ACLU Releases First Concrete Evidence of FBI Spying Based Solely on Groups’ Anti-War Views (3/14/2006)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: media@aclu.org
Pennsylvania Group Labeled “Pacifists” Targeted for Handing Out Flyers in
Town Square
PITTSBURGH – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Pennsylvania
today released new evidence that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is
conducting investigations into a political organization based solely on its
anti-war views.
Two documents released today reveal that the FBI investigated gatherings of
the Thomas Merton Center for Peace & Justice just because the organization
opposed the war in Iraq. Although previously disclosed documents show that
the FBI is retaining files on anti-war groups, these documents are the first to
show conclusively that the rationale for FBI targeting is the group's opposition
to the war.
“It makes no sense that the FBI would be spying on peace activists handing
out flyers,” said Jim Kleissler, Executive Director of the Thomas Merton Center
for Peace & Justice. “Our members were simply offering leaflets to
passersby, legally and peacefully, and now they’re being investigated by a
counter–terrorism unit. Something is seriously wrong in how our government
determines who and what constitutes terrorism when peace activists find
themselves targeted.”
According to the documents released today, the FBI initiated a classified
investigation into the activities of the Thomas Merton Center, noting in a
November 2002 memo that the center “holds daily leaflet distribution activities
in downtown Pittsburgh and is currently focused on its opposition to the
potential war on Iraq.” The synopsis of the document is provided to
“report results of investigation on Pittsburgh anti-war activities.” The
FBI memo points out that the Merton Center “is a left-wing organization
advocating, among many political causes, pacifism.”
“All over the country we see the FBI monitoring and keeping files on
Americans exercising their First Amendment rights to free expression,” said Mary
Catherine Roper, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Pennsylvania. “These
documents show that Americans are not safe from secret government surveillance,
even when they are handing out flyers in the town square – an activity clearly
protected by the Constitution.”
The documents come to the ACLU as a result of a national campaign to expose
domestic spying by the FBI and other government agencies. The ACLU has
filed Freedom of Information Act requests in 20 states on behalf of more than
150 organizations and individuals. In response to these requests, the
government has released documents that reveal monitoring and infiltration by the
FBI and local law enforcement, targeting political, environmental, anti-war and
faith-based groups.
“From the FBI to the Pentagon to the National Security Agency this
administration has embarked on an unprecedented campaign to spy on innocent
Americans,” said Ann Beeson, Associate Legal Director of the national
ACLU. “Investigating law-abiding groups and their members simply because
of their political views is not only irresponsible, it has a chilling effect on
the vibrant tradition of dissent in this country.”
More information about the ACLU’s Spy Files project including the documents
released today as well as profiles of members of the Thomas Merton Center is
available online at www.aclu.org/spyfiles
More information about the Thomas Merton Center is available online at: www.thomasmertoncenter.org
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