NSA surveillance: protesters stage Restore the Fourth rallies across US

NSA surveillance: protesters stage Restore the Fourth rallies across US



Restore the Fourth is a grassroots, non-partisan, non-violent movement that seeks to organize and assemble nationwide protests on July 4th, 2013. Protesters in over 100 cities across America will gather to demand that the government of the United States of America adhere to its constitutionally dictated limits and respect the Fourth Amendment. http://www.RestoretheFourth.net provides a detailed list of protest locations.

Restore the Fourth maintains that justification of the Fourth Amendment beyond the original text need not be given; the legitimacy of which is self-evident. "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." The Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights clearly protects all citizens' assets, both digital and physical, against searches and seizures without warrant; they aim to assert those rights. They insist that the proper channels of government work to ensure that all policy complies with the supreme laws of the United States of America in their entirety.

Restore the Fourth requests that American citizens' right to privacy is respected and stands with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and StopWatching.us on their open letter to Congress. As informed members of the American electorate, they endorse and echo the letter's demands.

1. Enact reform this Congress to Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act, the state secrets privilege, and the FISA Amendments Act to make clear that blanket surveillance of the Internet activity and phone records of any person residing in the U.S. is prohibited by law and that violations can be reviewed in adversarial proceedings before a public court;

2. Create a special committee to investigate, report, and reveal to the public the extent of this domestic spying. This committee should create specific recommendations for legal and regulatory reform to end unconstitutional surveillance;

3. Hold accountable those public officials who are found to be responsible for this unconstitutional surveillance.

The July 4th demonstrations seek to demand an end to the unconstitutional surveillance methods employed by the U.S. government and to ensure that all future government surveillance is constitutional, limited, and clearly defined.

Restore the Fourth aims to ensure that the will of the people is reflected in the government of the United States of America. This movement intends to bring an end to twelve years of Fourth Amendment abuses, and demonstrate the need for a return to the Constitution. All Americans should stand with them in this cause to protect the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Protests took place across the US on Thursday to demonstrate opposition to sweeping National Security Agency surveillance programs.

The events were organised by a newly hatched organisation called Restore the Fourth, named after the constitutionally guaranteed protection against illegal search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment. Rallies and marches took place in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, New York City, Washington DC and dozens of other US cities.

Ryan Brown, a regional leader for the San Francisco Bay protests who has been co-ordinating with national organisers, said his participation in Restore the Fourth stemmed from concern over excessive governmental power implied by the spying programs. "I see it as ethically disgusting that the government has both the opportunity and the ability ... to collect the data on us individually, without a given reason other than quote-unquote 'protecting our freedoms'," he said.

Restore the Fourth describes itself as a "grassroots, non-partisan, non-violent movement", according to its website. Its central demands are to ask Congress to enact reform of the Patriot Act, which has been used as legal justification for the surveillance programs, to call for the formation of a special committee to investigate the extent of the spying programs, and to hold public officials accountable if they are found to be responsible for unconstitutional surveillance efforts.