ADVISORY: On June 5, Join an Expert Discussion About Fighting the Escalating Threats to Free Speech and Political Dissent
One thing is clear nearly five months into the second Trump administration: This presidency has no regard for the U.S. Constitution and the systems of checks and balances that it safeguards. The White House is threatening the independence of the judiciary, undermining the rule of law, attacking a free press and calling into question the future of free and fair elections.
Fighting these threats is essential to defending our democracy. As the government retaliates against the press, protesters and vulnerable communities, a few heroes are taking a stand in defense of our rights.
This Thursday, we will be joined by an online panel of experts to discuss how the Trump administration is targeting student protesters, immigrant communities and minority groups previously protected under civil-rights standards this country spent decades creating. As the administration erodes civic norms and undermines the First Amendment, we will consider what is being done to save our democracy — and ways communities can engage in the fight for freedom. Please RSVP here to join the online discussion.
What: Free Speech in the Age of Retaliation: Trump 2.0 & Attacks on Protests, the Press and Privacy
When: Thurs., June 5, at 12 p.m. ET
Who: Baher Azmy, legal director for the Center for Constitutional Rights and attorney in the Mahmoud Khalil case; Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; and Nora Benavidez, senior counsel and director of digital justice and civil rights for Free Press
RSVP: https://bit.ly/fpaorweb
Background: Last week, Free Press’ Democracy and Digital Civil Rights program launched a series of discussions about the future of democratic rights in the face of authoritarianism. The series began with a live event in Los Angeles featuring FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez. Future webinars will focus on destabilizing the far right’s use of our media system to advance Trumpism. Our goal in this work is to reclaim free speech and freedom of the press by building a more just and democratic media system. Contact Timothy Karr at tkarr@freepress.net to learn more.