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Flores, Dora From: Ben Camacho < Sent: Monday, September 23, 2024 3:32 PM To: eComment Subject: re: prior restraint media policy Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links. Greetings city council and mayor, I am submitting this comment as the chair of the legal committee for the IWW Freelance Journalists Union (IWW FJU). Late last year, I witnessed an anti -transparency policy go into effect at what is supposed to be one of the most transparent aspects of local democracy: open government meetings. You are all familiar with the policy. I am curious: where did this policy come from? Who championed this policy work? Whoever they are, they harbor authoritarian tendencies that negatively affect our democracy. In fact, this policy of unknown origins, is a form of prior restraint. Prior restraint is one of the most dangerous forms of censorship, a type of censorship which was not even granted to stolen military intelligence files (the Pentagon Papers, circa Vietnam War era). This policy strikes at the core of our democracy. To craft this policy, it would take someone who does not understand the rule of law (see: Brown Act, US Constitution), acts in their own best interest, puts the public's right to know after themselves and puts the city in increasing liability. I have screenshots here from Santa Ana College students who were directly affected and suppressed by this illegal, prior restraint policy. This is the outcome of your policy-- the suppression of college students. The IWW FJU will continue to advocate for the rights of journalists, both in Santa Ana and in Gaza. Revoke this policy.