IP: Day of silence -- March 14

[Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

LAW STUDENTS ORGANIZE A NATIONWIDE "SILENT 
PROTEST" DAY AGAINST THE COMMUNICATIONS 
DECENCY ACT


NEW YORK--February 26, 1996--Concerned over the facially unconstitutional
provisions of the recently enacted Communications Decency Act 47 U.S.C.223
et.seq. students from more than two dozen of the nation's leading law
schools have organized to protest the legislation.  This is the first
nationally organized protest in US Law Schools since the Vietnam War.


        On March 14th, students at law schools nationwide will distribute
blue ribbons, and pledge to remain silent from the hours of 10:05 am to
2:05 pm to bring home the effects of censorship. Students at several
schools will augment the "silent protest" with discussion groups and
teach-ins. 


        More than two dozen of the nation's leading law schools are
represented in the protest, including NYU, Harvard, Columbia, University
of Washington, Michigan, Penn, William & Mary, Fordham, Boston University, 
Florida State University and others. 


        The movement was created by a group of students at New York 
University, which is serving as a national steering committee for the protest. 
The movement's name (Committee 451) was inspired by "Fahrenheit 451," 
the Ray Bradbury novel about censorship.


        Former journalist Charles Glasser, a third-year law student
specializing in First Amendment and Media Defense at NYU, and the
organizer of the movement said that the response from law students
nationwide has been outstanding. "This generation of law students is
meeting the moral challenge which law school could--and should present us
with. We are obligated to examine and defend our commitment to
constitutional principles. Many of us feel that free speech is the freedom
from which all of our other freedoms flow." 


        Law students are particularly upset at the facially
unconstitutional overbreadth of the law. "While restricting the text and
images that children are exposed to may be a compelling interest, this law
hopelessly fails the "narrowly tailored" prong of strict scrutiny," said
Glasser. "Any attempt to carve exceptions from the First Amendment must be
done with a scalpel.  This law tries to do it with a lawnmower."


        Using the Internet, the Committee 451 members have been able to 
trade information and solicit participation from more schools. The EFF and 
the ACLU have agreed to post the Committee's information on their web 
pages prior to the protest.


        For verification or more information, contact Charles Glasser on-line 
at cjg6159 () is nyu edu.