Source: Global ResearchDevon DB
A new bill, HR 347, the Federal
Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011, also known as
the “Trespassing Bill,” is soon to be signed into law by President
Obama. This bill effectively criminalizes protest and will hurt protest
groups and movements such as Occupy quite hard.
The bill
as states that anyone who knowingly “enters or remains in any
restricted building or grounds without lawful authority to do so” with
the “intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government
business or official functions, engages in disorderly or disruptive
conduct in or [in] proximity to, any restricted building or grounds” or
“impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of Government business or
official functions” will be punished with a fine or “or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both.” (emphasis added)
There
are already many problems with the bill as it does not attempt to
define what “imped[ing] or disrupt[ing] the orderly conduct of
government business or official functions” is, nor does it specify what
“government business” is or what an “official function” is. This
vagueness will allow for the US government to effectively stifle protest
and free speech, thus criminalizing such actions like the upcoming Occupy Chicago anti-NATO/G-8 protests.
In addition to this, such a law will make it impossible for Americans
to exercise their First Amendment rights when “government business” is
being attended to or “official functions” are occurring.
Unsurprisingly, only three people voted against the measure: Paul
Broun (R-GA-10), Justin Amash (R-MI-3) and Ron Paul (R-TX-14). This law
would allow federal law enforcement “to bring these charges against
Americans engaged in political protests anywhere in the country, and
violators will face criminal penalties that include imprisonment for up
to 10 years.” HR 347 will is ripe for abuse, as the NYPD has, as of recent, assumed the notion that taking photos and videotaping is a form of disorderly conduct.
The fact that only three people in the House, all Republicans and absolutely no Democrats (see the voting list here), only shows just how both parties are just two sides of the same coin.
This law comes at the heels of the US government having debated over whether or not to indefinitely detain US citizens and Attorney General Eric Holder- the Obama administration’s version of John Yoo, arguing that the President can assassinate US citizens without providing any evidence whatsoever to anyone.
