World Can’t Wait supporters across the country Feb. 17 took part in
demonstrations to protest the Bush Administration’s attempt to circumvent the
principles and values of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights by extending
the Patriot Act.
World Can’t Wait’s San Francisco
chapter took their protest to the offices of U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein’s to
denounce her support for the Patriot Act, despite the concerns of her
constituents. As drivers by honked in support of the group’s mission to drive
out the Bush regime, lunchtime crowds gathered to hear a press conference that
included anti-Patriot Act activist Don Sparks, newly returned from Washington
D.C., where he helped set up World Can’t Wait’s D.C. Operations Center. Sparks
announced the passage on February 16 of the California
State legislature’s Anti-Patriot
Act resolution.
http://bordc.org/detail.php?id=416
California’s
resolution puts it in step with seven other states and 400 counties, which have
denounced the Patriot Act for its police state tactics, including racism and
fascism. It calls on California’s
Congressional delegation ( including Senator Feinstein ( to oppose all portions
of the Act that limit or impinge upon rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
‘Diane Feinstein, by supporting an extension of the
Patriot Act, is in violation of this new resolution. She is in violation of the
U.S.
constitution ( and she is in violation of the principles and values of all good
people,’ said Sparks.
‘This whole idea putting our hopes
and energies into leaders who tell us to seek common ground with fascists and
religious fanatics is proving every day to be a disaster, and actually serves
to demobilize people.’
Also speaking at the
demonstration was the events coordinator, Shannon, MC, who was joined by Carlos
Villa Real, Executive director of the San Francisco Lawyer’s Guild, Spencer the
Speaker, who spoke about fascism and the Patriot Act, and Judith Ross from
Military Families Speak Out.
Houston’s World Can’t Wait organizers took their protest downtown
to the Convention Center, site of the 2006 NBA All-Star Game. Carrying a banner
that read, ‘No Police State ( The World Can’t Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime,’
the group gathered signatures and donations from fans and visitors. As one
World Can’t Wait member put it, ‘We need to get out to as many events as
possible, to as many people as possible, and get our message out there.’
A small but vocal group in New Haven convened at the city’ Federal Courthouse and challenged
passersby to join their protest. One of the speakers, from the New Haven
Amistad Catholic Workers, had been to Guantanamo to protest the torture at its illegal prison. The
protesters message emphasized their theme of responsibility ( ‘If not now,
when? If not us, who?’