Group protests Patriot Act in Escondido

By: EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer | Saturday, August 21, 2004 9:46 PM PDT ∞

ESCONDIDO ---- Waving flags and picket signs, a group of about 20 people rallied outside a local congressman's office Saturday morning to protest the USA Patriot Act, a law they said curbs civil liberties and encroaches on people's right to privacy.

The rally, organized by the anti-war North County Coalition for Peace and Justice, began outside Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's office in Escondido. Organizers said they targeted the Republican congressman because he supported the Patriot Act.

After about an hour, the group marched through downtown to the Escondido Public Library on Kalmia Street, where several local activists and political candidates spoke to a small crowd of supporters.

Cunningham was not the protestors' only target. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, was also criticized for his support of the Patriot Act.

"We feel that both our congressmen have subverted freedom of expression under the first amendment," said Joe Crews, of Fallbrook, one of the organizers. "They voted to extend government spying into the reading habits of people at libraries and on the internet."

Issa could not be reached for comment Saturday.

The controversial law was approved by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the East Coast. It widened the power of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to search homes, wiretap telephone conversations and monitor computer use.

President Bush and others, including Cunningham, have defended the law saying that it has proved a valuable tool in seeking out terrorists.

"I voted for the Patriot Act because it gives law enforcement personnel the tools they need to combat terrorism," Cunningham said in a written statement issued Saturday in response to the protest. "Just last month, the 9-11 Commission report highlighted some of the flaws in our intelligence system and validated the Patriot Act."

House Resolution 4754, a bipartisan bill that would have blocked some of the more controversial provisions of the Patriot Act was defeated last month.

Activists said the local congressmens' votes against that bill spurred Saturday's rally.

"The vote was 210 to 210," said Crews, referring to the vote on HR 4754. It needed a majority to pass. "Either one of these congressmen could have protected the right to research and that's why we're here today."

Three congressional candidates spoke to the group in front of the library, including Mike Byron, Democratic candidate for the 49th congressional district; Gary Waayers, Green Party candidate for the 50th congressional district; and Francine Busby, Democratic candidate for the 50th congressional district.

"We're told that there's a clash here between the need of government to keep citizens safe and the freedoms that the Bill of Rights gives to American citizens," Byron said. "I say that's nonsense. There is no conflict. Government agents have more than enough powers, more than enough authority to investigate and take action to keep Americans safe. We do not need to cannibalize our Bill of Rights in order to do that."

Many in the small crowd carried signs criticizing the war in Iraq, the Patriot Act and President Bush.

"Health care not welfare," one sign read. "Freedom is reading any book without fear," read another.

Silvia Berrios, of Oceanside, who participated in the rally, said some of the provisions in the anti-terrorist law reminded her of her native El Salvador during its civil war in the 1980s.

"In El Salvador, there were orejas (ears), people who were spies, everywhere," Berrios said. "You had to watch what you said. I was scared not only for myself, but for my family."

Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-5426 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.