by Garret
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 18, 2013
Protest March Planned For All Major Boston and Cambridge MBTA Subway Stations
Civil rights activists will gather across the city on Groundhog Day to demand an end to random, un-Warranted bag checks in subways by TSA, DHS, and Transit Police. Simultaneous marches will commence at noon at five locations (Kenmore, Harvard, Ruggles, Lechmere, and South Station) and travel different routes through Boston and Cambridge to converge at 2 p.m. for a rally at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common.
BOSTON, MA-Civil, Constitutional, and Human Rights activists today announced formalized plans to protest the MBTA’s partnership with the Department of Homeland Security. Activists demand an end to random Warrantless searches of passengers in the MBTA transit system by any law enforcement organization or contractor thereof, and recognize these acts as an egregious violation of 4th Amendment protections.
The five legs of the march will start at the following locations: Harvard Square (in the Pit), South Station (at Dewey Square), Lechmere Station (on 1st St. across from Otis St.), Kenmore Square (in the Commonwealth Ave. median park across from India Quality restaurant), and Ruggles Square (in Centennial Common). Each leg commences at the same time (noon) and ends at 2 p.m. for the rally at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common. The rally will include several speakers (names TBA) and will end at 3 p.m.
In advance of the planned protests, participants will be delivering letters to the heads of the MBTA, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, and the Department of Homeland Security, calling for an end to the Warrantless bag checks being conducted on law-abiding citizens and visitors to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The community members who are planning this protest are not part of any organized group of any kind. We are ordinary citizens gathering to protest the violation of our rights as recognized and affirmed by Amendment IV of the U.S. Constitution.
For more information about the protest routes/times, please visit the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/events/510992278941389).
For more information, or to schedule an interview with the protest organizers, please contact Garret Kirkland at (617) 955-9194.
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