Yes, Facebook has temporarily shut down Donald Trump through the remainder of his term. Yes, it’s removed all content that includes the phrase “Stop the Steal” —as Free Press and our Change the Terms partners have long demanded.

But with just days left before white-supremacist insurrectionists plan to descend on D.C. and all 50 state capitals — with weapons — Facebook still hasn’t heeded our call to ban all hate groups and pages that encourage people to bring weapons to events.

With white supremacists and other extremists threatening our democracy, we are calling on supporters like you to take one action every day until Inauguration Day. Tell Facebook: Ban all hate groups and pages that encourage people to bring weapons to events NOW — before more lives are endangered.

After last week’s racist and anti-democratic attack in D.C., police recovered handguns, assault rifles, molotov cocktails and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from the insurrectionists. One rioter was seen in the Capitol carrying zip ties, which can be used to restrain hostages. Pipe bombs were found at both the Democratic and Republican headquarters.

Extremists marched through the Capitol chanting “Hang Mike Pence.” People made threats on Nancy Pelosi’s life.

It could not be more clear that lives are at stake. Demand that Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook finally ban all hate groups and pages that encourage people to bring weapons to events.

For too long, Facebook has responded to our demands with half-measures designed for PR, not to save lives. Remember its “ban” of political ads before Election Day — which actually allowed any political ads that were live three weeks + one day before Nov. 3?

And now, Facebook has enacted a temporary ban of Donald Trump, which expires in just one more week. The company is pausing all political donations while it reviews its policies — when they should be permanently stopping all contributions to seditious senators and representatives.

Tell Facebook: Stop putting your profits above our lives and the safety of our democracy — ban all call-to-arms events and hate groups now.

We can’t let Mark Zuckerberg forget:

Two peaceful racial-justice protesters were killed last year in Kenosha, Wisconsin, by a teenager who responded to an event advertised on Facebook. The white-supremacist militias that plotted to kidnap the governor of Michigan also organized on Facebook.

Birtherism, election lies, QAnon, COVID-19 disinformation, white supremacy — all of these have flourished on Facebook while it had the tools to shut them down.

The time is now — demand that Facebook immediately shut down all hate groups and pages that encourage people to bring weapons to events.

In solidarity,

Candace
Campaign Director
freepress.net

P.S. Despite what some law-enforcement agencies and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg have said, we know that the racist insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was planned out in the open on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. We can’t let Facebook continue to put its profits above our lives, and our democracy — demand that Facebook ban all hate groups and pages that encourage people to bring weapons to events.