Civil rights groups attack MBTA transit security plans
Random baggage searches, intended to prepare Boston’s public transit network for the next month's Democratic National Convention, have come under fire.
Angered by a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) plan to begin random searches of riders’ bags, civil rights groups have prepared a lawsuit against the transit agency.
Additionally, the Massachusetts chapter of the National Lawyer's Guild is distributing buttons to transit passengers that read: "I do not consent to a search."
According to the Boston Herald, MBTA developed this one-of-a-kind plan to prepare security measures for the Democratic National Convention, which will be held in Boston from July 26-29. The plan also calls for bomb-sniffing dogs.
MBTA officials insist the searches will be random, but officials from groups such as the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the American Friends Service Committee say they believe minorities and Muslims will be unfairly targeted.
Protesters plan to file the lawsuit later this week.
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