A group of legal experts, press freedom activists, journalists, and public figures filled a ballroom at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to organize international opposition to the United States government's extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. For the Belmarsh Tribunal, United Kingdom parliamentarian Jeremy Corbyn flew more than 3,670 miles to speak in person on January 20, 2023. Other speakers flew in from Italy and Croatia. In fact, very few of the delegates on the tribunal organized by Progressive International were from the D.C. area.

When the Democrats get their act together during a legislative lame-duck session, they can really pass a lot of stuff in short order. We’ve seen it before. Two years ago, the Democrats passed a huge amount of important legislation, including the SAFE-T Act, in just a few days.

This week is the second anniversary of the January 6, 2021. For nearly 1,000 American citizens are being harassed, arrested, and prosecuted (many of whom have not had their due process or day in court) for alleged crimes committed while exercising their First Amendment-protected rights to peacefully assemble, free speech, and petition for redress of grievances, there are no resolutions, no closure, and mostly no justice.

Illinois House Deputy Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) headed up her chamber’s efforts to amend the controversial SAFE-T Act this year. The day before the bill came up for a vote, I asked her what were, in her opinion, the largest misconceptions about the 2021 social justice reform law. Gordon-Booth pointed to the trespassing issue. “I don't care if you live in rural, urban, suburban. The trespassing [issue] was one that just made a lot of folks incredibly uncomfortable.”