Oakland City Council Votes on Resolution to Oppose the USA PATRIOT Act and Executive Order

December 15, 2002

For Immediate Release

On Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 7pm, Oakland Councilmembers Nancy Nadel and Ignacio de la Fuente, will introduce a Resolution to Oppose the USA PATRIOT Act and Related Executive Orders. The resolution, drafted by the Oakland Civil Rights Defense Committee, an open organization of Oakland residents, resolves that the City of Oakland shall not voluntarily cooperate with investigations, interrogations, or arrest procedures that are in violation of individuals? civil rights. The resolution also calls on Oakland?s US Representative and Senators to actively work for the repeal of the PATRIOT Act and related Executive Orders. If passed, Oakland will become the 19th city in the nation to pass such a resolution.

Supporters are invited to gather on the steps of Oakland City Hall at One Frank Ogawa Plaza preceding the Council Meeting starting at 6:30pm. We are expecting a fair amount of media, including the German public TV network ARD.

Supporters are also encouraged to phone their Councilmembers at: 510.238.3612 or to fax letters of support to: 510.238.6129.

Endorsements (partial list):
Oakland Civil Rights Defense Committee, Labor Immigrant Organizing Network (LION), Paul Robeson Chapter of the ACLU, ACLU-NC, National Lawyers Guild (NLG), Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, Centro Legal De La Raza, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (ADCSF), Oakland Public Library Advisory Commission, Critical Resistance, UAW Local 3030, Green Party of Alameda County, Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace (LMNOP), Peoples NonViolent Response Coalition (PNVRC), California Women's Agenda (CAWA), Filipinos for Affirmative Action, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Electronic Frontier Foundation, National Organization for Women ? Oakland/East Bay (NOW), Berkeley Women In Black