Posted on 07/10/2025 1:58:03 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Pismo Beach residents came face-to-face with a group "stress-testing" their First Amendment rights.
Police in the California coastal community of Pismo Beach received an influx of calls earlier this week about people filming citizens at the local post office. It turns out they were First Amendment auditors.
These people consider themselves to be citizen journalists and exercising their First Amendment rights by filming others in public areas. They often do this at government buildings to hold public servants accountable.
Angel Ramirez was one of the individuals at the post office on Monday and said the auditors were clearly making people feel uncomfortable.
“I saw a woman about late 70s, early 80s pulling her packages in a bag and looking terrified,” Ramirez said. “Being the person that I am, I didn’t want to stand for it, and so I turned on my recording on my phone, asked them why they were spreading misinformation, and he told me, 'because I’m trolling her,' which I think is ridiculous."
The First Amendment Coalition is a nonprofit organization that helps educate people about the First Amendment, but it is not associated with these First Amendment auditors.
However, Executive Director David Snyder explains that these so-called auditors are within their legal rights, which is why police are unable to respond.
“I think the police are probably right here,” Snyder said. “There is a protected right to film matters in public. I will say also that that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re free to harass people, but the right to film in public is an important and foundational First Amendment right.”
Employees at the post office said this is the third time the same group has been there in the last few months.
Another resident, Valerie Mercado, said she encountered the auditors there in early June.
(Excerpt) Read more at scrippsnews.com ...
Guys who team with lawyers to file Sec. 1983 complaints......AND WIN!
21st century hooliganism
Post the pictures and home addresses of the “auditors”...
Isn’t that protected, also...
What level of misunderstanding does it take for someone to call the cops because some took a video of them in public?
And the cops show up? As a SoCal resident, I can tell you that they don’t show up for calls...unless a cop or Hollywood star is being attacked.
There’s a guy in our area who goes to city council meetings and other places and films everything and makes mean remarks that he considers witty. I know he is just waiting for someone to hit him or otherwise violate his rights and then he can sue.
Sort of like that Westboro Baptist Church.
It’s very tiresome.
Some people think consent is required to record images of children, but the law makes no such distinction. With few exceptions and as long as there is no expectation of privacy, you can video record whatever you wish without consent.
Because surveillance cameras aren't everywhere these days.
I follow Long Island Audit pretty closely. He’s pretty good.
Oh yes you need consent. If you walk up on anyone to video them, using it for commercial purposes, you need consent.
Now, try filming someones child and see what happens.
If govt employees, cops, judges, etc are diing nothing wrong, they’ve nothing to wrry about. That’s what they always told uld us when they started watching us 25/.
Indeed.
It’s also amusing that the government agents, whose employer operates video cameras all over the place, get upset when We the People operate video cameras all over the place.
One of these dirtbags showed up at the prison where I work. He was clearly not a journalist as he claimed.
What he was obviously trying to do was provoke a reaction so that he and his slimy lawyer could file a lawsuit against the state. As the State Police told him to leave or be arrested for trespassing, yep, he promised to file a lawsuit.
Just a high tech. version of a scumbag.
No, he’s a scumbag.
Someday someone is going to catch the piece of trash without his camera, and they are going to kick his ass.
In California maybe. Try following and filming minors in Utah and see what happens. You also cannot film inside a home without permission including trying to film from the outside.
There are 4 types of publc forums.
1, traditional-sidewalks, parks etc.
2, restricted- jails, court houses, police stations etc.
3,designated-public meeting places such as council meetings etc.
4, private-churches, medical centers, post offices, libraries etc
All covered under established case law.
The only place free photo accss is allowed is number one and then, only if it is what is considered a crowd shot. Taking videos, photos or whatever of an individual is not allowed if it is used for commercial purposes AND, if the individual asks not to be filmed, harrasment charges and law suit can be filed in court depending on state law.
Now for a little twist. Lets say mister hot shot pig auditor comes and gets into my face and i ask him not to film me and he persists, he violates my 1st admendment rights. Graven images.
the key being,”for commercial use”otherwise, no consent needed, in public.
Thank you for the explanation.
Hell they dont. Depends on state harrasment statutes.
BTW. Call me something nefarious and I WILL have your ass in jail in a nano second.
Chaplinsky v NH 1942.
I’VE printed a out all the information pertaining to this BS committed by these C-suckers and provided it to my county sheriff’s department. They had no idea of these restrictions.
AZ 13-2921
Harrasment
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