U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft will visit Milwaukee this morning as part of a 16-city tour to promote the Patriot Act.
Much of the criticism surrounding Ashcroft's tour has arisen from the fact that his speeches have not been open to the public.
Ashcroft's visit has not been highly publicized, yet some are still planning to protest his appearance in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee resident Geoffrey Skoll said a number of organizations that have been involved in antiwar protests, including the National Lawyers Guild, Peace Action and Industrial Workers of the World, are planning demonstrations around the city.
\His whole visit has been largely undisclosed and the belief is that since he is a public figure he ought to disclose everything that he does,"" Skoll said.
Because of the undislcosed nature of Ashcroft's speeches, Skoll said the time and location of the protests would be kept secret until they begin.
""I will be out there tomorrow,"" said Jerry Gunderson, Milwaukee resident and member of IWW. ""I am not anticipating that he will listen to protests tomorrow, but maybe a larger group of people will open their eyes and their minds to what this administration is doing.""
The post-Sept. 11 Patriot Act has increased government surveillance opportunities, removed barriers that once prevented intelligence agencies from sharing information and has toughened terrorist penalties.
Kelda Helen Roys, president of the UW-Madison chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said the act has been discussed at the state ACLU level.
""It overreaches what we need to keep us safe,"" she said. ""There are no controls on how it can be used and who it can be used against.""
Ashcroft was originally scheduled to visit Milwaukee in August, but cancelled his visit. He will deliver a speech to law enforcement employees at 9:30 a.m. at the War Memorial Center, 750 North Lincoln Memorial Dr. The purpose of his tour is to promote the act as an effective tool for fighting terrorism.
U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., is a critic of both the act and Ashcroft's tour.
""I regret that the administration has decided to continue what is essentially a [public relations] campaign instead of fixing the very flaws in that law,"" Feingold recently said in a statement. ""People have become increasingly troubled by certain provisions in the Patriot Act that may infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens while doing little to protect our country against terrorists.""
