The right to speak out, organize, and peaceably assemble is a cornerstone of our democracy. Yet, across the nation, we are witnessing an escalating coordinated effort to criminalize protest and suppress political opposition.
Recently, ACLU of Hawaiʻi Director of Community Engagement Sergio Alcubilla joined a national webinar hosted by Refuse Fascism alongside legal advocates and investigative journalists to unpack these growing threats to our constitutional rights.
The discussion, which featured insights from Robert Held (President of the Chicago Council of Lawyers), investigative journalist Will Potter, and Drew Harmon, highlighted how federal mechanisms—from executive directives like NSPM-7 to political prosecutions—are increasingly being leveraged to suppress dissent. By framing grassroots organizing and anti-fascist advocacy as forms of domestic terrorism, these measures aim to create a chilling effect that intimidates communities into silence.
At the ACLU of Hawaiʻi, we know that when the right to protest is undermined anywhere, free expression is threatened everywhere. Protecting the right to dissent is not just about defending individual activists under fire; it is about preserving the vital civic space that allows all communities to advocate for justice, accountability, and equity.
As federal pressure mounts, the work to safeguard local organizing and uphold First Amendment protections becomes even more urgent. We must remain vigilant, know our rights, and stand firmly against any attempts to turn peaceful exercise of constitutional rights into a criminal offense.
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