- DENVER - The local government
here officially threw its lot in with Portland, Ore. and a handful of other
municipalities around the country, passing a resolution Monday night
discouraging
police from enforcing new anti-terror legislation if doing so would
interfere
with peoples' civil rights.
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- A non-binding resolution passed by the city council in
response to the federal USA Patriot Act discourages Denver police from
investigating groups or individuals based on their country of origin or
immigration status. The resolution bars police from assisting in parts
of the federal government's anti-terrorism campaign.
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- Councilwoman Kathleen MacKenzie, who co-sponsored the
resolution, said the measure urges police not to go too far in the wake
of Sept. 11.
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- "In this city, it's not a crime to have dark
skin,"
she said. "It's not a crime to be from a different country. It's not
a crime to express unpopular views."
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- The move comes a week after revelations that Denver
police
officials have been keeping secret files on protest groups like Amnesty
International, anti-globalization protestors and the American Friends
Service
Committee, a Quaker group.
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- The American Civil Liberties Union, which revealed that
the files were being kept, said the police department had some 3,200 files
on individuals and 208 files on organizations dating to about 1999.
Following
the revelation, Mayor Wellington Webb reprimanded police officials and
said they had interpreted city policy too broadly.
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- Targeting some citizens for surveillance and ignoring
others because of their race or national origin didn't sit well with
everyone
on the council, however. The resolution passed by a 7-4 margin after nearly
two hours of debate in front of a standing-room-only audience.
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- Among the opponents of the resolution was Councilman
Ed Thomas, who said the new police powers are needed for public safety
and that it would unnecessarily tie the hands of Denver police.
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- "If you think this is the last terrorist act in
this country you are sadly mistaken," said Thomas, a former police
officer. "I think it's inappropriate to not remember the people who
died 9/11 and that's exactly what we are doing."
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- Councilwoman Cathy Reynolds called the measure
"poppycock,"
and complained that people around the country would view Denver in a
"bad
light" if it passed.
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- A handful of other cities, including Portland, Ore.,
have questioned the scope of the USA Patriot law, which expands law
enforcement's
surveillance and investigative powers in order to combat domestic and
international
terrorism. Portland officials refused to help federal authorities interview
people about the terrorist attacks.
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- Although Denver's resolution doesn't have the force of
law, supporters on the council said Mayor Webb has indicated he likely
will make it part of the police operations.
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- The resolution was proposed by the All Nations Alliance,
a group that made a name for itself protesting the city's annual Columbus
Day parade as a celebration of genocide against Native Americans.
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- The Associated Press contributed to this report
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