--- http://nyc.indymedia.org/feature/display/107119/index.php ...the Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation and is demanding records concerning anti-RNC deleagte posts to this website. Specifically, the DOJ is seeking information on lists of 2,200 RNC delegate names posted to our Open Newswire.... ...the Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation and is demanding records concerning anti-RNC deleagte posts to this website. Specifically, the DOJ is seeking information on lists of 2,200 RNC delegate names posted to our Open Newswire...
And also: http://www.indymedia.org/or/2004/08/111732.shtml --- > -----Original Message----- > From: Emily Whitfield > Sent: Monday, August 30, 2004 11:38 AM > To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' > Subject: ACLU Defends Indymedia in Secret Service Investigation > > Declan, I think you and Politech readers will find this case of great interest. The > ACLU is defending Indymedia's web host and four Indymedia administrators who are the > target of a Secret Service investigation into the posting of RNC delegate info on > Indymedia.org. > > Our news release follows. > > Emily Whitfield > ACLU Media Relations Director > > > ACLU Criticizes Secret Service Investigation of News Website That Posted RNC > Delegates' Names > > ACLU is Defending Web Host and Others Sought Through Grand Jury Subpoena > > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Emily Whitfield, ACLU > August 30, 2004 (212) 549-2566 or 2666 > > NEW YORK - In a letter sent today in response to a grand jury subpoena issued by the > Secret Service, the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties > Union said they are representing a web hosting service and administrators of an > independent media website regarding the anonymous posting of publicly available > information about delegates to the Republican National Convention. > > The groups said the investigation is but the latest example of government agencies > using law enforcement powers to chill free speech and intimidate protesters. > > "This type of investigation is really a form of intimidation and a message to > activists that they will pay a price for speaking out," said ACLU Associate Legal > Director Ann Beeson. "The posting of publicly available information about people who > are in the news should not trigger an investigation. Indeed, if the mere posting of > the delegates' name is cause for alarm, then the Secret Service should be > investigating the many Republican websites where the same kind of information is > available." > > Beeson added that the posting did not include anything remotely threatening, but > involved political speech fully protected by the First Amendment. Indymedia.org is > the website of the Independent Media Center, a collective of independent media > organizations and journalists. > > The ACLU and NYCLU are also defending Calyx Internet Access, a web hosting service > for the Indymedia website. Last week, Calyx> '> s president, Nicholas Merrill, > received a grand jury subpoena to turn over contact information for Indymedia. > Merrill said that he contacted the four men he knew of -- and the ACLU -- upon > receiving the subpoena, and the men agreed that Calyx could provide their > information because they had nothing to hide. In fact, the men are not responsible > for posting the delegate names, and it is not clear who is, because Indymedia has an > anonymous posting policy. > > In its letter to the Secret Service today, the ACLU provided the e-mail addresses of > the four Indymedia administrators --- Matt Toups, Brian Szymanski, Micah Anderson > and one man who prefers not to be named publicly -- and advised the agency that they > are representing them in any formal or informal questioning of them or Merrill. > > In a statement issued today, Toups, a 22-year-old undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon > University, said: > "> The right of an author to choose anonymity is an important > part of what Indymedia stands for because we work to create a safe space for > dissenting views. Unfortunately, the United States is becoming an increasingly > repressive and chilling environment for free speech, thanks to government harassment > like the recent attempts to question Indymedia and other activist groups in New York > for the Republican National Convention.> "> > > Beeson said she found it ironic that the Secret Service subpoena said that the men > were sought in connection with an investigation of voter intimidation. "The only > intimidation taking place here is the Secret Service intimidating people who speak > out against the government," she said. > "> Unfortunately, the Secret Service has a > very recent history of preventing Americans from exercising their First Amendment > rights.> "> > > Last year, the ACLU filed a class-action lawsuit against the Secret Service over the > agency> '> s practice of forcing activists into remote "protest zones" during Bush > administration events, while allowing pro-Bush supporters to remain in close > proximity. A judge dismissed the case after the agency insisted that the practice > was not a matter of policy and agreed that such a policy would violate important > free speech rights protected under the Constitution. The ACLU is still investigating > complaints of restrictions against protesters. > > In recent weeks, the ACLU and its affiliates around the country have received > complaints that law enforcement officials throughout the U.S. have been monitoring > activists they believe are planning to protest at major national political events, > including the Republican National Convention in New York, which has already drawn > hundreds of thousands of protesters. > > In Missouri, the ACLU is defending three activists who were subpoenaed as part of an > investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. The men, who have no history > of violent activity, were subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury on July > 29, which prevented them from traveling to Boston to protest at the Democratic > National Convention as they had planned. For more on that story, go to > http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=16248&c=282 > > In addition to Beeson, the five men in today's case are represented by Jameel Jaffer > of the ACLU and Arthur Eisenberg, Legal Director of the NYCLU. > > The Secret Service subpoena is online at: > <http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=16330&c=206> > > The ACLU letter to the Secret Service is online at: > <http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=16336&c=206> > > Statements from the web host and three of the Indymedia administrators are online > here: > Micah Anderson - <http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeSpeech.cfm?ID=16338&c=86> > Nicholas Merrill - <http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeSpeech.cfm?ID=16332&c=86> > Brian Szymanski - <http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeSpeech.cfm?ID=16331&c=86> > Matt Toups - <http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeSpeech.cfm?ID=16334&c=86> > > _______________________________________________ Politech mailing list Archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Moderated by Declan McCullagh (http://www.mccullagh.org/)
