GROUP SEES PERIL IN U.S. SNOOPING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000400410032-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 1, 2004
• Sequence Number: 32
• Publication Date: July 11, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2005/01/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000400410032-1 I
11 July 1978 _?).': 1, -
TX'Lc'at c1' 'd
Gvp ..Ines "
-$y Lt.1? 4ERXTa1TW.
- N.w.3ra t~rrrit~r? ? s
Imagine a~ Clnited States An:'.-
'which the government. has run,
roughshod over "civiLrights, stag,...,
ing n umerous break-ins, and wire..
'taps in an effort= 61 vripe nut dis-
That's not ; lust an:. Otwelliaa
fantasy,-chargeka national group
called American. Citizens for
Honesty in Goyernaient;.a
The federal-threat; to-liberties.
exists` today,, insists the Michigan,.
chapteir, of_ the_organizatica., Its '
members: demonstrated yesterday ..
in front of Detroit's-Federal Build,
ing, callirg`ori::governnient work-,T
ers :to blow`:the: whistle, on, illegal .
acts:0.
"In a--.democracy, the, citizens
must take charge of seeing that
the government-, is. responsible,"
said Rudy Riefstahl, a spokesman
for the group:. --
"We're here to protest thewire
.-taps, bugging: break-ins and i
abuses of 'civi t'iiberties:-by the, ;
FBI CIA a -other-government
agencies. a-want honest govern-
ment-and-a, restorationi.of individ .:
ual rights and libertiese"
ABOUT,;.* DOZEN young:'
.demo'nsdatorspresented a skit on..
~thie Milaigan; Avenue sidewalk,
slowing.the.ClA;and FBI. attack-7.
ing a woman?dressed'as. the Statue
of. Liberty. The street theater,
ended; with,.a "George' Washing .
ton" character. triumphing on- be-.:
half of civil liberties.'
I.tiefstaht.s'aid 'the- groupp lists.,
about I00 members=statewide and
has chapters in 21 other cities;-
. ? The- organization is sponsored
- by the-Church-of 'Scientology,,_
which.Riefstahi said has been'vic-
tisuized by- illegal--government
acts. -
"Last July,.the Church of.Scien-
tology had its offices in Los An-
..g'ele&.raided; by. the FBI under a
'federal. warrant. Although, they
were,:-only supposed to search two
..they went. through six
draw' 't..
rs,
:..floors: and rousted workers outof
tliei staff guarters,,',deciared the.
Michiigart _ spokesman... "They
claimed they, found stolen govern-.'
meat documents, but-I'm not-
aware of any information- being,
stolen.."
'A pamphlet issued by the, pra.
test group is-entitled;"Nigtmarg,...
USA" and states: .
"Between 1960 and 1974; the FBI"
conducted 500,000 separate. investi-
gations- off persons. and groups
under the `subversive' category-..:
... Yet not, a single. individual or
group was prosecuted."
E "The FBI-and' CIA conducted'
hundreds-. of illegal break-ins,
many against American citizens,
and domestic organizations." .
The 49-year-old Riefstahl,' a-
local art curator,-said it would be'
inaccurate to brand his group a
"front" for the Church of Scientol-
ogy,
"IE'wiere a front far Scientol-
ogy, then we're also a front, for the
.-Quakers, the-Episcopalians and.
every other church,' he. said:::':
happen to be a member of Scien-
tology,.but I'm"also an Episcopa-
lian:
"It'"s the job 'of the chuch to be
'iinvol'red in social reforms. I don't
,,like saying we're a-front for Scien-
:tology, becausez-zthat.:.implies
something covert.:' We- don't hide
.the' fact that we're supported 'by
the Church of Scientology, but who
sponsors us is less important than
what we do as'a groups'.
SCIENTOLOGY,. Riefstahl said;1
IG 0V LN o.1-r
Cy r7 9 ~ S c 4 era-'~`ts (cz~
is a religion -`.'based on the belief in
.the spiritual nature of man." '
He added that- "a number' of
members". of the protest group
also belong to the Church of Scien-
. tology and. that. several are. gov-.
"ter were at yesterday's demon-
stration. -
Riefstahl's: group' talked with
government workers strolling.'on
their lunch break.
_ .,
A lot of them feel 'caught be-
tween the hammer of the-
govern-ment=and the anvil of our-organ-
ization-because they believe in
"
'
re trying to do,
he said..
what we
'1W6 had applications for 17 new
members as a result of our demon-
stration. We. think that's a good
sign that people want to keep this
country from becoming a dictator-
ship."
Approved For Release 2005/01/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000400410032-1