The Rally To End Mass Surveillance Of Americans – PHAWKER.COM – Curated News, Gossip, Concert Reviews, Fearless Political Commentary, Interviews….Plus, the Usual Sex, Drugs and Rock n' Roll

STOPWATCHING.US: The NSA is spying on everyone’s personal communications. It’s operating without any meaningful oversight.On October 26th, the 12th anniversary of the signing of the USA Patriot Act, we’re holding the largest rally yet against NSA surveillance. We’ll be handing more than a half-million petitions to Congress to remind them that they work for us — and we won’t tolerate mass surveillance any longer. A stellar group of whistleblowers, activists, researchers and others from both sides of the political spectrum will be speaking at this historic event. The list includes:

Congressman Justin Amash
Former senior NSA executive and whistleblower Thomas Drake
Social critic Naomi Wolf
Indie pop senation YACHT
Lt. Dan Choi, LGBT advocate and U.S. veteran
Rainey Reitman, EFF
Bruce Schneier, internationally renowned security technologist
Craig Aaron, Free Press
Kymone Freeman, Director of the National Black LUV Fest
Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson
Khaliah Barnes, EPIC
Shahid Buttar, Bill of Rights Defense Committee
Malachi Byrd, DC Youth Poetry Slam Team
Wafa Ben Hassine, writer and human rights advocate
Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Laura Murphy, ACLU
NOT4PROPHET, Hip Hop MC and community organizer
Black Alley, DC-based soul-garage band

Location:Marchers will gather in front of Union Station at 11:30 a.m. by the Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain in Columbus Circle. Shortly after noon we’ll march to the National Mall at 3rd Street and Madison Dr. NW, in front of the Capitol Reflecting Pool, where there will be a stage set up for our rally speakers, musicians, and performers.
Read more and see a map.

STATEMENT FROM EDWARD SNOWDEN: In the last four months, we’ve learned a lot about our government. We’ve learned that the U.S. intelligence community secretly built a system of pervasive surveillance. Today, no telephone in America makes a call without leaving a record with the NSA. Today, no internet transaction enters or leaves America without passing through the NSA’s hands. Our representatives in Congress tell us this is not surveillance. They’re wrong. Now it’s time for the government to learn from us. On Saturday, the ACLU, EFF, and the rest of the StopWatching.Us coalition are going to D.C. Join us in sending the message: Stop Watching Us. MORE

Who we are

StopWatching.us is a coalition of more than 100 public advocacy organizations and companies from across the political spectrum. We came together in June 2013 to demand the U.S. Congress investigate the full extent of the NSA’s spying programs. Go here to read our letter to U.S. Congress demanding accountability and reform. MORE
Members of the StopWatching.us coalition include: