ACLU Charges Harassment of AIDS Activists

The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday accused the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department of harassing AIDS activists in an effort to silence critics of the county’s AIDS policies.

In a seven-page letter to Sheriff Sherman Block, ACLU attorneys demanded an end to alleged searches and surveillance of members of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power/Los Angeles (ACT UP/LA).

“We are asking that the Sheriff’s Department stop harassing people based on their lawful political activism,” said ACLU attorney Jon Davidson. “If police are allowed to intimidate and harass people who protest government action, then all people who complain about the actions of politicians are in danger.”

Davidson charged that sheriff’s deputies have been covertly photographing participants in AIDS demonstrations and have followed and illegally searched the car of an ACT UP/LA member without producing a warrant.

Davidson said he based his allegations on discussions with AIDS activists. He demanded in the letter that the sheriff, under the California Public Records Act, turn over all documents relating to searches and surveillance of coalition members.

Block was unavailable for comment Wednesday. A spokesman declined to comment on specific charges contained in the letter, but issued a brief statement noting that the department recently completed an investigation resulting in misdemeanor charges against three members of the group for allegedly spraying graffiti on county buildings.

Davidson called the charges groundless and said they were “further evidence of an attempt by the county to suppress speech critical of its inaction in the face of the AIDS crisis.”

AIDS activists have accused the Board of Supervisors of lacking commitment in the fight against the disease. But members of of ACT UP/LA have denied that the group was responsible for the vandalism.

“Regardless of whether or not a few individuals who happen to be members of ACT UP/LA participated in painting graffiti on county buildings, there was and continues to be no ground to investigate other ACT UP/LA members or to harass the organization or its members,” Davidson said in the letter.

Davidson said in an interview that if the harassment continues, he will consider filing suit against the sheriff alleging violations of the AIDS activists’ civil rights. He said the suit could result in civil penalties against the sheriff and the county.

The ACLU lawyer said he wrote the letter after being contacted by members of the AIDS coalition.

He said the harassment has included sheriff’s deputies “surreptitiously monitoring and photographing numerous ACT UP/LA lawful demonstrations and press conferences,” detaining and following ACT UP/LA members and searching an ACT UP/LA member’s car “without his or anyone else’s consent and without showing a search warrant to anyone.”