Homeland Security Officials Wrongly Arrested Peaceful Protesters in Georgi

[Cookie wookie]

September 22, 2005
Vegans Targeted for Protesting Outside Honey Baked Ham Store

ATLANTA, GA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two vegan protesters who were subjected to false imprisonment, false arrest and harassment by officials of the Homeland Security Division of DeKalb County and the DeKalb County Police Department.

"All across the country, the ACLU is uncovering information about Americans engaged in peaceful protest being spied on by Homeland Security, the FBI and local police," said Debbie Seagraves, Executive Director of the ACLU of Georgia. "It is deeply disturbing that the government would use resources intended to protect national security to instead spy on innocent Americans who do nothing more than express their opinions on social and political issues."

The lawsuit stems from an incident on December 20, 2003, when Caitlin Childs and Christopher Freeman were participating in a peaceful animal cruelty protest on public property outside a Honey Baked Ham store on Buford Highway in DeKalb County. After the protest, Childs and Freeman noticed that they were being observed and photographed by a man in an unmarked car. They approached the car and wrote down the make, model, color and license plate number on a piece of paper. After leaving the protest site, they noticed the unmarked car was following them so they pulled over into a parking lot.

http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=19125&c=206

[FreedomAngel82]

1. I think the question is

was it really a mistake? We all know they spy on anti-war groups. How disgusting. I hope ACLU kicks some ass.

[Terran1212]

2. Sister works for homeland security in atlanta

I was thinking of showing her this article (made it in our atlanta journal constitution) and laughing at her.

[sam sarrha]

4. jobs bad enough dont torment her..

[GraysonDave]

3. We the people have ceded too much power to the govt

I hope the ACLU rips them a new one.

[Cookie wookie]

5. Did you look at the photos the FBI took of that

group of vegans protesting. Those vegans, they are dangerous to the beef industry and must be stopped!

"In Georgia, spy files were requested by American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia on behalf of the ACLU itself and the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition, School of the America’s Watch, Women’s Action for New Directions, Atlanta Refuse and Resist and Atlanta Independent Media Center. These groups were instrumental in organizing protests at the G-8 Summit, Fort Benning, and the office of former Senator Zell Miller. In addition, individuals from these organizations, and individuals who have been questioned by law enforcement, are seeking their surveillance files “For years peaceful protest groups that call Georgia home have been sued, searched, questioned and spied upon,” said Gerald Weber, Legal Director of the ACLU of Georgia."

http://www.aclu.org/spyfiles/

Poor Atlanta Indymedia was one of the sites that had their server hacked and archives lost this year, along with Colorado Indymedia and others.