Reply #14: ACLU Wants Answers In Government Snooping On Peace Groups (WA State) [View All]

SEATTLE - The American Civil Liberties Union is filing federal "Freedom of Information Act" requests for any documents maintained on 11 Washington State peace groups. The request announced in Seattle Tuesday is one of 13 filed across the country. One FOIA request, in the words of the ACLU, suggests that in the Pittsburgh area, anti-war groups are being monitored as a result of those groups' anti-war beliefs.

The requests in Washington follow an earlier FOIA request by a local activist that resulted in him receiving documents that included references to the Raging Grannies, NION, and Ground Zero. Several of the groups specifically mentioned in the FOIA request were at the Seattle news conference, including the Raging Grannies who sang: "Oh, we're a gaggle of grannies, urging you off of our fannies. We're raising our voice. We want a new choice. No more war."

Barry Steinhardt, director of the ACLU Technology and Liberty Project, said of the FOIA request filed with seven federal agencies: "We are trying to preserve American freedoms at a time when they are under relentless attack -- a relentless attack that has proven so far to be of no security benefit." The Raging Grannies and other local groups say if the Feds are watching them, it will just increase their resolve to fight for peace.

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