Attn. General William Barr pushed federal prosecutors for harsh penalties against rioters attempting to demolish the US government. Barr even told prosecutors to consider charging rioters with sedition. According to legal experts, it would be difficult to prove sedition charges in court and that could run up against First Amendment protections.
Barr Goes Tough on Violent Protesters
Defending the federal law enforcement’s aggressive response to demonstrations in Portland and elsewhere, Attn. General Barr responded that “violent rioters and anarchists have hijacked legitimate protests.”By now, more than 200 protesters have been charged with violent crimes, such as counts of arson and assault, while the DOJ refused to comment on the subject.
When the coronavirus pandemic started, the DOJ asked Congress for new powers during national emergencies. That involved the ability to ask chief judges to detain people indefinitely without a trial and to pause the statute of limitations for criminal investigations and civil proceedings.
The senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Criminal Law Reform Project Somil Trivedi said that "Treating protest as a form of sedition won't stand up in court” and “this is a tyrannical and un-American attempt to suppress demands for racial justice and an end to police violence."
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