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Sarah McLaughlin

@sarahemclaugh.bsky.social

17K followers 1.3K following 5.1K posts

Global Expression, FIRE. Book: Authoritarians in the Academy, @hopkinspress.bsky.social (August 2025). https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/53835/authoritarians-academy Signal: sarahemclaugh.01. Go birds.

www.press.jhu.edu

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · Aug 19

Pub day! My new book, Authoritarians in the Academy at @hopkinspress.bsky.social, is now officially out and available for purchase. www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/...

photo of my holding a copy of my book Authoritarians in the Academy

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 36m

lol: About five minutes later, the arresting officer approached him again. “He said: ‘I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news.’ I said: ‘What’s the good news?’ He said: ‘I’m de-arresting you.’

“And I said: ‘What’s the bad news?’ He said: ‘It’s going to be really embarrassing for me.’

Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 1h

It isn't just that you can't express verbal support for Palestine Action. You may also not even be free to simply question the government's decision to ban it. This is the most basic political expression — challenging how leaders govern. And yet.

Rick @rick-sco.bsky.social · 1h

Yeh, you can't even disagree with the action of declaring Palestine Action a terrorist group. Pretty sure they will just try to arrest anyone with the words Action & Palestine in what they deem to be the wrong order at this point. Some politicians are really in need of swift replacement.

Woman 'arrested' over 'I oppose proscription of Palestine Action' sign

A PROTESTER has claimed she was arrested for holding a sign saying “I do not support the proscription of Palestine Action”.

www.thenational.scot

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Reposted by Sarah McLaughlin

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 15h

Here’s video of the incident

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 1h

Can you hold up a photo of this guy holding a magazine cover? Probably not!

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 1h

So you can: print the magazine, buy the magazine, read the magazine, but it becomes a criminal act to hold it in public.

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 1h

If you haven't been paying attention to the Palestine Action protest arrests in the UK, you may not realize how truly absurd things have become.

Here's a good example: You can be arrested for holding up a magazine because its cover shows the sign, "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action."

Pro-Palestine protester arrested for holding up magazine at train station

A man has been arrested for holding up a magazine cover amid pro-Palestine protests in London.

www.thenational.scot

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Reposted by Sarah McLaughlin

The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 2h

“Yes, we have a First Amendment. But if you constantly roll over—as Columbia, ABC, or many law firms have—then it doesn’t matter if you have those rights since you’re not willing to stand up for them.”

@aaronrosspowell.com and @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social

China's Authoritarian Regime Is Censoring American Universities: A Conversation with Sarah McLaughlin

Elite universities with deep pockets have no excuse for putting their financial interests ahead of their values

www.theunpopulist.net

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 19h

He's now been pardoned, but unbelievable that this happened at all in the first place: Tunisia sentenced a man to *death* last week for criticizing the president on Facebook.

www.aljazeera.com

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 20h

I can wait

Reposted by Sarah McLaughlin

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 1d

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b----' before shooting chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/10...

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorn...

chicago.suntimes.com

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 1d

nah they haven’t seemed to hit Philly yet for whatever reason. not sure if they’re more present in other U.S. cities

Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 1d

either i just saw a labubu for the first time or i am fully hallucinating at 4am in the PHL airport

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Reposted by Sarah McLaughlin

Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 1d

Authoritarians in the Academy: How the Internationalization of Higher Education and Borderless Censorship Threaten Free Speech

by @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social via @jhuartssciences.bsky.social press (2025)

#AutumnReading

Authoritarians in the Academy

How the Internationalization of Higher Education and Borderless Censorship Threaten Free Speech

www.press.jhu.edu

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 1d

unwell

Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 1d

only one thing would make me feel better rn: smashing a friendly hitchhiking robot into smithereens

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 1d

⚠️TRADE OFFER⚠️

i receive: at least one phillies run

you receive: more unhinged posts from me

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 1d

⚠️TRADE OFFER⚠️

i receive: at least one phillies run

you receive: fewer unhinged posts from me

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Reposted by Sarah McLaughlin

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 2d

The number of international students arriving in the U.S. in August fell by 19% this year compared with last year — the largest decline on record outside of the pandemic.

Nearly 20 Percent Fewer International Students Traveled to the U.S. in August

The data shows the steepest decline in August international student arrivals since the pandemic.

nyti.ms

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 1d

“They are deliberately blurring the line between speech protected by the First Amendment and violence or other unlawful activity, and they seem to be quite explicitly listing viewpoints that they don’t like as predicates for an all-of-government crackdown."

Trump’s Directive on ‘Organized Political Violence’ Could Lead to Increased Surveillance of His Critics

The president issued a directive that could make dissent riskier for people and nonprofits.

www.notus.org

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 2d

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 2d

at least one tv has had a shoe thrown through it in philadelphia this weekend

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 2d

we may be about to see the return of baldianni

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Reposted by Sarah McLaughlin

Shikha Dalmia @shikhadalmia.bsky.social · 2d

The real sin of American univs is not that they are too "woke," it is that they are putting their financial interests ahead of their values and appeasing authoritarian regimes. At @theunpopulist.net @aaronrosspowell.com talks to @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social

www.theunpopulist.net/p/chinas-aut...

China's Authoritarian Regime Is Censoring American Universities: A Conversation with Sarah McLaughlin

Elite universities with deep pockets have no excuse for putting their financial interests ahead of their values

www.theunpopulist.net

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Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 2d

I thought the same exact thing

Sarah McLaughlin @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · 2d

just gonna head there after the eagles game and camp out