"Hidden far from the spotlight, the agency has seen few external assaults; when one is detected, no matter how minor, NSA immediately goes to battle stations. On July 3,
1996, for example, both the SSOC and the National Security Operations Center, the focal point of NSA`s worldwide eavesdropping network, were tipped off about a planned
demonstration at the agency. The group sponsoring the demonstration was identified as the Baltimore Emergency Response Network(BERN), a small, nonviolent organization that promotes peaceful solutions to conflicts rather than armed intervention. Its leader was Philip Berrigan, a longtime veteran of peaceful demonstrations.

The protest was scheduled for the following day, the July Fourth holiday. At NSA, the director and his senior staff were immediately notified. The FBI and other government
agencies were quickly asked to provide background information on BERN. "Members of the SOCC, Facilities Security, Public and Media Affairs, and Protective Services
convened to enact an NSA Emergency Management Plan to address the threat, "said an internal document. " Protective Services activated the Special Operations Unit.
"They then notified the military police at Fort Meade, "who mobilized a contingent to augment the Protective Service Officers` force.

Prepared for anything except all-out nuclear war, the agency must have been disappointed. About 10:30 A.M. a motley group of about thirty late-sleeping activists arrived at the outer fence, carrying a few placards protesting illegal NSA operations. They then began
to read Scripture. Next someone recited a "Declaration of Independence from the National Security Agency," which was mounted on a large placard for presentation to
the director, Lieutenant General Kenneth A.Minihan. After a few hours in the warm sun, the group headed back to Baltimore.

Pleased that the agency had once again been saved from imminent peril, the author of a classified internal document declared the operation "an unequivocal success. The orchestration of a multitude of NSA and non-NSA emergency response resources proved extremely
effective." Even Philip Berrigan was impressed. "Very efficient," he said, "very sterile.""

- Body of Secrets, How America`s NSA and Britain`s GCHQ eavesdrop on the world
James Bamford (pages 493-494, paperback)

Check also these websites for more information

 http://www.bugbrother.com/echelon/spookwordsgenerator.html
 http://www.bugbrother.com/echelon/
 http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,32039,00.html
 http://www.cipherwar.com/echelon/
 http://www.iptvreports.mcmail.com/interception_capabilities_2000.htm
 http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/8/17800.html
 http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/jun2001/ech-j06.shtml
 http://www.statewatch.org/news/2001/sep/02echelon.htm
 http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2087507,00.html
 http://cndyorks.gn.apc.org/mhs/mhsech.htm
 http://duncan.gn.apc.org/echelon-dc.htm
 http://www.euronet.nl/~rembert/echelon/mwh.htm
 http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,s2079847,00.html
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/503224.stm