(COMMON DREAMS) Jake Johnson — In what is being called the “biggest protest crackdown since the Civil Rights Era,” Republicans in at least 20 states have put forward or passed laws with the intention of making protest more difficult and the punishment for expressing dissent more draconian since President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.

“The state will try to devise ways to squash opposition and chill the will of people who are willing to face risks to their liberty to further their cause.”
—Chase Iron Eyes, member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

Throughout his bid for the White House, Trump frequently signaled his support for taking forceful action against those who vocally opposed him at campaign rallies and speeches, once suggesting a protester who interrupted a rally “should have been roughed up.”

In what was characterized as “an act of intimidation,” Trump also floated the idea of “jailing journalists who publish classified information” in a private meeting with former FBI Director James Comey.

Republican lawmakers, it appears, have been emboldened by Trump’s open contempt for free expression. News outlets, alarmed by the trend, have kept a running tally of states with anti-dissent laws in the works. Common Dreams reported in April that the number had reached 19, up from 10 in January. Now, according to The Daily Beast, 20 states are in the process of attempting to suppress peaceful resistance.

Source: Since Trump’s Election, 20 States Have Moved to Criminalize Dissent | Common Dreams