AETA passes in the house

Dear Supporter,

Yesterday afternoon, despite vigorous grassroots opposition, the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act was passed in the House of Representatives, on a voice vote.

There was tremendous pressure from the corporate lobby to pass this bill. It will almost certainly be signed into law by the President.

I am writing now to thank you for taking a stand on this issue. I wish that, today, I had better news to report to you about this disturbing development.

We believe that the AETA deals a severe blow both to First Amendment protections of free speech and assembly and the Fourteenth Amendment guarantee that all people be treated equally under the law. AETA would punish some activities more harshly than others solely on the basis of the beliefs that motivate them. The vague definition of the crime may dissuade many lawful and peaceful activists from expressing their views.

But the National Lawyers Guild will continue to challenge efforts to stifle legitimate dissent. Our Mass Defense Project has protected the right to political expression for four decades, providing legal observers for many thousands of demonstrations, defending activists targeted by law enforcement, and filing proactive suits to stop government efforts to stifle legitimate protest.

We will look for opportunities to challenge this law in court, and hopefully to strike it down. In the meantime, we thank you for joining us in opposition to the AETA – we may not have won, but I am sure that we have been heard.

Sincerely,


Heidi Boghosian
Executive Director, National Lawyers Guild