Protesters have taken to the streets across the United States to protest President Trump’s immigration crackdown. But the administration’s heavy-handed response to a handful of demonstrations has created fears that it could lead to more violence and arrests, particularly when the next round of mass deportations is announced. In a sign of the coming backlash, federal prosecutors have warned their colleagues to prioritize cases targeting protesters who cause harm or damage government property, as well as those who occupy public spaces and threaten the safety of others.
Meanwhile, state lawmakers have introduced 32 bills across 16 states targeting student protesters, anti-war activists and climate change advocates with harsh prison sentences and hefty fines. Experts say these attacks on freedom of speech are designed to erode the First Amendment.
On college campuses, administrators are deploying tactics like banning tents and calling in police to disperse protesters. But if the government wants to prevent the kinds of escalating confrontations that have made their way into news headlines this week, it should not try to stifle free expression by punishing students who have a constitutional right to peacefully assemble and speak their minds.
The United States was founded by people seeking justice, and throughout generations, popular protest has achieved vital social change, from giving women the vote to ending segregation. It’s time for leaders to stop using police power and other tools of oppression against protesters who are just asking for a better future.