Greens on terrorism

[Guest guest]

THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES

 

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release:

Tuesday, February 12, 2002

 

Contacts:

Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576,

nallen

Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624,

scottmclarty

 

 

GREENS WARN THAT LOOSE ACCUSATIONS OF " TERRORISM " ARE

ERODING RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Members of the Green Party have

joined other Americans protesting the manipulation of

fears about terrorism in order to violate basic

liberties and constitutional rights of due process and

fair treatment under the law.

 

" From the round-ups of hundreds of Americans of Middle

Eastern descent and Muslims to the application of the

word 'terrorism' to unrelated allegations, we're

beginning to see suppression of rights similar to

McCarthyism and the hysteria over communism, " said

Anita Rios, an Ohio Green activist and national

steering committee member.

 

Greens see special danger in the agenda of Attorney

General John Ashcroft, who has tried to crush

democratic dissent by suggesting that U.S. citizens

who criticize Bush policy only " aid terrorists. "

 

In Florida, West Virginia, and Indiana, students have

been expelled from school for criticizing the war.

Journalists and activists have been harassed and have

lost jobs for not backing the war effort. Sami

Al-Arian, a tenured professor of computer science and

activist for Palestinian rights, was recently fired

from the University of South Florida for having made

statements against Israel in 1988.

 

A column in Forbes magazine by Cato Institute fellow

Steve H. Hanke titled " Barbarians at the Gate "

(October 29, 2001) accuses nearly every kind of civic

organization of terrorism, including churches, when

they oppose free trade or support measures to improve

the lives of working people. Hanke urges Bush to

target dissent as a menace to " the core of Western

civilization. "

 

Even before September 11, nonviolent protesters were

increasingly being hit with huge bails and fines,

multiple counts, harassment by police and U.S.

Marshals, and the threat of many months, even years,

behind bars. At the 2000 Republican Convention, some

demonstrators were held on one million dollars bail

for organizing legitimate rallies or for being seen

talking on their cell phones.

 

Accusations of terrorism have been extended to cases

that represent no threat to security. In San

Francisco, AIDS activists Michael Petrelis and David

Pasquarelli were jailed for over two months, with bail

set at $500,000 and $600,000 respectively, on a litany

of felony and misdemeanor charges, allegedly for

harassing telephone calls made to officials in protest

of what they call repressive public health measures

and inaccurate information being used to frighten the

public. After more than two months in custody, a

second judge reduced the bail in the face of public

protest, and the two were recently released to await

trial.

 

In a display of what Greens call bipartisanship at its

worst, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal.) requested

investigation of Petrelis and Pasquarelli -- her own

constituents -- under the 'USA PATRIOT' Anti-terrorism

Act, which allows the suspension of due process and

other constitutional guarantees. Greens allege that

the act, which Congress passed with overwhelming

bipartisan support, would not pass the scrutiny of a

court.

 

" Do the allegations merit investigation and possible

prosecution?, " asked Starlene Rankin, media

coordinator of the Illinois Green Party and organizer

of the growing national Lavender (gay, lesbian,

bisexual, transgender) Greens Caucus. " Yes. But do

they constitute a terrorist threat to national

security, justification for excessive bail, arbitrary

upgrading of charges from misdemeanors to serious

felonies, and abrogation of due process? No. "

 

" Public officials, with the support of political and

organizational leaders -- especially those who've been

stung by Petrelis's whistleblowing AIDS Accountability

Project and exposure of organizational improprieties

and inflated salaries -- have found a convenient way

to banish gadflies and a tactic for chilling dissent, "

added Rankin. " Petrelis and Paquarelli deserve fair

treatment by the legal system, in proportion to the

alleged harms. Regardless of one's opinion about the

accusations or the accused, the implications are

frightening for anyone who engages in political

protest and civil disobedience. "

 

Greens call for close public scrutiny to hold law

enforcement officers, prosecutors, and courts

accountable for violations of constitutional rights in

the investigation and prosecution of political

activists.

 

" When President Bush named Tom Ridge head of the

Office of Homeland Security on October 8, Ridge said

'Liberty is the most precious gift we offer to our

citizens.' Gov. Ridge was wrong, " said Tom Sevigny, a

Connecticut Green and member of the party's national

steering committee. " Liberty, like democracy and

other basic rights, is the foundation of our nation,

not a 'gift' from an indulgent government. "

 

" The willingness of the Bush Administration to rescind

basic rights and freedoms, with the complicity of

Democrats, puts the basis for our democracy into a

state of peril greater than any threat from outside

terrorism. It's an exercise in homeland lawlessness

in the name of security. "

 

 

MORE INFORMATION

 

The Green Party of the United States http://gpus.org

http://www.greenpartyus.org

 

Details, petition, and debate on the

Petrelis-Pasquarelli case

http://www.openletteronline.com/cgi-openletteronline/aget3.cgi?feat=23

 

" Barbarians at the Gate " by Cato fellow Steve H. Hanke

http://www.cato.org/dailys/10-16-01.html