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| There are unprecedented wildfires across the West Coast right now. People are being displaced and are suffering from the effects of wildfire smoke, and the devastation is likely to mount in the remaining weeks of fire season. We are continuing to be in communication with our entire membership in this moment, but we cannot do so without acknowledging the dire situation many are facing. Friend, After the horrific events in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Mark Zuckerberg described Facebook’s failure to remove a right-wing militia page and event as an “operational mistake” — even though these pages contained several clear violations of Facebook’s terms of service, were flagged 455 times by users and made up 66% of all reported events that day.1 But this wasn’t merely a “mistake.” It’s part of a long line of systemic failures by Facebook to stop violent organizing on its platform. And it’s horrifying that the company treats these failures as a PR problem and not a violation of our civil rights. We’re done with empty words and promises. People are dying because of Facebook’s malpractice. Demand that Facebook ban and remove all hate groups and event pages that encourage people to bring weapons to events. Our allies at Muslim Advocates have been demanding action on these issues for years as the company has allowed white-nationalist militias to use Facebook to threaten people worshipping at mosques. And as Fox News and Trump are pushing a “law and order” agenda that essentially encourages vigilante action, people are being murdered. It's long past time for Facebook to ban and remove all hate groups, white-supremacist militia groups, violent misogynist groups and event pages that encourage people to bring weapons to events. Facebook’s inability (or refusal) to enforce its own policies — which explicitly prohibit calls to arms, militia organizing, white supremacists and white nationalists — goes far beyond being an “operational mistake.” People have died as a result of these “mistakes,” and what do we get from Facebook in return? Lies, more policies it doesn’t enforce and empty promises to do better. Tell Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg: We’re done with empty words and promises. People are dying because of Facebook’s malpractice. Thanks for all that you do— Heather, Candace, Nilda and the rest of the Free Press team freepress.net P.S. Urge Facebook to ban and remove all hate groups, white- supremacist militia groups, violent misogynist groups and event pages that encourage people to bring weapons to events. 1. “How Facebook Failed Kenosha,” BuzzFeed News, Sept. 3, 2020  | ||||||||
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