Re: Campus Protest Encampments Are Unethical Re: Free speech

In Western democracies, the legal system is used to limit civil
disobedience as a form of political protest.
"Revealed: how the fossil fuel industry helps spread anti-protest laws
across the US"
"Civil disobedience is a form of political protest that involves
breaking the law in a planned, symbolic way – which activists and rights
experts say is part of the bedrock of a democratic society and in the
tradition of civil rights movements.
The months-long investigation by the Guardian found that companies and
lawmakers sought to increase the threat of criminal action against
activists to protect oil and gas expansion – even as deadly and
destructive extreme weather events hit communities nationwide.
Last year was the hottest on record, and wildfires, baking temperatures,
deadly floods and rising sea levels struck communities across North
America – and the rest of the world. Under the Biden administration, the
US has handed out more than 1,450 new oil and gas licences, accounting
for half of the total globally, and 20% more licences than those issued
by Donald Trump, who has promised to “drill, baby, drill” should he
return to the White House.
The findings from dozens of freedom of information requests suggest that
the right to peaceful protest is under attack in the US – much like in
other major democracies including the UK, Germany, Canada and
Australia."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/26/anti-protest-laws-fossil-fuel-lobby