http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=79e81646495abc47b6b7f953b5aab299--In Des Moines, the U.S. Attorney Office Feb. 10 dropped a gag order, and subpoenas that demanded leadership lists, information about what was discussed and who attended a peace forum as well as annual reports from the Drake University chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. The campus group sponsored a forum Nov. 15, a day before a run-of-the-mill peace rally at a National Guard facility. The government also dropped subpoenas for four protesters. Among those subpoenaed was the executive director of the Catholic Peace Ministry. Some other participants in the protest were Quakers and grandmothers, said Ben Stone, executive director of the Iowa ACLU.
--The Texas Civil Rights Project Feb. 13 condemned U.S. Army intelligence agents who wanted a roster of those who attended a conference on women and Islamic law at the University of Texas law school in Austin. Intelligence agents are also accused of posing as lawyers during the Feb. 4 event. The U.S. Army Intelligence Security Command has said it is looking into incident. The law school’s president said it was the first time in 30 years he had heard of the government investigating a law school forum or seminar.
“When the government intimidates people expressing their opinions non-violently in Iowa, the civil rights of all Americans are questioned,” said Joseph Truong, of the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition. His group’s second annual, national “Books Not Bombs Day of Action” is scheduled for March 4. Last year most demonstrations went well and some were supported by schools. But at least 300 students were suspended, 151 students arrested and two schools locked down, Truong said. Truong’s group is moving forward with its planned protest.
“These are not terrorists, these are people who are dissenting. I don’t think people believe the Catholic Peace Ministry is a threat,” said Caroline Palmer, of the National Lawyers Guild, which has over 6,000 members, chapters at over 100 law schools and in nearly every state. Its headquarters is in New York.
It is dangerous to lump peace activists, or other dissenters, with legitimate targets for criminal investigations, she said. Not only is the Patriot Act in effect, but what was Patriot Act II has been broken into smaller pieces of legislation and sprinkled into Homeland Security and other bills, said Palmer.
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