DETROIT, MICHIGAN – Protestors greeted Attorney General John Ashcroft today at his appearance in Detroit at Cobo Center. The Attorney General was in Detroit as part of a tour designed to promote the USA PATRIOT Act and defend its necessity. This tour is part of a multi-faceted campaign, including a website that touts the benefits of the anti-terrorism legislation, that the Attorney General is taking to defend the controversial USA PATRIOT Act from growing criticism.
According to press reports, approximately fifty people gathered outside Cobo Center and denounced the PATRIOT Act—chanting slogans including “Ashcroft go Home” and “Down with the Patriot Act.” In addition to criticizing the USA PATRIOT Act, the ACLU of Michigan criticized Ashcroft for appearing in at an event closed to the public, while Ashcroft said that he chose the crowd of 200 police officers so that he could thank them for their role in the war on terror.
In addition to the rally, one protestor was able to infiltrate the speech by posing as a member of the press and disrupt it briefly. A man who claimed to be affiliated with frequent presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche (who recently suggested that Vice President Dick Cheney is likely organizing terrorist attacks against the United States - link) was able to disrupt the speech that “visibly angered” Ashcroft and his audience about 25 minutes into the speech. The protestor stood up and said: “Mr. Ashcroft, I’m with Lyndon LaRouche. We would like to know which of your terrorists are going to be used for a new 9/11, you and Dick Cheney,” “Tell them how you lie to the American people.” The man left the arena unescorted and joined the main rally.
Ashcroft’s trip was about more than defending the USA PATRIOT Act, he is also touting the necessity of the new VICTORY Act being circulated in the national legislature (full text of VICTORY Act available at http://www.libertythink.com/VICTORYAct.pdf). The VICTORY Act will increase law enforcement powers, claiming that they are needed to target “narco-terrorists.” Some of the provisions include raising the threshold for rejecting wiretaps, extending subpoena powers, and extend the power of the Attorney General to issue “Sneak and Peak” warrants.
