(WASHINGTON)— PEN America condemned President Trump’s comment that he may label protests at Tesla dealerships and showrooms and other American companies as “domestic terrorism.” Floating the idea of labeling protesters with whom he disagrees as domestic terrorists is a sharp escalation in President Trump’s war on dissent, the free expression organization said.
Hadar Harris, managing director of PEN America’s Washington, D.C. office, said: “This is the next step in a clear campaign to quash dissent and retaliate against political opponents and others with whom the president disagrees. Last weekend, they came after Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, who the President is attempting to deport based on his political views. Now, in order to widen the net, he wants to label protesters as domestic terrorists, which would enable severe measures to be taken against American citizens for their opinions, activism or speech. It will not stop here. If President Trump is floating this idea to try it out, we need to be clear: this is what dictators do, not leaders in a democracy. PEN America condemns these attempts to subvert free expression, dissent, and the First Amendment in the strongest possible terms.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057