Portside

Voting is absolutely critical for democracy. But at the end of the day, stopping a coup attempt will depend on far more than the ballot, and will require creative and courageous acts of civic and political engagement from all of us.

“If wars can be started by lies, peace can be started by truth.”

Organizations including the NLG, ACLU and Protect Democracy will ready their legal strategies for the battles in the courts. Finally, the people must mobilize to mount mass actions to ensure the integrity of the election.

“In an America...Black people ‘are considered dangerous even when they are in their living rooms eating ice cream, asleep in their beds, playing in the park, standing in the pulpit of their church, birdwatching, exercising in public, or walking..."

The groups seek an injunction to prohibit federal agents from “interfering in or otherwise policing lawful and peaceful assemblies and protests” in Chicago or arresting people without probable cause.

The rights of women to terminate their pregnancies and to receive free contraceptives under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are on the chopping block.

“Using the time when the world has been busy confronting the COVID-19 pandemic to commit more war crimes is immoral and poses new challenges for the rule of law and human rights.”

Trump, who delayed responding to the pandemic for an unconscionable period of time, has now declared himself a “wartime president.” He knows that wartime presidents are never defeated at the ballot box.

“In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution I have never seen a group of democratic States ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single individual for such a long time...

Alan Dershowitz’s claim that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense flies in the face of constitutional law. He told senators that abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, for which Trump was impeached, are not grounds for impeachment.