The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon is suing the city of Medford, Oregon, claiming the city's police department illegally collected and stored data pertaining to progressive social justice groups and activists, The Hill reported Wednesday.
The lawsuit, filed in Jackson County Circuit Court on Tuesday, alleges that the Medford Police Department violated Oregon state law by unlawfully keeping "tabs" on individuals and groups involved in advocating for racial justice, LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights, housing justice, and other social causes.
According to the ACLU, the law prohibits law enforcement agencies from collecting or maintaining information "about the political, religious, or social views" of individuals unless they are "reasonably suspected of criminal activities."
The plaintiffs — Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers, a nonprofit that advocates for "marginalized" groups; Stabbin Wagon, a nonprofit that hands out clean needles for drug use; and community advocate and former Stabbin Wagon Executive Director Melissa Jones — claim the police department monitored social media accounts and illegally surveilled activists who were engaged in protected First Amendment activities.
The ACLU argues that these practices amount to an abuse of power and an infringement on the civil liberties of those advocating for marginalized communities in southern Oregon.
In response, the city of Medford refuted the allegations, telling The Hill that the statute barring police from collecting information is "specifically about the 'political, religious or social views' of individuals."
"The purpose of reviewing publicly-available information on social media channels is not to analyze or judge individuals' political, religious, or social views, but to address legitimate police interests regarding public rallies and protests," a city spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson added that police review publicly available social media info to "address legitimate public safety concerns," such as potential traffic disruptions, breaches of the peace, conflicts between protesters and counterprotesters, and risks of property damage or violence.
Pointing to one instance, the spokesperson noted that there were "conflicts and traffic disruptions" in Medford on June 1, 2020 — the same time protesters gathered there in response to the death of George Floyd.
Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
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