News

December 30, 2011: President Obama signs the NDAA
The dangerous bill allows the President to merely claim a person is a terrorist in order to lock them up and throw away the key -- without charge and without trial.

December 15, 2011: Senate's Appalling Bill of Rights Day Vote
Apparently 220 years of the Bill of Rights is long enough for 83 members of the Senate. In a crushing blow to basic rights, the NDAA passed the Senate in spite of a draconian provision to allow for the indefinite detention without trail of people accused of being connected to terrorism.

The roll call vote is here.

December 14, 2011: House passes NDAA
The massive National Defense Authorization Act passed the House by a vote of 283-138. This bill contains $554 billion for the Pentagon base budget and another $115.5 billion for the wars, and includes dangerous provisions for the "indefinite detention" of terrorism suspects and includes restrictions on the transfer of prisoners out of Guantanamo -- even those who have been cleared for release.

Roll call vote is here.

December 1, 2011: Indefinite Detention without charge or trial
The Senate voted 93-7 today to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, in spite of the fact that the bill contains provisions allowing the president to order the military to pick up people and detain them indefinitely without charge or trial.  That includes U.S. citizens, on U.S. soil.

That's right, the president need only accuse a person of being linked to al Qaeda or any other terrorist group hostile to the U.S. or to any of our "coalition partners" to command the military to haul them in. Without charging them of a crime, or bothering with a trial.

Learn More and Take Action Here

November 21, 2011: Stop Police Use of "less than lethal" weapons against protesters
Peaceful protesters, sitting on a sidewalk at UC Davis were doused with pepper spray at point blank range; in Seattle, police pepper spray a peaceful, 84 year-old woman; in Oakland, an Iraq war veteran is critcally injured by a projectile launched by police. In too many cities across the country, police are responding to protesters with disproportionate force. Sign and share the petition to put an end to unjustified use of dangerous weapons.

October 27, 2011: Defending Dissent Foundation Condemns Excessive Police Force
Washington, DC | www.defendingdissent.org |, October 27, 2011-- On Tuesday evening, police in Oakland, California, armed with lethal and “non-lethal” weapons, dressed in riot gear, protected by helmets, shields and bullet proof vests responded to unarmed protesters with excessive force, resulting in the critical injury of one protester, Scott Olsen. See the video here and here.

The Defending Dissent Foundation condemns the use of excessive force and calls on police departments across the country to immediately pledge to stop using “non-lethal” weapons including rubber bullets, bean bags, tear gas, baton rounds or concussive (“flash bang”) grenades against unarmed protesters. DDF Executive Director, Sue Udry said “There is no justification for employing these weapons against unarmed protesters. Use of these weapons can seriously injure protesters, and make a volatile situation more dangerous for both protesters and police. Our police are sworn to uphold the Constitution, we urge police to respect that pledge, and to respect the rights and well-being of protesters.”

We welcome your omments on the DDF Facebook page

Press Release is here.

Enjoy Jon Stewart's take on the Oakland Police overreaction:

October 26, 2011: PATRIOT Act Turns 10
This is not a birthday we are happy to celebrate. In the decade since the PATRIOT Act was signed, the Bill of Rights has been under constant attack by all three branches of government. Here is a sampling of press around the country:
Wired: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/10/patriot-act-turns-ten/
NPR: http://www.npr.org/2011/10/26/141699537/as-it-turns-10-patriot-act-remains-controversial
Washington Post Section 215 story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-going-to-court-more-often-to-get-personal-internet-usage-data/2011/10/25/gIQAM7s2GM_story.html
Nick Merrill’s op-ed: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-the-patriot-act-stripped-me-of-my-free-speech-rights/2011/10/20/gIQAXB53GM_story.html
Carol Rose’s Boston Globe blog: http://boston.com/community/blogs/on_liberty/2011/10/ten_years_of_the_patriot_act.html
Zachary Katnelson’s oped: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/23/3214814/commentary-the-patriot-act-cyber.html

October 13, 2011: Mayor Bloomberg Threatens to "Clean-up" OWS Protest
The Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement proves that dissent is alive and well in the U.S. With protests in cities and towns all over the country, the movement is also giving us a pretty good picture of where freedom rings in the U.S. .... and where officials are trying to snuff it out.
See the alert here.
See the press release here

October 6, 2011: Groups Demand Hearing on FBI Domestic Investigation Guide
Defending Dissent Foundation, the Brennan Center and the Bill of Rights Defense Committee renewed their call for Congressional hearings on the way the FBI collects intelligence about law-abiding Americans. The three organizations were joined by 14 other civil liberties and civil rights groups, including the Center for Constitutional Rights and the ACLU. The call was prompted by proposed changes to FBI guidelines allowing more intrusive investigatory practices. Read the letter here.

October 4, 2011: Groups Applaud FBI Review of Training Materials, but Urge FBI to Withdraw Inaccurate Intelligence Reports
27 civil rights and civil liberties groups sent a letter to FBI Director Mueller applauding his decision to review FBI training materials after revelations of outrageously biased trainings, but urged a full review of FBI intelligence materials that espouse inaccurate and biased theories about Islam and Muslims. The letter specifically cited a 2006 FBI Intelligence Assessment “The Radicalization Process: From Conversion to Jihad,” which was published in May 2006 but restricted from public distribution until it was leaked on the internet sometime later. The document identifies 4 steps in a 'radicalization cycle' in which religious converts purportedly become “Homegrown Islamic extremists.” According to this analysis, “indicators” of a convert’s extremism include:

o Wearing traditional Muslim attire
o Growing facial hair
o Frequent attendance at a mosque or a prayer group
o Travel to a Muslim country
o Increased activity in a pro-Muslim social group or political cause
o Proselytizing.

Read the letter here.

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