Sign if you agree: Arresting journalists at Standing Rock is a violation of the First Amendment
Obama Administration Department of Justice
While mainstream media has barely batted an eye at the months-long protests against the Dakota Access pipeline in Standing Rock, North Dakota prosecutors are attempting to unlawfully silence independent media and journalists by arresting them under trumped up charges.
Sign the petition to the Obama Administration: Investigate First Amendment violations at Standing Rock.
Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman reported on vicious dog attacks against protesters over Labor Day weekend. A security firm hired to guard the pipeline released their guard dogs on peaceful demonstrators. Days after Amy Goodman's video report on the attack went viral, she was charged with rioting -- only after criminal trespassing charges wouldn't stick.
Charges against Goodman have been dropped, but North Dakota's officials continue to abuse their power to intimidate journalists into silence. Four journalists from independent media outlet Unicorn Riot all face jail time. Journalist Deia Schlosberg faces up to 45 years in prison after three felony conspiracy charges for her coverage of the protests.
This is a clear and direct violation of the First Amendment.
Sign the petition to the Obama Administration: Investigate First Amendment violations at Standing Rock.
Targeting journalists and threatening them with ridiculously harsh sentences is a bullying tactic intended to muddy transparency and clarity about what's happening at these protests. This year alone, we've seen how critical video footage has been in protecting people's rights.
Suppressing documentation and coverage of the protests in Standing Rock opens the door for law enforcement to spin tales to justify force against protesters, with no documentation to refute their claims. We cannot let that happen.
Sign the petition to the Obama Administration: Investigate First Amendment violations at Standing Rock.
Sign the petition to the Obama Administration: Investigate First Amendment violations at Standing Rock.
Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman reported on vicious dog attacks against protesters over Labor Day weekend. A security firm hired to guard the pipeline released their guard dogs on peaceful demonstrators. Days after Amy Goodman's video report on the attack went viral, she was charged with rioting -- only after criminal trespassing charges wouldn't stick.
Charges against Goodman have been dropped, but North Dakota's officials continue to abuse their power to intimidate journalists into silence. Four journalists from independent media outlet Unicorn Riot all face jail time. Journalist Deia Schlosberg faces up to 45 years in prison after three felony conspiracy charges for her coverage of the protests.
This is a clear and direct violation of the First Amendment.
Sign the petition to the Obama Administration: Investigate First Amendment violations at Standing Rock.
Targeting journalists and threatening them with ridiculously harsh sentences is a bullying tactic intended to muddy transparency and clarity about what's happening at these protests. This year alone, we've seen how critical video footage has been in protecting people's rights.
Suppressing documentation and coverage of the protests in Standing Rock opens the door for law enforcement to spin tales to justify force against protesters, with no documentation to refute their claims. We cannot let that happen.
Sign the petition to the Obama Administration: Investigate First Amendment violations at Standing Rock.
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To:
Obama Administration Department of Justice
From:
[Your Name]
North Dakota prosecutors bringing charges against journalists for covering the Standing Rock protests is an unlawful abuse of power. The First Amendment guarantees Freedom of the Press. Threatening journalists with excessive punishment for doing their jobs is intimidation and must not stand unchallenged. The Department of Justice needs to investigate this repeated overreach by North Dakota prosecutors.