Anti-riot laws aren’t about curbing violence—they’re about stifling civil dissent
While the new laws raise the risks for protesters, Regan believes that large-scale movement building is the best way to combat anti-protest legislation, and organizers need to learn how to operate in an increasingly restrictive environment.
Prison Destroyed Video Proof of Guards Torturing Anti-Fascist, Lawyers Say
“That level of citizen accountability, especially when it comes to police misconduct, does not exist in the prison system. There are no cell phones that incarcerated people have, there are no cameras that they get to control,” said Regan. “The BOP employees know where the cameras are and are not. So when they are committing acts of misconduct they know better than many how to get away with it.”
Criminal cases against Line 3 protestors stress rural Minnesota legal system
“What we are seeing at Line 3 are definitely more significant charges or serious charges with the potential for more serious punishments,” said Lauren Regan, executive director and a senior attorney at the Civil Liberties Defense Center, which is helping represent pipeline activists.
How to Lock Down Your Cell Against State Surveillance
On today’s show, It’s Going Down presents a presentation from the Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) based out of Eugene, Oregon, about state and corporate surveillance, your cell phone, and how to lock it down to keep unwanted eyes from getting inside of it.
The talk features Lauren Reagan who has been a guest on the show multiple times as well as Glencora Borradaile, the author of Defend Dissent. This presentation comes at a time when many new people are becoming involved in emerging social movements, and despite the rise in popularity of things like protonmail and Signal messenger, the State is constantly evolving its tactics and pushing back on digital autonomy and self-defense against surveillance.
Springfield Spied on Black Unity, Lawsuit Alleges
It’s been more than a year since the July 29, 2020, Black Lives Matter-related protest in Springfield’s Thurston neighborhood that was sparked by a noose decoration hanging in a resident’s yard.
Biden is Expanding Trump’s War on “Domestic Violent Extremism” — and It’s Sweeping Up Black People
Far from breaking with Trump’s civil disorder prosecutions, Biden has doubled down with an expansive view of extremism.
Climate Activists Celebrate Dismissal of Charges in the Midst of the Hottest Summer on Record
As the Pacific Northwest reels from record-breaking heat and braces itself for another fire season, four climate activists cases were dismissed on Wednesday in Clark County Circuit Court in Vancouver, Washington.
Charges dismissed against activists who tried to block 2019 shipment at Port of Vancouver
As the Pacific Northwest reels from record-breaking heat and braces itself for another fire season, four climate activists cases were dismissed on Wednesday in Clark County Circuit Court in Vancouver, Washington.
June 18, 2021: Hard-Earned Lessons
This week, Kite Line shares hard-earned lessons based on experiences of struggle on both sides of the prison walls. Perilous Chronicle’s Ryan Fatica returns with Lauren Regan from the Civil Liberties Defense Center, who has guidelines for protestors.
June 11, 2021: Marius Mason and Eric King
Our show this week returns to June 11th, the international day of solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners. The focus of June 11th is overcoming the isolation that these long-term prisoners face, as the movements they participated in years ago give way to new struggles and new generations of radicals.
June 4, 2021: Ongoing Threats to Eric King
We start off this week’s show with a roundup of prison disturbances compiled by Perilous Chronicle. Afterwards, we speak with Lauren Regan, the Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center.
The murder of George Floyd: one year later
As the Pacific Northwest reels from record-breaking heat and braces itself for another fire season, four climate activists cases were dismissed on Wednesday in Clark County Circuit Court in Vancouver, Washington.
CKMUD Evening News, Humboldt County, California. June 1st, 2021
Imprisoned Anti-Fascist Activist Says Federal Guard Let White Supremacists Beat Him
Eric King’s civil rights lawsuit alleges a pattern of abuse by Bureau of Prison Guards across several facilities.
Video: Representing Radical Clients
Join us for a presentation from the Tilted Scales Collective on key points from their new book, REPRESENTING RADICALS, with additional insight from Lauren Regan, executive director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC).
Leaders of Eugene’s Black Lives Matter movement reflect on momentous year — for better or worse
Tyshawn Ford (our client), on protesting: “…it creates mutual aid networks and it’s a way to educate the community about the problems that are actually happening,” he said. “Even though I might not physically change laws and stuff like that, protesting does so much for the community.”
San Jose man faces restraining orders, court battles after watching police
According to the Civil Liberties Defense Center, people have a First Amendment right to record the police and “public servants performing their public duties in a public place have no right to privacy regarding your right to record their actions.”
Munitions to be detonated as part of DAPL lawsuit filed by injured protester who seeks millions
Wilansky seeks millions of dollars in damages in her lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Bismarck in November 2018 alleging excessive force, assault, negligence, emotional distress and defamation.
Anti-camping law in Medford draws national attention
Starting May 1, campers found in violation of these policies could be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. The change sparked outrage in the community and nationwide. Both the National Homelessness Law Center and the Civil Liberties Defense Center contacted Medford city officials advising them not to pass the ordinance
HB 3145, a case for transparency
By Juan Chavez and Lauren Regan
Brandishing a weapon during a road rage incident. Falsifying paperwork in a fraudulent insurance scheme. Lying to investigators. These are just a few examples of numerous incidents of misconduct by dozens of deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department revealed through the release of a cache of disciplinary records.
Missing the Mark: Cops policing cops will never bring us the justice our community demands
By Sarah Alvarez
On March 25, 2021, Springfield Police Department’s “independent” expert, former police chief Rick Braziel, released an assessment of SPD’s response to the July 29, 2020, Black Unity protest.
Lauren Regan, who is representing the fire chief pro bono and serves as Director and Senior Attorney at the Civil Liberties Defense Center, stated: ‘The fact that an Oregon State Trooper would criminally cite a Fire Chief in this instance is contrary to the law and public policy.
On March 25, the City of Springfield released the findings of an independent investigation into the actions of the Springfield Police Department during the infamous Black Unity protest in Thurston last July.
Homeless Advocacy Groups Criticize Medford’s Proposed Camping Restrictions
The National Homelessness Law Center and the Civil Liberties Defense Center both wrote to the city of Medford last week, advising them to not pass a proposed ordinance to change camping laws. The groups say the new regulations would further criminalize homelessness and penalize people left without homes from wildfires.
‘A historic day’: Weed strikes deal for water source after years long battle
“It’s a historic day for the City of Weed,” said city manager Tim Rundel. “We’ve now secured water rights needed to provide water to the citizens of Weed indefinitely.”
mtshastanews.com
CLDC, Protesters Sue Springfield and Police
On March 8, the Civil Liberties Defense Center and Black Unity protesters filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Springfield, the police department and several other named and unnamed officers.
Lawsuit Claims Springfield PD Violated Civil Rights of BLM Protesters
The suit, filed on behalf of Black Unity, a racial justice advocacy group, and two others who were filming the protest, claims their constitutional rights were violated by the Springfield Police, including SPD Chief Richard Lewis at a July 29, 2020 protest in Thurston.
CLDC and Environmental Lawyers Talk SLAPP at PIELC
The University of Oregon’s Public Interest Environmental Law Conference is under way, though this year the annual confab is going virtual. Among other events, the Civil Liberties Defense Center’s Executive Director Lauren Regan (pictured) and other environmental lawyers will discuss Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) lawsuits. These are lawsuits used by corporate lawyers on behalf of extractive industries, according to CLDC, and the event will cover how SLAPP lawsuits are used to target climate activists, immobilize public interest attorneys and avoid accountability.
Demonstrator ordered to pay for chalking sidewalk
Safay’s lawyer, Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties Defense Center in Eugene, sought to have the citation dismissed, arguing Safay specifically used a sidewalk chalk designed to be temporary and argued the code was “intended to apply to permanent or semi-permanent marks.”
Defending Standing Rock, Combating State Repression: An Interview With Lauren Regan
After refusing to testify, the Magistrate Judge overseeing the grand jury held Steve in contempt of court and ordered him imprisoned. After nearly three weeks in jail, Steve was released, but the government’s attack on him continues. In order to learn more about his case and the broader climate of repression against activists and protestors, I spoke with Lauren Regan, executive director and lead attorney with the Civil Liberties Defense Center in Oregon.
Lawsuit against Eugene aims to change police response to protests
As confrontations between police officers and protesters become increasingly common, the Civil Liberties Defense Center is suing the city of Eugene and police officers from the Eugene Police Department over the treatment of activists and city residents during Black Lives Matter protests last year. We hear from Lauren Regan, the executive director and a senior staff attorney with the center, about updates to the lawsuit.
Ashland Woman Fined For Using Chalk On Sidewalk During Protest In Medford
Safay’s attorney, Sarah Alvarez with the Civil Liberties Defense Center, says the code enforcement was motivated by her client’s political speech and was a violation of her rights under the Oregon Constitution and the First Amendment. “Everybody, including Ms. Safay, has the right to protest and express dissent towards their government and in this case the firm Hornecker Cowling, it seemed to us, that they were using their connection and access to silence dissent and Ms. Safay’s and the other activists’ political message,” Alvarez says
February 26, 2021: Surviving Repression from the Bay View to Standing Rock
In order to learn more about Steve’s situation, Perilous Chronicle editor Ryan Fatica spoke with Lauren Regan, Lead Attorney and Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center in Oregon who has spent many years of her life dedicated to defending those facing charges for their participation social movements. Our segment this week focuses primarily on another water protector, Sophia Wilansky. Lauren is representing Wilansky, a Standing Rock protestor who is suing law enforcement for injuries she sustained during a protest on the Backwater Bridge at Standing Rock in 2016 and has been following the grand jury proceedings closely.
Eugene CLDC Amends Filing Against City of Eugene & EPD To Name Officers In May 31 Protest
In the CLDC initial filing, officers had not been identified, but are now being included after identities were revealed during a discovery process. They’re also calling for the removal of Sgt. William “Bill” Solesbee, or at least asking he be placed on desk duty.
“One thing that repeatedly leapt off the page of the civil discovery documents was a name that we have all seen far too many times in association with police brutality against protestors — Sgt. William Solesbee,” Lauren Regan, director and attorney with CLDC, said in a statement.
Attorneys are still pursuing the lawsuit on behalf of six other people who sued the city over the way Eugene police handled a peaceful protest that turned into a riot on May 31. That’s separate from a case the city settled with a Eugene Weekly reporter shot with tear gas covering the protest.
On this episode of the It’s Going Down podcast, we again speak with Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC), about the changing face of State repression as the new administration takes power and the push by various forces to paint protest as “domestic terrorism.”
The Search For Water For The City Of Weed, Plus Lawsuits
Water is always a complicated subject in California, and perhaps more complicated in Weed. The city does not own its water source, Roseburg Forest Products does. So the city is working to secure a new water source while the lawsuits fly. Some of those suits have been filed by the company against residents of Weed involved with the group Water for Citizens of Weed California (WCWC), including the “Weed 9” who have expressed objections to RFP’s behavior. We sort this out with Bruce Shoemaker from WCWC and Rebecca Chapman from the Civil Liberties Defense Center.
Plaintiffs Suing City, EPD Want ‘Meaningful Change’ in Response to Police Violence
A group of local plaintiffs represented by the Civil Liberties Defense Center who are suing the City of Eugene and the Eugene Police Department for during Black Lives Matter protests in late May.
Discussion with Lauren Regan on corporate SLAPP suits and in particular the oil and gas industry’s utilization of RICO against grassroots environmental activists…miscarriages of justice in Chevron’s RICO action…Lauren’s defense of the “Valve Turners”…[and] police misconduct and crowd control by private security firms, including at Standing Rock and the way forward for attorneys in supporting and advocating for grassroots activists.
Update: Reporter shot with tear gas covering May 31 protest settles for $45K in suit with Eugene
Reporter Henry Houston said he and the Civil Liberties Defense Center, which filed the lawsuit on his behalf in the U.S. District Court in Eugene, on Wednesday settled with the city for $45,000, according to the city. Houston said he’d asked the city to alter its policing policies as terms for a settlement, but said the city wouldn’t consider that path.
Eugene Journalist and Civil Liberties Defense Center to Sue City
“While I was recording the response, I was hit by a tear gas canister and shot by pepper balls despite identifying myself as a journalist several times.” … Houston has teamed up with the Civil Liberties Defense Center to bring the City of Eugene, the City Manager, and four “John Doe” officers to court, as the EPD has declined to name the police involved in the incident.
Reporter shot with chemical munitions during Eugene protest suing city, police
“I was supposed to be protected under the First Amendment and exempt from the city’s curfew,” said Houston in a CLDC press release. “Across the country, protesters and journalists have been targeted and injured by overzealous police response. With this lawsuit I want to change how policing is done in Eugene.”
Attorneys for the Civil Liberties Defense Center are calling actions by the City of Eugene, including Eugene police, in response to the last week of protests “a draconian affront to the dignity of a righteously angered population” and are demanding an end to “preemptive curfews,” the use of “unlawful and unconstitutional excessive force” by law enforcement and the stoppage of use of CS/CN gas, projectiles and other riot control measures commonly used by law enforcement.
On April 22, Lauren Regan, executive director of Civil Liberties Defense Center, filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of the State of California County of Siskiyou against the law firm that the suit says initiated a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) against nine Weed residents. The intent is to not only bring justice to the activists but also hold the law firm Churchwell White LLP that filed the lawsuit on behalf of Roseburg Forest Products accountable, Regan says.
Judge Rules That Attorney Steven Donziger Must Remain Under House Arrest Until September
“We believe Chevron is going after this public interest lawyer because they want to chill and scare other public interest lawyers from ever suing them,” said Regan. “They want to make it so litigants cannot obtain counsel to challenge all the death and poisoning they’ve done around the planet.”
Digital Security Tools for Organizing with the CLDC
We’re happy to share the rest of our conversation with Michele Gretes, director of the Digital Security project at the Civil Liberties Defense Center, and Cora Borradaile, who is on the board of the CLDC. For this podcast special, you’ll hear the two discuss different tools for more secure, encrypted communication that is available on various platforms to folks organizing.
Lauren Regan on Grey Intelligence and Environmental Activism / 179
On this episode of For The Wild, we speak to Lauren Regan to discuss grassroots activism, corporate corruption, and our right to dissent. Paying special attention to the longstanding connections between private companies, the oil and gas industry and an evergrowing increase in corporate-friendly punitive legislation, we ask Lauren about what the current increase of grey intelligence means for environmental activism? What agenda might be furthered when private security companies who once oversaw pipeline construction begin intervening in disaster recovery?
The “choice of evils” defense, also known as the “necessity defense,” places the power of justice into the hands of jurors, according to Lauren Regan, lead attorney for the activists and executive director of the CLDC. “With catastrophic climate change looming, it’s time for the people to be able to decide who the real criminals are,” Regan says. “The greedy corporate profiteers poisoning the water and destroying the planet, or the regular people who are willing to stand up to defend our communities?
This challenge stems from the arrest of homeless advocate Eric Jackson. On Feb. 12, Jackson was arrested and charged with criminal trespass while protesting the criminalization of homelessness by city and county authorities, as well as the plaza’s curfew. “He was there to challenge the curfew and was trying to draw attention to ICE at the same time,” Lauren Regan, executive director of CLDC, tells Eugene Weekly. “He is a leader and activist in the homeless community.”
1.Lauren Regan Civil Liberties Defense Center. 1430 Willamette Street #359. 541-687-9180. CLDC.org.
Standing Rock
BRAVE Environmental Lawyer Explains Standing Rock Legal Issues The Young Turks interview with our Executive Director, Lauren Regan.
Eugene Law Firm Sues Police For Excessive Force Against DAPL Protesters KLCC
STANDING ROCK DOCUMENTS EXPOSE INNER WORKINGS OF “SURVEILLANCE-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX” The Intercept
DAPL Water Protectors Sue for Excessive Police Brutality Telesur
Eugeneans Send Help to Standing Rock Eugene Weekly
FBI’s Terrorism Unit Opens Up Investigation Against Dakota Pipeline Opponents Daily Caller
An FBI Terrorism Task Force Is Investigating Standing Rock Protesters Teen Vogue
We Travel in a Spiritual Way Standing strong at Standing Rock North Coast Journal
Anti-pipeline activists and film-makers face prison, raising fears for free press The Guardian
Mass Arrests and Strip Searches of Dakota Access Pipeline Protesters Raise Tensions DeSmog Blog
Revealed: FBI terrorism taskforce investigating Standing Rock activists The Guardian 2/10/17
FBI Contacting Water Protectors, Says The Guardian Indian Country Today 2/10/17
Eugene lawyer takes a stand, files suit against North Dakota police agencies KVAL 11/30/16
Shut it Down/ Valve Turners
Just in Time for Trump, Jury Says Defense of Planet Is No Crime Common Dreams
Facing Decades in Prison, Climate Activist Says We Have ‘No Choice But Direct Action’ Common Dreams
Valve-Turning Activist From Oregon Won’t Serve Prison Time OPB
How 5 activists stopped the flow of Alberta Tar Sands oil into U.S. Street Roots
Other Cases
Greenpeace’s battle royal over the boreal Now Toronto
Man files civil rights suit seeking $3 million Register Guard
Next Generation Climate Justice Action Camp
Youth activists stand against Oregon pipeline Red Green Blue
Youth Protest Pollution From Klamath Strait Drain Two Rivers Tribune
Police Accountability
Human Rights Group Coalition Requests To Be Involved with Police Chief Hiring Process Eugene Weekly
Caught on Camera Critics question effectiveness in preventing police misconduct Eugene Weekly
General
8 Tips From Veteran Activists for Making It Through an Anti-Trump March Willamette Weekly
How To Buy Art And Resist Hate, Too Huffington Post
25 Legal Organizations to Hold #LawStrikesBack Actions at Courthouses Nationwide During F17 General Strike Common Dreams