Two days after an ICE agent shot and killed RenĆ©e Good in Minneapolis, Rep. Roger Williams issued an ultimatum to the Trump administration’s critics in Minnesota and beyond.

ā€œPeople need to quit demonstrating, quit yelling at law enforcement, challenging law enforcement, and begin to get civil,ā€ the Texas Republican told NewsNation. ā€œAnd until we do that, I guess we’re going to have it this way. And the people that are staying in their homes or doing the right thing need to be protected.ā€

That’s a pretty clear encapsulation of MAGA-world’s views on dissent these days. You aren’t supposed to protest. You aren’t supposed to ā€œyell atā€ or ā€œchallengeā€ the militarized federal agents occupying your city. And anyone who wants to be ā€œprotectedā€ should probably just stay ā€œin their homes.ā€ Williams isn’t some fringe backbencher; he’s a seven-term congressman who chairs the House Small Business Committee. He is announcing de facto government policy.

For nearly a year, President Donald Trump and his allies have been engaged in an escalating assault on the First Amendment. The administration has systematically targeted or threatened many of Trump’s most prominent critics: massive law firms, Jimmy Kimmel, even, at one point, Elon Musk. But it’s worth keeping in mind that some of the earliest victims of the president’s second-term war on speech were far less powerful.

  • EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    32
    Ā·
    2 days ago

    We really should stop showing up. Stop showing up to work. Stop showing up to buy things. Stop showing up to sign up for the military. Stop reproducing.

    • mechoman444@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      Ā·
      2 days ago

      I’ve been saying this for years. All we need to do is just stay at home for a few days. Really put the fear of God into these rich fucks.

      Just the entire Eastern seaboard will do.

      In just one day of sitting around not buying anything they’ll lose countless billions.

      And that’s where you have to hit them, in the pocket. The one place they fear the most.

    • Puddinghelmet@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      Ā·
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      Join or create your work union and organize strikes in all workplaces. Bring the entire american economy to a standstill for a day to start with. Organize strike funds for those in need. Demand the dissolution of ICE and this government. They only care about money and the economy, so hit em where it hurts and spread the word, cause only together a strike works. Look at the nurses in New York City