PEN Points: Protests erupt at Supreme Court after overturning of Roe v. Wade

With free expression under siege in the United States, online, and around the world, PEN America's work has never been more important. This year, PEN America celebrates 100 years of defending and championing the freedom to write. In addition to celebrating our history, we'll be exploring the ways in which we can protect free expression in the years to come. Learn more about our Centenary Campaign, which will enable PEN America to address emerging and evolving threats to free expression and shape the future by fortifying robust protections for free speech and open discourse. Contribute to the campaign here.

Abortion-rights protesters demonstrate in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Thursday, June 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Protests Erupt at Supreme Court After Abortion Case Ruling

Droves of protesters are descending on the Supreme Court in the wake of a decision on a major abortion case. The Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case in a decision released Friday, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion after 50 years.

Protesters for and against a federal right to abortion gathered outside the court within moments. Cheers erupted from anti-abortion rights demonstrators and some women were seen crying. The decision means states can bar people from terminating pregnancies, and many states had "trigger laws" in place to stop abortions if Roe were overturned. Eight-foot-high fencing is keeping demonstrators off the Supreme Court plaza, which is typically open to the public. Smaller fences were seen around the court in recent weeks. See PEN America’s statement on the ruling.

U.S. Free Expression Stories

Inside the push to diversify the book business
For generations, America’s major publishers focused almost entirely on white readers, and almost all the people who wielded the stamp of approval in book publishing were white. Now a new cadre of executives like Lisa Lucas is trying to open up the industry. Lucas is the first Black publisher in Pantheon’s 80-year history and one of the few to ever hold such a post at Penguin Random House U.S., the umbrella company that contains Pantheon as well as dozens of other imprints.
THE NEW YORK TIMES

How students are scrubbing their social media profiles
Many current college students have had social media accounts since they were young teens, regularly posting on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook without fear of repercussions. But posts riddled with profanity or raucous party photos can come back to haunt them once they start looking for a job. Now a new company called Filtari is partnering with institutions to help students clean up their social media profiles before they start the job-search process.
INSIDE HIGHER ED

Twitter board endorses Elon Musk takeover, urges investors to vote in favor of the deal
The Tesla billionaire Elon Musk is one step closer to owning Twitter. On Tuesday the social-media giant's board of directors recommended that its shareholders vote in favor of the proposed $44 billion sale, according to a regulatory filing. The deal has gone anything but smoothly. Earlier in June, Musk threatened to scrap the deal entirely after accusing Twitter of stonewalling his requests for data about spam accounts. In response, Twitter said it remained committed to the deal and was cooperating with Musk's requests for information. But as recently as Tuesday morning, Musk said he was still seeking more clarity about the true number of real users on Twitter.
BUSINESS INSIDER

The Latest from PEN America

Official seal for the U.S. Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit

Appeals Court’s Decision Upholding Anti-Boycott Law Drastically Undermines Free Expression

In a statement today, PEN America said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has sharply undermined Americans’ constitutional rights to free expression in its decision concluding that an Arkansas law intended to restrict boycotts of Israel does not violate the First Amendment. Read our statement here.

The “Burning Poet(s)” Trilingual Poetry Days in Armenia: A Great Success

Last week in Yerevan, Armenia, PEN America's Eurasia director Polina Sadovskaya facilitated the Burning Poet(s), a gathering of literary communities in Georgia and Armenia in order to speak out for peace, free speech, and social justice in the region. Read Polina's blog post recapping the experience.

Justice Department Should Drop Charges Against Julian Assange Under Espionage Act

Last Friday, PEN America issued the following statement from Washington Director Nadine Farid Johnson about Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States: “Today’s decision makes clear: the onus is on the U.S. Department of Justice to drop the charges against Assange under the Espionage Act, once and for all.” Read the full statement here.

Georgetown University Report on Offensive Tweet by Law School Administrator Raises Concerns for Free Expression

Last week, Ilya Shapiro announced his resignation from Georgetown University following the conclusion of an investigation by the University’s Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action (IDEAA). PEN America was given access to the IDEAA report with the stipulation that the organization could quote from it, but not post it in full. Upon reviewing the report, we conclude that it contains several statements that are concerning from a free expression standpoint. Read our full analysis here.

Let’s Say Gay! Picnic and Play
Friday 6/24 | 5pm – 9pm ET
Sheep Meadow, Central Park (Enter on the West Side between 66th and 69th Street)
New York, NY 10065

PEN America, the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), and Teens for Press Freedom are inviting students and free expression advocates of all ages to our first-ever “Let’s Say Gay! Picnic and Play”, an event designed to celebrate LGBTQ+ stories at a time when the voices and experiences of sexual minorities are being censored and banned outright in schools across the nation. At 7 pm, please join us for a very special performance as we walk together to the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to witness The Survival, a play written by award-winning Ugandan writer, playwright, and filmmaker, Achiro Patricia Olwoch, for the Criminal Queerness Festival. Learn more and register.

Global Free Expression Stories

Ukraine to ban music by some Russians in media and public spaces
Many of those living in areas of east and south Ukraine have historically felt a strong connection to Russia, often speaking Russian as their first language. But Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led many Ukrainians to want to separate themselves from Russian culture. The bill, approved by MPs on Sunday, bans some Russian music from being played or performed on television, radio, schools, public transport, hotels, restaurants, cinemas and other public spaces. The import of books from Russia and Belarus will also be prohibited under the legislation.
BBC

Chinese rights activist who said leader Xi Jinping “not smart enough” is tried in secret for subversion
2020 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write honoree Xu Zhiyong, a veteran civil rights activist and legal scholar, appeared in front of a local court in Linshu county in a hearing that was closed to the public on the grounds that "it involved state secrets." Teng Biao, a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer now based in the United States, said Xu was likely to receive a heavy sentence, because this would be the second time he had been jailed. In 2014, Xu was sentenced to four years in prison for "gathering crowds to disrupt public order." See PEN America’s statement.
CNN

“False narrative”: campaigners say British bill of rights could undermine free speech
Free speech campaigners have condemned the UK government’s boast that the planned British bill of rights will boost freedom of expression, claiming that it will actually undermine it. The Labor Party’s shadow justice minister, Ellie Reeves, launched a withering attack on the bill, calling it “a very dark day for victims of crime, for women, for people in care for everyone in this country who rely on the state to protect them from harm.”
THE GUARDIAN

Spotlight: Xulhaz Mannan

Xulhaz Mannan was a founder of Roopbaan, Bangladesh's only LGBTQ+ magazine, and a member of Boys of Bangladesh, the country’s largest gay rights group. A high-profile face of the movement, Mannan was hacked to death on April 25, 2016 by Al-Qaeda-linked extremists. Mannan had received death threats from extremists for some time, as well as state oppression for his advocacy.

Only a week and a half before Mannan’s death, police arrested four men planning on participating in the “Rainbow Rally” gay pride event, which he launched in 2014 and helped plan. On August 31, 2021, a court convicted six men and sentenced them to death for the murder of Mannan; however, two men are still at large and were merely convicted in absentia.

After his death, USAID Administrator Gayle Smith released the following statement about Xulhaz Mannan:

“He was the kind of person willing to fight for what he believed in, someone ready to stand up for his own rights and the rights of others. A dedicated and courageous advocate for human rights, Xulhaz sought to shape a society that was more diverse and inclusive. He believed in the people of Bangladesh, and he strove to make the world a better place for everyone.”

Learn more about his case.

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