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A quick snap from Reuters here that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday it feared that the US designation of Houthi fighters in Yemen as a terrorist group would lead to a “chilling effect” on delivering vital aid to starving and sick civilians.
ICRC director of operations Dominik Stillhart said the agency urged states imposing such measures to consider “humanitarian carve-outs” to mitigate any negative impact on populations and on impartial aid.
Nigerian-American political strategist and organizer Akin Olla writes for us this morning on how the US Capitol riot risks supercharging a new age of political repression:
Republicans have long called for the increased repression of activists, but the chorus has reached a crescendo in the age of Black Lives Matter and climate protests. In the last five years, 116 bills to increase penalties for protests including highway shutdowns and occupations have been introduced in state legislatures. Twenty-three of those bills became law in 15 states.
Following the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent uprisings, we’ve seen another flow of proposals. For example, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida would like to make merely participating in a protest that leads to property damage or road blockage a felony, while granting protections to people who hit those same protesters with their cars. Following the storming of the Capitol, DeSantis, a Trump ally, has expanded these proposals with more provisions and harsher consequences. The only thing preventing the passage of many of these laws thus far has been opposition from Democrats.
Related: The US Capitol riot risks supercharging a new age of political repression | Akin Olla
Read the original article at The Guardian