June 7, 2004
New Legislation to be Introduced June 8 to Restore Civil Liberties Undermined by 9/11
Contact:
Nancy Talanian, Director
Bill of Rights Defense Committee
Northampton, Massachusetts
413-582-0110
info@bordc.org
WASHINGTON - June 7 - A new coalition of human rights, civil liberties, civil rights, and immigration advocacy groups will hold a series of events around the country on June 8th, including a national telephonic press conference, announcing the introduction of the Civil Liberties Restoration Act (CLRA). The bill will be introduced the same day in Washington, D.C. by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Jon Corzine (D-NJ), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Russ Feingold (D-WI), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Congressmen Howard Berman (D-CA) and William Delahunt (D-MA). The CLRA would roll back some of the most egregious post-911 policies and ensure respect for basic rights and fair treatment under the law. Specifically, the bill redresses troubling new policies such as arbitrary and indefinite detentions, secret hearings, severe restrictions on due process, and violations of privacy and First Amendment rights.
The national telephonic press conference will take place at 1:00 p.m. ET Tuesday, June 8th on 800-362-0571, Conference ID: CLRA. In addition, local groups across the country will hold events to call attention to the steady undermining of civil rights in their communities.
Telephonic Press Briefing: 1:00 p.m. ET
800-362-0571
Conference ID: CLRA
Speakers:
Wade Henderson, Executive Director, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Cecilia Munoz, Vice President, National Council of La Raza
Mary Rose Oakar, President, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Wendy Patten, U.S. Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch
Margaret Stock, Professor, U.S. Military Academy at West Point
Moderated By:
Karen Narasaki, President and Executive Director of National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium and spokesperson for the Rights Working Group
Available for Questions:
Faiz Rehman, President, National Council of Pakistani Americans
John Tateishi, National Executive Director, Japanese American Citizens League
James Zogby, President, Arab American Institute
Local Events:
Events will be held in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and New York (Call Dane VandenBerg at 202-466-9633 or Doug Rivlin at 202-383-5989 for details)
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