In May Ilhan Omar introduced H.R. 3651: Protecting Our Protesters Act of 2025. It’s literally just adding one line to 18 U.S. Code § 242:

“Including the use of force during a response to a protest.”

In short, using excessive force against protesters becomes a federal crime. That’s it.

But it has a 1% chance of being enacted.

Bill:
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hr3651

Title 18:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/242

#Protest #HumanRights #CivilRights #RightToAssemble #CivilLiberties #USPol #IlhanOmar #HR3651

Protecting Our Protesters Act of 2025 (H.R. 3651)

To amend title 18, United States Code, to clarify the penalty for use of force, and for other purposes.

GovTrack.us
‘3.5% rule’: The anti-Trump movement is nearing an important threshold

Rachel Maddow tracks the steady growth of the anti-Trump movement after Saturday's massive No Kings protests and explains the importance of the 3.5% rule.

MSNBC

If you're not happy about US government #shutdown, you can do something about it -

Still No Kings: Millions to #Protest Trump On #Saturday https://prospect.org/politics/2025-10-13-no-kings-protest-trump/

#NoKingsOct18 #politics #civilrights #freespeech #FreedomOfSpeech #RightToAssemble

Still No Kings: Millions to Protest Trump On Saturday

A coalition of civil rights groups expects the turnout on Oct. 18 will be even bigger than the first nationwide protest held in June, which by some counts was the largest in U.S. history.

The American Prospect

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Interesting to see how that constitutional #RightToAssemble interacts with such a ban.

@houstonpublicmedia #USpoli #FirstAmendment

#Trump takes aim at foreign-born college students, with 300 visas revoked

Some students have been picked up off the street by immigration agents and held in detention centers, sometimes a thousand miles away from their homes, with little warning

By Daniella Silva, Chloe Atkins, Julia Ainsley and Abigail Williams, March 27, 2025

"Secretary of State #MarcoRubio said Thursday the State Department has revoked 300 or more #StudentVisas, as the White House increasingly targets foreign-born students whose main transgression seems to be #activism.

"Rubio warned that the administration was looking out for 'these lunatics.' Around the country, #scholars have been picked up, in some cases by masked immigration agents, and held in #DetentionCenters, sometimes a thousand miles from their homes with little warning and often with few details about why they were being detained.

"'It might be more than 300 at this point. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,' Rubio said at a news conference in Guyana, where he was meeting with leaders.

"Many of those rounded up by Trump officials attended or were part of the pro-Palestinian movement that swept college campuses last year, and while the administration hasn’t said publicly why these students are being singled out over others, at least one sought by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement appeared on lists made by far-right pro-Israel groups as targets for deportation.

"And Trump allies, many in government again, telegraphed for months before he took office that they’d seek to deport students who openly advocated for Hamas or other U.S.-designated terrorist groups or after they participated in an unauthorized campus #protest and were suspended, expelled or jailed.

"The detentions are a signal of a broader effort by President Donald Trump to clamp down on the actions of legal permanent residents, student visa holders and others who live and work legally in the United States, one that threatens to undermine a fundamental American right to #FreeSpeech and to assemble, experts and advocates said."

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-administration-takes-aim-immigrant-students-rcna198346?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
#USPol #ThoughtPolice #Authoritarianism #Orwellian #CharacteristicsOfFascism #Clampdown #SilencingDissent #CriminalizingDissent #CriminalizingActivism #RightToAssemble #FirstAmendment #USPol

Rubio says State Department has revoked at least 300 student visas

The Trump administration has been targeting foreign-born graduate and doctoral students whose main transgression seems to be activism.

NBC News

The First Amendment applies to everyone in the United States, including citizens, non-citizens, and foreign tourists.

https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/israel-palestine-dox-new-york-facial-recognition-ai #Zionism #thefirstamendment #righttoassemble #freespeech #doxing #independentmedia #gaza #protests

“Operation Wrath of Zion" Aims to Dox and Deport Pro-Palestinian Protestors in New York City

Steered by a "right-wing Zionist" organization, the campaign is using facial-recognition technology to intimidate and out activists demonstrating against Israel

Drop Site News
The right to peacefully assemble and #protest is sacrosanct, New York Attorney General says, explaining a legal settlement w/the NYPD to prevent them from “kettling” #protesters and then arresting them. #FreeSpeech #RightToAssemble #RightToProtest #FirstAmendment https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/nyregion/nypd-settlement-protesters-penning.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
N.Y.P.D. Agrees to Ban Kettling and Set New Rules for Protest Response

The department agreed to set new rules and create an oversight board for protests in a sweeping deal with the state attorney general, the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Legal Aid Society.

The New York Times

I have the Right — I just dunno if I have the energy any more. And anyway, where would I start ?

#KILLTHEBILL #RightToAssemble #RighttoProtest #GTTO Tees by Sillytees bit.ly/3CeVnvu

What happened after US police teargassed protesters – a visual investigation

A groundbreaking analysis reveals how Portland, Oregon, was blanketed with toxic chemicals, raising concerns about global teargas use: ‘This was a disaster’

The Guardian

❌Oppressive digital governance, like in Iran, can affect digital assemblies and protests.

Check out @enablingNGOlaw's guide on safeguarding our #RightToAssemble in the digital space

Read more by EDRi affiliate @ecnl in this week's #EDRigram: https://edri.org/our-work/iran-digital-spaces-of-protest-and-control/

Iran: digital spaces of protest and control - European Digital Rights (EDRi)

ECNL law new report describes the impact of Iran's digital governance and censorship on digital assemblies.

European Digital Rights (EDRi)