News & Commentary

SAN DIEGO – The ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties sent a letter today asking the City of Vista to remove unconstitutional conditions on peaceful protests outside Rep. Darrell Issa’s office. For months, people have been gathering for demonstrations near the congressman’s office on the 1800 block of Thibodo Road. Earlier this year, Ellen Montanari, the organizer of the weekly protest, requested a permit from the city and was issued one effective through April 25. She later requested a longer permit but was issued one with an increased number of conditions that expired on May 31.David Loy, Legal Director with the ACLU-SDIC, said the conditions on the permit are inappropriate and unconstitutional, especially the requirement to move the protest across the street, 100 feet from the office. “The First Amendment means that the government can’t tell the people where and how to protest in a public forum, unless it passes a strict test. The city failed that test.”Ms. Montanari applied for a permit last month and asked the city to extend it through the summer, but the city has waited until this morning to issue a new permit and only through June 30. Throughout the protests, she has worked cooperatively with the city and law enforcement officers to ensure that the events are peaceful and safe, including the use of volunteer monitors and pylons and safety tape.There is no justifiable reason not to allow the protests to continue on the sidewalk, Loy said.“By organizing a protest on a public sidewalk, Ms. Montanari is engaging in political speech that is guaranteed the highest level of protection,” Loy wrote.A copy of the ACLU letter to the City of Vista can be found here.

The California Money Bail Reform Act is sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union of California, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Californians for Safety and Justice, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Essie Justice Group, the California Public Defenders Association, Silicon Valley De-Bug, SEIU California, and the Western Center on Law and Poverty.
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The ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties strongly supports robust civic engagement in decision-making about the next Chief of the San Diego Police Department.   For this reason, we are pleased to see that the Mayor’s May revised budget for the City of San Diego includes a line item for $100,000 to recruit San Diego’s next Police Chief!More than one hundred concerned San Diegans attended the City Council’s budget hearing this past Monday evening to voice their support for this important expenditure. Dozens more attended hearings over the past month for the same purpose. Thank you for speaking out. The Mayor and City Council heard our voices and responded.Our advocacy must not end here. In fact, this is when we must lean in to ensure that the recruitment process is community-centered, inclusive, and informed by diverse perspectives.Key factors of a strong recruitment process include: