The Manhattan Institute Helped Kill DEI. Now It’s Coming for Protests
The Manhattan Institute is spearheading state-level legislative efforts to reclassify minor protest-related offenses, such as trespassing or blocking roads, as 'civil terrorism' punishable by felony prison sentences. Critics argue this is part of a broader campaign to suppress leftist social movements and civil disobedience.
Why it matters
This initiative signals a significant shift in legal strategy regarding public dissent, potentially criminalizing nonviolent protest tactics and impacting civil liberties.
Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Getty Images Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story A right-wing think tank responsible for the emergence of zero-tolerance policing in 1990s New York City and the Trump administration’s scorched-earth campaign against “diversity, equality and inclusion” programs is behind state-level legislative efforts to classify minor protest-related crimes as “civil terrorism.”
The article uses loaded language like 'scorched-earth campaign' and 'suppress leftist organizations,' clearly framing the Manhattan Institute's actions as an attack on civil rights.
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