Friday, 9/7 - International Day of Action Against Video Surveillance

[Bill Stewart]

Perform for a video camera today!   Or alternatively, go buy a cheap webcam
and surveil somebody who's already performing (oh, wait, that wasn't what 
they meant :-)

The EFF announced the following:
---------

Friday, September 7 - International Day of Action Against Video Surveillance

   Join privacy-minded citizens in raising awareness of public video
   surveillance

     Electronic Frontier Foundation ACTION ALERT

     (Issued: Friday, August 31, 2001 / Deadline: Friday, September 7, 2001)

   Introduction:

    On Friday, 7 September 2001, a variety of groups from around the world
    will be collaborating on an international day of autonomous protests
    against the constant, indiscriminate and technologically sophisticated
    video surveillance of public places by both businesses and law
    enforcement agencies, and in favor of the right to privacy, which is a
    fundamental human right. The protests will take the form of short
    skits and plays, the majority of which will take place in front of
    "webcams," so that people all over the world can watch them via the
    Internet.

   What YOU Can Do:

      * If you are concerned about surveillance cameras in your area, and
        would like to get involved in the protests, then see New York's
        Surveillance Camera Players' (SCP) "How to Stage Your Own
        'Surveillance Camera Theater' in 10 Easy-to-Follow Steps!" at:
          http://www.notbored.org/scp-how-to.html

      * To add your group to the confirmed list of activists, email SCP
        at:
          notbored at panix.com

      * Contact your legislators about online privacy issues. For
        information on how to contact your legislators and other
        government officials, see EFF's "Contacting Congress and Other
        Policymakers" guide at:
          http://www.eff.org/congress.html

      * Join EFF! For membership information see:
          http://www.eff.org/support/

   Privacy Campaign:

    This drive to contact the Judiciary bureaucracy about their invasive
    policies is part of a larger campaign to highlight how extensively
    companies and governmental agencies subject us to surveillance and
    share and use personal information online, and what you can do about
    it.

    Check the EFF Privacy Now! Campaign website regularly for additional
    alerts and news:
      http://www.eff.org/privnow/

   Background:

    The proposal reads as follows:

      We propose --

     1. that an international day of action against video surveillance --
        specifically: the constant, indiscriminate and technologically
        sophisticated video surveillance of public places by both
        businesses and and law enforcement agencies -- take place on
        Friday, 7 September 2001;
     2. that people who wish to intensify the struggle to protect and
        strengthen the right to privacy (a fundamental human right) should
        undertake autonomous actions at the local level and in a
        completely de-centralized fashion;
     3. that, if and when possible, at least some of these actions should
        be undertaken in front of webcams that have already been installed
        in public places by private companies that are insensitive or even
        hostile to privacy concerns (in addition to disrupting "business
        as usual" for these companies, the use of webcams will allow the
        entire world to see 7s01 anti-videosurveillance actions as they
        take place);
     4. that all individuals and groups participating in the 7s01 day of
        action keep in touch with at least one of the groups listed below
        and/or each other;
     5. that at least one Web site links to or actually displays images
        from these actions as they take place;
     6. that this proposal should be posted on-line and sent to as many
        people as possible and as soon as possible; and
     7. that this proposal be translated into as many foreign languages as
        possible, but especially French, German, and Italian, for it is in
        France, Belgium, Germany and Italy that the anti-videosurveillance
        struggle is the most visible at the moment.

    List of participating groups:
      http://www.notbored.org/7s01.html

    EFF's action alert:
      http://www.eff.org/alerts/20010831_surveil_cam_alert.html

     Contacts:

      Bill Brown, Surveillance Camera Players
        notbored at panix.com
        +1 212-561-0106
        http://www.surveillancecameraplayers.org/

      Will Doherty, EFF Online Activist / Media Relations
        wild at eff.org
        +1 415 436 9333 x111

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