Third Charlottesville A12 Counter-Protester Arrested

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: communications@nlg.org | 212-649-5100, ext 15 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—Mr. Donald Blakney was arrested at his home on Friday by Charlottesville Police Department (CPD). He is charged with Malicious Wounding — a felony that carries a 5 year minimum and the possibility of up to 20 years in prison. On August 12, he was […]

DRAD and NLG File FOIA, Seek Exposure of Infiltration into Inauguration Protests by Law Enforcement and Collusion with Far-Right Groups

Law enforcement court testimony against acquitted J20 defendants exposed infiltration Contact: Chip Gibbons, Defending Rights & Dissent (202) 552-7408 chip@rightsanddissent.org Maggie Ellinger-Locke, National Lawyers Guild (314) 805-7335 Ellinger.Locke@gmail.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 11, 2018 WASHINGTON, D.C.— Defending Rights and Dissent (DRAD) and the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) have once again teamed up to seek information […]

NLG Welcomes Not Guilty Verdict in the First J20 Inauguration Day Protest Trial

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: communications@nlg.org | 212-679-5100, ext. 15 December 21, 2017 WASHINGTON, DC—In a tremendous victory for the right to dissent, a Washington, DC jury has found all six defendants in the first “J20” trial not guilty on all charges. The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) welcomes this verdict despite the politically motivated charges that […]

#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 […]

A Dozen RNC Protesters Win Dismissals, Legal Support Provided by Local NLG and NAACP Chapters

Judge rules arrests unconstitutional in violation of the First Amendment Contact: Jacqueline Greene and Jocelyn Rosnick, Ohio NLG Co-Coordinators ohio@nlg.org October 27, 2017 CLEVELAND, OHIO ― On October 20, Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Charles L. Patton dismissed all charges against 12 activists charged with ordinance violations of aggravated disorderly conduct and obstruction, who participated in […]

NLG Mobilizes Legal Support as St. Louis Police Make Brutal Mass Arrests Following Stockley Acquittal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: King Downing, Mass Defense Director | massdef@nlg.org Tasha Moro, Communications Director | communications@nlg.org | 212-679-5100, ext. 15 ST. LOUIS—The NLG is on the ground in St. Louis, MO coordinating legal support following thousands-strong protests that have emerged since the Friday acquittal of former St. Louis Metropolitan Police (STLMPD) Officer Jason Stockley, […]

Continuing the Fight Against White Supremacy After Charlottesville

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 14, 2017 Contact:  communications@nlg.org NEW YORK—The National Lawyers Guild (NLG), founded in 1937 as the first racially-integrated, human rights bar association, is committed to ending white supremacy in all its forms.  Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Heather Heyer, who was murdered while standing up to racism […]

NLG Mobilizes Legal Support Ahead of “Unite the Right” Counter-Protests

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 11, 2017 NLG Mobilizes Legal Support Ahead of “Unite the Right” Counter-Protests CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) is coordinating legal support in anticipation of counter-protests to the white supremacist “Unite the Right Free Speech Rally” to take place tomorrow in Charlottesville, VA. White nationalist hate groups including the Ku Klux […]

Rights Groups File FOIA to Uncover Details About Police Use of Force, Infiltration of Inauguration Protests

FOIA filing comes as D.C. Council moves to investigate police misconduct on January 20 DC National Lawyers Guild (DC NLG) and Defending Rights and Dissent, two groups who defend the right to protest, are demanding answers about the Metropolitan Police Department’s conduct during anti-Trump inauguration protests. Earlier today, the two groups filed a Freedom of […]