Conservative think tank behind 'broken windows' policing and Trump's anti-DEI push has a new target

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Sunday 28 June 2026 09:35 EDT


A conservative think tank that backed President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI push has its sights set on a new target. The Manhattan Institute has been a front-line supporter of Trump’s efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the U.S. It also championed “broken windows” policing, the idea that cracking down on smaller offenses like vandalism can help deter more serious crimes.

Now, they’re advocating for state lawmakers to target protest-related crimes by introducing harsher penalties for groups of demonstrators who commit offenses like vandalism, blocking roads or property destruction. Protests have long been a target for the right, and Trump has repeatedly blamed violent demonstrations on the “radical left” in the U.S. And now, this latest push by the Manhattan Institute, which was first reported by Wired, has some legal experts worried.

“This is aimed at trying to silence public demonstrations, public assemblies, and really give those in power tools to dismantle systems and groups who are trying to even the playing field for the public and hold those in power accountable,” Darrell Hill, the policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, told The Independent.

Tal Fortgang, a legal policy fellow at the Manhattan Institute, is urging state lawmakers to introduce bills that would classify protest-related crimes, like disorderly conduct or vandalism, as felony “civil terrorism” offenses.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/protest-arrests-manhattan-institute-b2997813.html