Amnesty International USA Reaction to White House Executive Memo to Silence Dissent
In response to the new Presidential Memorandum on Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence announced last night, Paul O’Brien, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, made the following statement:
“President Trump’s executive action is a blatant attempt to weaponize agencies of the U.S. government to silence peaceful voices and organizations he disagrees with. And it will have the very real effect of chilling lawful, peaceful speech and silencing political dissent.
“Since his second inauguration, President Trump and his administration have sought to dismantle the fabric of civil society in the United States, and now they are coming for the civil society organizations that disagree with them, with accusations of shadowy networks of people conspiring ‘against rights.’
“As a human rights organization, we condemn the use of violence or intimidation to suppress the right to freedom of expression. We must collectively work for a country where everyone’s human rights, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression, are respected, protected and fulfilled”.
