Powered by creativity and a sense of shared humanity, protest can pave the way for progress in areas that affect our lives. But states are increasingly intervening to curb people-powered movements that demand accountability and change. Amnesty International is fighting back.
Tensions are high in Washington DC this weekend after President Trump ordered the National Guard to help police quell violent protests over immigration raids in the city’s minority neighborhoods. The move was controversial, especially because local authorities have been handling the protests so far and many in the crowd don’t want National Guard troops to interfere.
The Trump administration is also trying to cast people-powered protests as terrorism — using anti-terror and immigration laws to deport legal residents, quell campus demonstrations and dismantle social movements. This year is already on track to be the worst yet for bills targeting protesters, based on the number and variation of laws tracked by ICNL.
In Nepal, people-powered protests are a response to high unemployment, corrupt politicians and rampant inflation — but they’re not the only reason for anger over government policies. A viral online movement against “Nepo Kids,” photos of affluent children of political leaders, is adding to the sense of alienation that’s spreading among younger Nepalis.
The Tiananmen Mothers, a group of relatives of those killed during the 1989 crackdown on student protesters, are marking 25 years since their founding by calling for Beijing to release a full tally of how many civilians died in that day’s deadly assault. Almost 3,000 were killed by soldiers and thugs in the streets, but the official figure is widely considered to be an undercount.