US to treat peaceful protesters as criminals, warn UN experts
UN human rights experts David Kaye and Maina Kiai have criticised 19 US states (all Republican-governed) for introducing bills that would restrict freedom of expression and assembly.
They say these bills have “the purpose or effect of criminalising peaceful protests”. Kaye and Kiai underscore that these “undemocratic bills” come at a time when large protests are frequently taking place.
But this is no coincidence. It appears that lawmakers are attempting to crush threats to the status quo.
Hypocrisy
UN experts recently condemned Russia for its treatment of peaceful protesters. Last weekend, there were demonstrations across Russia following allegations of corruption against Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Police arrested up to 1,000 protesters. Some were sent to prison or fined. The US State Department also criticised Russia. It called the situation an affront to democratic values.
But the hypocrisy lies in the fact that the US is also showing contempt for freedom of peaceful assembly. It’s a fundamental right in a democracy and not a privilege, as UN experts stress.
With respect to the US, UN experts highlight two particularly worrying bills. One is an Indiana Senate bill that would allow police forces to:
use any means necessary to clear the roads of people unlawfully obstructing vehicular traffic.
Read on...
Support us and go ad-free
We’ve already seen law enforcement use pepper spray against peaceful protesters. And the vagueness of “any means necessary” may justify this kind of harsh and cruel treatment in the future.
Kaye and Kiai also highlight a Missouri bill, which would mean anyone found guilty of unlawfully obstructing traffic could serve up to seven years in prison.
The argument can be made that peaceful protest means not breaking any laws, such as disrupting basic infrastructure. And blocking roads may not be the most effective way to get the general public on your side.
But there are already laws in place relating to obstructing traffic. These bills aim to go a step further, by eroding people’s basic rights. One piece of legislation described protests as “violent”, to which UN experts said:
There can be no such thing in law as a violent protest… (only) violent protesters, who should be dealt with individually and appropriately by law enforcement.
Un-American
Donald Trump promised to ‘Make America Great Again’, but limiting free speech and freedom of assembly is about as un-American as it gets. It’s unconstitutional.
We’ve already seen Trump show disregard for the constitution with his executive order on immigration. And the National Press Club said that Trump’s exclusion of media from a White House press conference was “unconstitutional censorship”.
The importance of civil liberties is built into the foundation of the US as a country. But Trump and the Republican Party are disrespecting this heritage and source of pride. ‘Make America Unfree’ is probably a much more accurate slogan.
Get Involved!
– See more on Donald Trump and Russia at The Canary Global.
– Visit our Facebook and Twitter pages for more international coverage.
Featured image via Flickr
Support us and go ad-freeWe know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support
The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.
The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.
So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.
