This article from the San Francisco Chronicle, "Quarantining dissent
How the Secret Service protects Bush from free speech" is a nice brief overview of how BushCo's utilization of the Secret Service to tell local law enforcement agencies to construct temporary jails for legitimate protests.

The article brings up an interesting point. In the South Carolina case of protester Steve Bursey- "Federal prosecutor Strom Thurmond Jr. used an obscure federal law of "entering a restricted area around the President" that If convicted, Bursey faces a six-month trip up the river and a $5,000 fine. Federal Magistrate Bristow Marchant denied Bursey's request for a jury trial because his violation is categorized as a petty offense. Some observers believe that the feds are seeking to set a precedent in a conservative state such as South Carolina that could then be used against protesters nationwide."

This use of obscure Federal laws to stifle legitimate protest is seen in the high profile case of GreenpeaceUSA being brought to trial under the century old law of "sailor mongering",

As these cases move through the legal system it will be of concern to all. If federal judges, from the Reagan-Bush-Clinton-Bush appointees, will adhere to the basic principals as enumerated in the First Amendment or see fit to further erode the basic rights of all Americans.




http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/01/04/INGPQ40MB81.DTL