Dissent is being criminalized. People are being deported without any kind of due process. Court rulings are being ignored. Democracy, civil liberties, and free speech are all under attack. What can be done to reverse cowboy authoritarianism in America?

A Columbia University dean told students, “Nobody can protect you. These are dangerous times.” Conservative PBS commentator David Brooks calls for “a civic uprising to fight back and adds: “We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

The warning signs are everywhere. Alaska GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski says, “We are all afraid.” Massachusetts Democratic Governor Maura Healey says, “The fear is real.” New York Times columnist Masha Gessen writes, “America’s Police State Has Arrived.”

The operation was conducted without prior notice and with excessive military presence, creating an atmosphere of intimidation and collective punishment.

The owner of the building, Mohammad Alqam, suffered a severe psychological shock upon witnessing the destruction of his life’s work. This sudden and aggressive military action left families displaced, and the entire community in deep shock and fear.

The building, which was home to multiple families, was demolished under the pretext of posing a security threat to nearby Israeli settlements or military forces. Residents of the area were forcibly evacuated, and all access to the site was blocked during the operation.

At approximately 6:00 AM, residents were startled as three bulldozers and over 15 military jeeps entered the neighborhood and surrounded a seven-story residential building owned by Mohammad Alqam.

Demolition Report – Beit Ummar, West Bank
Date: April 21, 2025
In the early morning hours of April 21, 2025, Israeli military forces carried out a large-scale demolition operation in the town of Beit Ummar, located in the southern West Bank.