Patriot Act Protest in NYC

posted by NYC on Sunday October 26, @12:43PM

PATRIOT ACT PROTEST IN NYC, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2003

Patriot, Bob Lesko from the lower eastside, held a sign reading “Patriots Against the Patriot Act -- Support NYC Council Res. 909”, as people assembled in Union Square, New York City, to protest the Patriot Act, and seek its repeal.
See Patriot Act

Nearby, the Zoo of Terror depicting victims of the Patriot Act as animals, made its debut, presented by Counter Clockwise Arts in Action, a New York based political theater group. Janelle Treibitz of Counter Clockwise collected signatures on a petition to repeal the Patriot Act, and made her cell phone available to call City Council members.

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Ms. Treibitz described the Patriot Act, which impinges on the civil liberties guaranteed us in the Bill of Rights (see Bill of Rights ) as “the most unprecedented attack on civil liberties,” “blatant and shocking,” and largely misunderstood by or even unknown to the general public.

Monica Hunken, an artist with Counter Clockwise, who also collected signatures, “wants people to support Resolution 909” especially before Patriot Act II (also called the Domestic Security Enhancement Act) is passed. (See Domestic Security Enhancement Act )

Jean Mensing of the east village, who held a sign saying “Ring the warning bells. Repeal the Patriot Act,” described the Patriot Act as “fascist, taking away my American freedoms, and won’t do anything to protect me.” It is a “mockery”. It is the “new McCarthyism”.

Jim Lesczynski, who marched behind the Manhattan Libertarians banner, said his group was there because they are “pro civil liberties.” We have a “fundamental human right to be left alone.” There should be a “presumption of innocence. The Patriot Act is a total encroachment on liberty, independence, and freedoms.”

Another concern expressed at today’s protest was the United States Government’s unequal treatment of the National Guard. A woman from the Bronx, holding a sign that read “Separate and unequal health care for National Guard is unAmerican,” expressed her concerns that wounded National Guard were not receiving medical care with the same promptness as the regular army when returned to the United States for medical treatment. Similar concerns were expressed last week by Adam Hochberg of NPR, and the Army has sent investigators to Ft. Stewart. (See NPR for more information.)

She was also distressed by the knowledge that troops in Iraq who are suffering food poisoning and dysentery are lacking adequate treatment because of a shortage of doctors and hospitals in Iraq, while the food is provided to the troops by a private company as a result of the army’s “outsourcing”. (See Kellogg, Brown and Root Joins the War on Terrorism. ... The contract is what the Pentagon calls a "cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity service," which basically means that the federal government has an open-ended mandate and budget to send Kellogg, Brown & Root (a subsidiary of Halliburton) anywhere in the world to run humanitarian or military operations for profit...) For more food related information, see International Herald Tribune

The citizen from the Bronx expressed dismay about an armor shortage in Iraq, as disclosed in the news recently. See “Soldiers face armor gap in Iraq” at News Observer

Bill Pritchard, a proponent of Res. 909 (City Council Res. 909 states that it is not necessary to violate individual freedoms in order to protect the public safety. More at Resolution 909 ) gave a rousing speech in defense of civil liberties before the protestors left Union Square to march north on Sixth Avenue to Columbus Circle.

More pictures are available at GFP Gallery Protest Patriot Act

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