Patriot Brief

• A Pittsburgh city agency promoted a civil disobedience training hosted by left-wing activist groups.

• The event blurs lines between civil rights enforcement and political activism.

• The episode raises questions about neutrality and proper use of government platforms.

There’s a quiet but important line that government agencies are expected not to cross: the line between protecting civil rights and promoting political activism. Pittsburgh’s Commission on Human Relations appears to have stepped directly onto it.

By reposting promotional material for a “Tactical Training in the Art of Civil Disobedience” hosted by local chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America and the 50501 Movement, the commission didn’t just share information. It lent institutional credibility to an explicitly activist event. That matters, especially given what the commission is supposed to be.

The CHR describes itself as a civil rights law enforcement agency. Its mission, according to its own website, is to investigate discrimination, educate communities on their rights, and recommend protections within city law. Nowhere in that mandate is there room for endorsing or amplifying training sessions designed to help activists become “more confident, effective, and prepared” in civil disobedience.

Civil disobedience has a long and complicated history in American life. It can be principled. It can also cross into illegality very quickly. That tension is precisely why government bodies are expected to remain neutral arbiters, not participants or promoters. When an agency tasked with enforcing civil rights law boosts an event designed to teach people how to break laws strategically, it invites questions it shouldn’t have to answer.

The involvement of a civil rights attorney like Mike Healey doesn’t resolve that tension. Lawyers can argue theory. Activists can organize tactics. Government agencies are supposed to enforce rules fairly, regardless of ideology. Mixing those roles erodes public trust, particularly among residents who don’t share the political leanings of the sponsoring groups.

The fact that the 50501 Movement openly formed to oppose the second Trump administration only sharpens the concern. A city agency promoting material from a group defined by opposition to a sitting administration — regardless of one’s views of that administration — creates the appearance of partisanship. Even if the intent was benign, the optics are not.

This isn’t about suppressing speech or denying anyone the right to organize. The groups involved are free to host whatever trainings they want. The issue is whether a taxpayer-funded commission charged with civil rights enforcement should be using its official platforms to help promote them.

Neutrality isn’t silence. It’s discipline. And when agencies blur that distinction, they don’t just risk criticism — they weaken the credibility they rely on to do their actual job.

From Daily Caller:

A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, government agency is promoting an upcoming class by local leftist groups on “civil disobedience” from its social media accounts.

The city’s Commission on Human Relations (CHR) reposted a joint announcement on Saturday advertising the event by the Pittsburgh chapters of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the 50501 Movement on Instagram and X. The three-hour Tuesday evening talk will feature an unnamed “practitioner and trainer with extensive experience” and civil rights lawyer Mike Healey, according to the posts.

Tactical Training in the Art of Civil Disobedience
Tuesday, January 13, 6-9pm
Community Forge in Wilkinsburg pic.twitter.com/JlYvB7ux5Y

— Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations (@PghCHR) January 10, 2026

The session marks part two of a “Rebirthing Civil Disobedience” series hosted by the DSA and 50501 Pittsburgh, both taking place at the nonprofit Community Forge. Neither the organizations nor Healey responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.

“This session will offer tactical training in the art of civil disobedience, grounded in real-world experience and historical context,” the DSA wrote in its own announcement on Facebook. “Whether you are new to this work or looking to deepen your skills, this training is designed to help you grow more confident, effective, and prepared.”

The CHR’s website calls the commission a “civil rights law enforcement agency focused on investigating instances of discrimination, providing outreach and education to communities about their rights, and recommending necessary protections in the City Code to provide all people in Pittsburgh with equal opportunities.”

“Our goal is to decrease unfair treatment and discrimination by promoting justice and understanding among communities in the City of Pittsburgh,” the website reads.

An announcement of Tuesday’s talk on 50501 Pittsburgh’s website says it will be livestreamed on YouTube, but assures in bold type that “no audience members will be shown on video.”

“Build your civil disobedience muscle,” the post says.

The 50501 Movement formed in 2025 to protest the second Trump administration and calls itself a “peaceful movement” on its website.

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Photo Credit: Maranie R. Stabb/AFP via Getty Images