There is a new report out in today's Los Angeles Times that shows Governor Schwarzennegar's state office of homeland security has been gathering information on protests in Califonria. This comes three years after the California Anti-Terrorism Information Center was
caught gathering and disseminating similar informaiton.
According to the
Times, protests monitored inlcude:
"* An animal rights rally outside a Canadian consulate office in San Francisco to protest the hunting of seals.
* A demonstration in Walnut Creek at which U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) and other officials spoke against the war in Iraq.
* A Women's International League for Peace and Freedom gathering at a courthouse in Santa Barbara in support of an antiwar protester -- a 56-year-old Salinas woman -- facing federal trespassing charges."
The collection of this information violates Califonria's constituitonal right to privacy. The Attorney General's office condemed the collection of this information saying it violated state intelligence guidelines.
This serves as a reminder that threats to civil liberties do not just come from the Bush Administration but also at state and local level. We all must remain vigilent.