Activists Rally Against NSA Surveillance

Edward Snowden calls in

At a rally in Washington Saturday, self-exiled whistleblower Edward Snowden described "a system of pervasive surveillance" operating against American citizens, and he urged technology and free rights activists to spread awareness of the spying violations in the name of reform.

Mr. Snowden, the former contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA) who provided leaks about agency phone and Internet interceptions, is a key figure in the current controversy involving the agency. His message to the rally came as a statement sent from Russia, where he now lives under temporary asylum to avoid prosecution in the United States.