By Lee Hammel TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
lhammel

Activists from both ends of the political spectrum demonstrate yesterday in Worcester against indefinite detention for terrorism suspects. (T&G Staff/STEVE LANAVA)

WORCESTER — More than 100 people who don’t agree on much agreed yesterday that a Congress that passes a law permitting the indefinite detention of Americans without charge diminishes the country.

Among them were Sheila, a 68-year-old tea party member from Worcester who brought her sign “What-cha gonna do when They come for you,” and Occupy Worcester’s Sam Capogrossi. They and a dozen others banged on a 5-gallon plastic container, trying to persuade the drivers in rush-hour traffic on Main Street that the National Defense Authorization Act that passed in December is a threat to their civil liberties. The law permits indefinite detention for terrorism suspects, American or not.

They read in unison the Bill of Rights in the plaza in front of the federal courthouse, under the watchful eyes on three Worcester police officers and two members of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service. There were no incidents, save for a citation written for defacing public property when an Occupy Worcester member wrote in chalk “Occupy Everywhere” on a column in Federal Plaza.

Members of each group said they admired the other group for its stand on NDAA, but except for a brief speaking portion of event, Occupy Worcester members mostly occupied the north end of the small Federal Plaza Park and tea partiers mostly the south. There was some “good discussion” among the members, but “we’re not changing any minds,” said Ken Mandile, head of the Worcester Tea Party.

Nevertheless, he said, it is impressive that the groups can put aside their differences to stand for such an important principle as the Bill of Rights.
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