Thursday, October 12, 2006, 7pm - Public Forum on the Bush Administration's Domestic Surveillance
Where: Portland State University, Smith Memorial Student Union, Room 298, 1825 SW Broadway, Portland, Oregon 97207
People For the American Way and the Northwest Constitutional Rights Center invite you to a community forum on the Bush administration's domestic surveillance program. President Bush has authorized domestic spying on American citizens without obtaining any court approval at any time. The warrantless wiretapping of American's phone calls by the NSA has already been ruled unconstitutional by one federal judge for violating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the Fourth Amendment's guarantee against warrantless searches and seizures. Please join an expert panel for a discussion on this monumental constitutional issue. Discussion Panel: Attorney at Law Steven Goldberg, Dr. John Kroger, Associate Professor of Law at Lewis & Clark College and Hope Marston, regional coordinator for the Bill of Rights Defense Committee.
We must remain vigilant in order to preserve our fundamental Constitutional protections. We hope that you can join this important discussion. For more information, Erik Sorensen, Oregon Coordinator for People For the American Way can be reached at 503-789-8213. For more information on the NSA domestic surveillance program and the administration's assault on civil liberties, visit http://www.pfaw.org/go/IllegalSpying.
Saturday September 16th, 2006; 3pm-6pm "BBQ Bash and celebration of Constitution Day"
Where: Peninsula Park, N Albina and Portland Blvd. Portland, OR -> Directions ->
What: Good times, good people and a good cause; BBQ (veggie and meat friendly),
Libations (BYOB), Entertainment and Games.
Who: The Northwest Constitutional Rights Center, the Portland Chapter of the
National Lawyers Guild and You and Your Family. You're invited to a BBQ Bash and celebration of Constitution Day to benefit the Northwest Constitutional Rights Center. Come hang out with our staff, board members, volunteers, NLG members and many others committed to protecting our constitutional rights. For More Information or to volunteer please call Jason at 503-295-6400.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006, 7 pm "Terrorist Creep - the 'Terrorization' of Criminal and Free Speech Acts." A discussion about the impact of characterizing crimes as "domestic terrorism" solely because of the political message allegedly associated with these crimes. With Steven Wax, from the Oregon Federal Public Defender's Office and Ashlee Albies, an attorney working with the Constitutional Rights Center in New York
Wednesday, April 5, 2006, 7 pm "How Law Enforcement Overlooks Crimes Against the Environment, and Persecutes Crimes for the Environment" A discussion about the Federal Government's focus on targeting environmental and animal rights activists rather than corporations committing crimes violating environmental protection laws. With Kim Marks, of Forest Ethics and Barbara Dudley, former Executive Director of Greenpeace
Wednesday, April 19, 2006, 7 pm "The Chilling Effect" A discussion about the effect the "terrorist" label on politically active organizations and individuals involved with activities protected by the First Amendment. With Ben Rosenfeld, one of the attorneys for Judi Bari and Daryl Cherney in their lawsuit against the FBI for framing them as terrorists, and Hope Marston, from the Bill of Rights Defense Committee.
Location: First Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 12th Avenue in Downtown Portland.
For Immediate Release: Monday, March 13, 2006Portland, OR - In response to the recent indictments and arrests of individuals accused of engaging in "domestic terrorism" - specifically arson and conspiracy to commit arson - on March 22, the National Lawyers Guild - Portland Chapter, the Northwest Constitutional Rights Center and the First Unitarian Church of Portland will launch a discussion series titled "But, is this really Terrorism? An ongoing forum about the impact of the 'War on Terror' on dissent in the United States." This series will provide the public an opportunity to dig deeper into the Bush Administration's policies and their ramifications.
"It's time Americans consider whether characterizing as "terrorism" any illegal activity done for political purposes is compatible with our revolutionary and activist history," said Alejandro Queral, executive director of the NW Constitutional Rights Center. "While illegal activities should be punished, there is a serious danger of chilling dissenting points of view when the government casts a net as wide as the definition of 'domestic terrorism.'"
Brenna Bell, a member of the National Lawyers Guild, concurred: "The Bush Administration's "War on Terror" seems to need terrorists to justify their war on civil liberties, so they've expanded the definition to include political activists whose alleged illegal actions ultimately harmed no one. This trivializes the true meaning of the word 'terrorism'"
The first three events of this series will address the government's use of the ever expanding definition of "terrorism" and its legal ramifications for individuals and organizations, the fact that the government overlooks and rewards crimes against the environment (such as illegal polluting and habitat destruction) while attacking the environmental activist community, and the chilling effect the government's action have on politically active individuals and organizations across the spectrum.
"This is a discussion that everyone should have," said Kate Lore, Social Justice Director of the First Unitarian Church of Portland. "When a country has as much power as our does and that power is matched with the fear-based thinking demonstrated in the administration's "war on terror," we are at risk of losing all that we hold dear: peace, justice and freedom for all."
All events will take place at the First Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 12th Avenue in Downtown Portland.