Responding to President Trump’s remarks that protesters will be met with “very heavy force”, Paul O’Brien, Amnesty International USA’s Executive Director, said: 

“Now is a good moment to remind President Trump that protesting is a human right and that his administration is obligated to respect, protect, and fulfil the human rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly - not suppress them.  

“The militarised response to protests, including the deployment of the National Guard and the Marines in Los Angeles, further escalates tensions and is a chilling preview of even more human rights violations that could be coming

“The Trump administration must urgently halt the militarised response to protests. The US military is not trained or equipped to police civilians. It increases the risk of excessive force, arbitrary arrests, and other violations of free expression and peaceful assembly.

“The protests, whether against Israel’s genocide in Gaza or the relentless attacks on immigrant communities, are an urgent outcry against a broader pattern of human rights violations: death and destruction, mass deportations, unlawful detentions, expulsions to dangerous conditions in other countries, suppression of dissent, and the denial of due process. 

“Make no mistake: President Trump’s response to protests has nothing to do with public safety. This is his administration’s way of stoking fear and suppressing opposition. By sending police, ICE, or the military into neighbourhoods to silence voices calling for justice and human rights, President Trump is continuing to send a clear and chilling message: dissent will be punished.  

“Across the country, people are showing solidarity with immigrants and taking a stand against authoritarian practices. Together, we are making a powerful statement - human rights belong to all of us.”