By Jude Ortiz, NLG Mass Defense Committee Chair Washington, DC – Much has happened in the J20 (inauguration conspiracy) case since the NLG wrote about the first J20 trial in November 2017. Let’s start from the latest developments and work our way backwards: the second trial ended with either acquittals or mistrials on the charges […]
Category Archives: NLG Blog
NOTE: The views expressed in the NLG Blog are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the NLG as a whole.
Conservative-led Anti-Protest Legislation Already Doubled Since Last Year
By Traci Yoder, Director of Research and Education Last March, the NLG shared an overview and analysis of the wave of anti-protest legislation sweeping state legislatures across the country. At the time, we were looking at 25 bills proposed in 19 states—all focused on limiting the right to protest or removing liability for harm caused […]
Struggles of Using Legal Recourse as a Path Toward Better Prison Conditions
Lisa Drapkin, NLG Membership Director It seems there could never be enough legal support to help the millions of prisoners who would benefit from having a lawyer at arms’ length. Whether it is lack of medical care, abhorrent nutrition, exposure to extreme temperatures, lack of clean water, or brutality by prison guards, there are endless […]
The Dangers of Deregulation Under Trump and Pence
By Traci Yoder, NLG Director of Research and Education On December 14th, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote whether to end what is popularly known as “net neutrality.” Citing the previous administration’s “heavy handed Internet regulation,” current FCC Chair Ajit Pai proposes “returning to the longstanding light-touch regulatory framework for the Internet and restoring […]
#COINTELPRO: Disrupting Resistance Movements in the Digital Age
By Tasha Moro, NLG Communications Director Trials began last week in the historic prosecution of nearly 200 “J20” defendants indiscriminately arrested en masse during protests against Trump’s inauguration in Washington, DC, each facing more than 60 years in prison on rioting and property damage charges. In an affront to the First and Fourth Amendments, federal […]
Inauguration Protest Trials Begin, Resistance Continues
By King Downing, Director of Mass Defense Trials start today for the first group of January 20 (J20) inauguration protest arrestees. Most of the 192 remaining defendants continue to face riot, conspiracy, and property destruction charges equaling up to 60 years in prison. On November 13, the seven defendants in the December 11 trial block […]
Legal Support for Anti-Fascist Action
By Traci Yoder, NLG Director of Research and Education Since the election of Donald Trump in November 2016, tense standoffs between groups at different ends of the political spectrum have become increasingly common. From demonstrations at universities against hate-mongering speakers and conflicts over the removal of Confederate monuments to clashes sparked by so-called “free speech” […]
To Fight against US Imperialism, We Must Protect Whistleblowers like Chelsea Manning
By David Gespass, NLG past president and Military Law Task Force steering committee member On May 17, 2017, Chelsea Manning walked out of Fort Leavenworth thanks to the commutation of her sentence by outgoing President Barack Obama. The seven years she spent in confinement were far less than the 35 she was sentenced to, but […]
Victory for NLG NYC Members in Civil Rights Case Challenging NYPD Use of LRAD Sound Cannons Against Protesters
US District Court: NYPD Long Range Acoustic Device (“LRAD”) Uses Against Black Lives Matter Protesters, Journalists, and Bystanders May Have Been Excessive Force, NYC LRAD Training May Be Deficient WHAT: Press conference with several Plaintiffs and Counsel WHEN: 6/1/2017 at 12:30pm WHERE: US District Court – SDNY – 500 Pearl St., NY, NY 10007 – […]
Free Speech on Campus: A Critical Analysis
By Traci Yoder, NLG Director of Research and Education Last weekend, while Vice-President and former Indiana governor Mike Pence was giving the commencement address at Notre Dame University, over 100 students walked out in protest over his anti-LGBTQ and anti-refugee policy positions. Pence used this opportunity to give a 15-minute lecture about free speech on […]