ONCE AGAIN - WE'RE WINNING THE INFORMATION WAR - WAKING UP LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND GOOD OFFICERS
DENVER — The local government here officially threw its lot in with Portland, Ore. and a handful of other municipalities around the country, passing a resolution Monday night discouraging police from enforcing new anti-terror legislation if doing so would interfere with peoples’ civil rights.
A non-binding resolution passed by the city council in response to the federal USA Patriot Act discourages Denver police from investigating groups or individuals based on their country of origin or immigration status. The resolution bars police from assisting in parts of the federal government's anti-terrorism campaign.
Councilwoman Kathleen MacKenzie, who co-sponsored the resolution, said the measure urges police not to go too far in the wake of Sept. 11.
"In this city, it's not a crime to have dark skin," she said. "It's not a crime to be from a different country. It's not a crime to express unpopular views."
The move comes a week after revelations that Denver police officials have been keeping secret files on protest groups like Amnesty International, anti-globalization protestors and the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker group.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which revealed that the files were being kept, said the police department had some 3,200 files on individuals and 208 files on organizations dating to about 1999. Following the revelation, Mayor Wellington Webb reprimanded police officials and said they had interpreted city policy too broadly.
Targeting some citizens for surveillance and ignoring others because of their race or national origin didn’t sit well with everyone on the council, however. The resolution passed by a 7-4 margin after nearly two hours of debate in front of a standing-room-only audience.
Among the opponents of the resolution was Councilman Ed Thomas, who said the new police powers are needed for public safety and that it would unnecessarily tie the hands of Denver police.
"If you think this is the last terrorist act in this country you are sadly mistaken," said Thomas, a former police officer. "I think it's inappropriate to not remember the people who died 9/11 and that's exactly what we are doing."
Councilwoman Cathy Reynolds called the measure “poppycock,” and complained that people around the country would view Denver in a "bad light" if it passed.
A handful of other cities, including Portland, Ore., have questioned the scope of the USA Patriot law, which expands law enforcement's surveillance and investigative powers in order to combat domestic and international terrorism. Portland officials refused to help federal authorities interview people about the terrorist attacks.
Although Denver's resolution doesn't have the force of law, supporters on the council said Mayor Webb has indicated he likely will make it part of the police operations.
The resolution was proposed by the All Nations Alliance, a group that made a name for itself protesting the city’s annual Columbus Day parade as a celebration of genocide against Native Americans.
Denver Officials, Citing Civil Rights
Decide to Bow Out of War on Terror
By Fox News
Post by: www.propagandamatrix.com/thepropagandama...
Posted on the Independent Newswire on 21 March 2002
Ref: www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=154718&group=webcast
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