The Cruel and Ineffective Criminalization of Unhoused People in Los Angeles
The 337-page report, “‘You Have to Move!’ The Cruel and Ineffective Criminalization of Unhoused People in Los Angeles,” documents the experiences of people living on the streets and in vehicles, temporary shelters, and parks in Los Angeles, as they struggle to survive while facing criminalization and governmental failures to prioritize eviction prevention or access to permanent housing. Law enforcement and sanitation “sweeps” force unhoused people out of public view, often wasting resources on temporary shelter and punishments that do not address the underlying needs. Tens of thousands of people are living in the streets of Los Angeles; death rates among the unhoused have skyrocketed.
A Fund for Free Expression Report by Meron Benvenisti
In its pre-publication review of Palestinian newspapers and magazines, Israel’s military censor blocks the publication not only of supposed national security secrets or material likely to incite violence. Rather, the censor’s primary concern, as shown through a study of banned materials, is to eradicate expression that could foster Palestinian nationalist feelings; suggests Palestinians are a nation with a national heritage; denies Israel’s legitimacy; or imputes behavior to Israeli officials that suggests illegitimacy. Palestinian editors must submit for review all material meant for publication, including photos, advertisements, and crossword puzzles. The censor’s list of banned books included some 1,600 titles, at the time this report was prepared.
