US Congress passes authoritarian anti-protest law

[jdhoch]

A bill passed Monday in the US House of Representatives and Thursday in the Senate would make it a felony—a serious criminal offense punishable by lengthy terms of incarceration—to participate in many forms of protest associated with the Occupy Wall Street protests of last year. Several commentators have dubbed it the “anti-Occupy” law, but its implications are far broader.


The bill—H.R. 347, or the “Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011”—was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate, while only Ron Paul and two other Republicans voted against the bill in the House of Representatives (the bill passed 388-3). Not a single Democratic politician voted against the bill.

Among the central provisions of H.R. 347 is a section that would make it a criminal offense to “enter or remain in” an area designated as “restricted.”

 A wide area around the next G-20 meeting or other global summit could be designated “restricted” by the Secret Service, such that any person who “enters” that area can be subject to a fine and a year in jail under Section 1752(a)(1) (making it a felony to enter any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority to do so).
 Senator Rick Santorum, the ultra-right Republican presidential candidate, enjoys the protection of the Secret Service. Accordingly, a person who shouts “boo!” during a speech by Santorum could be subject to arrest and a year of imprisonment under Section 1752(a)(2) (making it a felony to “engag[e] in disorderly or disruptive conduct in” a restricted area).
 Striking government workers who form a picket line near any event of “national significance” can be locked up under Section 1752(a)(3) (making it a crime to imped[e] ingress or egress to or from any restricted building or grounds).

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Systemic Capital .com

[TheGodlessUtopian]

You mean we can "no longer" wave signs on the edge of the road? The tragedy!

edit: I am pretty sure this topic already is somewhere on the forum.

[Martin Blank]

The bill—H.R. 347, or the “Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011”—was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate, while only Ron Paul and two other Republicans voted against the bill in the House of Representatives (the bill passed 388-3). Not a single Democratic politician voted against the bill.

Actually, this is not entirely accurate.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll073.xml

Ron Paul is listed as "Not Voting", as are so many of the "liberal" Democrats and a handful of Republicans. Of the three House members who voted against this bill, two were Republicans (Amash from Michigan and Broun from Georgia) and one was a Democract (Ellison from Minnesota).

But, yes, it did pass the Senate with unanimous consent, including from Bernie Sanders, to so-called "socialist".

[Bolshevik_Guerilla_1917]

Everyday this country gets more and more of a police state

[KurtFF8]

I predict that if this law is enforced at say the G20 protests and mass arrests happen: there will also be serious law suits to follow. (See? Look at all that freedom we get)

[MattyJei]

The US government is becoming more and more paranoid by the day. It's only a matter of time until they begin to rip apart at the seams. This bill, while atrocious and vile, is unsurprising to me; I had a feeling something like this would happen a while after the first Occupy Protest happened.

[l'Enfermé]

Actually, this is not entirely accurate.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll073.xml

Ron Paul is listed as "Not Voting", as are so many of the "liberal" Democrats and a handful of Republicans. Of the three House members who voted against this bill, two were Republicans (Amash from Michigan and Broun from Georgia) and one was a Democract (Ellison from Minnesota).

But, yes, it did pass the Senate with unanimous consent, including from Bernie Sanders, to so-called "socialist".
Isn't Bernie Sanders the guy that gave an 8 hour speech in Congress against the extension of the Bush-era tax-cuts?

I don't think most of the US Congress actually reads the laws they pass, they just vote either along party lines or the way they've been ordered to vote. Especially with a bill called "Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011". Grounds Improvement Act? The guys that write these bills are really good at creating bullshit names for them.

[Franz Fanonipants]

cpusa member cares deeply about what bourgeois legislators do itt