Hidden Patriot Act Provision Could Jail Demonstrators On Felony Charges...

[Slit Skirt]

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.

Sen. Arlen Specter , R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sponsored the measure, which would extend the authority of the Secret Service to allow agents to arrest people who willingly or knowingly enter a restricted area at an event, even if the president or other official normally protected by the Secret Service isn't in attendance at the time
Hidden Patriot Act Provision Could Jail Demonstrators On Felony Charges...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

[Slit Skirt]

1. then check out this post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2421847

[lonestarnot]

5. so what! are we supposed to be "scared" into stopping the protest?

Nahhhhhhhhhhhhh fuck 'em! Fighting on!

[atreides1]

2. But

What happens when this anti-Democracy bill comes to the floor to be voted on, will the Democratic leaders once again allow it to slide through with the well worn "we have to keep our powder dry" statement?

If the Democrats in the Congress allow this measure to pass, then Nader will have been proven right.

But I'll wait and see what happens with this, before I make a final decision on whether it's still viable to be a registered Democrat.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Do you really expect anything different? n/t

[cantstandbush]

4. How could our Congress do this to us? Neither they nor their staffs

read this Act. If they did and still passed it, they are against America not for it.

[Marleyb]

6. Even Fox News is covering this??!!

The measure has civil libertarians protesting what they say is yet another power grab for the executive branch and one more loss for free speech.

"It's definitely problematic and chilling," said Lisa Graves, senior counsel for legislative strategy at the American Civil Liberties Union , which has written letters to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, pointing out that the provision wasn't subject to hearings or open debate.

Some conservatives say they too are troubled by the measure.

"It concerns me greatly," said Bob Barr, former U.S. prosecutor and Republican representative from Georgia. "It clearly raises serious concerns about First Amendment rights."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,183147,00.html