http://www.aclu.org/Files/OpenFile.cfm?id=12580&MX=803&H=0

ACLU Releases Report On Suppression Of Dissent In Post 9/11 America

The ACLU has released a revealing new report on the suppression of
dissent since the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

"Freedom Under Fire: Dissent in Post-9/11 America," describes how
some government officials, including local police, have gone to
extraordinary lengths to squelch dissent wherever it has sprung up,
drawing on a breathtaking array of tactics - from censorship and
surveillance to detention, denial of due process and excessive
force.

"This report clearly illustrates how dangerous it has become since
the terrorist attacks of September 11 to criticize the President or
his policies," said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the
ACLU. "Government officials and political leaders must not be
allowed to chill the free and robust debate that has made the
American way of life the envy of nations and its Constitution a
beacon to the world."

The 18-page report finds that dissent since 9/11 has taken three
principal forms: mass protests and rallies, messages on signs or
clothing, and other acts of defiance by communities and individuals.
Some of the most stunning abuses -- such as the compilation of
political profiles of peaceful demonstrators by police in New York
-- did not come to light until they were exposed and challenged by
the ACLU.