ACLU sues Medford, Ore.; accuses police of 'spying' on activists

Aug. 21 (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon has sued the city of Medford, accusing the Police Department of "illegally spying" on "progressive political activists."

The ACLU filed the lawsuit Tuesday. It claims the department "illegally collected information on individuals and groups engaged in racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive justice, housing justice, harm reduction, decriminalization, government transparency and environmental advocacy, when no crime had been committed."

"Police surveillance of protected political activities is not only unlawful; it is incompatible with life in a free society," the lawsuit states.

The complaint, filed on behalf of Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers, Stabbin Wagon and Melissa Jones, claims police collected intelligence from social media accounts on progressive groups and events, including a Juneteenth drive-in movie at the YMCA and in 2022 before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and federal abortion rights.

"The Medford police are monitoring people like me because of what we care about, not for anything related to crime," said Toren McKnight, co-founder of the Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers.

"Other activists, advocates and organizations who support Black, brown and queer lives see abortion as a healthcare right, care for the unhoused, the environment and practice harm reduction, could be subject to this illegal invasion of privacy, too."

Oregon state law bans police from "collecting or maintaining information about the political, religious, or social views and associations or activities of people who are not reasonably suspected of criminal activity."

The ACLU of Oregon noted in a statement that "This law is an important protection against police abuses, yet the MPD has publicly declared that they intend to continue their monitoring practices -- leaving Oregonians engaged in protected First Amendment activities wrongly subject to surveillance."

Medford responded to the lawsuit, telling The Hill that police reviews of social media are meant to "address legitimate public safety concerns" about traffic, protests and to prepare for public rallies, "not to analyze or judge individuals' political, religious or social views."