Police and Law Enforcement

LAPD officers leave the University of Southern California after clearing an encampment on May 5, 2024.

The Liberal Police State: How Democrats Are Playing Into GOP Hands The Liberal Police State: How Democrats Are Playing Into GOP Hands

Applying the tactics of counterinsurgency warfare to peaceful domestic protest risks blurring the line between Trump and his opponents.

Jun 14, 2024 / Sandy Tolan

Lawson with microphone

The Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., 1928–2024 The Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., 1928–2024

The “greatest teacher of nonviolence in America” was a mentor to generations of activists, from Martin Luther King Jr. to today’s union organizers and immigrant rights campaigners...

Jun 13, 2024 / Obituary / Peter Dreier

Grants Pass v. Johnson SCOTUS protest

The Supreme Court Could Make Encampment Sweeps Even More Dangerous The Supreme Court Could Make Encampment Sweeps Even More Dangerous

Unhoused people face significant health risks from encampment sweeps. Grants Pass v. Johnson threatens to make them much more common.

Jun 10, 2024 / StudentNation / Maggie Grether

A police commander punches a protester in Brooklyn on May 31 during a demonstration against Israeli attacks on Rafah. A New York court approved a settlement agreement that obligates the NYPD to minimize its presence at protests and facilitate First Amendment activity.

The NYPD Is Back to Its Violent Old Ways The NYPD Is Back to Its Violent Old Ways

New York City police promised to minimize their presence at protests and stop brutalizing demonstrators. The NYPD is barely pretending to follow the settlement agreement.

Jun 10, 2024 / Ella Fanger

RFK Jr.

RFK Jr. RFK Jr.

In a nutshell.

Jun 7, 2024 / OppArt / Steve Brodner

Policeman with his gun drawn.

Police Can Be Held Liable for Killing a Dog but Not a Black Person Police Can Be Held Liable for Killing a Dog but Not a Black Person

In back-to-back rulings on when cops should be afforded qualified immunity, an appeals court came to radically different conclusions.

Jun 6, 2024 / Elie Mystal

Prison Violence at Green Haven Correctional Facility

Prison Violence at Green Haven Correctional Facility Prison Violence at Green Haven Correctional Facility

Brutality out of sight… out of mind?

Jun 5, 2024 / OppArt / Hector Manuel Rodriguez

Pro-Palestinian protesters face off with the police in a demonstration at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) on May 23, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Palestinian Liberation and Police Abolition Go Hand In Hand Palestinian Liberation and Police Abolition Go Hand In Hand

The severe repression of the recent encampment protests proves that these struggles are inexorably linked.

Jun 3, 2024 / Jonathan Ben-Menachem and Trip Eggert

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stands with members of his staff at a news conference following the conviction of former president Donald Trump in his hush-money trial on May 30 in New York City.

Donald Trump Was Convicted Because of Democracy—Not in Spite of It Donald Trump Was Convicted Because of Democracy—Not in Spite of It

Manhattan voters elected a district attorney who promised to apply the rule of law to a former president. He did just that.

May 31, 2024 / John Nichols

Trump after guilty verdict

With Trump’s Conviction, the 2024 Presidential Election Is Finally Launched With Trump’s Conviction, the 2024 Presidential Election Is Finally Launched

The Manhattan court case clarifies the stakes—and gives a chance for a Biden reboot.

May 31, 2024 / Jeet Heer

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