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Your Civil Rights May Be Briefly Delayed: MBTA Security Inspections & the 4th Amendment |
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by Committee of Safety, send2russ (nospam) hotmail.com |
A permanent policy of random searches of baggage on the T not based on probable cause or any suspicion at all is inconsistent with the general spirit of liberty, violate the Fourth Amendment privileges of T passengers, and serves only the selfish interest of expanding police power at the expense of Bostonians. |
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Support the DNC Resolution to Uphold Constitutional Rights of Protesters |
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by Gan Golan, gangolan (nospam) mit.edu |
 A resolution to Uphold the Constitutional Rights of Protesters goes before the Boston City Council in a matter of days. Aimed at stopping the increasing trend of police repression seen during the FTAA in Miami and the G8 in Georgia The resolution will need your help in order to pass.
If this resolution passes it will be one of the most strongly worded resolutions in the country against the repression of protesters, setting a precedent for other cities to follow. As a city council resolution, it may not be able to reign in the FBI/JTTF & Secret Service, but the reality is that the feds need local agencies to carry out many of their repressive tactics. In the final section, the resolution draws clear lines against police brutality, harrassment of protesters, false arrests, use of force, etc.
Save Our Civil Liberties Petition
Full Text of Resolution (PDF)
[Update, 7/15/04: The resolution did not receive the unanimous vote it needed to pass and has been referred to the Boston City Council's Committee on Human Rights for a hearing on Wednesday, July 21 at 1:00 PM in the Iannella Chamber on the fifth
floor of Boston City Hall.] |
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10 Jul 2004
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Filed under: Announcement / DNC : Human Rights |
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MIT charges dropped against Aimee Smith |
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by Bill Cunningham, etwee (nospam) earthlink.net |
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A month after being arrested while distributing flyers at MIT, former Green-Rainbow city council candidate Aimee Smith has learned that charges against her have been dropped. She says she was “not surprised” that her case was dropped, but not satisfied, either: “We are looking into ways to seek redress to insure that MIT will never again use false arrest to silence people.” |
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10 Jul 2004
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Filed under: News / Human Rights |
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Harassment of DNC Protesters Escalates |
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by Boston Anarchist Black Cross (ABC), ABCboston-DNC04 (nospam) baamboston.org |
** Emergency Release From Boston **
Please Forward Everywhere.
Despite the Boston Police Department’s stated commitment to protect people’s First Amendment rights during the DNC, the BPD has, in conjunction with other law enforcement officers in New York City, started a campaign of preemptive action that could chill protest participants' lawful speech activities during the Democratic National Convention (DNC). |
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Read the full article » (61 comments) |
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09 Jul 2004
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Filed under: News / DNC : Human Rights |
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Security on the T & Criminalization of Dissent for the DNC |
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by S. Eppler, SEppler (nospam) MassArt.edu |
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If Boston residents haven't realized that we live in a culture of fear - they will during the Democratic National Convention. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has released a "Security Statement" that outlines using fear tactics to allow police and transportation authorities to search bags and personal possessions during the Democratic National Convention. This policy comes on top of similar measures that the MBTA has announced that it is undertaking that allow other measures such as allowing "police officers to randomly search T riders' bags" to protect riders from "bombs" and "terrorism". The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Lawyer's Guild (NLG) has provided a series of resources for people who are concerned about this violation of American rights. The NLG has provided a simple explanation of your legal rights while riding the T or other public transportation in Boston. |
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Read the full article » (46 comments) |
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26 Jun 2004
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Filed under: News / DNC : Human Rights |
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“Baghdad to Boston” group brings it back to military recruiters’ door |
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by CW, carlton (nospam) igc.org |
 Boston, MA- Responding to the May 26th arrest of Joe Previtera, (for silently posing as an Abu Ghraib prisoner, see May 27 and June 1 postings below) the B2B group put out a call to converge on the military recruiting center this past Saturday, June 5th at 11:00 a.m. And converge we did!
We came prepared to express ourselves creatively. A woman dressed as the statue of liberty was blindfolded with the US flag. Another activist wore the infamous black shawl and hood from Abu Ghraib. A third person had on the orange jumpsuit of Guantánamo Bay, including heavy-duty earphones for sensory deprivation. The fourth was dressed in a dark suit and Rumsfeld mask—a nasty job, but someone had to do it. |
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Read the full article » (572 comments) |
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08 Jun 2004
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Filed under: News / Human Rights |
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MIT Police Harass & Arrest Leafletter |
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by Bill Cunningham, etwee (nospam) earthlink.net |
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Former city council candidate Aimee Smith was arrested at MIT Friday morning while handing out flyers about the South End's proposed Bio-Terrorism Lab. They distributed informational literature about the proposed "Bio-Safety Lab", a laboratory that can also be described as a BioWeapons Lab, to people arriving to attend the day's graduation ceremonies. Smith, a recent alumna of MIT, was with three other members of the Social Justice Cooperative, a recognized campus group, when she was arrested. |
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Read the full article » (57 comments) |
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05 Jun 2004
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Filed under: News / Human Rights |
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