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Report

Our Silence Will Not Protect Us: Tracking Recent Trends in Anti-Protest Laws

Our Silence Will Not Protect Us: Tracking Recent Trends in Anti-Protest Laws examines a coordinated, escalating effort across the United States to suppress protest and dissent through legislation, policy, and enforcement. While efforts by the state and private institutions to squash dissent are not new, the trend is worsening.

Since January 2024, 103 bills—including 80 at the state level and 23 at the federal level—have been introduced or enacted across 27 states, seeking to redefine protest as a threat to public order rather than a constitutionally protected right. These efforts target not only how protests are conducted, but also where, by whom, and at what cost, raising serious concerns about the future of civic engagement in a democracy.

This paper is a call to action. As protest continues to be a cornerstone of movements for racial justice, immigrant rights, climate justice, and democracy itself, protecting this right is essential to maintaining a just and participatory society. Community leaders, legal advocates, students, and policymakers must come together to defend protest not only as a constitutional right, but as a vital tool for shaping a more equitable future.

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