Thousands of people turned in to march on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Saturday to protest against the U.S. National Security Agency's surveillance program. Organizers of the rally, the Stop Watching Us Coalition, call for closer scrutiny of the agency as more details of its spying are leaked every week.
Expected to be the largest rally yet to protest mass surveillance, Stop Watching Us was sponsored by an unusually broad coalition of left- and right-wing groups - from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Green Party, Colour of Change and Daily Kos to the Libertarian Party, FreedomWorks and Young Americans for Liberty.
That’s one rare moment of unity. Homemade signs were ingenious - from "Don't Tap Me, Bro" to "Yes, We Scan" and "No Snitching Allowed".
My little part, sitting far out in Chennai was to host the banner in the off-chance that someone from Washington DC and its outskirts might visit, take note and be encouraged to participate.
So what have I, an Indian citizen, to do with what American citizens want to do in their country? It has everything to do, because it is about right to privacy, freedom of expression and censor free internet. God knows all three are under threat back home in India.
(image courtesy AP/Reuters/USA Today)
My favourite is this one:
Expected to be the largest rally yet to protest mass surveillance, Stop Watching Us was sponsored by an unusually broad coalition of left- and right-wing groups - from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Green Party, Colour of Change and Daily Kos to the Libertarian Party, FreedomWorks and Young Americans for Liberty.
That’s one rare moment of unity. Homemade signs were ingenious - from "Don't Tap Me, Bro" to "Yes, We Scan" and "No Snitching Allowed".
My little part, sitting far out in Chennai was to host the banner in the off-chance that someone from Washington DC and its outskirts might visit, take note and be encouraged to participate.
So what have I, an Indian citizen, to do with what American citizens want to do in their country? It has everything to do, because it is about right to privacy, freedom of expression and censor free internet. God knows all three are under threat back home in India.
- The right to privacy is being seriously undermined by the Unique ID scheme - the Aadhaar project - under UIDAI. BTE did you read my post ‘UIDAI’ is ‘You Die’ database?
- Freedom of Expression is India has always been under threat - more now so with people being arrested for Facebook likes, or a two-liner on cash receipts. Wonder what will happen if bumper sticker fad catches on!
- It has been a censor-free internet in India, by and large. But the Election Commission has fired the first salvo against it last week - by bringing social media presence of candidates under electoral guidelines.
(image courtesy AP/Reuters/USA Today)
My favourite is this one:
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