Speech

Jury Rules Greenpeace Owes $660M to Pipeline Firm, Sparking Concerns Over Free Speech and Protest Rights

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Mandan, ND – A North Dakota jury has handed down a verdict requiring Greenpeace to pay Energy Transfer hundreds of millions of dollars over its involvement in protests against the Dakota Access pipeline. The jury, after extensive deliberation, sided predominantly with the plaintiff on accusations of defamation and facilitating illegal activities during the demonstrations. Dallas-based Energy Transfer, valued near $70 billion, initially brought the lawsuit against Greenpeace, accusing the environmental group of promoting falsehoods and instigating disruptive protests in 2016 and 2017. Greenpeace countered, citing the accusations as attempts to suppress peaceful, constitutionally guaranteed protests. … Read more

Harvard Law Faculty Condemn Trump’s Retaliatory Actions Against Lawyers, Citing Threats to Freedom of Speech and Legal Norms

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Cambridge, MA – In an unprecedented move, Harvard Law School professors have publicly challenged actions taken by the Trump administration, accusing it of retaliating against law firms and their attorneys for representing oppositional clients and interests. This accusation came in a strongly worded letter penned over the weekend, in which a significant majority of the faculty – 82 out of 118 active professors – have put their signatures, signaling deep concerns within the academic community. The professors’ letter details alarming threats allegedly made by the Trump administration against individual lawyers and leading law firms, threatening … Read more

Federal Judge Halts Deportation of Turkish PhD Student Amid Free Speech Controversy in Massachusetts

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BOSTON, Massachusetts — A federal judge in Massachusetts on Friday issued a temporary order preventing the deportation of a Turkish doctoral student from Tufts University, detained earlier this week by U.S. immigration officials. Rumeysa Ozturk, who recently expressed support for Palestinians amid conflict in Gaza, was apprehended near her home in Massachusetts by authorities who subsequently revoked her visa. Ozturk, 30, found herself at the center of controversy following her arrest, captured on video by masked agents. The Department of Homeland Security has alleged that Ozturk was involved in activities that supported Hamas, which the … Read more

Federal Court Halts Texas A&M’s Drag Show Ban, Upholding LGBTQ+ Free Speech Rights

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Houston, Texas — A federal judge issued a temporary order preventing the Texas A&M University System from enforcing a ban on drag shows, a ruling celebrated by LGBTQ+ advocates and free speech proponents alike. The decision marks a substantial affirmation of expression rights for students within the campus. In February, the Texas A&M Board of Regents enacted a policy that outlawed drag performances at all university system campuses, citing these events as contrary to the institution’s core mission and claiming they could foster a hostile environment for women. The board further leveraged an argument based … Read more