activists beware

[chelidon]

This is scary stuff: New Patriot Act Provision Creates Tighter Barrier to Officials at Public Events

Bye bye, 1st Amendment.

WASHINGTON — A new provision tucked into the Patriot Act bill now before Congress would allow authorities to haul demonstrators at any "special event of national significance" away to jail on felony charges if they are caught breaching a security perimeter.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/faerose_/]

I don't really understand how this happens. *shakes head*

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

they really sneak these things in and hope nobody notices until it's too late. thank goodness the Patriot Act is getting scrutiny, and some folks were on the ball and caught this. Which doesn't mean it won't pass, but it does mean that it'll at least get some debate first, and those who vote for it won't be able to say they didn't know what they were doing.

*sigh*

[cerr.livejournal.com]

Time to whip out a copy of Thomas Paine's brilliant works........*sigh* We were free once.........and then we woke up.........

Re: *sigh*

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Ah-yup. Exactly.

[kitten-goddess.livejournal.com]

Do they have to indicate where the security perimeter is? Or can they just make one up and change it as they go along?

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

I don't know for sure, but with these kinds of things, it tends to get pushed to an administrative level. which usually means "wherever they want it to be."