SFPD tapes marriage demo.

unfortunately

I marched in Oakland a few years ago after the attack by the OPD on protesters at the port. Along the protest parade route I saw an Oakland cop videotaping the protest march. I was disturbed by this as I questioned why this was being done. It would seem to me that this would also be an inhibition to some people's participation in a legitimate protest and therefore a violation of first amendment rights. Little coule the police care - they seem ready and willing to do away with all of our rights if they could get the courts to go along. Why do our governments permit this videotaping????

SF police video-taping marriage march?
....


Open letter to Mayor Gavin Newsom:
[ gavin.newsom [at] sfgov.org ]

On Friday evening, Sept. 30, queers and allies marched in support of equal marriage rights,
from the Castro down to the queer community center.

One marcher claims that police videotaped the marchers.
I don't want to believe this report.

Please, Mr. Mayor, tell us it ain't so.


Tortuga Bi Liberty,
San Francisco

Saturday, 1 October 2005

...........

cf. SF Chronicle report of Sept. 30 rally & march:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/01/BABADIGEST3.DTL
............

cc:
barpaper [at] aol.com
geoff [at] eqCA.org
mMcKay [at] marriageEqualityCA.org
field [at] ACLUnc.org
AliceClub [at] aol.com
gayvote [at] aol.com
LCRsf [at] yahoo.com
Board_of_Supervisors [at] ci.sf.ca.us
savefreedom [at] yahoogroups.com


......

Routine "REPLY" from the Mayor:


From: "Gavin Newsom" <Gavin.Newsom [at] sfgov.org>  
To: "Tortuga" [.....]
Date: Sat, 1 Oct 2005 13:47:52 -0700
Subject:

Thanks for your message. I appreciate hearing from you. I apologize
for the automated reply, but unfortunately the volume of messages I receive
does not permit me to provide each sender an immediate, individual response.

Please know that your message will be read and considered, and, where
appropriate, forwarded to a member of my staff or a city department.
You will be hearing from one of us, if your message requires a reply,
within a reasonable time.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

Mayor Gavin Newsom


............

Before 11 September 2991,
libertarians would have criticized
police videotaping a peaceful demo.

Now, such police behavior
has become routine.

Indeed, the police could claim that
they were collecting info to use
if some homophobic suicide-bomber
tries to harm the marchers....


-- pissed-off member of ACLU
(writing as an individual netizen)

In comment about Nine Eleven and
current 2005 attitudes,

I meant to type "2001".

Ooops.