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PJ Harvey, M.I.A., Silver Jews, Tom Morello, Thurston Moore, Others Rally Support for Edward Snowden

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A group of musicians, actors, artists, and activists have signed a public statement in support of Edward Snowdenand other whistleblowers, in association withthe Courage Foundation.

The list includes PJ Harvey, M.I.A., Thurston Moore, David Berman of Silver Jews, Tom Morello, Pavement's Bob Nastanovich, Moby, and Calle 13, among other artists and activists like Noam Chomsky, Vivienne Westwood, Russell Brand, Alfonso Cuarn, Susan Sarandon, andPamela Anderson.The artists are hoping to raise awareness of Snowden's legal situation and encourage people to donate tothe Courage Foundation, which is handling his defense fund. They're also encouraging people to watch CitizenFour, Laura Poitras's new documentary film about Snowden.

The statement reads:

We stand in support of those fearless whistleblowers and publishers who risk their lives and careers to stand up for truth and justice. Thanks to the courage of sources like Daniel Ellsberg, Chelsea Manning, Jeremy Hammond, and Edward Snowden, the public can finally see for themselves the war crimes, corruption, mass surveillance, and abuses of power of the U.S. government and other governments around the world. WikiLeaks is essential for its fearless dedication in defending these sources and publishing their truths. These bold and courageous acts spark accountability, can transform governments, and ultimately make the world a better place. In addition to urging the public to stand in solidarity with Snowden and other whistleblowers, many of the artists are calling on fans to watch CitizenFour, and are raising awareness of the Courage Foundations whistleblower defense efforts, which fundraises for the legal and public defense of whistleblowers and campaigns for the protection of truthtellers and the publics right to know generally.

Tom Morello also made a statement in a press release:

Those courageous enough to expose the crimes of government and unmask corruptionembody the spirit of democracy and justice. Rather than being celebrated as the truth-tellers and champions of accountability that they are, they are persecuted and find themselves the target of a draconian legal system that punishes them for the act of exposing crimes.

Watch the trailer forCitizenFour:

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PJ Harvey, M.I.A., Silver Jews, Tom Morello, Thurston Moore, Others Rally Support for Edward Snowden

Whistleblower Edward Snowden gets a dog named Rick

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Former NSA security contractor shown with his furry friend in new picture Image does not give clue to Snowden's whereabouts in Russia He is wanted by US prosecutors for leaking classified documents Vladimir Putin has granted the wanted man permission to stay for 3 years

By Keiligh Baker for MailOnline

Published: 13:10 EST, 10 November 2014 | Updated: 15:37 EST, 10 November 2014

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US whistleblower Edward Snowden has a new friend in Moscow - a dog called Rick.

The former NSA security contractor is shown with his new furry friend in a picture released by his Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena.

As with earlier images of Snowden - wanted by US prosecutors but now beyond their reach in Moscow - it shows no clue as to his whereabouts.

US whistleblower Edward Snowden (pictured) has a new friend in Moscow - a dog called Rick (left)

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Whistleblower Edward Snowden gets a dog named Rick

Snowden’s Latest Appearance In Russian Media Shows Him Petting A Dog

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"Russian TV shows new photo of Edward Snowden playing with his dog Rick (?) somewhere in Russia," BBC NewsMoscow Correspondent Steve Rosenberg tweeted on Sunday. "Host says: 'Both of them look at ease.'"

Edward Snowden's latest appearance in Russian media shows the 31-year-old American with a dog named "Rick."

Snowden has been in Russia since June 23, 2013. Here's how he got there:

After arriving in Hong Kong on May 20, 2012, Snowden spent 11 days off the grid before checking into the Mira Hotel under his own name.

He reportedly met with American journalists Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald on June 3 and began publishing stories revealing NSA domestic spying.

On June 9, Snowden revealed himself to the world beforereaching outto WikiLeaks for help finding asylum. A few days later, heprovided documentsrevealing"operational details of specific attacks on computers, including internet protocol (IP) addresses, dates of attacks and whether a computer was still being monitored remotely" toLana Lam of the South China Morning Post.

On June 15, the US asked Hong Kong to provisionally arrest Snowden for the purposes of extradition and subsequentlyrevokedhis passport on June 22. WikiLeaks advisor Sarah Harrison flew to Moscow on June 23.

Very little is known about Snowden's discussions with Russian officialsin Hong Kong or his living arrangements in Russia.

Ex-KGB Major BorisKarpichkovbelievesthat Russian spies tricked Snowden into going to Moscow. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange hassaidthat he advised Snowden to go to Russia and stay there because he wouldn't be safe elsewhere.

Anatoly Kucherena, who sits on the public-relations body for the FSB, serves as Snowden's lawyer in Russia. And Russians are masters at weaponizing information.

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Snowden's Latest Appearance In Russian Media Shows Him Petting A Dog

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Confirmed To Play Edward Snowden In Oliver Stone’s ‘The Snowden Files’

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The talented actor will star as the former National Security Agency contractor in the Oliver Stone-directed movie.

The actor, writer and director Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been cast to play NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in the Oliver Stone-directed flick 'The Snowden Files.' The 33 year-old star has been connected to the role since September, but the film's backers confirmed this casting news on Monday (11th).

Gordon-Levitt will portray Edward Snowden

According to Reuters, the controversial film, which will depict how the former National Security Agency contractor released classified documents concerning numerous global surveillance programs, will begin production in Munich in January.

Stone, who won the best director Oscar for 'Platoon,' has written the screenplay based on Guardian journalist Luke Harding's 'The Inside Story of the World's Most Wanted Man,' and 'Time of the Octopus' by Snowden's lawyer Anatoly Kucherena.

More:Joseph Gordon-Levitt Reveals Why He Would "Absolutely" Call Himself a Feminist

Snowden garnered global attention after leaking thousands of classified d intelligence documents to the media in 2013, many of which were run by the NSA. He has been on the run ever since, and currently lives in an undisclosed location in Russia after being granted a three-year resident permit, which has created tension between the two nations.

Gordon-Levitt will be the first person to portray Snowden in a feature film, but most likely won't be the last as Sony Pictures acquired rights to Pulitzer-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald's book 'No Place To Hide: Edward Snowden, The NSA, And The U.S. Surveillance State.'

More:First Pictures Of Joseph Gordon-Levitt In 'The Walk'

The multitalented actor last starred in 'Sin City: A Dame To Kill For,' and will next be seen playing French high-wire artist Philippe Petit in the forthcoming biopic 'The Walk.'

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt Confirmed To Play Edward Snowden In Oliver Stone's 'The Snowden Files'

Tom Morello and M.I.A. Stump for Edward Snowden

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M.I.A. is one of many big-name musicians to sign a Snowden support letter Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Who knew that all it would take to form a semi-musical supergroup with such artists asM.I.A.and Tom Morello was infamous whistleblower Edward Snowden and others like him? Quick refresher: Snowden is a 31-year-old American computer professional who leaked classified NSA documents last year, and has been in Russia ever since. In his honor, musicians including PJ Harvey, Thurston Moore, and Moby(and Pamela Anderson too, if you must know) have joined forces to support the Courage Foundation, which bills itself as "an international organisation that supports those who risk life or liberty to make significant contributions to the historical record."

In a recently released public statement, the musicians cosigned the following:

We stand in support of those fearless whistleblowers and publishers who risk their lives and careers to stand up for truth and justice. Thanks to the courage of sources like Daniel Ellsberg, Chelsea Manning, Jeremy Hammond, and Edward Snowden, the public can finally see for themselves the war crimes, corruption, mass surveillance, and abuses of power of the U.S. government and other governments around the world. WikiLeaks is essential for its fearless dedication in defending these sources and publishing their truths. These bold and courageous acts spark accountability, can transform governments, and ultimately make the world a better place.

In addition to urging the public to stand in solidarity with Snowden and other whistleblowers, many of the artists are calling on fans to watch CitizenFour, and are raising awareness of the Courage Foundations whistleblower defense efforts, which fundraises for the legal and public defense of whistleblowers and campaigns for the protection of truthtellers and the publics right to know generally.

Pitchfork also notes that Morello had a statement of his own to add to the release, which follows the Rage Against the Machine singer's Ferguson protest song from last month.

Those courageous enough to expose the crimes of government and unmask corruption embody the spirit of democracy and justice. Rather than being celebrated as the truth-tellers and champions of accountability that they are, they are persecuted and find themselves the target of a draconian legal system that punishes them for the act of exposing crimes.

We're hopeful that the musicians are hard at work on a Q4 answer to January's Rookie Mag supergroup anthem "Go Forth Feminist Warrior."

spin

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Tom Morello and M.I.A. Stump for Edward Snowden

Celebrities offer support to Edward Snowden

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Susan Sarandon, Pamela Anderson and Russell Brand have added their names to a petition encouraging donations to the Courage Foundation, which raises funds to pay for US whistleblower Edward Snowden's legal defence.

Snowden has been living in exile ever since he leaked classified intelligence from the National Security Agency (NSA) last year, prompting a major outcry about US mass surveillance and government secrecy, and debate concerning the balance between national security and information privacy.

He has been charged with two counts of violating the Espionage Act and theft of government property, and faces up to 30 years in prison.

Officials at the Courage Foundation are raising funds in an effort to help "patriots" and "heroes" like Snowden afford top legal counsel, and their latest push has been endorsed by more than 50 actors, musicians and intellectuals, who have also offered their support for Snowden.

Their latest initiative coincides with the expanded theatrical release of Laura Poitras' critically-acclaimed documentary CitizenFour, which chronicles Snowden's disclosure of the NSA's mass surveillance program.

Actor Viggo Mortensen, who is another celebrity signing up to help Snowden's cause, states, "It is up to all of us as free-thinking citizens to demand truly transparent democracy and high, unbiased moral standards from those who govern us. I hope everyone can chip in to support Snowden and those patriotic whistleblowers that come after him."

A new Courage Foundation statement, which has been signed by Sarandon, Brand, Anderson, Peter Sarsgaard, M.I.A., fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and moviemaker Alfonso Cuaron, among others, reads: "We stand in support of those fearless whistleblowers and publishers who risk their lives and careers to stand up for truth and justice."

Westwood adds, "I didn't ask Edward Snowden to stick his neck out for me. But now that he did I ask myself where would we be without him? The more that the public watches CitizenFour, which documents Edward Snowden's bravery in revealing the NSA's massive web of surveillance of the American people, opposition to the government's assault on civil liberties will grow.

"I hope that audiences will turn their outrage into action and donate to the Courage Foundation's Legal Defense Fund to provide legal representation to Snowden and other whistleblowers to counter the government's unprecedented attack against these brave men and women."

WENN.com

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Celebrities offer support to Edward Snowden

Judges Skeptical NSA Spying Violates Privacy Rights …

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A federal appeals court appears largely unconvinced that the government's once-secret practice of collecting virtually all Americans' phone records violates the Constitution.

A panel of three Republican-nominated judges on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenged arguments made Tuesday by a conservative activist and civil-liberties groups that the National Security Agency's mass-surveillance program represents a breach of the Fourth Amendment, which guards against unreasonable searches.

That spy program, exposed by Edward Snowden last year, allows the government to collect from telephone companies, such as Verizon and AT&T, the "metadata" records of their customers. Metadata includes the numbers, dates, and duration of calls but not the actual contents of conversations.

The case, Klayman v. Obama, is one of three currently at the appeals-court level that is weighing NSA surveillance. The New York-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals held a review in September and appeared more sympathetic at the time to the concerns of privacy advocates. Many observers expect some combination of these cases to reach the Supreme Court as soon as next year, but much of that may depend on whether Congress decides to pass legislation that would reform certain aspects of the NSA's spying apparatus.

While privacy advocates have argued that metadata collection has the potential to be abused and can be extremely intrusive, two of the three judges repeatedly voiced skepticism that the mere collection of those recordswhich are already maintained by telecom companiesposes any threat to ordinary citizens.

Judge Stephen Williams indicated that violations to privacy were more likely to occur when intelligence officials actually analyze metadata, which he said was "two steps" removed from the collection stage.

Larry Klayman, a conservative lawyer arguing on his own behalf, countered that "just collecting the data is enough to implicate the Fourth Amendment."

Williams pressed Klayman to articulate specifically how the mere collection of troves of unanalyzed data could violate an American's privacy. But Williams remained unsatisfied with Klayman's response.

"You still aren't answering my question," Williams interrupted at one point. "What are the invasions?"

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Judges Skeptical NSA Spying Violates Privacy Rights ...

NSA Spying | Black Agenda Report

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U.S. Rulers Have No Solution for Urban Crisis

The powers that be have no solution to the crises confronting Detroit and other U.S. urban centers, said Abayome Azikiwe, editor of the Pan African News Wire. A federal judge has been hearing testimony on the state-appointed Emergency Financial Managers plans to bankrupt the city. From the White House to Wall Street, all the way down to the state capitals and municipal governments, all they offer is more debt to float more bonds, said Azikiwe. Theres no discussion about jobs, economic opportunities, repopulating the cities. The narrative is austerity and more austerity.

Dollars Trump Black History in Richmond

The Black Mayor of Richmond, Virginia is opting for a baseball stadium rather than preservation of Shockoe Bottom, the citys historic center, once home to the nations second largest slave market. It really doesnt have anything to do with whether or not hes pro-history or anti-history its money, said Ana Edwards, of Defenders for Freedom, Justice and Equality. Shockoe Bottom is the price that he is willing to pay for developers to make their money.

Free Marissa Alexander

The case of a Black battered wife who fired a shot into her ceiling to fend off her abusive husband has become a focus of agitation in Florida. If convicted on aggravated assault charges, Marissa Alexander could spend two decades in prison. This is whats happening with the criminalization of Black women, said Aleta Alston-Toure, of Free Marissa Now, in Jacksonville. We need a movement to stop the race, sex and class bias of the criminal justice system. Black women are more than two and a half times as likely to be killed by a male as their white counterparts.

Feinstein NSA Bill Legalizes NSA Abuse of Power

The FISA Improvement Act, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, an apologist for NSA spying on Americans, doesnt improve anything; it codifies practices that already exist, said Matthew Kellegrew, a legal fellow with the Bill of Rights Defense Committee. Kellegrew says rival legislation, the USA Freedom Act, is a step in the direction towards reining in the Patriot Act and out-of-control government surveillance.

Activists Charge Black Studies Chairman with Betrayal

More than 100 student and community activists gathered in Philadelphias historic Church of the Advocate to denounce Temple Universitys Dean of Liberal Arts for persecuting African American Studies professor Dr. Anthony Monteiro, and to rebuke Dr. Molefi Asante, the programs new chairman, for betraying his former colleague. Dr. Asante has turned on Dr. Monteiro and hes turned on the community, said Patrice Armstead, of Building Peoples Power. He seems to have reversed course relative to building African American Studies at Temple and connecting that project with the lives and struggles and problems of the Black community, said Dr. Monteiro.

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NSA Spying | Black Agenda Report


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