State Green Party Press Release

Iowa Greens Denounce Clampdown, Champion Political Dissent.

IOWA GREEN PARTY
Monday, February 9, 2004

Contact: David Larson, Media Coordinator 319-233-1216 dcl.trueleft@burningmail.com

IOWA GREENS DENOUNCE CLAMPDOWN, CHAMPION POLITICAL DISSENT

The Iowa Green Party is outraged by what seems like a governmental attempt to stifle political dissent and intimidate observers into silence.

Four Iowans who've participated in publicly protesting the war on Iraq have been subpoened to testify before a federal grand jury. The Drake University chapter of the National Lawyers Guild is being investigated/harrassed for its role in organizing such protests. And employees of Drake are now under a gag order to refrain from commenting on a separate subpoena demanding Drake University records.

We are not able to speak authoritatively about the facts of this case. But the Iowa Green Party, like the national Green Party, supports all citizens' rights to freedom of speech and assembly.

And we today condemn this apparent targeting of legal citizen dissent, just as we have already made clear our general opposition to the Bush clampdown.

Critics both in and out of the Green Party have long argued that the Bush Administration cynically exploits themes like "patriotism" and "national security" as convenient subterfuge for an anti-citizen political agenda. Traditional constitutional rights and liberties are being eroded by fear mongering, PR lies and a monumental arrogance of power. And it now seems possible that evidence of an authoritarian clampdown is at hand here in Iowa.

The Iowa Green Party has a long and distinguished record of cooperation with Iowa's peace and social justice activists. Greens have helped organize in opposition to the war on Iraq, some of us even traveling to Washington, DC to march in opposition to it.

And many of us have worked against the so-called "Patriot Act," organizing public informational rallies and urging city councils across the state to adopt resolutions affirming official recognition of citizens' constitutional rights.

Outraged by this latest possible example of governmental repression of Iowans' political speech, we proudly assert that to stand publicly and voice opposition to what one believes to be an unjust policy is the most honorable national service a democratic citizen can undertake.