Freedom Not Fear 2008/Call for action

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Draft! Will be published on 11.07.2008

Call for Action

int. Version

This draft is modular and may be used as template for national calls, extended by national specific issues and topics. Participating countries may change the subtitle of the call according to their national needs, but please use "Freedom Not Fear 2008" as the main title.

Suggested schedule:

  • review and editing until sunday this week (13. July)
  • translation and adoption to national purposes until 17. July
  • European-wide release on 18. July

Protest marches "Freedom not fear - Stop the surveillance mania!" all over Europe on 11 October 2008

A broad movement of human rights campaigners and other organizations are calling on everybody to join in street protests against excessive surveillance by businesses and governments. On 11 October 2008, concerned humans all over Europe will take to the streets, the motto being "Freedom not fear 2008". Peaceful and creative street action will take place in many European capital cities.

Surveillance mania is spreading. Governments and businesses register, monitor and control our behaviour ever more thoroughly. No matter what we do, who we phone and talk to, where we go, whom we are friends with, what our interests are, which groups we participate in - "big brother" government and "little brothers" in business know it more and more thoroughly.

The resulting lack of privacy and confidentiality is putting at risk the freedom of confession, the freedom of speech as well as the work of doctors, helplines, lawyers and journalists.

Mass surveillance is also endangering the work and commitment of civil society organizations.

The manifold agenda of security sector reform encompasses the convergence of police, intelligence agencies and the military, threatening to melt down the division and balance of powers.

Using methods of mass surveillance, the borderless cooperation of the military, secret services and police authorities is leading towards a "Fortress Europe", directed against refugees and different-looking people but also affecting, for example, political activists and sports fans.

People who constantly feel watched and under surveillance cannot freely and courageously stand up for their rights and for a just society.

Surveillance, distrust and fear are gradually transforming our society into one of uncritical consumers who have "nothing to hide" and - in a vain attempt to achieve total security - are prepared to give up their freedoms. We do not want to live in such a society!

We believe the respect for our privacy to be an important part of our human dignity. And of course, free and responsible society needs private and trustworthy communication as well as private spaces.

However, with the blanket collection of information on all European airline passengers and the disclosure of Europeans' personal data to the US, even more intrusive surveillance powers are on the insatiable political agenda. Yet, the increasing electronic registration and surveillance of the entire population does not make us any safer from crime, costs millions of Euros and puts the privacy of innocent citizens at risk. Under the reign of fear and blind actionism, targeted and sustained security measures fall by the wayside, as well as tackeling peoples' actual daily problems such as unemployment and poverty.

In order to protest against security mania and excessive surveillance we will take to the streets in capital cities all over Europe on 11 October 2008. We call on everybody to join our peaceful protest. Politicians are to see that we are willing to take to the streets for the protection of our liberties. You can find the latest information on the protest marches and the list of participating cities at our website: http://wiki.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/Freedom_Not_Fear_2008.

Our demands

1. Cutback on surveillance

  • abolish the blanket logging of our telecommunications (data retention)
  • abolish the blanket collection of our biometric data as well as RFID passports
  • abolish permanent CCTV camera surveillance and automatic detection techniques
  • scrap funding for the development of new surveillance techniques
  • no blanket registration of all air travellers (PNR data)
  • no information exchange with the US and other states lacking effective data protection
  • no online-searches of private computer systems
  • abolish plans for live-surveillance and filtering of internet communication


2. Evaluation of existing surveillance powers

We call for an independent review of all existing surveillance powers as to their effectiveness and harmful side-effects.


3. Moratorium for new surveillance powers

After the homeland armament of the past few years we demand an immediate hold to new homeland security laws that further restrict civil liberties.

Supporters

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