The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, National Director 707-269-0984 or press@movetoamend.org

Nationwide Day of Action Against Corporate Personhood: May 10, 2013

Protests Planned Nationwide Against Supreme Court Ruling that Corporations Are People

WASHINGTON

Activists in 77 cities will be protesting against corporate rule and political corruption on Friday, May 10. This date marks the 127th anniversary of the Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad decision, in which the Supreme Court first ruled that corporations are "persons," entitled to rights under the U.S Constitution.

"127 years ago corporate lawyers were able to exploit the 14th Amendment - intended to ensure equal rights for African Americans - and convince the Supreme Court that they deserved Constitutional protections intended for human beings," stated Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, national director of the Move to Amend coalition. "Since that date we have seen a steady expansion of corporate power and wealth at the expense of the rights of people and communities. We're protesting today to say enough is enough!"

On May 10 Move to Amend volunteers will be displaying freeway banners nationwide to draw attention to their call for an amendment to the US Constitution to overrule the Supreme Court and declare that only human beings have Constitutional rights.

As a result of unprecedented campaign spending in recent elections, Americans are increasingly familiar with a more recent Supreme Court decision - Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which reaffirmed the Court's 1886 Santa Clara ruling and further expanded corporate influence in the political arena.

The Move to Amend coalition is working to grow grassroots support for a constitutional amendment that clearly and unequivocally states that: 1) Rights recognized under the Constitution belong to human beings only; not to artificial legal entities such as corporations or labor unions; and 2) Political campaign spending is not a form of speech protected under the First Amendment.

Move to Amend is a broad-based grassroots coalition of diverse groups dedicated to ending the illegitimate legal doctrines that prevents the American people from ruling ourselves. Move to Amend is endorsed by hundreds of organizations and nearly 300,000 people who have signed the Move to Amend "Petition to Amend."

To learn more about MOVE TO AMEND please visit https://www.movetoamend.org.

MovetoAmend.org is a coalition supported by hundreds of organizations and tens of thousands of individuals dedicated to ending the illegitimate legal doctrines that prevent the American people from governing ourselves.