Q: Is it legal for the police to do background checks on people creating protest events?
I created a support protest for Black Lives Matter and found out through a friend that the police had checked into my background and my friends too (she's a minor and the co-host for the event). Neither of us is under a current investigation that we know of and haven't had the protest yet.
A: Do you mean through accessing their information / investigation networks? No. The police can investigate anyone at anytime, and can access and act on publicly disclosed information (e.g. Facebook). Certainly as the subject of an investigation, you have rights, most importantly the right to remain silent.
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