1984 Day Sees 'Restore the Fourth' Protests Across the Country

1. 

   Privacy

   Edward Snowden's revelations about NSA surveillance was the catalyst for starting "Restore the Fourth."

   Image: Dhiya Kuriakose

2. 

   Restore the Fourth

   Protesters called out various individuals, including New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and President Obama.

   Image: Dhiya Kuriakose

3. 

   Yes We Scan

   A play on Obama's 2008 campaign.

   Image: Dhiya Kuriakose

4. 

   Restore the Fourth

   Image: Dhiya Kuriakose

5. 

   Big Brother

   Allusions to Big Brother and 1984 were hard to miss.

   Image: Dhiya Kuriakose

6. 

   Restore the Fourth

   Image: Dhiya Kuriakose

7. 

   Characters

   People from various groups showed their protest in different ways.

   Image: Dhiya Kuriakose

8. 

   Guy Fawkes

   The Guy Fawkes mask has become the symbol for privacy activists and Anonymous.

   Image: Dhiya Kuriakose

9. 

   Democracy

   Protesters of all ages demanded their liberty and freedom be returned to them.

   Image: Dhiya Kuriakose

10. 

    Restore the Fourth

    Image: Dhiya Kuriakose

Sunday was "1984 Day" across the United States, a day of protest against the recently disclosed NSA snooping programs. The name is a play on the date 8/4 and a nod to George Orwell's famous book on a surveillance state.

Restore the Fourth, an activism organization born on Reddit, chose the day to call for protests against the NSA in 20 cities across the country. The goal of the organization is to end what its members see as the NSA's unconstitutional surveillance regime and to ensure the enforcement of the Fourth Amendment and its protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

See also: The 26-Year-Old Montana Legislator Fighting for Your Online Privacy

The organization had its first rally on July 4. That event included rallies across the country, but Sunday's 1984 day included a smattering of activities. In Austin, protesters had a film screening, while in Boston the rally was a march.

San Francisco had a very vocal group of supporters. Their rally included Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg and specifically targeted Nancy Pelosi. The House minority leader is under fire for her opposition to the Amash amendment that would have ended the NSA's collection of phone records through the Patriot Act. The measure lost by only 12 votes. The group is working on getting face time with legislators across the country to tip the balance during the congressional recess, which begins Monday.

In New York City, protesters also raised their voices against the controversial criminal prevention program "stop and frisk," and the alleged discriminatory surveillance of Muslim-Americans. The rally began in Bryant Park with a theatrical performance. Protesters wore masks of President Obama, George W. Bush and NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly. Protesters then had a minute to speak about anything they wanted. Speakers ranged from a teacher, to a self-professed geek, to a girl who said, "I am 10. And I don't believe I should worry about every word that I write in my emails to my friends."

Check out our gallery above for images from the New York rally.

Image: Mashable