Show Arrests, Empty Prosecutions

High‑visibility arrests at political protests are increasingly staged with media partners and dramatic tactics, but many of those cases later fail or are dropped, revealing weak evidence and overreach. That combination chills dissent, wastes prosecutorial resources, and erodes public confidence in impartial justice. — If governments use theatrical enforcement as political messaging, it reshapes protest politics, delegitimizes courts, and raises stakes for civil‑liberties oversight and prosecutorial independence.