US Placed on Watchlist for Civic Freedoms Decline, Civicus Report States

Civicus Report on US Civic Freedoms

• 🇺🇸 A report by the organization Civicus has placed the United States on a watchlist for urgent concern regarding the health of its civic society and attacks on civic freedoms.
• 🚨 The US is listed alongside countries like Turkey, Serbia, El Salvador, Indonesia, and Kenya, indicating a significant decline in its civic health.

Reasons for US Placement on Watchlist

• authoritarianism: The report states the US appears to be sliding deeper into authoritarianism, citing peaceful protests being confronted with military force.
• ⚖️ Critics are treated as criminals, and journalists are targeted, with support for civil society and international cooperation being cut back.
• 📢 The report highlights the military deployment against anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles and the subsequent escalation by the Trump administration.

Attacks on Protests and Media

• 📰 Civicus referenced specific attacks against the media, including an Australian journalist being targeted by a police officer while covering unrest.
• 🎤 A Salvadorian journalist, Mario Gua, was detained and charged while live-streaming an anti-Trump protest, despite identifying as press, and was transferred to ICE custody.
• 🏛️ The Trump administration's lawsuits against media companies and the cutting of over $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting were also cited.

Suppression of Dissent and Free Speech

• 💭 The concept of "pre-assault indicators" used by ICE to justify arrests is criticized as a form of thought crime, reminiscent of tyrannical governments.
• 🗣️ Students protesting Israel or writing political editorials about it were arrested and threatened with deportation, demonstrating an inability to criticize foreign governments.
• 📜 The report notes targeted attacks against individuals speaking out against the conflict in Gaza, such as Mahmood Khalil, Moshen Madawi, and Rumiesa Ourk, who faced detention and threats for their activism or writings.
• 🎭 This is seen as a direct contradiction to the principles of freedom of speech, especially ironic given complaints about "cancel culture."