Matt Easton
@matteaston.bsky.social
Writer, editor, human rights researcher and advocate. Author of "We Have Tired of Violence," one of The Economist's Best Books of 2022, at tinyurl.com/mzcphxnn
Reposted by Matt Easton
After being jailed as a resistance organizer for the Tamil minority in his native Sri Lanka, T. Kumar studied law, moved to Washington DC, and spoke out against governmental repression worldwide www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/w...
T. Kumar, Rights Activist Who Was Shaped by Time in Prison, Dies at 76
www.nytimes.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:28 AM
After being jailed as a resistance organizer for the Tamil minority in his native Sri Lanka, T. Kumar studied law, moved to Washington DC, and spoke out against governmental repression worldwide www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/w...
Reposted by Matt Easton
You cannot "train" murderous, violent ICE agents not to be murderous and violent.
Bodycams will do nothing to stop this. The agent who killed Good PROUDLY RECORDED THE KILLING.
The entire agency must be defunded and abolished.
cc @schumer.senate.gov @kirstengillibrand.bsky.social
Bodycams will do nothing to stop this. The agent who killed Good PROUDLY RECORDED THE KILLING.
The entire agency must be defunded and abolished.
cc @schumer.senate.gov @kirstengillibrand.bsky.social
January 16, 2026 at 7:25 PM
You cannot "train" murderous, violent ICE agents not to be murderous and violent.
Bodycams will do nothing to stop this. The agent who killed Good PROUDLY RECORDED THE KILLING.
The entire agency must be defunded and abolished.
cc @schumer.senate.gov @kirstengillibrand.bsky.social
Bodycams will do nothing to stop this. The agent who killed Good PROUDLY RECORDED THE KILLING.
The entire agency must be defunded and abolished.
cc @schumer.senate.gov @kirstengillibrand.bsky.social
Reposted by Matt Easton
Standing outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning to call out a quiet injustice: asylum seekers facing pretermission without a fair hearing.
This is the federal government denying due process. We must organize and pursue legal avenues to stop it.
This is the federal government denying due process. We must organize and pursue legal avenues to stop it.
January 16, 2026 at 12:31 AM
Standing outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning to call out a quiet injustice: asylum seekers facing pretermission without a fair hearing.
This is the federal government denying due process. We must organize and pursue legal avenues to stop it.
This is the federal government denying due process. We must organize and pursue legal avenues to stop it.
Reposted by Matt Easton
Mongabay founder @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social has written 70+ obituaries this year for people who spent their lives defending the natural world.
These portraits show ordinary people standing between ecosystems and erosion, proving protection happens through imperfect, sustained effort.
These portraits show ordinary people standing between ecosystems and erosion, proving protection happens through imperfect, sustained effort.
Environmental defenders & conservationists who died in 2025
I write short obituaries for people who spent their lives protecting parts of the natural world. I work on them in the margins of other responsibilities, yet they have become a constant. In 2025, I…
news.mongabay.com
December 26, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Mongabay founder @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social has written 70+ obituaries this year for people who spent their lives defending the natural world.
These portraits show ordinary people standing between ecosystems and erosion, proving protection happens through imperfect, sustained effort.
These portraits show ordinary people standing between ecosystems and erosion, proving protection happens through imperfect, sustained effort.
Reposted by Matt Easton
Reposted by Matt Easton
Lots of folks brought their kids! Who were awesome!
November 16, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Lots of folks brought their kids! Who were awesome!
Reposted by Matt Easton
In the century leading up to 1975, nearly 6000 freighters went down in the Great Lakes.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
November 11, 2025 at 1:50 AM
In the century leading up to 1975, nearly 6000 freighters went down in the Great Lakes.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
Reposted by Matt Easton
BREAKING from PP
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...
www.propublica.org
October 16, 2025 at 4:06 PM
BREAKING from PP
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
Reposted by Matt Easton
after the 10th radioactive shrimp recall in 7 weeks, i decided to do some digging
little did i know it would lead me to an underreported industrial accident that may have released an airborne plume of radioactive debris over swaths of indonesia
www.consumerreports.org/health/food-...
little did i know it would lead me to an underreported industrial accident that may have released an airborne plume of radioactive debris over swaths of indonesia
www.consumerreports.org/health/food-...
What Is Really Going on With All This Radioactive Shrimp? - Consumer Reports
Here’s the latest on how shrimp and spices got contaminated with cesium-137, how the FDA has responded, and why consumers should not panic.
www.consumerreports.org
October 9, 2025 at 7:05 PM
after the 10th radioactive shrimp recall in 7 weeks, i decided to do some digging
little did i know it would lead me to an underreported industrial accident that may have released an airborne plume of radioactive debris over swaths of indonesia
www.consumerreports.org/health/food-...
little did i know it would lead me to an underreported industrial accident that may have released an airborne plume of radioactive debris over swaths of indonesia
www.consumerreports.org/health/food-...
Reposted by Matt Easton
Donald trump can still win the Nobel Peace prize if Mike Pence has the courage
October 10, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Donald trump can still win the Nobel Peace prize if Mike Pence has the courage
Reposted by Matt Easton
Historians and citizens who say they are concerned about the Trump administration's pressure on the Smithsonian are working to document exhibits, as they exist today, throughout the museum network.
Wary of changes under Trump, 'citizen historians' are documenting the Smithsonian
Historians and citizens who say they are concerned about the Trump administration's pressure on the Smithsonian are working to document exhibits, as they exist today, throughout the museum network.
n.pr
September 23, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Historians and citizens who say they are concerned about the Trump administration's pressure on the Smithsonian are working to document exhibits, as they exist today, throughout the museum network.
Happy to announce the sold-out Indonesian version of "We Have Tired of Violence" is now available in a 2nd printing from marjinkiri.id, local bookstores, and online shops. It's timely, as some protestors have begun bringing a copy to demonstrations since the first run came out last year.
September 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Happy to announce the sold-out Indonesian version of "We Have Tired of Violence" is now available in a 2nd printing from marjinkiri.id, local bookstores, and online shops. It's timely, as some protestors have begun bringing a copy to demonstrations since the first run came out last year.
Great news for Alaa, his family, and Egypt. #freeAlaa
Alaa Abd El-Fattah: Egypt's president pardons prominent activist
The British-Egyptian activist is one of six people whose sentences have been commuted, according to state media.
www.bbc.com
September 22, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Great news for Alaa, his family, and Egypt. #freeAlaa
Reposted by Matt Easton
🇧🇾 #FacesOfHope: For 5 years, woman human rights defender Marfa Rabkova, member of Viasna, has been arbitrarily detained in Belarus.
She is behind bars for doing what every society needs: monitoring peaceful assemblies and documenting torture and ill-treatment of protesters.
She is behind bars for doing what every society needs: monitoring peaceful assemblies and documenting torture and ill-treatment of protesters.
September 17, 2025 at 6:01 AM
🇧🇾 #FacesOfHope: For 5 years, woman human rights defender Marfa Rabkova, member of Viasna, has been arbitrarily detained in Belarus.
She is behind bars for doing what every society needs: monitoring peaceful assemblies and documenting torture and ill-treatment of protesters.
She is behind bars for doing what every society needs: monitoring peaceful assemblies and documenting torture and ill-treatment of protesters.
Reposted by Matt Easton
An ICE watch zine (Chicago edition) being handed out today.
September 5, 2025 at 12:32 PM
An ICE watch zine (Chicago edition) being handed out today.
Reposted by Matt Easton
The Alaska summit between Trump & Putin must not sideline justice for Ukraine’s war victims.
“Any deal that lets Russia off the hook for war crimes is not peace—it’s a green light for the next massacre.”
— @dooleydooley.bsky.social
Read our statement here: humanrightsfirst.org/library/huma...
“Any deal that lets Russia off the hook for war crimes is not peace—it’s a green light for the next massacre.”
— @dooleydooley.bsky.social
Read our statement here: humanrightsfirst.org/library/huma...
Human Rights First Says Alaska Summit Must Deliver Justice, Not Impunity - Human Rights First
Washington D.C. — The Alaska summit this Friday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin must not sideline human rights or justice for victims of Russia’s war on Ukrain...
humanrightsfirst.org
August 13, 2025 at 3:36 PM
The Alaska summit between Trump & Putin must not sideline justice for Ukraine’s war victims.
“Any deal that lets Russia off the hook for war crimes is not peace—it’s a green light for the next massacre.”
— @dooleydooley.bsky.social
Read our statement here: humanrightsfirst.org/library/huma...
“Any deal that lets Russia off the hook for war crimes is not peace—it’s a green light for the next massacre.”
— @dooleydooley.bsky.social
Read our statement here: humanrightsfirst.org/library/huma...
Reposted by Matt Easton
"I finally self-published my book in 2001 to celebrate my 25th birthday. I didn’t care if it sold or not. I didn’t even know how to sell books; I just wanted to fulfil my dream. It turned out to be a huge success: 7,000 copies sold in two weeks."
fivebooks.com/best-books/c...
fivebooks.com/best-books/c...
The Best Contemporary Indonesian Literature
Best-selling novelist and singer-songwriter Dee Lestari selects five of the best works of contemporary Indonesian literature.
fivebooks.com
August 10, 2025 at 1:00 AM
"I finally self-published my book in 2001 to celebrate my 25th birthday. I didn’t care if it sold or not. I didn’t even know how to sell books; I just wanted to fulfil my dream. It turned out to be a huge success: 7,000 copies sold in two weeks."
fivebooks.com/best-books/c...
fivebooks.com/best-books/c...
Reposted by Matt Easton
‘She stood up to men with machetes’: Sandra Domínguez fought against femicide in Mexico – then became a victim herself
‘She stood up to men with machetes’: Sandra Domínguez fought against femicide in Mexico – then became a victim herself
Her disappearance shocked a country where such cases are all too common. Now Domínguez’s family are fighting to stop yet another woman’s death being written off as ‘collateral damage’
www.theguardian.com
August 5, 2025 at 11:40 AM
‘She stood up to men with machetes’: Sandra Domínguez fought against femicide in Mexico – then became a victim herself
Reposted by Matt Easton
Economist Amartya Sen won a Nobel in part for asking: Why did India avoid the mass famines that killed tens of millions in China? His answer: a free press. Journalists could expose suffering and shame governments into action. Silence and avoidance, by contrast, can be deadly.
August 3, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Economist Amartya Sen won a Nobel in part for asking: Why did India avoid the mass famines that killed tens of millions in China? His answer: a free press. Journalists could expose suffering and shame governments into action. Silence and avoidance, by contrast, can be deadly.
Reposted by Matt Easton
READ @nikkimcr.bsky.social: "Trump and Bukele have bonded over their shared visions of themselves as national saviors unaccountable to the laws of their nations."
www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Human Rights Defenders Are Fleeing El Salvador as Bukele Cracks Down
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele's authoritarian regime is forcing human rights defenders like the nonprofit Cristosal to flee the nation.
www.rollingstone.com
July 19, 2025 at 1:32 PM
READ @nikkimcr.bsky.social: "Trump and Bukele have bonded over their shared visions of themselves as national saviors unaccountable to the laws of their nations."
www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Matt Easton
✊ Today in Vilnius, we stood with the imprisoned #HRDs of
Viasna.
Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic, and Uladzimir Labkovich were arrested four years ago in #Belarus for their #humanrights work.
Solidarity matters — especially when justice is denied.
#FreeViasna #FreeAles #FreeThemAll
Viasna.
Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic, and Uladzimir Labkovich were arrested four years ago in #Belarus for their #humanrights work.
Solidarity matters — especially when justice is denied.
#FreeViasna #FreeAles #FreeThemAll
July 14, 2025 at 11:49 AM
✊ Today in Vilnius, we stood with the imprisoned #HRDs of
Viasna.
Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic, and Uladzimir Labkovich were arrested four years ago in #Belarus for their #humanrights work.
Solidarity matters — especially when justice is denied.
#FreeViasna #FreeAles #FreeThemAll
Viasna.
Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic, and Uladzimir Labkovich were arrested four years ago in #Belarus for their #humanrights work.
Solidarity matters — especially when justice is denied.
#FreeViasna #FreeAles #FreeThemAll
Reposted by Matt Easton
Elon Musk casually, and illegally, dismantled USAID. According to a new study in the Lancet, that action will lead to *14 million* premature deaths between 2025 and 2030.
Again: Elon Musk is directly responsible for 14 million coming deaths. 4.5 million will be children.
Again: Elon Musk is directly responsible for 14 million coming deaths. 4.5 million will be children.
Evaluating the impact of two decades of USAID interventions and projecting the effects of defunding on mortality up to 2030: a retrospective impact evaluation and forecasting analysis
USAID funding has significantly contributed to the reduction in adult and child mortality
across low-income and middle-income countries over the past two decades. Our estimates
show that, unless the a...
www.thelancet.com
July 2, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Elon Musk casually, and illegally, dismantled USAID. According to a new study in the Lancet, that action will lead to *14 million* premature deaths between 2025 and 2030.
Again: Elon Musk is directly responsible for 14 million coming deaths. 4.5 million will be children.
Again: Elon Musk is directly responsible for 14 million coming deaths. 4.5 million will be children.
Reposted by Matt Easton
Ladies and gentleman, the F train
June 25, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Ladies and gentleman, the F train
Reposted by Matt Easton
A happy #Bloomsday to all! Hear Joyce reading from Ulysses and Finnegans Wake in two rare recordings from the 1920s: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/james-joyce-reading-his-work-1924-1929 #Bloomsday2023
June 16, 2025 at 11:47 AM
A happy #Bloomsday to all! Hear Joyce reading from Ulysses and Finnegans Wake in two rare recordings from the 1920s: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/james-joyce-reading-his-work-1924-1929 #Bloomsday2023