Losing Our Right to Protest

You're far more likely to get arrested if you're protesting against neoliberal interests.

Amnesty International is organizing a Protect the Protest campaign. What an oxymoron, right? Protect the Protest.

It seems insane, absurd, but it is real.

We think the rights humanity fought for and upon which our current system of living is based will always count and be respected. And of course, if you're protesting against abortion or pandemic restrictions, you don't have to worry so much about your right to protest. The same goes for barging into department stores and harassing staff over yellow hoodies.

What if you're protesting against genocide or the destruction of the planet?

Your rights suddenly don't matter.

We think we will never go back to authoritarian governments and the lack of freedom, freedom of expression, for example. Then I invite you to observe and think again. We are losing the workers rights so hard won by years of strikes and workers protests; we are losing the right to protest, and not just in the “third world countries”, those faraway places where a bunch of poor …