On Anniversary of Citizens United, Group Says Occupy the Courts | Common Dreams

On Anniversary of Citizens United, Group Says Occupy the Courts | Common Dreams
Common Dreams staff , January 20, 2012

“Corporate personhood and money equals political speech are court-created doctrines"

The coalition Move to Amend has called for a day of action today to occupy federal courthouses across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court, to mark the second anniversary of the Citizens United vs. FEC ruling.

CNN reports on the timing of the action:

The event is being held around the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which removed many limits to corporate spending in federal political campaigns, organizers say.

The 2010 ruling made it legal for groups to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money for a candidate, as long as the group does not coordinate with the candidate or contributed directly to his or her campaign.

It allowed for the rise of Super PACs, which can raise unlimited funds from corporations.

Politico reports:

“Why the courts? Because frankly folks, that’s the scene of the crime,” said David Cobb, an organizer of Friday’s protests. “Corporate personhood and money equals political speech are court-created doctrines. We the people never decided it; our elected representatives didn’t decide it; ordinary people like me and you never decided it. The court created these doctrines and it’s going to take a movement to overturn it.”

One tweeter's picture this morning shows barricades going up around the Supreme Court building.