San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media, April 16, 2008

Comcast is drafting a Bill of Rights for ISP's and Internet users. But the cable giant has forgotten one thing: to invite Internet users, policymakers and advocates to the table! Comcast is scrambling! And why wouldn't they be?

Demonstrators from all over the San Francisco Bay Area and from as far away as Washington DC are coming to an FCC hearing on April 17 to protest Comcast's proven internet blocking, Verizon's deleting of pro-choice activists text messages to one another, and ATT's plans for corporate rule of the intenet.

Public comments are scheduled for at least 2 hours at the Stanford University hosted event. The demonstration will start at 11am with pleas to *SAVE the INTERNET*

Line up for seats starts at the same time and the marathon 7 hour hearing starts at noon.

[HOW TO GET THERE/parking advice: http://www.savetheinternet.com/=stanford_travel]

Demonstrators are furious that Comcast wants to be judge, jury and executioner of the internet. What Comcast really wants is to preempt a Federal Communications Commission ruling against its blocking of legal file-sharing programs. According to Tim Karr of Save the Internet Coalition, the FCC is hinting that a ruling against Comcast is imminent. Net neutrality bloggers are calling Comcast's last minute drafting of a corporate drafted internet bill of rights "self-serving to say the very least."

Thursday's FCC hearing at Stanford University will focus on whether ISPs can shape, filter and even block content that travels over their networks.

This week Comcast arrogantly announced that it has partnered with Web traffic company Pando to put together a group of industry experts to play legislators and draft their own bill.

Of course, Comcast has not included internet advocacy groups like Free Press (Washington DC) or Media Alliance (Oakland, CA) in their list of potential bill's authors. It is obvious that Comcast’s desire is to be the ultimate content cop.

Comcast has declared itself an arbiter of consumers’ rights, says Marvin Ammori, Free Press General Counsel. “But Comcast’s past behavior tells us everything we really need to know.”

At this historic FCC hearing Comcast will try to demonstrate to the FCC that the private sector can solve all of the Internet’s problems.

The Raging Grannies aren't buying it. "What an insult to our intelligence," said Granny Gail Sredanovic. "Comcast drafting an internet rights bill to placate the public is like throwing a dog a bone."

The Raging Grannies will bring chants, songs, and props pointing out that these two "bad eggs", Pando and Comcast, have only their own selfish interests at heart.

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