Open Society Foundations’ Post

D'Arcus, B. (2003). Protest, scale, and publicity: The FBI and the H Rap Brown Act. Antipode, 35(4), 718-741. https://lnkd.in/gMnBbYDK Abstract: This paper deals with issues of political dissent and the geography of state power through the lens of a particular law and its deployment by the US state in the context of the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota by American Indian Movement activists and residents. I explore how the state responded to the highly mediated nature of the Wounded Knee occupation through tactics that minimized the visibility of its efforts to contain the protest. These efforts, I argue, also constituted a broader politics of scale. I begin with a theoretical discussion of the intersection of protest, scale, and publicity. I then use the empirical example of the H Rap Brown Act to show how these dynamics were being reworked in the US during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In particular, I place the emergence of the H Rap Brown Act within a context of changing geographies of race and state power, more specifically as they were articulated around the unrest that was engulfing American cities. I then analyze how the law was deployed by the state during the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee. Finally, I conclude with a discussion of what the case of the H Rap Brown Act has to tell us more broadly about our theoretical understanding of the geographies of public protest. #JoeFREE #HRAP #BROWN

It’s Not Over Until We Win. The protest didn’t begin in November—it has been building for years. In March 2023, massive protests erupted across Georgia, with crowds of 200,000 to 350,000 people. The trigger? The government’s introduction of a Russian-style law requiring organizations to register as "foreign agents" if 20% of their funding originated from international sources. The law poses a direct threat to democracy, undermining civil society, free media, and vital sectors like culture, which depend on international grants for development and global engagement. Faced with public outrage and international condemnation, the government “denied”approval of the law in 2023. Yet, it was only a tactical retreat. By June 2024, the law reemerged and was approved, sparking another waves of resistance. This betrayal was followed by widespread repression. Peaceful demonstrators were arrested, brutally beaten by police, and ambushed at night by organized groups. These crackdowns failed to break the Georgian spirit; instead, they strengthened the resolve of the people. Despite clear warnings from the EU, international organizations, and Western leaders, the Georgian government continued its authoritarian trajectory. Rigged elections in 2024, plagued by vote-buying and manipulation, further undermined trust in the democratic process. Then, in November, the ultimate betrayal came: the government announced a halt to Georgia’s progress toward EU integration, abandoning the aspirations of its citizens. These cascading events—the restrictive law, the violent crackdowns, injustice and the stolen elections, and the EU path's derailment—have culminated in an unprecedented uprising. For 44 days and counting, Georgians have taken to the streets, refusing to accept this dark course. This is a decisive moment. The people of Georgia have declared, “enough is enough.”Together, we will stand, we will fight for our rights and we will prevail. It’s not over—because we won’t stop until we win. Video credit: Holm Case #Georgiaprotest #Georgiaonthemove #Georgiaintransition #StandWithGeorgia #spreadtheword

Yesterday, Donald Trump was complaining that he lacks the support of the majority of the Jewish community for the November election. 😳Trump puts the support between 60% and 40% in favor of Harris. I think Trump is right, and there is a bitter and good reason about it .  It has become apparent that with Biden and Harris in power, the Netanyahu & Gallant Team (both indicted persons by ICC for war crimes) has enjoyed a full and unconditional support in their genocidal war against the Palestinian and Zionist unlawful expansion in the West Bank and beyond. So why would the Zionist Regime, and their surrogates here in US (AIPAC  and Others) would change horses in the midstream at such a critical juncture?, and when it is working so good for them? The record shows that between Obama and Biden, the Israeli War Machine had received the highest money and weapons compared with Trump of other GOP governments. To add more, the Trump- Netanyahu meeting at Mara Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida was not with full of praises, rather cold, and Trump in the closing statement, was critical of Netanyahu by warning that his actions could lead to a World War III 😳 ? My take is that under a new Harris presidency , the US Policy towards Israel will be the same O… S… and it has been proven to be subservient of everything Israel wants to do. This is not a comment for Trump’s endorsement ,NO, absolutely not. But I believe that unless Harris changes her position in the next month or so , the moral and politically correct position, for every decent citizen, it is to have an obligation to confront these horrendous crimes being committed by Israel with the complicity of the present Biden - Harris administration, and consequently, choose to take the position of #UNCOMMITTED in the next election. So Josh Paul is mostly correct again 👍🙏

When asked by media and allies I have expressed a belief that a Harris presidency would be "slightly better" than the Biden Presidency has been for Gaza, in part because she is not a hard-cast ideologue on this issue as Biden is, and in part because her team are more moderate and reasonable (and frankly also more thoughtful and self-aware) than Biden's team are. But the devil is in the details. When it comes to those details, it is hard to point to a specific area where we can be sure a Harris presidency would be better. Would they be more likely to condition or suspend arms transfers? They have been explicit that they would not. Would they enforce the U.S. laws already on the books, such as 620I or Leahy? They have not said they would. Would they stand up for the rights of peaceful protestors on campuses across America? They have given no sign of doing so, and indeed, Harris' responses both to the protests at the time of Netanyahu's visit to Washington DC, and to protests at her own campaign events, have been deeply disappointing - and their unwillingness to even give a Palestinian-American a voice at the Democratic Convention was a very worrying sign. I also believe that no individual, not even at the level of the President of the United States, can bring transformative change to U.S. policy on this issue in the next four years given how firmly entrenched the current approach is across American politics - this is something that will take many years to fix, and in the coming weeks I will be unveiling a new effort to address this strategically, holistically, and effectively. In the meantime, I, and others I have spoken to, would like to believe that Harris would be slightly better than where we are. But there is only so long we can wave our hands at generalities and presumptions - we need clear words from the Harris campaign that give a basis for these hopes. Without those, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hold to such hopes, and the polls demonstrate that the Harris campaign should be increasingly concerned about the implications of this gap between hopes and words - let alone actions - for outcomes of the election in key states. The ball is in their, and her, court.

What's happening in American universities & why the students are on the right side of history 1. Free speech (first amendment) is meaningful only if people have the "freedom to be wrong" Otherwise it's not freedom, it's tyranny 2. Acts of violence as part of a protest movement should not lead to the movement being shutdown. There should be criminal prosecution for violence by individuals or groups - but don't use violence or hate by a particular individual or group to arrest people who did no such thing Otherwise it's not law, it's tyranny 3. Many Jews (considered self-hating Jews) are feeling safe enough to participate in the protests - the idea that the protests are anti-jew is absurd. Of course if a Biden supporter goes to a Trump rally or a Trump supporter goes to a Biden rally, they might feel unwelcomed - but that's different from protests being anti-Jew 4. Hamas being a terrorist on Oct 7 (1 day) does not give Israeli defence force the license to act the exact same way (mudering women and children) for 200+ days Instead of simply condemning Hamas to prove our "humanity", we should unequivocally condemn civilian murders by either side 5. The ongoing slaughter of civilians by Israel has already reached 30 times more than what Hamas did...asking for an end of this vengeful killing spree is a legitimate, moral demand... ...so why would anyone want this demand to be shut down when the murderous rampage goes on? Where is your moral compass?

It was revealed this week that nearly 20 Green Party of England and Wales General Election candidates have shared antisemitic slurs & racist conspiracy theories, backed pro-Palestinian protests calling for intifada & genocide & justified the Hamas massacre of Oct 7th as a legitimate act of resistance. Some of the most egregious examples include comparing Zionism to cancer, claiming the Hamas atrocities were orchestrated by Israel as a way to justify the response in Gaza & in the case of Kefentse Dennis, the Green equalities & diversity co-ordinator, that the Hamas rocket attacks indiscriminately targeting civilians in Israel were an example of "Palestine defending itself as it is legally allowed to" & that the demonstration that took place at a remembrance march for the victims of the Holocaust at Auschwitz was a celebration. The Greens believe that they are on track for their best election results yet in their push to become a mainstream party, with YouGov having them polling at 7%. They are expected to hold the Parliamentary seat of Brighton Pavilion & potentially take Bristol Central. They are the largest party on a number of other English councils across multiple towns and cities, which on this evidence Jews would not be welcome in. So ask yourself why a party who in their own words have a single goal, to bring about a fairer, greener country, who's focus is on the cost of living crisis & climate & environmental issues, appear far more obsessed with the crisis & conflict in the Middle East. Ask yourself why when Mothin Ali won a seat on Leeds City Council for the Greens, he described it as a "win for the people of Gaza". He just happens to be the same individual who had only weeks earlier been involved in the harrassment of a Jewish University chaplain outside his home. The answer to these questions is that after years of well-funded libellous campaigns, Israel has become for many on the left a model of imperialist white supremacy. The simple slanderous message being disseminated that Palestinians are "indigenous natives" & "people of colour", while Jews are "privileged & colonialist white Europeans." The combination of antisemitic & anti-Zionist tendencies in the radical left, along with a well funded Islamist influence, are combining to cause this existential threat to Jewish existence in the UK. The narrative has now grown into rejecting Israel's right to exist, denying our factual history & bond to the land & denying that Jews are historical victims of genocide & also the victims of Oct 7th. The Green Party of England and Wales as a mainstream political party in the UK should frighten you, this is the radical left finding legitimacy & influence. Stand up, speak out and be proud, we cannot allow this to be the future of our country. https://lnkd.in/e5aKHnyj

Two things happened in Michigan on Wednesday evening. First, in the receiving line for Vice President Harris, leaders of the Uncommitted Movement spoke with her briefly and asked her to consider an arms embargo on Israel, and Harris agreed to continue the conversation. Then, in her rally, protestors raised their voices to elevate the issue of Gaza, and Harris told them "if you want Trump to win then say that, otherwise I am speaking." Harris' response to protester's chants in Michigan was, to put it mildly, unfortunate, and a missed opportunity for her to acknowledge the justice and humanity of their pleas. At the same time, the statement issued by her team thereafter (link below), which included both a reference to upholding international law and a subtle but, to this parser of diplomatic wording, fascinating contextualizing qualifier to the standard line on Israel's right to defend itself, while cloaked in more nuance than any of us would like, was encouraging. As the massacre and starvation of Gaza continues, we should be conscious of the changing political context in the U.S. When Biden was running, Gaza protests were directed at a single person who was both the decision-maker empowered to change the policy, and the candidate whose re-election may have hinged on this one issue. Now, Harris is the candidate, and the Democrats are celebrating a moment of sudden and rare party unity. On the current trajectory, though it is still very early, a Democratic Presidential victory suddenly seems not just a roll of the dice, but a distinct possibility. Those of us who are continuing to raise our voices on Gaza must be conscious of this shifting political dynamic and its implications for our leverage and tactics. On the one hand, our calls, including for an immediate ceasefire and an immediate suspension of lethal arms transfers to the IDF, remain appropriately directed to the only person who has the power to address them today: Joe Biden. On the other, we must engage with the new candidates for President and VP, cognizant that they have less power to change the immediate situation, and not having Biden's "track record" on Israel have an even tighter line to walk with the party establishment, the media, and key donors. In that context, we must be unwavering in our demands, but effective in our tactics. Coalition-building in particular remains vital - demonstrating to the candidates that Gaza is not a concern of the few, but of the many, not a focus for some on the perimeter, but a core concern for millions across the rainbow coalition that is the Democratic party. But however we do it, we need to keep Gaza top of mind for the campaign, and do so in a way that incentivizes their continued substantive commitments to change.   NYT article: https://lnkd.in/ekfHDgkc Harris Nat Sec Advisor's Tweet: https://lnkd.in/eYjTQGSG Archived NYT article: https://archive.ph/iWMP8

Mercury of civil unrest and mass-anger on rise in the United States, Britain and Europe The Biden administration is continuing to use law enforcement agencies in dragging-out pro-ceasefire demonstrators from the US campuses, although manhandled protestors possibly are not getting shocked or offended at such rudeness despite the fact, authorities are showing cruel authoritarian “yellow-eyed” tactics under numerous doubtful pretexts. This is not the first time when Americans and Europeans are denied rights to freedom of expression. We have seen how workers were brutally beaten in France when they began demonstrating against Emmanuel Macron’s rowdy decisions. We also have seen banning protests in campuses during the COVID fiasco. And now we are seeing Western political elite’s crackdown on protesters – from North America to Europe, demanding immediate ceasefire in Gaza. It seems, Western populace now do not have any rights. No freedom of press. No freedom of expression. No rule https://lnkd.in/g4cFr3m4

Quote"Those of us who are continuing to raise our voices on Gaza must be conscious of this shifting political dynamic and its implications for our leverage and tactics. On the one hand, our calls, including for an immediate ceasefire and an immediate suspension of lethal arms transfers to the IDF, remain appropriately directed to the only person who has the power to address them today: Joe Biden. On the other, we must engage with the new candidates for President and VP, cognizant that they have less power to change the immediate situation, and not having Biden's "track record" on Israel have an even tighter line to walk with the party establishment, the media, and key donors. In that context, we must be unwavering in our demands, but effective in our tactics. Coalition-building in particular remains vital - demonstrating to the candidates that Gaza is not a concern of the few, but of the many, not a focus for some on the perimeter, but a core concern for millions across the rainbow coalition that is the Democratic party. But however we do it, we need to keep Gaza top of mind for the campaign, and do so in a way that incentivizes their continued substantive commitments to change. NYT article: https://lnkd.in/ekfHDgkc Harris Nat Sec Advisor's Tweet: https://lnkd.in/eYjTQGSG Archived NYT article: https://archive.ph/iWMP8"

The Freedom to Protest: A Cornerstone of Democracy Under Threat The right to peaceful assembly and protest is a cornerstone of any democratic society. It allows citizens to voice their grievances, advocate for change, and hold those in power accountable. However, in recent years, we have witnessed a concerning trend of governments around the world cracking down on this fundamental freedom, often through excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, and repressive laws. The right to protest is enshrined in various international human rights treaties, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which states that "no restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order, the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others." Despite these legal protections, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Across the globe, we have seen protesters face disproportionate and excessive force from law enforcement agencies, leading to injuries, arrests, and even loss of life. The 2019 protests in Hong Kong, the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, and the ongoing demonstrations in Belarus are just a few examples of how the right to protest has been met with heavy-handed tactics. #AllowDissent #ProtestingIsARight #ProtestLawsReform #AntiProtestBills #ProtestersSafety #ProtestsNotCrimes