Houston Internet activists discuss NSA protests on July 4

If a growing grassroots effort on Reddit takes hold, there could be protests of the National Security Agency all over the country, including here in Houston, on Independence Day.

In the wake of last week's NSA leaks by former contractor and CIA employee Edward Snowden, emotions are running high among Internet activists in opposition to revelations about the agency's online surveillance programs.

A movement to stage "Restore The Fourth" protests on July 4 is gaining traction on localized Reddit pages, including one here in Houston.

Fueling the fire is the already-proposed Fourth Amendment Preservation and Protection Act of 2013, brought forward in May by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky.

Paul is seeking to extend all Fourth Amendment guarantees to electronic communications, requiring that specific warrants be granted by judges in order to obtain online information.

Over 8,600 have subscribed to the Restore The Fourth page, planning demonstrations in their areas.

In Houston, the Reddit discussion includes Fourthers looking into permits and locations for their protests.