Occupy SF is holding an “emergency” protest march today in opposition to a federal bill that would allow the imprisonment of American citizens without trial in some circumstances.
The march against U.S. Senate Bill 1867, the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, was set to begin at noon at Justin Herman Plaza.
Section 1031 of the bill states that “a person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States” may be held in military custody.
Section 1032 goes on to state that American citizens would not be exempt from the law.
While President Obama supports the passage of the bill, his administration has raised concerns about several provisions of the legislation, including sections 1031 and 1032.
“Applying this military custody requirement to individuals inside the United States … would raise serious and unsettled legal questions and would be inconsistent with the fundamental American principle that our military does not patrol our streets,” a Nov. 17 statement from White House read.
The Senate Armed Forces Committee on Nov. 15 unanimously approved the bill, which modified the original version passed in June by making a $21 billion cut in military spending.
The bill could be passed within the next couple of days, according to the Senate’s website.
A live stream of the Occupy SF march showed that as of around 12:30 p.m., several dozen protesters were marching, accompanied by officers dressed in riot gear.
Zack Farmer, Bay City News
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