ACLU senior staff attorney Mohammad Tajsar speaking to the crowd (Photo Brian Biery)
More than 100 residents from across Los Angeles County gathered at Pasadena City Hall on Wednesday, August 19, to protest government surveillance and call on Pasadena and neighboring cities to end their contracts with Flock Safety.
By News Desk
The gathering brought together residents of Pasadena and attendees from West Hollywood, Glendale, Alhambra, El Monte and Altadena. The event was also part of the “National Week of Action Against ALPRs,” referring to automated license plate readers.
Speakers included ACLU senior staff attorney Mohammad Tajsar, Vice Mayor Jess Rivas and NAACP-Pasadena President Brandon Lamar. Speakers raised concerns about the placement of Flock cameras, saying they are concentrated in parts of Pasadena with higher populations of Hispanic and Black residents and in areas where ICE raids have taken place.
One speaker described Flock and other ALPR vendors as data-broker companies, arguing that they collect large amounts of personal information and share it with other government and private entities.
Organizers with DeFlock called on Pasadena and other cities to invest in and support communities through approaches they said would not infringe on civil liberties or violate privacy. Their broader message was that privacy matters and that surveillance is not safety.
The event was organized after the Pasadena Public Safety Committee’s August meeting was canceled. The discussion has not yet been rescheduled.
Vice Mayor Jess Rivas (Photo – Brian Biery)
“No ALPR” signs were visible at the rally (Photo -Special to Colorado Boulevard Newspaper)
NAACP-Pasadena President Brandon Lamar (Photo – Brian Biery)
“F Flock” sign (Photo -Special to Colorado Boulevard Newspaper)
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