FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2022
Contact: Director of Communications
communications@nlg.org
(212) 679-5100, ext. 5
New York City, NY — Law enforcement forcibly detained and arrested protesters across the country and specifically targeted Legal Observers serving as trained witnesses of police conduct over the weekend at protests in Los Angeles and Phoenix. The NLG condemns police violence against protesters and Legal Observers as acts of state repression and human rights violations.
“Both the Dobbs decision and state repression of protest against it violate human rights, ” said Suzanne Adely, President of the National Lawyers Guild. “Targeting Legal Observers, who serve as trained witnesses of police conduct, is an act of state repression that shows dangerous police entitlement to unchecked power and violence. To truly reject the Supreme Court decision, we must support protesters.”
The NLG recommends anyone attending a protest learn about their rights before attending, using resources like their new booklet: Know Your Rights: A Guide for Protesters.
The National Lawyers Guild has used law to promote human rights over property interests for 85 years. The NLG Legal Observer program trains volunteers to witness police conduct. For more information about NLG’s activist support programs, please visit the NLG website.
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