Eugene, Ore -- Eugene is the first city in Oregon to formally seek reform or repeal of the USA Patriot Act, under a unanimous vote by City Council members.
Eugene joins 14 other American cities, including Ann Arbor, Mich., Denver and Cambridge, Mass., in opposing the federal anti-terrorism act.
More than 200 people came to a public meeting Monday night to urge council members to take the action. Some told of feeling targeted by the Patriot Act due to their politics, national heritage, religious beliefs or skin color; others said they feared the possibility of unchecked government.
"I have not done anything; I am not a terrorist," said Nadia Sindi, a Muslim woman well-known in city and county circles as a land use activist. "I urge you to pass this resolution, for all of us."
Elsewhere in Oregon, groups in Benton County and the cities of Portland and Ashland have considered similar decrees but taken no action.
Congress approved the 342-page Patriot Act last year to enable a crackdown on terrorism and allow police to interrogate Americans suspected of terrorism ties. The act has since been criticized by some groups from across the political spectrum as a threat to personal privacy and constitutional rights.
"We shouldn't stand by silently as those rights and freedoms are eroded," Councilwoman Bonny Bettman said, urging her colleagues to make a unified statement. "Our rights and freedoms really help distinguish us from our enemies."
Going into the meeting, at least half of the eight council members were on record opposing a resolution. Instead, they favored a less-formal letter that could be signed by individual council members, stating their personal views rather than an official city position.
But one by one, council members opposed to a resolution joined the fold.
Nationwide, resolutions have varied among the cities that passed them, but most express a general concern about an erosion of fundamental rights and ask local police to report any federal request for enforcement under provisions of the Patriot Act.
