaAccessPipeline</span></a>. Today, as the first <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NativeAmerican" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NativeAmerican</span></a> to be the secretary of the interior — the first to lead any cabinet department — she has the opportunity to support the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> rights of the protesters she joined in the past.</p><p>"With her authority over energy development on federal lands, Haaland can be a voice for Indigenous and climate movements facing an urgent threat: the rapid spread of laws to protect 'critical infrastructure' that single out activists.</p><p>"Since 2016, 13 states have quietly enacted laws that increase criminal penalties for trespassing, damage, and interference with infrastructure sites such as oil refineries and pipelines. At least five more states have already introduced similar legislation this year. These laws draw from national security legislation enacted after 9/11 to protect physical infrastructure considered so 'vital' that the 'incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety.'</p><p>"Many industry sectors are designated critical infrastructure, including food and agriculture, energy, water and wastewater, and communications, but most state critical infrastructure laws focus more narrowly on oil and gas <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pipelines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>pipelines</span></a>. While protecting critical infrastructure is a legitimate government function, these laws clearly target environmental and Indigenous activists by significantly raising the penalties for participating in or even tangentially supporting pipeline trespassing and property damage, crimes that are already illegal. Many laws are modelled on draft legislation prepared by the American Legislative Exchange Council, also known as <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ALEC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ALEC</span></a>, a powerful lobbying group funded by <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FossilFuel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FossilFuel</span></a> companies like <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ExxonMobil" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExxonMobil</span></a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Shell" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Shell</span></a>.</p><p>"Central to the new critical infrastructure laws are increased criminal penalties and vague, broad definitions that could discourage protest and particularly, nonviolent civil disobedience. Many laws make any 'damage' to or 'interference' with a facility deemed critical infrastructure a felony. Under <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Ohio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Ohio</span></a>’s law, trespass with the purpose of 'tampering' with a facility is a third degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. In Indiana, a felony conviction is applied for any facility trespass, a crime that is typically a misdemeanor or fine.</p><p>"Vague language like 'damage,' 'tamper,' and 'impede' in critical infrastructure laws makes it unclear if, for example, knocking down <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SafetyCones" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SafetyCones</span></a> and starting a fire next to a natural gas facility are the same under the law. Many critical infrastructure laws do not clarify if they apply only to land a company fully owns or also to pipeline easements, which run through both public and private lands. At least some laws apply to both. Only a week after Louisiana’s critical infrastructure law was enacted, opponents of the Bayou Bridge pipeline were charged with trespassing for boating on public waters on the border of a pipeline easement.</p><p>"The combination of overly broad language and steep penalties in critical infrastructure laws make it likely that future activists and supporting organizations will be discouraged from exercising their First Amendment-protected protest rights. A lawsuit brought in response to the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BayouBridge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BayouBridge</span></a> charges will test the laws for the first time on First Amendment grounds.</p><p>"Many of these laws even extend beyond the protesters. In a proposed law in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Minnesota" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Minnesota</span></a>, anyone who 'recruits, trains, aids, advises, hires, counsels, or conspires' someone to trespass without a 'reasonable effort' to prevent the trespassing is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. In <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oklahoma" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Oklahoma</span></a> organizations that conspire with perpetrators are liable to be fined up to $1 million. These laws may infringe on the freedom of association protected under the First Amendment. Indeed, the Supreme Court ruled that the illegal actions of a few individuals do not implicate an entire group.</p><p>"The criminalization of environmental protest is fueled by federal security agencies and oil and gas companies, who are often major political donors. For years, the Department of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HomelandSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HomelandSecurity</span></a> and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have labelled activists at infrastructure sites as <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DomesticTerrorists" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DomesticTerrorists</span></a> and violent extremists in order to justify further <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/surveillance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>surveillance</span></a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/policing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>policing</span></a>. Government documents have been released that detail the FBI’s focus on '<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AnimalRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AnimalRights</span></a> / <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EnvironmentalExtremism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EnvironmentalExtremism</span></a>,' describing even <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NonviolentProtesters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NonviolentProtesters</span></a> as <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/extremists" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>extremists</span></a>.</p><p>"At Standing Rock, a private security firm [<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Blackwater" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Blackwater</span></a>] hired by the pipeline companies consistently referred to protesters as 'terrorists' while working with law enforcement. Ahead of the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KeystoneXLPipeline" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KeystoneXLPipeline</span></a> protests in 2018, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DHS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DHS</span></a> agents held an '<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiTerrorism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiTerrorism</span></a> training' for state and local authorities. In contrast, members of the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FarRight" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FarRight</span></a> militant group the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ThreePercenters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ThreePercenters</span></a> have established a significant presence at oil and gas plants with little law enforcement reaction.</p><p>"To be sure, as the recent power outages in Texas showed so vividly, the United States needs reliable energy. But it’s questionable whether pipeline construction sites that could feasibly be moved or replaced with renewable energy sources should legitimately be considered 'vital' to the energy grid. Furthermore, a singular focus on this aspect of security comes at the cost of others. Whose essential resources do pipeline projects protect and whose do they threaten? Black Americans are disproportionately likely to live near natural <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GasPipelines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GasPipelines</span></a> and experience higher <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CancerRisk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CancerRisk</span></a> due to unclean air. An oil spill from the Dakota Access Pipeline could devastate the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SiouxTribe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SiouxTribe</span></a>’s water source. Meanwhile, on some reservations, 10 percent of households lack electricity and as many as 40 percent of households must haul water and use outhouses. The well-being of these communities must count too.</p><p>"The rise in critical infrastructure laws may foreshadow more anti-protest legislation to come. A similar wave of anti-protest laws has already begun in response to the 2020 <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BlackLivesMatter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BlackLivesMatter</span></a> protests. State legislators contemplating critical infrastructure laws should bear in mind that laws that criminalize trespassing and protect the safety of construction workers and law enforcement already exist. Critical infrastructure laws don’t fill an unmet need — they only raise the penalties for specific groups of people. Courts adjudicating <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> challenges in the coming years should recognize that these laws are overbroad and impose disproportionately severe penalties that chill freedom of assembly and association.</p><p>"As secretary of the interior, Haaland promises to uplift the voices of Indigenous and climate protesters in the Biden administration. State legislators, law enforcement, and the fossil fuel industry should follow suit and listen to these activists rather than suppressing constitutionally protected activity under the guise of national security."</p><p>Source:<br><a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/anti-protest-laws-threaten-indigenous-and-climate-movements" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">brennancenter.org/our-work/ana</span><span class="invisible">lysis-opinion/anti-protest-laws-threaten-indigenous-and-climate-movements</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BrennanCenter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BrennanCenter</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Fascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NoDAPL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NoDAPL</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NoKXL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NoKXL</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PipelineProtests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PipelineProtests</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WaterIsLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WaterIsLife</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ACAB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ACAB</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ErikPrince" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ErikPrince</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BigOilAndGas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BigOilAndGas</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oiligarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Oiligarchy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CorporateColonialism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CorporateColonialism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EnvironmentalRacism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EnvironmentalRacism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WaterIsLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WaterIsLife</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AirIsLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AirIsLife</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ExxonLied" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExxonLied</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Blackwater" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Blackwater</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StandWithStandingRock" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>StandWithStandingRock</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StandingRockSioux" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>StandingRockSioux</span></a></p>
Alan Lewis<p>'Violates the First Amendment': Judge bars Trump admin from imposing sanctions on US human rights advocates who work for International Criminal Court</p><p>Colin KalmbacherJul 19th, 2025, 1:24 pm </p><p><a href="https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/violates-the-first-amendment-judge-bars-trump-admin-from-imposing-sanctions-on-us-human-rights-advocates-who-work-for-international-criminal-court/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lawandcrime.com/high-profile/v</span><span class="invisible">iolates-the-first-amendment-judge-bars-trump-admin-from-imposing-sanctions-on-us-human-rights-advocates-who-work-for-international-criminal-court/</span></a></p><p>Eightysix47</p><p>: <a href="https://c.im/tags/democrats" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>democrats</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/donaldtrump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>donaldtrump</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/eightysix47" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>eightysix47</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/firstamendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>firstamendment</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/humanrights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>humanrights</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/internationalcriminalcourt" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>internationalcriminalcourt</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/maganazi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>maganazi</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/maganaziparty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>maganaziparty</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/maganazis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>maganazis</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/uspol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>uspol</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/uspolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>uspolitics</span></a> :</p>
DoomsdaysCW<p>Three <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> recently passed in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Arizona" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Arizona</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Kentucky" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Kentucky</span></a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Texas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Texas</span></a></p><p>Source: <a href="https://www.icnl.org/usprotestlawtracker/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">icnl.org/usprotestlawtracker/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p>Arizona<br>HB 2880: Banning <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/protest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>protest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/encampments" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>encampments</span></a> on <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/campus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>campus</span></a></p><p>Bars protest encampments on the campuses of state colleges and universities. Under the new law, individuals or groups that establish an “encampment” are no longer lawfully present on campus for the purpose of speech protections under Arizona law; they are criminally liable to prosecution for trespass; and they are liable for any damage they cause, including the "direct and indirect costs" of removing the encampment and "restoring" campus. The new law defines “encampment” as “temporary shelter” installed on campus and used to stay overnight or “for a prolonged period of time.” The law requires colleges and universities to order individuals to dismantle and vacate any encampment; if the individuals refuse to comply, the institution is required to take disciplinary action and report the individuals to local law enforcement for trespassing. The sponsor of the new law said that it was motivated by <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProPalestine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ProPalestine</span></a> protests on college campuses.<br>Full bill text:<br><a href="https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/83353" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/Bill</span><span class="invisible">Overview/83353</span></a></p><p>Status: enacted</p><p>Introduced 12 Feb 2025; Approved by House 3 March 2025; Approved by Senate 30 April 2025; Signed by Governor Hobbs 7 May 2025</p><p>Issue(s): <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CampusProtests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CampusProtests</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Trespass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Trespass</span></a>, Camping</p><p>Kentucky<br>HB 399: New penalties for protesters at the capitol</p><p>Creates serious new criminal offenses that can cover <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PeacefulProtesters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PeacefulProtesters</span></a> at the state capitol, as well as anyone who “conspires” with or otherwise supports them. The first new offense applies to someone who enters the capitol, or impedes access to the capitol by a legislator or legislative staff, with intent to disrupt or impede legislative business—regardless of whether legislative business was in fact “impeded.” “Conspir[ing]” to engage in such conduct or “facilitat[ing]” another person to engage in the conduct is subject to the same penalties as actually engaging in it. It is a Class B misdemeanor (punishable by up to 3 months in jail) for a first incident, and a Class A misdemeanor (up to one year in jail) for subsequent incident. The law creates a second, more serious offense for someone who engages in “disorderly or disruptive conduct” inside the Capitol with intent to disrupt or impede legislative business, if their conduct in fact “disrupts” or “impedes” the legislature’s business—even momentarily. As written, the offense could cover a demonstrator who shouts a single chant during a legislative hearing. “Conspir[ing]” to engage in such conduct or “facilitat[ing]” another person to engage in the conduct is subject to the same penalties as actually engaging in it. The offense would be a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by up to one year in jail) for the first incident, and a Class D felony (up to 5 years in prison) for third and subsequent incident. Prior to passing the bill, lawmakers added an amendment which provides that the law will not be construed "to prohibit... [a]ssembly in traditional public forums, including but not limited to the Capitol rotunda and outdoor areas of the Capitol grounds." While helpful, the amendment does not immunize all peaceful protest activity that the law could potentially punish, including protest organizing. When he vetoed the bill (later overridden), Governor Beshear noted the risks it poses to lawful <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> activity.<br>Full bill text:<br><a href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/25rs/hb399.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">apps.legislature.ky.gov/record</span><span class="invisible">/25rs/hb399.html</span></a></p><p>Status: enacted</p><p>Introduced 6 Feb 2025; Approved by House 7 March 2025; Approved by Senate 13 March 2025; Vetoed by Governor Beshear 25 March 2025; Veto overridden 27 March 2025</p><p>Issue(s): Protest Supporters or Funders, Police Response<br> </p><p>Texas<br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SB2972" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SB2972</span></a>: New restrictions on <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CampusProtests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CampusProtests</span></a></p><p>Requires public colleges and universities to adopt new limitations on campus protests that among other things would ban protest encampments, limit protesters’ ability to wear a mask, and restrict vigils and other demonstrations at night. Under the law—which revises Texas’s 2019 law on campus speech—all public colleges and universities in the state must have policies that among other things prohibit: a) erecting tents or otherwise “camping” on campus; b) wearing a mask or other disguise while engaging in “expressive activities” on campus with certain intent, including intent to “intimidate others;” c) engaging in “expressive activities” between 10pm and 8am; d) engaging in “expressive activities” in the last two weeks of a school term by inviting speakers or using sound amplification or drums; and e) using sound amplification while engaging in “expressive activities” during class hours if it “intimidate[s] others.” Preexisting provisions of the law define “expressive activities” broadly as “any speech or expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment,” including but not limited to assemblies, protests, speeches, carrying signs, or distributing written material. As such, colleges and universities would seemingly be required to ban all kinds of expression between 10pm and 8am, from conversations in the dining hall to someone sending a text or wearing expressive clothing. The law repeals a provision in the 2019 law that established all common outdoor areas of campus as traditional public forums where anyone could engage in First Amendment activity, and replaced it with a provision authorizing the governing boards of schools to designate select areas as public forums. <br>Full bill text: <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=SB2972" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/H</span><span class="invisible">istory.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=SB2972</span></a></p><p>Status: enacted</p><p>Introduced 14 Mar 2025; Approved by Senate 14 May 2025; Approved by House 28 May 2025; Signed by Governor Abbott 20 June 2025</p><p>Issue(s): Campus Protests, Face Covering, Camping </p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TexasProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TexasProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KentuckyProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KentuckyProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ArizonaProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ArizonaProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ClothingBans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ClothingBans</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CollegeCampusProtests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CollegeCampusProtests</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaskBans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MaskBans</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EncampmentBans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EncampmentBans</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Journalists" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Journalists</span></a> among at least 13 arrested during <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/immigration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>immigration</span></a>-related protest in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CincinnatiOH" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CincinnatiOH</span></a></p><p>Police in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CovingtonKY" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CovingtonKY</span></a>, said those arrested had refused to comply with orders to disperse.</p><p>By John Seewer | The Associated Press</p><p>"Police in Cincinnati arrested at least 13 people, including two journalists, after demonstrators protesting the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/immigration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>immigration</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/detention" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>detention</span></a> of a former hospital chaplain blocked a two-lane bridge carrying traffic over the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/OhioRiver" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>OhioRiver</span></a>.</p><p>"A reporter and a photography intern who were arrested while covering the protest for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CityBeat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CityBeat</span></a>, a Cincinnati news and entertainment outlet, were among those arraigned Friday morning in a Kentucky court.</p><p>"Other journalists reporting on protests around the U.S. have been have arrested and injured this year. More than two dozen were hurt or roughed up while covering protests against <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ImmigrationRaids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ImmigrationRaids</span></a> in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LosAngeles" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>LosAngeles</span></a>.</p><p>"A Spanish-language journalist was arrested in June while covering a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NoKings" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NoKings</span></a> protest near <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AtlantaGA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AtlantaGA</span></a>. Police initially charged Mario Guevara, a native of El Salvador, with <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UnlawfulAssembly" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>UnlawfulAssembly</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/obstruction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>obstruction</span></a> of police and being a pedestrian on or along the roadway.</p><p>"A prosecutor dropped the charges, but Guevara had already been turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is being held in a south Georgia immigration <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DetentionCenter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DetentionCenter</span></a>. His lawyers say he has been authorized to work and remain in the country, but <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ICE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ICE</span></a> is trying to deport him.</p><p>"Video from the demonstration in Cincinnati Thursday night shows several tense moments, including when an officer punches a protester several times as police wrestle him to the ground.</p><p>"Earlier, a black SUV drove slowly onto the Roebling Bridge while protesters walked along the roadway that connects Cincinnati with Kentucky. Another video shows a person in a neon-colored vest pushing against the SUV.</p><p>"Police in Covington, Kentucky, said those arrested had refused to comply with orders to disperse. The department said in a statement that officers who initially attempted to talk with the protest's organizer were threatened and met with hostility.</p><p>"Among the charges filed against those arrested were rioting, failing to disperse, obstructing emergency responders, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.</p><p>"Reporter Madeline Fening and photo intern Lucas Griffith were charged with felony rioting and several other charges, said Ashley Moor, the editor in chief of CityBeat.</p><p>"A judge on Friday set a $2,500 bond for each of those arrested.</p><p>"The arrests happened during a protest in support of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AymanSoliman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AymanSoliman</span></a>, an Egyptian immigrant who worked as a chaplain at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. He was detained last week after he showed up for a routine check-in with ICE officials at their office near Cincinnati.</p><p>"Protesters met in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday in support of Soliman, then walked across the bridge carrying a banner that read '<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BuildBridgesNotWalls" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BuildBridgesNotWalls</span></a>.'</p><p>"Covington police said that 'while the department supports the public’s right to peaceful assembly and expression, threatening officers and blocking <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriticalInfrastructure" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriticalInfrastructure</span></a>, such as a major bridge, presents a danger to all involved.' " </p><p>Read more:<br><a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/journalists-others-arrested-immigration-related-protest-cincinnati/3793302/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">nbcchicago.com/news/national-i</span><span class="invisible">nternational/journalists-others-arrested-immigration-related-protest-cincinnati/3793302/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ResistICE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ResistICE</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingDissent</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingJournalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingJournalism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SilencingFreeSpeech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SilencingFreeSpeech</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProtestLawsKentucky" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ProtestLawsKentucky</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Fascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ACAB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ACAB</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Clampdown" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Clampdown</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CharacteristicsOfFascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CharacteristicsOfFascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a></p>
DoomsdaysCW<p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Oklahoma" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Oklahoma</span></a> court clarifies <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/RiotLaw" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>RiotLaw</span></a> amid legal battle for 2020 <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/protesters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>protesters</span></a></p><p>The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has clarified the state's definition of rioting, affecting the legal proceedings for five protesters charged in 2020.</p><p>Jason Burger, July 18, 2025</p><p>OKLAHOMA CITY — "The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has clarified the state's definition of rioting, impacting the legal proceedings for five individuals charged after a protest in 2020 over the death of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GeorgeFloyd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GeorgeFloyd</span></a>.</p><p>"In 2020, five protesters were accused of blocking the path of an officer while painting a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/mural" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>mural</span></a> outside the police department. </p><p>" 'The defendants, who were convicted in the state of Oklahoma, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, saying their free speech rights were violated by being forced to plead or go to trial,' said legal expert Ed Blau. 'What this opinion from the court of criminal appeals did was clarify to the federal court that covers Oklahoma — exactly what Oklahoma statutes mean when it comes to rioting.'</p><p>The protesters believed the law was vague or improperly defined."</p><p>Read more:<br><a href="https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-court-clarifies-riot-law-amid-legal-battle-2020-protesters/65452649" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">koco.com/article/oklahoma-cour</span><span class="invisible">t-clarifies-riot-law-amid-legal-battle-2020-protesters/65452649</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProtestLawsOklahoma" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ProtestLawsOklahoma</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/VagueLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>VagueLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingDissent</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Fascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ACAB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ACAB</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Clampdown" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Clampdown</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CharacteristicsOfFascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CharacteristicsOfFascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GeorgeFloydProtests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GeorgeFloydProtests</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BLM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BLM</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ICantBreathe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ICantBreathe</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BlackLivesMatter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BlackLivesMatter</span></a></p>
Glyn Moody<p>Appeals Court Judge Claims (Against All Historical Evidence) That The <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> Doesn’t Apply To Non-Citizens - <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2025/07/18/appeals-court-judge-claims-against-all-historical-evidence-that-the-first-amendment-doesnt-apply-to-non-citizens/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">techdirt.com/2025/07/18/appeal</span><span class="invisible">s-court-judge-claims-against-all-historical-evidence-that-the-first-amendment-doesnt-apply-to-non-citizens/</span></a> "once we accept that some people don’t deserve constitutional protections, it becomes much easier to argue that others don’t deserve them either."</p>
Nonilex<p>In her ruling, US District Judge Nancy Torresen called the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/ExecutiveOrder" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExecutiveOrder</span></a> an <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/unconstitutional" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>unconstitutional</span></a> infringement on <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FreeSpeech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreeSpeech</span></a>.<br>"The executive order appears to restrict substantially more speech than necessary to further that end," she wrote.<br>"The executive order broadly prohibits any speech-based services that benefit the prosecutor, regardless of whether those beneficial services relate to an <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/ICC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ICC</span></a> investigation of the United States, Israel, or another US ally."</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Constitution" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Constitution</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>A federal judge blocked on Friday the enforcement of <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a>'s <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/ExecutiveOrder" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExecutiveOrder</span></a> targeting those who work with the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/InternationalCriminalCourt" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>InternationalCriminalCourt</span></a>.</p><p>The ruling follows an April lawsuit by 2 <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/HumanRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HumanRights</span></a> advocates challenging Trump's Feb 6 order authorizing potentially far-reaching economic &amp; travel <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/sanctions" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>sanctions</span></a> on people who work on <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/ICC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ICC</span></a> investigations of US citizens or US allies, such as Israel.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Constitution" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Constitution</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> <br><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/federal-judge-blocks-enforcement-trumps-order-icc-2025-07-19/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">reuters.com/world/us/federal-j</span><span class="invisible">udge-blocks-enforcement-trumps-order-icc-2025-07-19/</span></a></p>
Zhi Zhu 🕸️<p>"I get it. We judge the <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/MAGA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MAGA</span></a> world on a curve. Everyone expects them to be <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/authoritarian" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>authoritarian</span></a> hypocritical censorial asshats, so it’s not news when they are.</p><p>... but this deserves attention. A sitting president threatening to sue <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/media" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>media</span></a> companies and their owners for editorial decisions isn’t just <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/hypocrisy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>hypocrisy</span></a> —it’s the kind of direct <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/government" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>government</span></a> coercion that actually violates the <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a>."<br>- <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://bsky.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/mmasnick.bsky.social" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>mmasnick.bsky.social</span></a></span> </p><p><a href="https://newsie.social/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/GOP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GOP</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/Politics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Politics</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/News" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>News</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/Press" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Press</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/US" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>US</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/USA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USA</span></a></p>
Zhi Zhu 🕸️<p>"classic <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/authoritarian" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>authoritarian</span></a> playbook... Today it’s non-citizens who “don’t deserve” <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> protections. Tomorrow it could be naturalized citizens whose loyalty is questioned. Then citizens who associate with the “wrong” people or express the “wrong” views...</p><p><a href="https://newsie.social/tags/DonaldTrump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DonaldTrump</span></a> is already talking about stripping citizenship from <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/Americans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Americans</span></a> whose speech he dislikes."<br>- <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://bsky.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/mmasnick.bsky.social" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>mmasnick.bsky.social</span></a></span> </p><p><a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2025/07/18/appeals-court-judge-claims-against-all-historical-evidence-that-the-first-amendment-doesnt-apply-to-non-citizens/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">techdirt.com/2025/07/18/appeal</span><span class="invisible">s-court-judge-claims-against-all-historical-evidence-that-the-first-amendment-doesnt-apply-to-non-citizens/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://newsie.social/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/GOP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GOP</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/Fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Fascism</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/Politics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Politics</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/News" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>News</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/Press" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Press</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/US" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>US</span></a> <a href="https://newsie.social/tags/USA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USA</span></a></p>
Tim Mocarski<p>Hey CBS, you claim your cancellation of Colbert Late show was a financial decision was a financial one. Maybe if you hadn't slipped a $16 million payoff to a convicted felon, you'd have more credibility. Still, thanks for giving me a reason not to watch your network or renew paramount plus </p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Resist" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Resist</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Colbert" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Colbert</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a></p>
Michael Fenichel<p>Democracy Dies in Darkness* Department:</p><p>Talk about "concerning" (Collins!) ... Bye bye voices of <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/truth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>truth</span></a> about <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/TrumpVirus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TrumpVirus</span></a>, and <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/FreeSpeech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreeSpeech</span></a> and <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Democracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Democracy</span></a><br>Once again, in the dead of night, pure <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/evil" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>evil</span></a> from the <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/cult" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>cult</span></a> of <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/GQP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GQP</span></a></p><p>&gt;&gt; Senate votes to kill entire public broadcasting budget in blow to NPR and PBS </p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/07/senate-votes-to-kill-entire-public-broadcasting-budget-in-blow-to-npr-and-pbs" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">arstechnica.com/tech-policy/20</span><span class="invisible">25/07/senate-votes-to-kill-entire-public-broadcasting-budget-in-blow-to-npr-and-pbs</span></a> </p><p>The imposition of <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ignorance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ignorance</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/censorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>censorship</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/propaganda" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>propaganda</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/tyranny" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>tyranny</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/cruelty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>cruelty</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/evil" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>evil</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/disinformation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>disinformation</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>fascism</span></a> </p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/CPB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CPB</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/NPR" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NPR</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/PBS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PBS</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a></p>
Mark Mullen<p>A new bill, SB 2972, would require public <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/universities" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>universities</span></a> in Texas to adopt policies prohibiting “engaging in expressive activities on campus between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.” Expressive activity includes “any speech or expressive conduct” protected by the <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> or <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/Texas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Texas</span></a> Constitution.</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/priorities" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>priorities</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/seriously" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>seriously</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/ExpressiveActivity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ExpressiveActivity</span></a></p>
petersuber<p>Update. Bravo to the Knight First Amendment Institute (<span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.online/@knightcolumbia" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>knightcolumbia</span></a></span>) for weighing in against the <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/IHRA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>IHRA</span></a> definition of <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/antisemitism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>antisemitism</span></a>. <br><a href="https://knightcolumbia.org/content/knight-institute-sounds-alarm-over-new-restrictions-on-campus-speech" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">knightcolumbia.org/content/kni</span><span class="invisible">ght-institute-sounds-alarm-over-new-restrictions-on-campus-speech</span></a> </p><p>"It’s disappointing that some of the nation’s leading institutions of higher education are agreeing to curtail and punish criticism of <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Israel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Israel</span></a> in the name of fighting discrimination [and antisemitism]. As major free speech groups have recognized, using the IHRA definition of antisemitism to delineate the outer boundaries of free speech will have the effect of proscribing or deterring legitimate political speech and scholarship. The lawyer who drafted the IHRA definition has raised similar concerns."</p><p><a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/FreeSpeech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreeSpeech</span></a></p>
Steve Dustcircle 🌹<p>What You Can Do to Protect <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/PublicRadio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PublicRadio</span></a> and <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/TV" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TV</span></a></p><p><a href="https://barnraisingmedia.com/what-you-can-do-to-protect-rural-public-radio-and-tv/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">barnraisingmedia.com/what-you-</span><span class="invisible">can-do-to-protect-rural-public-radio-and-tv/</span></a> <br><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/firstamendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>firstamendment</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/freedomofthepress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>freedomofthepress</span></a></p>
petersuber<p>Last month the <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Republican" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Republican</span></a> dominated <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Texas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Texas</span></a> legislature passed a bill to ban speech and "expressive activity" at state universities at night. <br><a href="https://archive.is/DJnmz" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">archive.is/DJnmz</span><span class="invisible"></span></a> </p><p>Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law on June 20.<br><a href="https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/texas-governor-signs-bill-to-restrict-expressive-activities-on-college-campuses/171647/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">campussafetymagazine.com/news/</span><span class="invisible">texas-governor-signs-bill-to-restrict-expressive-activities-on-college-campuses/171647/</span></a></p><p>What's covered exactly? “Any speech or expressive conduct” at a state university that takes place between 10pm and 8am. </p><p>Isn't that a slam-dunk violation of the <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a>? The drafters anticipated that and included a final provision saying that the law "should not be construed to infringe the right to freedom of speech protected by the U.S. or Texas Constitutions." So there.</p><p><a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Academia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Academia</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/FreedomOfSpeech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreedomOfSpeech</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/Texas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Texas</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/USLaw" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USLaw</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://fediscience.org/tags/USPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPolitics</span></a><br><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>academicchatter</span></a></span></p>
the three-day monk<p>Oklahomans challenging nation’s first religious public school declare victory, end lawsuit | ffrf.org<br><a href="https://ffrf.org/news/releases/oklahomans-challenging-nations-first-religious-public-school-declare-victory-end-lawsuit/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">ffrf.org/news/releases/oklahom</span><span class="invisible">ans-challenging-nations-first-religious-public-school-declare-victory-end-lawsuit/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/uspol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>uspol</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/firstamendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>firstamendment</span></a></p>
Kathy Bryson<p>If you're looking for ways to "peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances"</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Protests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Protests</span></a> update: "National day of action" planned for July 17 <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/anti-trump-protests-update-national-day-action-planned-july-17-2088233" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">newsweek.com/anti-trump-protes</span><span class="invisible">ts-update-national-day-action-planned-july-17-2088233</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ByThePeople" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ByThePeople</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/grassroots" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>grassroots</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/vote2026" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>vote2026</span></a></p>
BlueVote.org<p>🔥 NEW: Trump wants to revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship because she hurt his feelings.</p><p>Here’s why he can’t—and why this authoritarian impulse matters more than you think.</p><p>👉 Read the full breakdown:<br /><a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/bluevoteorgpa/p/trumps-latest-grudge-why-he-cant" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">open.substack.com/pub/bluevote</span><span class="invisible">orgpa/p/trumps-latest-grudge-why-he-cant</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/TrumpVsRosie" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>TrumpVsRosie</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/ProtectDemocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>ProtectDemocracy</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/NoOneIsAboveTheLaw" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>NoOneIsAboveTheLaw</span></a><br /><a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/bluevoteorgpa/p/trumps-latest-grudge-why-he-cant" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">open.substack.com/pub/bluevote</span><span class="invisible">orgpa/p/trumps-latest-grudge-why-he-cant</span></a></p>
Unofficial PetaPixel Bot<p>Judge Rules LAPD Cannot Block Photojournalists From Documenting Protests <a href="https://petapixel.com/2025/07/11/judge-rules-lapd-cannot-block-photojournalists-from-documenting-protests/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">petapixel.com/2025/07/11/judge</span><span class="invisible">-rules-lapd-cannot-block-photojournalists-from-documenting-protests/</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/mickeyosterreicher" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>mickeyosterreicher</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/photojournalist" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>photojournalist</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/firstamendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>firstamendment</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/journalists" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>journalists</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/losangeles" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>losangeles</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/rights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>rights</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/legal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>legal</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/News" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>News</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/lapd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>lapd</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/nppa" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>nppa</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/Law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Law</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://toot.earth/tags/la" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>la</span></a></p>