Democratic Rights in the US
US Supreme Court refuses to hear challenge to Mississippi’s discriminatory “religious freedom” law
By Matthew Taylor and Ed Hightower, 11 January 2018
The effect of the Supreme Court’s inaction is to encourage blatant discrimination against LGBT persons and all except Biblical literalists.
Freedom for Julian Assange!
By Bill Van Auken, 11 January 2018
The “untenable” conditions under which the WikiLeaks founder remains confined are the product of an unrelenting drive by the US and British governments to punish him for exposing the crimes of imperialism.
France’s Socialist Party attacks Catherine Deneuve for opposing #MeToo witch-hunt
By Alex Lantier, 11 January 2018
The courageous column published by 100 women in Le Monde criticizing the #MeToo campaign has provoked a venomous response from the French state machine.
“Sexual misconduct” witch-hunt targets conductor Charles Dutoit, director Max Stafford-Clarke and actor Ed Westwick
By Paul Bond, 11 January 2018
Just before Christmas, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra announced that it had cancelled appearances by its artistic director, 81-year-old conductor Charles Dutoit.
Louisiana teacher jailed for speaking out at school board meeting
By Nancy Hanover, 10 January 2018
Deyshia Hargrave was removed from a meeting, handcuffed and taken to jail for opposing a large pay hike for the school superintendent while employees have had no raise in a decade.
French artists rebuff #MeToo witch-hunt
By Linda Tenenbaum, 10 January 2018
An open letter signed by actress Catherine Deneuve and other prominent women emphasizes the anti-democratic nature of the #MeToo movement and its repudiation of due process.
A crime against humanity
US to deport 262,000 Salvadoran immigrants
By Patrick Martin, 9 January 2018
This barbaric action will split up tens of thousands of families and threaten countless deaths among those forced to return to the killing fields of Central America.
Ten-year-old child among the victims
American Civil Liberties Union sues DC police for attacking inauguration protests
By Harvey Simpkins and Nick Barrickman, 9 January 2018
A civil lawsuit filed by the ACLU alleges protesters were assaulted and deprived of their constitutional rights.
Notes on police violence
US police kill 29 during first week of 2018
By George Gallanis, 9 January 2018
Almost all of the killings follow a general logic: police kill anyone they suspect to be a threat, regardless of how severe or even real the threat.
Trump “defends” the right to protest in Iran, criminalizes protest in Washington
By E.P. Milligan, 8 January 2018
Even as Trump was bloviating about the right to protest in Iran, his Justice Department was carrying out a political trial against peaceful protesters in a brazen attack on the freedom of speech and assembly guaranteed by the US Constitution.
Governments and corporations escalate Internet censorship and attacks on free speech
By Andre Damon, 6 January 2018
Technology companies and governments all over the world have kicked off the New Year with a massive assault on freedom of expression on the Internet.
UC Berkeley student arrested by border patrol
By David Brown, 5 January 2018
Luis Mora, a junior transfer to the UC, was arrested Saturday night at an internal checkpoint for overstaying his visa.
Facebook deleted accounts at the behest of US, Israeli and German governments
By Niles Niemuth, 4 January 2018
The social media company has deleted the accounts of Palestinian activists. journalists and the former leader of Chechnya in a campaign of international political censorship.
Seattle councilperson Kshama Sawant targeted by defamation lawsuit for calling police “murderers”
By Eric London, 3 January 2018
The Socialist Equality Party’s long-documented differences with Socialist Alternative do not lessen our opposition to attempts by the political establishment to silence criticism of the police.
New York prepares military-style occupation for New Year’s celebration in Times Square
By Philip Guelpa, 30 December 2017
Thousands of heavily armed, uniformed personnel, including police snipers, are being deployed to impose a military-style occupation of Times Square in connection with the annual New Year’s Eve celebration.
Drexel University professor resigns amid death threats from right-wing forces
By Trévon Austin, 30 December 2017
Ciccariello-Maher, a professor of politics and global studies, was harassed and threatened after several tweets he made were criticized on various right-wing outlets.
The petition against Matt Damon and the “erasing” of Kevin Spacey: The fiercely antidemocratic character of the sexual misconduct campaign
By David Walsh, 28 December 2017
The New York Times is at the forefront of the reactionary witch-hunt, defending various efforts at censorship and repression.
Democratic Party witch-hunters target Green Party candidate Jill Stein
By Statement of the Political Committee of the Socialist Equality Party (US), 23 December 2017
The Socialist Equality Party condemns the targeting of Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate in the 2016 election, by Democrats in the Senate Intelligence Committee.
US Congress targets Green Party candidate Jill Stein over allegations of collusion with Russia
By Trévon Austin, 21 December 2017
The targeting of Stein demonstrates that the anti-Russia witch-hunt is aimed ultimately at domestic political opposition.
Polls shows mass opposition to net neutrality repeal
By Kevin Reed, 21 December 2017
In the week since the FCC vote to end net neutrality, the nature of the attack on the public and the democratic right to a free and open internet is becoming clearer.
Actor Matt Damon comes under attack for his criticisms of the sexual misconduct campaign
By David Walsh, 20 December 2017
The actor suggested there was a continuum of inappropriate behavior, and that the punishments meted out to Sen. Al Franken and comic Louis C.K. were perhaps too harsh.
Pentagon faces outrage for declaring Guantanamo art will burn
By E.B. Cohen, 20 December 2017
The Pentagon is directing its military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to confiscate detainees’ finished art and has threatened to destroy it.
Trump unveils “America First” national security strategy
By Bill Van Auken, 19 December 2017
Behind the hackneyed campaign-style speech delivered by Trump Monday, the US military and intelligence apparatus is preparing for world war.
Verdict looms in first round of trials for 194 charged in anti-Trump inauguration day protests
By E.P. Milligan, 19 December 2017
The first of a round of trials surrounding the defendants involved in the January 20 protests against the inauguration of President Donald Trump came to a close on Friday.
The end of net neutrality and the fight to defend the free internet
By Andre Damon, 15 December 2017
Thursday’s move by the US government to end net neutrality seeks to usher in an age when corporations and the government decide what people can and cannot access online.
PBS cancels “Tavis Smiley” show as sex witch-hunt expands
By Barry Grey, 15 December 2017
As has become typical in the growing campaign over alleged sexual offenses, the public broadcaster did not name the accusers or provide any details of their allegations.
US Supreme Court rejects appeal by gay woman in employment discrimination case
By Ed Hightower, 14 December 2017
The high court’s inaction means that employers in most states can openly discriminate against homosexuals without consequences under federal law.
Why has Time magazine endorsed the #MeToo “revolution”?
By David Walsh, 12 December 2017
Given the ongoing frenzy, the magazine’s decision was entirely predictable. Had its editors made any other choice there would have been a media-organized uproar.
Nevada and Nebraska move to use powerful opioid in state executions
By Nick Barrickman, 11 December 2017
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic painkiller that has been linked to a substantial number of drug overdoses throughout the US.
Democrats force resignation of US Senator Al Franken
By Patrick Martin, 8 December 2017
The witch-hunt over sexual misconduct has claimed its highest-level victim among elected officials.
Google hiring 10,000 reviewers to censor YouTube content
By Zaida Green, 8 December 2017
The video-sharing platform has already removed over 150,000 videos, with 50 percent of videos removed within two hours of upload.
US Supreme Court hears oral argument on cake shop anti-gay discrimination case
By Ed Hightower, 7 December 2017
A ruling in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop would mean an open season for segregation and discrimination of all sorts.
John Conyers forced to resign from Congress as sex witch-hunt escalates
By a reporter, 6 December 2017
The Detroit Democrat is the most prominent congressional victim of the media campaign over charges of sexual misconduct.
US Supreme Court puts Trump travel ban into effect
By Eric London and Norisa Diaz, 5 December 2017
The decision, supported by half the justices nominated by Democrats, will have devastating consequences for those seeking to escape war-torn regions of the Middle East.
The public humiliation and destruction of Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine
By David North and David Walsh, 5 December 2017
The decision by the Metropolitan Opera in New York City to suspend James Levine, its longtime musical director (1976-2016), from any further conducting engagements is the latest victory for the New York Times and the champions of the new repression.
Capitol Hill journalists revoke RT America’s news credentials
By Trévon Austin, 5 December 2017
The decision prevents the Russian-based television network from accessing members of Congress as news reporters
Behind the FCC plan to abolish net neutrality
Broadband monopolies to censor Internet content
By Kevin Reed, 5 December 2017
The FCC plan to repeal previous net neutrality standards enables the ISP monopolies to further their business interests while enabling censorship at a fundamental level of Internet infrastructure.
US federal prosecutors rely on ultra-right propagandist group’s recordings in trial of inauguration day protesters
By Nick Barrickman, 2 December 2017
The federal government’s use of material from Project Veritas in its case against anti-Trump demonstrators further signifies the Trump administration’s reliance on far-right forces.
IYSSE mounts campaign against university police censorship at University of California, Berkeley
By Evan Blake, 2 December 2017
Students registered opposition to the suppression of free speech and militarization of police by signing a petition and joining the International Youth and Students for Social Equality.
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi demands Representative John Conyers resign over harassment claims
By Andre Damon, 1 December 2017
Conyers, the longest serving member of the House of Representatives, has been targeted in an expanding purge of Congress carried out on the pretext of fighting "sexual misconduct."
Brooklyn College students oppose NYPD spying on campus
By Josh Varlin, 1 December 2017
The showing of Watched, a film about police infiltration of Muslim student groups, sparked widespread discussion about the presence of the New York police on campus.
US sexual witch-hunt
NBC’s “Today” co-anchor Matt Lauer and “Prairie Home Companion” creator Garrison Keillor latest to be purged
By David Walsh, 30 November 2017
The spinelessness and contempt for democracy within the media and political establishment seems almost universal and unlimited.
Tennessee punishes workers who default on student loans, ignores politicians’ fines
By Warren Duzak, 28 November 2017
Tennessee is the nation’s most aggressive state in penalizing those who default on student loans.
Net neutrality and the drive to censor the internet
By Andre Damon, 25 November 2017
The move by the Trump administration to end net neutrality marks a milestone in the offensive by the US government and major corporations to put an end to the free and open internet.
Amazon announces new cloud to host “Secret” government data
By Evan Blake, 24 November 2017
The creation of the AWS Secret Cloud places Amazon at the center of the global surveillance operations of American imperialism.
FCC plan to repeal “net neutrality” gives telecom giants control of public access to Internet
By Kevin Reed, 23 November 2017
The anti-democratic plan to deregulate the US Internet infrastructure will enable privately-owned US broadband providers to control public access to online content.
Google’s Eric Schmidt admits political censorship of search results
By Niles Niemuth, 22 November 2017
Remarks by the executive chairman of Google’s parent company about efforts to “de-rank” news sites critical of the US government expose the corporate-government conspiracy to block oppositional voices on the Internet.
CBS fires Charlie Rose, Oliver Stone accused
Latest in sexual misconduct purge: Ultra-rightist “tips off” media about Rep. John Conyers
By David Walsh, 22 November 2017
In the latest chapter of the ongoing sex scandal, the media reported on Monday that Democratic Congressman John Conyers of Michigan settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 with a former employee.
“Sexual harassment” witch-hunt claims Jeffrey Tambor, Charlie Rose as latest victims
By Barry Grey, 21 November 2017
Allegations are followed by immediate dismissal and removal from shows.
Political hysteria over alleged sexual abuse ensnares congressional Democrats
By Patrick Martin, 17 November 2017
Charges of sexual misconduct, in some cases dating back decades, are now embroiling the political establishment as well as Hollywood.
Ohio sets new execution date for 69-year-old inmate
By Kate Randall, 17 November 2017
Alva Campbell’s execution-gone-wrong casts a grim light on all that is repugnant about capital punishment and how it is practiced in 21st century America.
Warrantless spying on US citizens sanctioned by Pentagon, training documents indicate
By Zaida Green, 15 November 2017
US citizens and legal residents with zero connections to terrorists can be designated as “homegrown violent extremists” and subjected to warrantless surveillance.
US brands RT a “foreign agent:” A chilling move against free speech
By Andre Damon, 11 November 2017
The Justice Department’s demand that RT register as a “foreign agent” is aimed at delegitimizing it as a news source, intimidating its contributors and guests, and setting a precedent for branding news outlets as treasonous.
US Justice Department forces RT America to register as “foreign agent”
By Trévon Austin, 10 November 2017
The move is a product of the ongoing anti-Russia witch hunt led by the Democratic Party, together with the US intelligence agencies, aimed at delegitimizing and outlawing domestic political opposition.
Texas executes Mexican national in disregard of international law
By Trévon Austin, 9 November 2017
Ruben Ramirez Cárdenas was executed late Wednesday night via lethal injection after a last-minute appeal by his attorneys to the US Supreme Court was rejected.
Northern Virginia woman fired from job after giving Trump motorcade the middle finger
By Nick Barrickman, 9 November 2017
Juli Briskman was fired from her government contracting job last week after a photo of her giving the president’s motorcade “the finger” went viral.
LAPD arrests after Trump election exposed as political repression
By John Burton, 7 November 2017
Los Angeles police arrested hundreds in the post-election protests, but presented only a handful of cases to prosecutors.
Guantanamo Bay military judge arrests military defense lawyer
By Alan Gilman, 6 November 2017
The al-Nashiri case underscores the mockery being made of the Bill of Rights through the Military Commissions hearings at Guantanamo Bay.
Bowe Bergdahl sentenced to dishonorable discharge, avoids prison in court-martial for desertion
By Shelley Connor, 4 November 2017
U.S. army soldier Bowe Bergdahl had been held by the Taliban for five years in brutal conditions, gaining his freedom as part of a prisoner swap in 2014.
“The sad thing is that there are so many people like me in that system”
Davino Watson, US citizen falsely imprisoned by ICE agents, speaks out
By Nick Barrickman, 4 November 2017
Watson has been denied the right to sue for damages incurred while he was illegally imprisoned by ICE for over three years.
Billionaire CEO Joe Ricketts shuts down DNAinfo and Gothamist after unionization vote
By Michael Walters and Alexander Fangmann, 4 November 2017
The sudden shutdown of the popular local news websites illustrates the dangers posed by the financial aristocracy’s control over the media and the internet.
New York police officers charged with raping teenage suspect in custody
By Daniel de Vries, 4 November 2017
A grand jury indicted two NYPD detectives this week on 50 counts of kidnapping and raping a teenage woman while she was handcuffed in a police van.
The Democrats’ McCarthyite witch hunt
By Andre Damon, 3 November 2017
This week’s congressional hearings on “extremist content” mark a new stage in the campaign by congressional Democrats, working with the intelligence agencies and leading media outlets, to legitimize censorship and criminalize dissent.
Anti-Russia hearings in the US:
Lawmakers demand tech companies censor journalists and conduct mass surveillance
By Andre Damon, 2 November 2017
Wednesday's testimony made clear the social media giants are being required to act as a proxy of the US government, to muzzle its critics and political opponents.
US Congressional hearing:
Former FBI agent says tech companies must “silence” sources of “rebellion”
By Andre Damon, 1 November 2017
Advocating stepped-up censorship of the Internet, Clint Watts, a former US Army officer and FBI agent, declared, “Civil wars don’t start with gunshots, they start with words.”
May a word be spoken on behalf of Kevin Spacey?
By David Walsh, 1 November 2017
The American actor is one of the most gifted and significant performers of his generation. Now his career, at least for the moment, lies in ruins.
US congressional hearings on “extremist content” prepare assault on free speech
By Andre Damon, 31 October 2017
This week, US tech companies will report to Congress on their moves to limit “extremist content” on the Internet as part of the anti-Russian witch hunt, which is increasingly targeting the First Amendment.
California: Car plows through immigration protesters outside US congressman’s office
By Dan Conway, 31 October 2017
Video shows Daniel Wenzek inching his car into protesters who had temporarily blocked a street crossing, and then accelerating while a protester lay on the hood of his car.
US Appeals Court denies second hearing for US citizen falsely imprisoned by ICE officials
By Nick Barrickman, 30 October 2017
The October 19 court decision is the latest in a series of appeals and reversals by US courts on Watson’s case.
Twitter bans RT and Sputnik from advertising
By Trévon Austin, 28 October 2017
The move sets a chilling precedent, giving Twitter the ability to decide which news outlets are allowed to promote their content, limiting free speech and freedom of the press online.
US immigration officials arrest 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy after surgery
By Eric London, 27 October 2017
The US immigration agencies, which employ tens of thousands of police and bureaucrats, are being transformed into institutional bases of fascism.
New York Times and Wall Street Journal demand censorship of YouTube
By Andre Damon, 26 October 2017
In two articles appearing Tuesday on the front pages of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the newspapers laid out justifications for censoring the online streaming service YouTube.
Review of Tennessee’s bail bond system exposes inequalities in US justice system
By Warren Duzak, 25 October 2017
At a recent public meeting, the Metro Nashville Public Defender reviewed the arcane practice of bail bonding and its impact on working class and poor defendants.
Mississippi school district removes To Kill a Mockingbird from curriculum
By Sandy English, 24 October 2017
The public school district in Biloxi, Mississippi, has removed Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird from the eighth grade curriculum because of complaints by parents about the language in the book.
“This anti-Russian campaign is horrible”: An interview with antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan
By David Walsh, 23 October 2017
Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a US soldier killed in Iraq in 2004, has had many bitter experiences with the Democratic Party.
Over 5,000 sign WSWS petition against Google blacklisting
By Trévon Austin, 23 October 2017
The broad and passionate response from workers, students and youth in the United States and internationally is indicative of widespread opposition to censorship and attacks on democratic rights.
Google escalates blacklisting of left-wing web sites and journalists
By Andre Damon, 20 October 2017
In a sweeping expansion of its moves to censor the Internet, Google has blacklisted leading left-wing websites and journalists from its news aggregation platform.
As Trump presses owners to fire protesting athletes
NFL commissioner says football players should stand for national anthem
By Alan Gilman, 19 October 2017
In an angry tweet Wednesday, Trump complained that the NFL owners had decided not to force players to stand for the national anthem.
Florida Governor declares state of emergency ahead of speech by white supremacist
By Matthew Taylor, 18 October 2017
The Sheriff's department has stated that more than 500 police officers will be on hand for the speech by Richard Spencer at the University of Florida.
The conspiracy to censor the Internet
By Andre Damon and Joseph Kishore, 18 October 2017
US intelligence agencies, media outlets and Democratic Party operatives are turning the witch-hunt against Russia into the justification for a far-reaching attack on free speech.
Trump appeals to fundamentalists and fascists
By Patrick Martin, 17 October 2017
The heart of Trump’s speech was to boast that his administration was turning back the clock on social progress made since the 1950s.
New club procedures at UC Berkeley give police effective veto power over campus events
By Gabriel Black and Joseph Santolan, 17 October 2017
The new policy requiring clubs to submit their plans to the police and to pay for police presence at their meetings is an attack on free speech on campus.
How the Internet keeps us safe from people like Thomas Friedman
By Andre Damon, 14 October 2017
Friedman, the notorious war propagandist, is demanding that technology companies censor news outlets that would hold him to account for his lies.
NFL commissioner announces plans against anthem protests
By Trévon Austin, 12 October 2017
NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell and a number of team owners are taking measures to punish football players who kneel during the anthem.
Notes on police violence
Killing of fleeing man by Salt Lake City police officers ruled “justified”
By Josh Varlin, 10 October 2017
No charges have been brought against the officers who killed Patrick Harmon despite contradictions between the police version of events and bodycam footage.
Trump and Pence orchestrate national anthem provocation at NFL game
By Alan Gilman, 10 October 2017
Pence and his wife left the Indianapolis stadium after about 20 members of the San Francisco 49ers “took a knee” during the national anthem.
Trump White House declares war on immigrants
By Patrick Martin, 10 October 2017
The Trump immigration document exposes the role of the Democratic Party in providing political cover for the White House.
Inequality and the American oligarchy
Identity politics and the growth of inequality within racial minorities
By Eric London, 7 October 2017
New data from the Federal Reserve reveal the extraordinary growth of social inequality within minority populations, which forms the basis of the identity politics of the upper-middle class.
For one in four US women: Nearest abortion facility over 30 miles away
By Zaida Green, 6 October 2017
In many counties, women must travel dozens or hundreds of miles to reach an abortion facility and are often forced to travel to another state.
Inequality and the American oligarchy
The social and economic roots of the attack on democratic rights
By Eric London, 6 October 2017
New figures on social inequality reveal the material basis for the campaign in ruling circles to block access to the WSWS and other left-wing sites.
The elites “have no credibility left:” An interview with journalist Chris Hedges
By David North, 6 October 2017
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges talks with the WSWS about the anti-Russia campaign, the attack on democratic rights, and the role of the capitalist media.
UC Berkeley mobilizes police for “Free Speech Week”
By David Brown, 3 October 2017
The university administration, headed by former Department of Homeland Security head Janet Napolitano, used the right-wing provocation as a pretext for mobilizing police on campus.
International Youth and Students for Social Equality wins club status at New York University
By the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, 3 October 2017
The IYSSE won the support of hundreds of students, and was granted club status after a year of rejections.
Race, class and the protests against police violence in St. Louis, Missouri
By Genevieve Leigh, 3 October 2017
As part of its efforts to inject racialist politics into the protests against the police officer who killed Anthony Lamar Smith, groups around the Democratic Party held a “white allies only” rally.
The New York Times reports World Socialist Web Site charge of Google censorship and blacklisting
By Andre Damon, 2 October 2017
The Times’ article is the first detailed report in the US mainstream media of Google’s manipulation of searches to bar access to left-wing sites.
US Justice Department demands Facebook turn over information on anti-administration activists
By Trévon Austin, 30 September 2017
Private account information on thousands of Facebook users could be handed over to the government as a result of the warrants.
ICE arrests nearly 500 immigrants in raids on “sanctuary cities” across US
By Evan Blake, 30 September 2017
The crackdown is intended to cultivate authoritarian sentiments within Trump’s far-right base, as well as embolden fascistic elements within ICE itself.
The new McCarthyism and the suppression of political dissent
By Andre Damon, 29 September 2017
The increasingly hysterical anti-Russia campaign, spearheaded by the Democratic Party, is laying the political and legal basis for the criminalization of dissent in the United States.
Behind Trump’s attack on the NFL football players
By Patrick Martin, 26 September 2017
Trump’s attacks on NFL players for “disrespecting” the national anthem are a calculated effort to whip up racism and militarism.
Trump implements new indefinite travel ban
By Niles Niemuth, 26 September 2017
The implementation of new travel restrictions can only be understood as a prelude to a further escalation of US imperialist operations.
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