Posted on 04/06/2005 10:31:08 AM PDT by rface
The November lecture featured Gary Yourofsky, an activist who has served jail time for freeing animals, talking about how to be a vegan. "This kind of monitoring is wrong and it's sneaky," said Ruth Obel-Jorgensen, president of Campus Peace and Civil Liberties. "Even when you are doing nothing wrong, it makes you feel like you are, just to know someone is watching you."
A student peace group claims two undercover law enforcement officers attended a lecture it sponsored, violating California's ban against covert monitoring of political, religious, social or educational meetings without proof of a past or planned crime.
David Moll, director of public safety at California State University, Fresno, confirmed there were two undercover officers from "an outside agency" at the lecture.
[ snip ]
After sheriff's detective Aaron Kilner died in a motorcycle accident in August 2003, his picture appeared in the newspaper, identifying him as a member of an anti-terrorism task force. Members of Peace Fresno recognized him as a man under a different name.
[ snip ]
Peace Fresno had a moment of national attention when mostly middle-aged, cookie-eating members of the group were shown in Michael Moore's documentary film "Fahrenheit 911." In a voice-over, Moore sarcastically suggests that the scene is a "a gathering of terrorists if ever I saw them."
[ snip ]
The American Civil Liberties Union will try to find out more about the alleged surveillance on the Fresno State campus,
[ snip ]
Last month, sheriff's deputy Scott Moore was seen — clad in a military-type jacket and sunglasses — at a peace demonstration in Fresno's Courthouse Park.
Assistant Sheriff Tom Gattie confirmed Tuesday that there were plain-clothes deputies at the peace demonstration But they were for security
[ snip ]
(Excerpt) Read more at fresnobee.com ...
Maybe he was just cruising for hippie chicks. Hippie chicks are easy.
But smelly.
Yeah they are, if you can shut up their political drivel long enough to...
Guess that would be the little known "Protection of Conspiring Traitors Act".
"without proof"
I think there was plenty of proof - the guy had been in jail before for his activities. That is "proof" enough for me.
Yuck.
hairy legs, hairy armpits, might as well seduce a french girl......
Yeah they are, if you can shut up their political drivel long enough to...
and get them to back away from the bong!!
Pot makes people paranoid.
"Served time for freeing animals", my A**. Translation; been put in jail for stealing other peoples' property. Olden days in Texas we called them "hossthief", and promptly hung'em.
So, the government should be surveilling groups which have one member who has been in jail at some unspecified time?
Better do a background check the next time you head out for a meeting.
Well .. since I've never participated in illegal activities .. I'm not worried.
And .. "do a background check" - on who ..??
Remember, the law could apply equally to you. It's government interference with peoples rights to assemble and right to free speech. I don't go for it.
No, sorry, I wasn't clear.
You said, there was proof enough for the police to go to this meeting because the speaker had been in jail.
What I meant was, does that mean that any time someone who's done something wrong goes to a meeting (putting aside that his crime didn't involve, say, inciting overthrow of the government or anything like that), everyone else at that meeting should be subject to having undercover agents follow him around?
And, if that's the case, you'll then need a background check on all the folks who are at the same meeting you are.
Hope that clarifies what I meant...I am trying to do two things at once and probably not doing either nearly as well as I should. :)
"government interference with peoples rights to assemble and right to free speech"
I didn't see anybody stopping the freedom of the people to assemble. The meeting wasn't closed down .. nobody got arrested just for being at the meeting .. how can that be "govt interference" ..??
And .. I didn't see anybody prevented from speaking freely.
Your argument is without merit.
Campus meetings have to be open to the public. If the public is welcome, there is no privacy issue. Next!
Well, then, focus on your nuclear reactor and Freep when you get home!!!!
Well .. if the guy who was the main speaker of the event has a record of being jailed for illegal activities - namely those which cause property damage - I'm not concerned about officers showing up to monitor what the guy is saying. After all, he could be recruiting people to join in his illegal activity.
And .. how do we know that there is not a current - on-going investigation into this guy's activities .. we don't. I think people are getting upset over nothing.
It's kind of like having a cop in your car as you drive or having atap on your phone. It is interference.
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