American Civil Liberties Union

On September 12, 2006, the ACLU and NYCLU cohosted a screening of "The U.S. vs. John Lennon." The documentary from Lions Gate Films flashes back to a time of an increasingly unpopular war, a restive public, a president engaged in secret surveillance, and the world-famous musician who spoke out in protest of the war and was threatened with deportation as a result. The screening was followed with a panel discussion featuring Art Eisenberg, Legal Director of the NYCLU; Jameel Jaffer, ACLU attorney; Eve Cary, who represented the NYCLU and ACLU at Lennon's deportation hearings; and Joe Treen, who wrote a series of articles about the Lennon INS hearings for Rolling Stone.

In the past and today, the U.S. government has used visa denials and deportation to suppress the freedom of ideas. This screening was the latest in an ongoing series of ACLU film events to spark dialogue and raise awareness about fundamental civil liberties and civil rights issues.

For more information on "The U.S. vs. John Lennon," visit the official site of the film at www.theusversusjohnlennon.com

l. Discussion with Art Eisenberg, Jameel Jaffer, Eve Cary, and Joe Treen. podcast  | stream

2. Q & A between audience and panel. podcast  | stream