We Oppose H.R. 3894: A Dangerous Attack on Civil Liberties

H.R. 3894 threatens the fundamental rights of free speech and peaceful protest by enabling and encouraging the use of military force (including the National Guard and potentially the Marines) against civilians engaging in protest. Under this bill, cities and states that refuse to deploy such extreme tactics risk losing critical federal funding. This is nothing short of collective punishment, targeting entire communities for the actions of a few.

The bill would label dissenting cities and states as “anarchist jurisdictions,” a term designed to justify repression and strip away constitutional rights. This legislation was drafted in direct response to the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, where Congressman Tony Wied openly supports deploying military force against unarmed civilians. H.R. 3894 seeks to normalize and codify violent suppression as standard government policy.

We categorically reject this authoritarian bill. We reject the escalation of the police state. And we call on lawmakers to defend civil liberties, uphold the First Amendment, and protect the rights of all people to protest injustice without fear of military retaliation.

Military tactics on civilians do not make Americans safer. Many reporters and protesters were injured at the Los Angeles protests, and 1 protestor was killed by a "non-lethal" round. Don't let them scare us into submission. Don't back down from using your 1st amendment rights. Do not let the misuse of the National Guard become the new normal. Facism is not normal, it is not okay, and we will not accept it.