Emergency Provision 17

Emergency Provision 17 was an executive order by President Laura Roslin. On paper, this was to deal with safety risks caused by large gatherings, but was in fact a punitive decree to persecute the Cult of Baltar.Battlestar Galactica (2004), episode: "Escape Velocity".
==Background==
In the year following the Exodus from New Caprica, the political situation within the fleet deteriorated as it went through crisis after crisis: food and medicine became increasingly scarce, and hundreds of civilians were forced to live on board Galactica in ghettos. Law and order on Galactica was strained owing to a shortage of Marines to deal with so many people, and inter-religious and inter-ethnic violence was often ignored. Complicating things further was the capture of former President Gaius Baltar on the algae planet, of whom a cult had developed ahead of his trial. Owing to these conditions, Baltar and the cult were similarly confined to Galactica but were at constant risk of attacks on them and Baltar by others.
==History==
Following the desecration of the cult's shrine by the fundamentalist group, Sons of Ares, President Laura Roslin sought to prevent Baltar's martyrdom, which she believed could cause a holy war. In the month following the Battle of the Ionian Nebula the Presidency had become increasingly totalitarian in nature, and Emergency Provision 17 was brought forward to prevent any deliberation by the Quorum of Twelve. The sole known article of Emergency Provision 17 is the limiting of gatherings to no greater than twelve, with the exception of certain religious groups which effectively restricted the Cult of Baltar but not mainstream religious sermons. Although not indicated within the order, it was argued by Delegate Reza Chronides and the Gemenon Delegate that it could in theory be extended to persecute Mithrasaries as well. Although Roslin admitted, when asked, that the purpose of the order was to solely target Baltar, her executive authority was challenged by the Quorum and the order was rescinded by a unanimous vote.
Immediately following the order's implementation, Marines were sent to the cult's headquarters ahead of a service. As the maximum occupancy had already been reached, for safety reasons Baltar and his congregation were not allowed inside, not could those inside leave as it would crowd the corridors. While protesting the order, Baltar was repeatedly beaten by a Marine while attempting to enter, and was halted by his superior and Delegate Leland Adama who had arrived on board Galactica to stop further persecution.
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