Occupy Movement

Inspired by the Arab Spring, the Occupy movement began as a group of a few hundred protesters occupying a park right off of Wall Street in New York City's financial district in September 2011 to protest what they call a greedy and unjust financial system. The national ACLU and ACLU affiliates nationwide have been monitoring Occupy protests across the country to ensure protestors' free speech rights are protected. Learn more about what the ACLU is doing in your state to support protestors' rights >>

Shot in the Face: Pepper-Sprayed U.C. Davis Students Tell Their Story

By Rebecca Farmer, ACLU of Northern California at 6:43pm

The ACLU of Northern California is representing students and alumni in a lawsuit against U.C. Davis and individual police officers.

Minnesota Law Enforcement Can't Make Up Rules As They Go Along

By Jana Kooren, ACLU of Minnesota at 5:04pm

Hennepin County in Minnesota created new restrictions just for OccupyMN that are not based on any existing laws or ordinances.

NYCLU on the Scene at Wall Street Protests

By Jennifer Carnig, New York Civil Liberties Union at 5:49pm

Inspired by the Arab Spring, a group of a few hundred protesters have occupied a park right off of Wall Street for more than a week, seeking attention for what they call a greedy and unjust financial system.  The staff of the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) has been on the scene talking to protesters, learning about their experiences with police, and passing out Know Your Rights guides on protesting in New York City and on surviving police encounters.

Twitter, WikiLeaks, and Your Right to Privacy

By Aden Fine, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project at 4:12pm

Today we're filing an appeal in the legal battle over the records of several Twitter users being sought by the government in connection with its WikiLeaks investigation. In this latest round, we’re again fighting to make public the government’s efforts to obtain Internet users’ private information without a warrant.

The ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation represent Icelandic parliament member Birgitta Jonsdottir. In a November ruling, U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady refused to unseal or publicly list any court orders or legal motions concerning our clients in the case, including any government orders issued to companies other than Twitter. These secret orders and these secret court dockets prevent our clients from having the chance to protect their constitutional rights by challenging the orders, as we did in the Twitter case.

ACLU Sues Oakland Police Department to Stop Violence Against Protesters

By Rebecca Farmer, ACLU of Northern California at 1:00pm

Yesterday the ACLU of Northern California and the National Lawyers Guild sued the Oakland Police for trampling on the constitutional rights of Occupy Oakland demonstrators.

ACLU Backs Up Twitter In Court Over Attempt to Defend Users’ Rights

By Aden Fine, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project at 2:52pm

We filed a friend-of-the-court brief today in New York state court in support of Twitter’s efforts to protect the constitutional rights of one of its users. As we posted earlier this month, Twitter took a great step to defend its users’ rights by filing a motion to quash a subpoena that the District Attorney’s Office in Manhattan issued in connection with the prosecution of an Occupy Wall Street protester.

Civil Liberties in the Digital Age: Weekly Highlights (5/11/2012)

By Anna Salem, ACLU of Northern California at 2:52pm

In the digital age that we live in today, we are constantly exposing our personal information online. From using cell phones and GPS devices to online shopping and sending e-mail, the things we do and say online leave behind ever-growing trails of personal information. The ACLU believes that Americans shouldn’t have to choose between using new technology and keeping control of your private information. Each week, we feature some of the most interesting news related to technology and civil liberties that we’ve spotted from the previous week.

Government asks: when can we shut down wireless service? [ars technica]
"Here was a regional government agency blocking wireless access in response to a public protest. Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed complaints."

From Coast to Coast, Occupy Movement Springs Into Action

Occupy Report from Oakland (by Rebecca Farmer, ACLU of Northern California)

The May Day protests in Oakland saw a great deal of police presence and use of force, but not quite to the degree that we saw during demonstrations in the fall of 2011. Still, reports of multiple rounds of tear gas, flash bang grenades and possibly other projectiles raise questions. The OPD has a clear policy governing how it should deal with protests, but the department has violated protesters’ rights on far too many occasions in the past. The policy and common sense require OPD to use the minimal force necessary to disperse a crowd.

Yesterday’s Occupy Wall Street Evacuation: Protecting Public Health or Endangering It?

By Ateqah Khaki at 11:05am

Early yesterday morning, under Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s order, the New York Police Department expelled hundreds of Occupy Wall St. protestors from Zuccotti Park. Mayor Bloomberg asserted public health and safety reasons, but the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) disagrees.

In a statement released yesterday, NYCLU executive director Donna Lieberman said:

Protecting Protest at Occupy Wall Street

By Donna Lieberman, New York Civil Liberties Union at 12:09pm

As the Occupy Wall Street movement gains steam, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is standing beside the demonstrators and defending their right to speak their minds.

Teams of NYCLU staff and volunteers regularly visit the movement's headquarters at Zuccotti Park to distribute our Know Your Rights information and engage the demonstrators' on their experiences with the NYPD. The park's makeshift library is well-stocked with our Demonstrating in New York City and What to Do if You're Stopped by the Police guides. We're engaging the protestors on Facebook and Twitter as well.

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