Dear Friend,

In America today, protest is being criminalized. 

• Lawful dissenters are arrested and deported.
• Judges are punished for defending due process.
• Law firms are blacklisted for standing up to power.

If the government can punish one person for their views — it can punish anyone.
 
This isn’t about politics.

It’s about liberty.

The Rutherford Institute is pushing back — in the courts, in the public arena, and in defense of your First Amendment rights — and thanks to your support, we’re already making a difference.

Just this month, we helped secure two major victories that show both the danger of this moment and the power of resistance: 

• A federal court struck down the government’s blacklisting of a law firm engaged in lawful First Amendment activity, warning that such retaliation marked a step toward totalitarian overreach.
• And in another case, after a court ordered the release of a peaceful student protester, the administration responded by threatening to suspend habeas corpus—a bedrock constitutional protection. The Rutherford Institute is already working to oppose this grave constitutional threat to the right to challenge unlawful detention.

These real attacks on liberty — and real wins made possible by people like you — underscore just how far the government is willing to go to silence dissent, and how critical it is that we push back before it's too late.
 
Right now, every donation to The Rutherford Institute through June 30 will go towards this year’s $200,000 matching gift campaign — doubling your impact in this critical fight.
 
Double your gift.

Double down on the defense of liberty.
 
And thank you for standing up when it matters most.

For freedom,

John W. Whitehead
President

P.S. When protest becomes a crime, freedom becomes a memory. Make your matching gift today and help The Rutherford Institute protect the right of "we the people" to speak out against government tyranny, injustice and abuse.

We are especially in need of monthly donors who can commit to spreading their support throughout the year. Whether you choose to give $10, $25, $100, or more each month—or make a one-time tax-deductible gift—your donation will be matched and go directly toward our critical legal and educational work.

To make a tax-deductible donation, visit us online at www.rutherford.org or at PayPal, call in your donation to 800-225-1791, or mail your donation to our headquarters at PO Box 7482, Charlottesville, VA 22906. 

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