ACLU Opposes Patriot Act Provision

[cal04]

Secret Service's Reach Questioned
The American Civil Liberties Union raised objections yesterday to a little-noticed provision of the latest version of the USA Patriot Act bill, arguing that it would give the Secret Service wider latitude to charge protesters accused of disrupting major events including political conventions and the Olympics.

But Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who sponsored the provisions, and his aides said the concerns are misguided. The changes are meant to clear up legal confusion about the Secret Service's role at major events and to ensure that venues are fully secure before the president or other top officials arrive, they said. I'm a little surprised at the concern," Specter said in an interview, adding later, "The venue needs to be subject to their jurisdiction to make sure it's okay." The measure is the latest point of contention in a GOP-approved conference bill that would make permanent most parts of the Patriot Act anti-terrorism law and would renew two other provisions for four years.

A bipartisan group has vowed to fight the proposal, and several lawmakers proposed legislation yesterday that would give Congress an additional three months to negotiate. The Secret Service is authorized to charge suspects with breaching security or disruptive behavior at National Special Security Events, but only if the president or another person under the protection of the service is in attendance, according to a legislative summary. The bill adds language prohibiting people from "willfully and knowingly" entering a restricted area "where the President or other person protected by the Secret Service is or will be temporarily visiting." The measure also applies to security breaches "in conjunction with an event designated as a special event of national significance," according to the bill. Penalties for such violations would increase from six months to a year in prison.

To the ACLU, the changes would open the door to even tighter security restrictions at major events and would subject protesters to harassment from federal law enforcement officers. The Bush administration has come under sharp criticism from liberal and civil-liberties groups for disputed arrests and security measures at presidential events. "It's cementing the trend of the Secret Service basically acting to arrest or harass or control dissenters, and now not just at presidential events but at other events," said Timothy H. Edgar, the ACLU's national security counsel.

more
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/12/AR2005121201448.html

[waiting for hope]

1. That's why I joined....

"raised objections yesterday to a little-noticed provision of the latest version"

[ixion]

2. National Special Security Events?

:wtf:

What the hell are these?

Seriously, this stuff makes me :puke:


A big patriotic round of applause to the ACLU for standing up to these fascist thugs.


:applause: :woohoo: :applause: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :applause: :woohoo: :applause:

[HuffleClaw]

3. blatant criminalization of dissent

under the guise of 'security', the time-honoured method of the totalitarian regime. remember 'hooliganism' in soviet russia? it meant whatever the authorities wanted it to. this means you could be arrested for simply holding up a protest sign as the presidential motorcade drove by. this solves one of the administrations largest 'pr problems', that of the sight of hordes of protestors outside events where bush goes. these provisions were tailor-made to crush dissent.

[annabanana]

4. Arlen Specter scares me

This is the "safe protest zone" kind of thinking that has neutered meaningful encounter.

[Up2Late]

5. Here's the ACLU Press Reliese

ACLU Condemns Hidden Provision that Would Impede Freedom of Speech; Patriot Act Reauthorization Bill Would Empower Secret Service as Censors (12/12/2005)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: [e-mail]

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today denounced a provision contained within legislation created to reauthorize the Patriot Act that would make major changes to the criminal statutes administered by the Secret Service and could seriously damage the free speech rights of all Americans. The controversial provision has not had any Congressional review or hearings.

The following can be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:

"If this provision is adopted, our precious First Amendment would be significantly curtailed. The Secret Service already has broad authority to stifle dissent at events where high-ranking public officials appear. This little-noticed provision, contained in legislation meant to reauthorize the Patriot Act, would give the Secret Service effective power to enact ‘exclusion zones’ even without the attendance of the president or other Secret Service protectee.

"Imagine, in the future, a pro-choice president is set to speak at a conference, which the Secret Service declares as an ‘event of national significance.’ If the bill passes, the Secret Service could shut down areas throughout the conference and arrest any pro-life protester who violates the zone for a felony. This could happen even at times when the president is not speaking.

"Congress has not had ample time to consider this attack on the First Amendment. While there remains much to do on the Patriot Act powers themselves, lawmakers must reject this assault on the right to dissent."

To read the ACLU’s letter to the Senate on this provision, go to:
<http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/22670leg20051212.html>

To read the ACLU’s letter to the House on this provision, go to:
<http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/22672leg20051212.html>

For more on the ACLU’s concerns with the Patriot Act, go to:
<http://www.reformthepatriotact.org>

<http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/22689prs20051212.html>

[Up2Late]

6. kick n/t

:kick: