Petition to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees:
“Fulfill Congress’s oversight role by investigating the FBI and DHS surveillance of activists and political organizations. The U.S. government should never subject Americans to surveillance for exercising basic Constitutional rights.”
In June, the FBI and DHS even went door to door asking activists about their protest plans at the Republican National Convention – a clear method of intimidation!
This is an outrageous overreach that shows the FBI and DHS still think that dissent is the real domestic enemy.
And despite pressure from the Bill of Rights Committee/Defending Dissent Foundation and more than 60 other organizations – including Demand Progress – Congress has refused to use its oversight authority to investigate and rein in these attacks on our rights.
It's clear we need to mount a massive grassroots outcry to get Congress to act.
Leak after leak shows this surveillance has been expansive and ongoing for years.
The FBI and DHS have targeted everyone from Occupy Wall Street to the Movement for Black Lives to anti-Keystone pipeline activists. The Department of Homeland Security even had an OFFICIAL POLICY for daily spying on activists!
The FBI and DHS’s purpose is to investigate domestic crimes and terrorism, NOT activities protected by the First Amendment.
The Privacy Act even makes this type of surveillance – that tracks Americans’ First Amendment activities – illegal.
But from the sweeping nature and longevity of these spying programs, these agencies obviously think they can get away with these shocking violations of our rights.
Subjecting Americans to warrantless surveillance just because they exercise their First Amendment rights won't keep us safe and only serves to chill free expression.
We can't let these abuses slide. And that’s why we’re joining our friends at CREDO and the Bill of Rights Defense Committee/Defending Dissent Foundation to mount a massive grassroots outcry to get the House and Senate Judiciary Committees – that are supposed to protect our Constitutional rights – to immediately investigate these abuses of power.
We’re delivering the petition on Monday to demand Congress take action, and we’re almost to 100,000 signatures. Can we count on you to put us over the top?
Sign the petition: Tell Congress to stand up for our constitutional rights by immediately investigating the FBI and DHS for spying on activists!