Judge Orders Feds to Resist Violating Rights in Chicago, Not Gaza
But the irony, oh, the delicious irony, is that this protection only extends so far. While Chicagoans get judicial oversight and bodycams for their protests, the Biden administration continues to arm a foreign government that regularly ignores such niceties. The same week this AP report dropped, the US approved another $1 billion arms transfer to Israel (CNN, May 15, 2024), despite overwhelming
evidence from human rights groups of widespread civilian casualties and alleged war crimes in Gaza. Where is the federal judge demanding body cameras on the F-16s? It appears the protection of 'constitutional rights' and restrictions on 'excessive force' are strictly domestic affairs. When it comes to arming allies, the US government's commitment to journalistic safety and peaceful protest
inconveniently vanishes. One set of rules for Chicago streets, another entirely for the streets of Gaza (or, say, Al Jazeera journalists). A federal judge, it seems, can only rein in so much hypocrisy.