Proudly Pro-Protest
At NCBF, we are pro-free speech, pro-protest, and pro-Palestinian. The nationwide prevalence of protests may have waned since 2020 (the height of Black Lives Matter), but our support of protesters is as vital as ever!
As the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza continues, we maintain our efforts to protect protesters from harsh jail conditions. In recent months, NCBF has posted bail for:
- 32 of the 46 protesters at the pro-Palestinian demonstration at Sea-Tac Airport on April 15
- 5 of the 6 protesters at Seattle City Hall who pushed for funds to support housing for Venezuelan, Angolan, and Congolese refugees on February 27
- 1 of the 3 protestors at the pro-Palestinian protest at Seattle’s World Trade Center on February 9
In all of these cases, protesters were expressing their dissatisfaction with the status quo and giving voice to silenced populations. NCBF’s commitment to one day ending pretrial detention and abolishing the cash bail system reflects these same goals. We stand in opposition to the systemic forces that fuel policing, arrests, and law and order over the First Amendment rights we all share.
Protests Persist at Tacoma Detention Center
In addition, we side with those being detained at Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. The center is “one of the largest for-profit immigrant detention centers in the country,” as well as the site of frequent hunger strikes protesting inhumane living conditions. Such conditions include the reliance on placing people in solitary confinement for extended periods of time. (UN Special Rapporteur on torture Juan E. Méndez has stated that prolonged solitary confinement past 15 days should be prohibited.)
On May 31 grassroots organization La Resistencia reported a hunger strike consisting of 73 detained immigrants regarding better menus and ID policies. Though the strike ended after ICE met the protesters’ demands, within a day, another hunger strike had begun—this one involving two detainees and one in medical segregation.
“[W]e noticed an increase of retaliation against those that speak to [La Resistencia] while in detention,” said activist and La Resistencia co-founder Maru Mora Villalpando.
In short, those in power tend to dislike when people practice free speech and will respond to them accordingly.
Join Us
In May, we launched the NCBF Protester Liberation Fund. Donations to this new fund will go directly to post bail for protesters. Funds returned after a case is resolved go into our general fund, sponsoring more and more people’s freedom. The average bail amount we post is $4,602. Donate today to ensure NCBF is there to respond when our community members need us the most!
It’s not a question of if people will be jailed for practicing free speech — it’s a question of when.
Our goal is to be proactive, not reactive, when protesters are jailed. We aim to respond to bail requests ASAP so we can get people out of jail and home to their families and communities. This also means we’re in need of the funds right now—before protests take place—so we can counter from a place of preparedness.
Get involved! We’re always looking for volunteers to post bail, support NCBF clients, manage our social media presence, and more.
If you aren’t able to help in these areas, there are plenty of other ways you can support NCBF’s mission! Share one of La Resistencia’s Facebook posts (linked above), or share a takeaway from this newsletter with a friend. The more we discuss issues of criminal punishment and bail, the more we can advocate for positive change.
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