News Advisory: -- Civil Rights, Environmental Leaders Call on Ashcroft to Drop Greenpeace Prosecution; Cite Justice Department Threat to First Amendment Right to Peaceful Protest Leaders from a wide range of advocacy groups will join with Greenpeace at a Dec. 11 press conference to call on Attorney General John Ashcroft to drop his prosecution of Greenpeace for a nonviolent protest by several of its supporters. The criminal prosecution of an advocacy group for the free speech activities of its members -- and the chilling effect on its activities -- is unprecedented in the United States. It sets a dangerous precedent threatening the First Amendment right to peaceful protest. Greenpeace is facing criminal charges by the Justice Department for an action in which two activists boarded a ship carrying illegal mahogany off the coast of Miami. They carried a banner urging President Bush to stop illegal logging. The Ashcroft Justice Department indicted Greenpeace by unearthing an 1872 law enacted to prevent "sailor mongering" -- whereby owners of brothels and taverns sought to lure sailors off their ships. There are only two prosecutions on record under this law -- the last one 113 years ago. This press conference takes place on the eve of a Dec. 12 hearing in Miami, at which Greenpeace will ask the federal court to dismiss the indictment against it. WHAT: EMS Press Conference to Call for Halt to Greenpeace Prosecution WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 11, 10 a.m. EST WHERE: The J.W. Marriott Hotel -- the Russell Room, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. (14th & Pennsylvania Ave) WHO: -- Julian Bond, chair, NAACP -- Ralph Neas, president, People for the American Way -- Gerd Leipold, executive director, Greenpeace International -- John Passacantando, executive director, Greenpeace USA http://www.usnewswire.com/ |
this is bullshit. the first amendment doesn't give me the right to peacefully assemble in your livingroom. oooo. the chilling effect. i still like greenpeace better than ashcroft. though, only slightly. |
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plus, it further divides the nation. which is ultimately the goal of the republican right. because, as we all know, the right is the party of the simple people, the anti-intellectual feel good party. and there are far more simple people than educated, intelligent folk. |
in other ways i despise them most of the time I think I despise them though... much like Adbusters magazine. |