Kenneth Roth, Fmr Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, on safety for activists in Chicago and more

In my conversation with Kenneth Roth—longtime head of Human Rights Watch and one of the most influential voices in global human rights—we dive into the heart of the Chicago activist scenes and connect it to broader patterns of political repression in the U.S. Roth brings a sharp, global perspective to local struggles, unpacking how police abuses, protest suppression, and authoritarian tactics that intensified under the Trump administration mirror the very patterns he’s fought around the world. With his deep knowledge and decades of experience, Roth offers insight into how Chicago organizers fit into the global fight for justice—and what it will take to resist rising repression at home. This is a rare, urgent, and energizing conversation for anyone serious about movement work, accountability, and human rights.GrayStak Media is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Background on Kenneth: Kenneth Roth is a leading American human rights advocate and attorney best known for his nearly 30-year tenure as Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, where he expanded the organization’s reach from a modest staff of 60 to over 550, conducting investigations in more than 100 countries. Born in Illinois to a Jewish refugee father, Roth earned his JD from Yale and began his career as a federal prosecutor before joining HRW in 1987. Under his leadership, the organization played pivotal roles in landmark human rights advancements, including the landmine ban campaign and the establishment of the International Criminal Court. Roth is also known for confronting powerful governments, including being barred from Egypt and China after criticizing their abuses. Though widely respected, he has faced criticism—particularly over HRW’s positions on Israel—which drew controversy when Harvard initially blocked a fellowship offer, later reversed under pressure. Since stepping down in 2022, Roth has taken on academic roles, including at Princeton, and published a memoir, Righting Wrongs, reflecting on decades of advocacy and offering guidance for confronting authoritarianism and defending human dignity today. Get full access to GrayStak Media at www.christopher-sweat.com/subscribe

Multiple Arrests at March in Manhattan

We’ve been covering a lot of protest and political action-related events in Manhattan, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and are now expanding our reach nationally. Ryan Lazarus heads out New York City coverage. He captured this footage earlier this evening.Be on the lookout for more from us here on Substack. We want to engage you.For more real time analysis and content follow us here:https://www.threads.com/@chris.sweat?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/chris.sweat/https://www.tiktok.com/@christophersweat5https://x.com/SweatEm’We will be launching our website soon and centralizing all of our content as well as bringing on photographers, videographers, and writers from multiple markets in a sort of decentralized hyper-local media model. Thanks for your support.We are a young, up-and-coming, indie media company and could use a contribution to keep us going! Please subscribe if you can!GrayStak Media is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Get full access to GrayStak Media at www.christopher-sweat.com/subscribe

May Day Protest in Chicago, 2025

May Day is a chance for the global left to come together and gain clarity on the direction of movements. It serves as a consistent coordination point each year. The core idea of May Day is to recognize the challenges labor has faced over the years, especially since the onset of the fourth industrial revolution.One concern, which I express in this video, for labor movements internationally is that much of their policy proclamations and political speech is bound by the fourth industrial wave, which is the automation of physical labor, but the fifth wave, what we are in now, is the automation of thought processes. Not enough labor movements have experts in artificial intelligence or influence in this policy sphere.Another concern I express is that the left as a whole is very fragmented with many thousands of different types of messages. Domestically, in the United States, if the left is to run successful opposition against the current Presidential admin, they need to consolidate into a bloc. At the moment, they are very far away from a bloc and their opposition will struggle to overcome the burden of political repression and other coordination challenges.Some blocs form through a national identity but nationalism is challenging because left nationalism would be reflective of right nationalism and nationalism is usually not effective for minority groups interested in achieving political ends as at some point it must be transformed into state power. A strong national identity on the left will lack cohesion and marginalize the internationalist interests like Palestinian Liberation, which is already struggling to compete within a highly tense and fragmented cluster of groups as the perspective of the left in the U.S. turns its focus to the Trump Administration.Watch the video and let me know what you think.A rant, Christopher Sweat is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to GrayStak Media at www.christopher-sweat.com/subscribe

Douglas County Sheriff Carries Out Summary Killing, DA Fails to Prosecute

Watch the video to learn more, and here are a few brief notes on my thoughts.In just six seconds, law enforcement chose to shoot seven or eight bullets into an innocent man in Douglas County, Colorado. While we don't live in a police state, the police have not been held accountable for their reckless and life-ending mistake. I'll share my thoughts on this issue and how these situations undermine liberty and freedom.We should never allow anyone to prevent us Americans from critiquing our law enforcement agencies.According to John Locke, “The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom."When police wrongfully terminate an individual’s life, they violate the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, which explicitly protect against the deprivation of life or liberty without due process of law. Anyone who violates due process by unjustly taking life without legal justification and who breaches natural rights under both philosophy and constitutional law should be held’ should be held accountable for homicide.Any district attorney's office that fails to bring charges for criminal behavior and prioritizes law enforcement's will over its citizens' rights should be dissolved and rebuilt immediately in accordance with our Constitution.Locke wrote in Second Treatise of Government:“Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people.” Get full access to GrayStak Media at www.christopher-sweat.com/subscribe

Nick Sous Interview on Disruptive Politics in Downers Grove, IL at Rep Sean Casten Townhall

As you know, I have been closely following the calls for Palestinian liberation and the protest movements in Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C..After a disruption at a Downers Grove, IL town hall hosted by Rep Sean Casten, I interviewed Nick Sous, one of the local Chicago leaders at U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), to get his perspective.Nick explains some of the tactics and strategies he has been using to escalate the issue of Palestinian liberation and his domestic and foreign policy preferences.We were able to source a video of the disruption and the coverage the event received on CNN.When you practice disruptive politics, you often aim to get media attention because it can help with fundraising or policy action. There is no sure guarantee of coverage, and the disruptions can be risky. But you’ll hear directly from Nick and I do think there is quite a bit to be learned here.What do you think about disruptive politics? Get full access to GrayStak Media at www.christopher-sweat.com/subscribe