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New York To Scrap Files On Anti-war Protesters
Independent (UK) ^ | 4-11-2003 | David Usborne

Posted on 04/10/2003 5:20:17 PM PDT by blam

New York to scrap files on anti-war protesters

By David Usborne
11 April 2003

Police in New York City have agreed to destroy records of the past political affiliations of people arrested over recent weeks in anti-war demonstrations. Constitutional scholars and civil libertarians have argued that demanding the data from detainees violated rights of protest and free speech.

The row is a severe embarrassment to the police department, which has often been accused of violating constitutional rights. A spokesman said, however, that the Police Commissioner, Raymond Kelly, had been unaware that the data was being collected and had ordered that all records be destroyed as soon as he found out.

Officials confirmed that the department had assembled a database on hundreds of protesters who had been processed for arrest. Each person was required to complete a debriefing questionnaire detailing where they attended university and their past membership of political organisations.

Michael O'Looney, the department's chief spokesman, said: "Arrestees will no longer be asked questions pertaining to prior demonstration history, or school name. All information gathered since the form's inception on 15 February has been destroyed."

The campaign to have the policy reversed was led by the New York Civil Liberties Union. The group sent a letter to Commissioner Kelly this week alleging that his subordinates had "embarked upon a concerted campaign to collect information about lawful First Amendment activity".


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: antiwar; files; new; protesters; scrap; york

1 posted on 04/10/2003 5:20:17 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam
I don't see a need to KEEP files on protestors..they did that in colorado wrt:pro-second amendment demonstrators. It's just wrong!
2 posted on 04/10/2003 5:21:36 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8 (Please pray for our troops.... http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/)
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3 posted on 04/10/2003 5:26:53 PM PDT by Support Free Republic (Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
Don't worry, I'll keep a tab on how many folks say the data should be used against the protesters ( If only I could keep track of how many of them were complaining about stuff the Clinton administration had done of a similar nature ).
4 posted on 04/10/2003 5:45:02 PM PDT by Tench_Coxe
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To: blam
...that the Police Commissioner, Raymond Kelly, had been unaware that the data was being collected...

So fire his ass for not being aware. Whatever happened to the idea that a commander is responsible for the things nobody tells him?

5 posted on 04/10/2003 5:45:57 PM PDT by Grut
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To: Tench_Coxe
Thank you! And we just keep ongoing data....um wait a minute. :)
6 posted on 04/10/2003 5:48:07 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8 (Please pray for our troops.... http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/)
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To: blam
Police in New York City have agreed to destroy records of the past political affiliations of people arrested over recent weeks in anti-war demonstrations.

Well, maybe they could sell them to spammers!

7 posted on 04/10/2003 6:07:39 PM PDT by Gorzaloon (Contents may have settled during shipping, but this tagline contains the stated product weight.)
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