The county’s Homeland Security Division, within the DeKalb Police Department, was formed after the County Commission decided in October 2001 to hire a homeland security director. The move was prompted by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Gerry Weber, legal director at the ACLU of Georgia and a lead attorney in the lawsuit, said the case “illustrates the overreaching of homeland security by monitoring clearly peaceful protesters. This is a poor allocation of resources and chills free speech.”
Weber said he had no idea why the protesters were under surveillance. “One couldn’t imagine a less threatening image than vegan protesters in front of a HoneyBaked Ham,” he said.
Vegans file lawsuit over surveillance at ham store (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via Robot Wisdom)