Chris's Sharebook 

During the Occupy Wall Street Protests on September 24, 2011, an NYPD officer blasted four women with pepper spray after trapping them in an orange net, temporarily blinding them and causing one to scream out in pain. The officer's action and the protesters' physical pain and anguish are caught on video.

Since the pepper spray incident, journalists and bloggers have documented other instances of police brutality instances during the OWS protests. These violent acts -- many of which are documented in photo or video form -- include dragging, grabbing and swinging nightsticks at peaceful protesters and hitting a protester with a scooter. Additionally, police have unnecessarily destroyed encampments in Chicago and San Francisco.

Please sign the petition to stop violent acts against peaceful protesters.

Five years ago, the murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya attracted international attention to the ongoing attacks against Russian journalists and human rights activists. Despite several arrests in connection with Politkovskaya's murder, no convictions were secured.

According to the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, 22 Russian journalists and media workers have been killed between 2000 and 2010, and violent beatings have increased steadily over the past several years. Few of these cases have been investigated. As a result, many Russian journalists have silenced themselves out of fear.

Candid journalism is essential for raising awareness about human rights issues and inciting change. Please sign the petition to convince Russian officials to thoroughly investigate violence against journalists and activists.