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Wall of Moms, Don't Shoot Portland sue federal Homeland Security Department
Protesters, including the "Wall of Moms" group in yellow shirts, stand outside the Justice Center in downtown Portland just before 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, 2020.
Credit: The Oregonian
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Wall of Moms, Don’t Shoot Portland sue federal Homeland Security Department
The Oregonian
Updated 3:45 PM; Today 1:12 PM
Read it here: https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/07/wall-of-moms-dont-shoot-portland-sue-federal-homeland-security-department.html
Excerpts:
Protesters from the Wall of Moms group and Don’t Shoot Portland on Monday filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, arguing federal officers are violating their free speech, using excessive force, overstepping their authority and acting under the command of someone who hasn’t been formally confirmed in his role.
The suit targets “Operation Diligent Valor,‘' which brought at least 114 federal officers to Portland in early July, alleging that the officers have made unlawful arrests without probable cause and used violence to “stamp out peaceful and constitutionally protected protests.”
“Rather than protect and defend Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights, as they are bound to do by law and their Oaths of Office, Defendants have implemented an unlawful policy to quash Plaintiffs’ speech and end their protests,‘' the suit says.
The suit alleges that federal officers have overstepped their legal authority by co-opting the “general police power'' reserved for states and have violated demonstrators’ rights to freedom of speech and assembly, due process and to be free from unreasonable seizures. Members of the Wall of Moms have been repeatedly injured by federal agents, the suit says.
The suit targets “Operation Diligent Valor,‘' which brought at least 114 federal officers to Portland in early July, alleging that the officers have made unlawful arrests without probable cause and used violence to “stamp out peaceful and constitutionally protected protests.”
“Rather than protect and defend Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights, as they are bound to do by law and their Oaths of Office, Defendants have implemented an unlawful policy to quash Plaintiffs’ speech and end their protests,‘' the suit says.
The suit alleges that federal officers have overstepped their legal authority by co-opting the “general police power'' reserved for states and have violated demonstrators’ rights to freedom of speech and assembly, due process and to be free from unreasonable seizures. Members of the Wall of Moms have been repeatedly injured by federal agents, the suit says.
KY.........
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Moms, dads and vets covers a lot of citizen territory......
Clip from article:
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by the Protect Democracy Project Inc., a group founded in early 2017 by former high-level executive branch officials who served in the White House Counsel’s Office and upper echelons of the Department of Justice. They “have unique knowledge of the norms that have constrained presidential power for decades and when those in power may be tempted to violate them,” according to its website.
Link to that group: https://protectdemocracyproject.org/
Excerpt:
What is The Protect Democracy Project?
The Protect Democracy Project is a nonpartisan nonprofit with an urgent goal: to hold the President and the Executive Branch accountable to the laws and longstanding practices that have protected our democracy through both Democratic and Republican Administrations. We have seen an unprecedented tide of authoritarian-style politics sweep the country that is fundamentally at odds with the Bill of Rights, the constitutional limitations on the role of the President, and the laws and unwritten norms that prevent overreach and abuse of power. The only limits to prevent a slide away from our democratic traditions will be those that are imposed by the Courts, Congress, and the American people.
The Protect Democracy Project provides public education on these threats and how the American people can best confront them. The Protect Democracy Project advances its educational mission through monitoring, investigating, public outreach, and, when appropriate, litigating against government actions that threaten our democracy and the free, fair, and fully-informed pursuit of self-government.
Who Are We?
The Protect Democracy Project was conceived by a group of former White House and Administration lawyers and experienced constitutional litigators, all with a deep understanding of how the federal government works. As we were the ones tasked with implementing and enforcing the norms that govern our democracy, we know what those guardrails are and when those in power may be tempted to violate them. To assist with our efforts to educate and inform the public, we have brought together experienced communications professionals, as well as a network that spans former officials throughout government and grassroots groups around the country. We are also working with expert scholars on authoritarian regimes.
The Protect Democracy Project is a nonpartisan nonprofit with an urgent goal: to hold the President and the Executive Branch accountable to the laws and longstanding practices that have protected our democracy through both Democratic and Republican Administrations. We have seen an unprecedented tide of authoritarian-style politics sweep the country that is fundamentally at odds with the Bill of Rights, the constitutional limitations on the role of the President, and the laws and unwritten norms that prevent overreach and abuse of power. The only limits to prevent a slide away from our democratic traditions will be those that are imposed by the Courts, Congress, and the American people.
The Protect Democracy Project provides public education on these threats and how the American people can best confront them. The Protect Democracy Project advances its educational mission through monitoring, investigating, public outreach, and, when appropriate, litigating against government actions that threaten our democracy and the free, fair, and fully-informed pursuit of self-government.
Who Are We?
The Protect Democracy Project was conceived by a group of former White House and Administration lawyers and experienced constitutional litigators, all with a deep understanding of how the federal government works. As we were the ones tasked with implementing and enforcing the norms that govern our democracy, we know what those guardrails are and when those in power may be tempted to violate them. To assist with our efforts to educate and inform the public, we have brought together experienced communications professionals, as well as a network that spans former officials throughout government and grassroots groups around the country. We are also working with expert scholars on authoritarian regimes.
KY.........
