Engaged to shine light on the surveillance state. This is a natural extension of the general #IDPBoston because everyday should be a day of privacy. Last week MassOps stood in front of the DHS Fusion Center (the regional DHS info processing center) and spoke about how they are monitoring every American citizen- days later a series of leaks have confirmed that the NSA has been in fact doing just this. These leaks have shown that Verizon as well as many other Teledata and ISPs have been providing user data to DHS by secret warrant, or by setting up intercept rooms at communication hubs. This dragnet warrantless (or secret warrants) approach to monitoring citizens is a slap in the face to the fourth amendment and to freedom. NSA and DHS have tried to legitimize their actions by filing them under the anti-Terrorism umbrella but clearly these measures are aimed at American citizens, and do not offer any protection against terrorism.
These taps and this massive data hoard cannot preempt terrorism. The only way they can be used is if you are being targeted by DHS, like if you are an activist- as Occupy Boston was. Even if you are identified as an actual terrorist- Like the elder brother alleged to be the Boston Bomber- DHS doesn't look into that... as is evident by the bombs going off at the marathon.
Knowing that the government is listening to and watching your every word is by nature a breach of the first amendment. We- every citizen- are being treated as criminals (and terrorists) by our government for exercising our first amendment rights. It doesn't matter what you say or to whom you are being monitored more than an actual terrorist. There is a simple explanation for this: DHS and our government is interested in controlling you, in removing your freedom, and in stopping you from speaking your mind. They want our silence because they pretend that is our consent. It is time to remove our silence and to be visible and loud in our dissent.
June 14th we will gather at 4:00 and demonstrate in front of the Verizon HQ in Boston. We are sick of the mega corporations complicity in our surveillance. Verizon is just one of the offenders but they are the first that got found out. Time to ask- NSA can you hear me now?
These taps and this massive data hoard cannot preempt terrorism. The only way they can be used is if you are being targeted by DHS, like if you are an activist- as Occupy Boston was. Even if you are identified as an actual terrorist- Like the elder brother alleged to be the Boston Bomber- DHS doesn't look into that... as is evident by the bombs going off at the marathon.
Knowing that the government is listening to and watching your every word is by nature a breach of the first amendment. We- every citizen- are being treated as criminals (and terrorists) by our government for exercising our first amendment rights. It doesn't matter what you say or to whom you are being monitored more than an actual terrorist. There is a simple explanation for this: DHS and our government is interested in controlling you, in removing your freedom, and in stopping you from speaking your mind. They want our silence because they pretend that is our consent. It is time to remove our silence and to be visible and loud in our dissent.
June 14th we will gather at 4:00 and demonstrate in front of the Verizon HQ in Boston. We are sick of the mega corporations complicity in our surveillance. Verizon is just one of the offenders but they are the first that got found out. Time to ask- NSA can you hear me now?
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