The tenth anniversary of the crackdown that left hundreds, possibly thousands, dead in Tiananmen Square is a reminder of how fragile our democracy can be. We’re in a period of turmoil and unrest that can lead to protests, whether over the state of the country or over specific issues like climate change, racism or economic justice. Protesters have a right to express their ideas in public and, in most cases, the government should not interfere with that right, unless there’s a clear danger of harm.
Last week, law enforcement officials from the California National Guard and Department of Homeland Security fired non-lethal tear gas at a crowd of people outside a detention center in downtown Los Angeles. The vapors enveloped the crowd, and some were overcome by their toxicity. It was the latest in a series of clashes between local police and demonstrators at the site of an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.
In the US, lawmakers have been using criminal laws to target protesters since the 2016 Indigenous-led anti-pipeline protests in North Dakota. ICNL’s new tracker shows that 2025 is on pace to be the second worst year for state anti-protest legislation ever.
Among the bills this year is one in North Dakota that would punish people with up to 12 months of jail time for wearing a mask at a public gathering. A lawmaker argues the measure is needed to protect the safety of children and other citizens. But the ACLU says it’s an attempt to target people expressing their rights, and that a mask ban is a dangerous precedent.
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