Know Your Rights

The Guild provides several resources to protect activists’ First Amendment rights.

Know Your Rights Pamphlets

The NLG’s latest “Know Your Rights” guide is titled You Have the Right to Remain Silent. This 16-page booklet is designed for activists and others who are contacted by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security or local law enforcement. It also contains useful information for non-citizens and minors. We hope this publication will satisfy a demand created by the recent FBI raids. To order a free copy, contact the National Office.

To download it as a PDF, click here.

The Arabic version is available here.

We also have “Know Your Rights” pamphlets that were produced in conjunction with the American Civil Liberties Union in 2004. These are available for download in several languages in printable PDF format. These brochures are designed to print on a legal size (8 1/2 x 14) sheet of paper. Click here for Spanish (updated 2006), Chinese, Farsi, or Punjabi.

Greenscare Hotline

Our “Greenscare Hotline” was created several years ago as a first line of defense for environmental and animal rights activists who have been contacted by the FBI. Callers are referred to Guild attorneys in their geographic area whose assistance ranges from telephone consultations to direct representation. The hotline is: 888-NLG-ECOL.

Operation Backfire

This pocket-sized booklet describes how environmental and animal rights activists have been targeted by the government and branded as the top threat to domestic security. Operation Backfire discusses new federal legislation written to allow environmental and animal rights activists to be charged as terrorists. It also provides information on recent prosecutions under these laws. To order a free copy, contact the National Office. To download it as a PDF, visit our publications page.