Free Republic

The American Civil Liberties Union released a compilation of covert government surveillance of political activists in northern and central California on Thursday, decrying a "greater expansion of government power and the abuse of power" since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The group's Northern California branch blamed weak oversight of law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, and called for a new state government watchdog over their activities. "With inadequate regulation and an insufficient understanding of the protections afforded to protest and dissent, law enforcement has overstepped its bounds in monitoring political activity," the group said. The ACLU of Northern California cataloged instances of...

The November lecture featured Gary Yourofsky, an activist who has served jail time for freeing animals, talking about how to be a vegan. "This kind of monitoring is wrong and it's sneaky," said Ruth Obel-Jorgensen, president of Campus Peace and Civil Liberties. "Even when you are doing nothing wrong, it makes you feel like you are, just to know someone is watching you." A student peace group claims two undercover law enforcement officers attended a lecture it sponsored, violating California's ban against covert monitoring of political, religious, social or educational meetings without proof of a past or planned crime. David...

It's time to protest the Lefties again. Here's their itinerary for the month of October: Friday Night Protests in October - 4:30pm-6:30pm. Purpose: To oppose war and many of the Bush administration’s foreign and domestic policies. Street protests are a way to get that message out to the public. We want everyone in Fresno to know there is an active peace movement in our community. October 8 - northeast corner of Kings Canyon and Cedar October 15 - northeast corner of Kings Canyon and Cedar October 22 - Shaw and Blackstone October 29 - northeast corner of Shaw and Cedar...

A sequence in Michael Moore's documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" focuses on a group of mostly middle-aged people sitting around what could be any average-looking living room in America. They are eating cookies. Moore, in a thick, sarcastic tone, suggests that the scene is "a gathering of terrorists if ever I saw them." The subject of Moore's barb is Peace Fresno, a local organization whose mission, according to the group's Web site, is "to seek effective, nonviolent responses to terrorism." The advocacy organization holds its meetings at the Fresno Center for Nonviolence. Moore turned his cameras on the local group as part...

<p>An organizer for a protest against the war in Iraq was arrested Saturday as marchers entered Courthouse Park in Fresno on allegations he interfered with a police officer.</p> <p>Ken Hudson, secretary of Peace Fresno and a teacher at Orange Center Elementary School, was cited on a misdemeanor and released.</p>