In 2016, a police officer was hit in the face by a rock at a protest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Six years later, the Louisiana Supreme Court made a dangerous ruling.
And it has huge implications for all of us – even if you’re not an activist!
The court ruled that activist DeRay Mckesson can be sued just for organizing the rally – even though he wasn’t the one who injured the cop! Why? Because “he should have known” things would get violent. But this won’t just affect him.
“It almost seems like anyone who goes to, or is near, or talks about, or even reshares a graphic about a protest could potentially be sued under this,” worries lawyer Mandie Landry.
Meanwhile, Louisiana state representative Danny McCormick recently filed a bill to justify killing people at protests because of “property damage!”
They’re making it obvious now: if organizers can be held legally accountable for things ANYONE does at protests, and protesters can be killed without consequences, why would anyone protest with all of that risk? But here’s the thing.
The criminal legal system has ALWAYS tried to stifle our voices, and shuffle even more Black people behind bars – all because we demand our human rights. But they’ve got a long fight coming, because we will never give up our struggle for liberation.