Activists from all parts of the political spectrum rallied against the new National Security Agency data center located near the Point of the Mountain today in an effort to “Restore the Fourth,” a reference to the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
“What does the NSA system give us, does it give us safety?" asked Dan Garfield of the group Restore the Fourth.
"No!" came the response from the gathered crowd.
Garfield was one of several people who spoke to the group of more than 50 gathered to protest the new NSA data center. The diverse group didn’t always agree on everything the various speakers had to say, but they did all agree on one thing: They aren’t happy with the amount of information the government is allowed to collect about their personal lives.
“By giving them the ability to listen to everything that is said in the world we give them an enormous amount of power. And as we know,absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Garfield says.
True Ott helped organize the event. He says he chose thee 4th of July because he wants to stand up to the government like John Hancock did when he signed the Declaration of Independence.
“I want people to know front and center who I am, and he put his name in the biggest boldest print," Ott says. "We can do no less today on the 4th of July Stand and be counted. Don’t be afraid to be an American. That’s my message.”
In a statement on its website, the NSA says it does not object to any lawful and peaceful protests planned for today. The protestors here in Utah, however, were not allowed to go anywhere near the front gates of the new building.