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Activist Defense
The CLDC represents activists that, in the course of fighting for a better world, are arrested and criminally charged. We believe their courage deserves the best possible defense that can incorporate the political, social, and philosophical motivations of these activists.
Civil Cases
The CLDC engages in civil litigation to hold the powerful accountable and to protect the rights of activists and marginalized communities. Our civil litigation is aimed at holding governments, corporations, and the powerful accountable when they violate the constitutional rights of others. The civil practice of the CLDC is shaped and driven by a desire to create a lasting impact.
A Dispatch from FCI Englewood’s Segregated Housing Unit
Today I was locked in a small windowless room with asbestos walls crumbling onto a filthy floor for over seven hours. I was allowed to leave only once to use the restroom. I was not [...]
Climate Activists Celebrate Dismissal of Charges in the Midst of the Hottest Summer on Record
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2021 Contacts: Civil Liberties Defense Center Sarah Alvarez, Staff Attorney [...]
Expect the Unexpected: Secure Your Phone Against Confiscation or Loss
In an ideal world you never lose your phone or have it on you when [...]
Eugene Sunrise Movement Activists Agree to Deferred Prosecution for Non-Violent Civil Disobedience
Yesterday, in Eugene, OR, two Sunrise Movement activists entered into a deferred prosecution agreement stemming [...]
International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason & All Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners: Flowers for the Rebels Caged
“June 11th is a reminder to us that though we spend our days outside of [...]
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SUPPORTING THE STRUGGLE
The Civil Liberties Defense Center supports movements that seek to dismantle the political and economic structures at the root of social inequality and environmental destruction. We provide litigation, education, legal and strategic resources to strengthen and embolden their success.
CLDC educates, supports and defends grassroots activists nationwide. We are dedicated to being a backbone for the grassroots and the frontlines. We help activists navigate the legal system, we represent them at no cost when they are arrested and we help them make smart choices in the face of state repression. We provide the necessary legal support so that activists can have long, sustainable lifetimes fighting in the movement for justice.
We also provide Know Your Rights and other legal trainings for activists and other vulnerable groups such as youth, tribes, the houseless community and the undocumented community. We believe that knowledge is power, and when people have the tools and understanding to take action and demand that the government honor all their rights, then grassroots activism will be the best chance of exacting necessary change.