It Could Happen Here What Does the Antifa Executive Order Mean for Free Speech?
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Oct 2, 2025 Maura Meltzer-Cohen, a dedicated abolitionist attorney from New York, shares her insights on the implications of recent executive orders for free speech. She discusses how these orders don’t change laws but can increase state repression. Mo highlights the normalization of violence through rhetoric and the targeting of nonprofits under the 'Antifa' label. They also explore practical harms of policing, the precarious position of activists, and why fighting back legally often leads to success in court.
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Orders Don't Rewrite The Law
- Executive orders and national security memos do not automatically change the law or make previously legal conduct illegal.
- Maura Meltzer-Cohen warns that statements can still be dangerous by signaling state tolerance for extra-legal repression.
Distinguish Law, Power, And Labels
- There is a crucial gap between law and power: legal constraints exist, but the state can ignore them in practice.
- Mo emphasizes differences among Antifa as a practice, political rhetoric, and targeted individuals or groups.
Rhetoric Enables Extra‑Legal Harm
- Even unenforceable rhetoric can cause harm by normalizing extra-legal actions and emboldening violence against targeted groups.
- Mo notes the administration's short-term goal is to signal condoned attacks to its base.