PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Protest Ashcroft in Pittsburgh
by david Sunday, Sep. 21, 2003 at 6:47 PM
david@heartofdarkness.org

for pittsburgh indymedia

EMERGENCY PROTEST
Protest Attorney General John Ashcroft's visit to Pittsburgh to promote the Patriot Act

When: 4pm, Monday, September 22

Where: Mariott Chatham Center, 112 Washington Place (btw Centre and Colwell, near Mellon Arena)

Why: On Monday, September 22, Attorney General John Ashcroft, the evil mastermind behind the USA Patriot Act, the Victory Act, and a host of executive orders that infringe on civil liberties, is coming to town. He's addressing a private gathering with law enforcement officials to build support for the USA PATRIOT Act and impending Patriot II legislation at the Mariott at Chatham Center at approximately 4:20 PM on Monday. We will be outside to greet him to let him know that Pittsburgh will not go willingly into that dark night.

Today the government can get a secret warrant to search your home without telling you until later. Today the government can monitor your Internet use, read your emails, and examine your online purchases. Today you can be detained without access to a lawyer, without being charged with a crime. Today the FBI is authorized to monitor your political and religious activities. We can only guess what tomorrow will bring. The United States is at risk of turning into a full-fledged surveillance society. The fact is, Orwell's vision of "Big Brother" is now, for the first time, technologically possible.

Ashcroft's visit is part of a 16 city speaking tour to defend the Bush Administration's policies in the face of community resolutions, lawsuits, and legislative initiatives. At least two lawsuits are challenging portions of the USA PATRIOT Act in federal courts. Several bills aimed at protecting civil liberties have been introduced in Congress. And the list of state and local governments that have passed resolutions to defend the Bill of Rights continues to grow -- 166 cities and three states, with more jurisdictions being added each week. The Pittsburgh Bill of Rights Campaign (http://www.pbordc.org) recently submitted a resolution to the City Council.

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