SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., May 17 (UPI) -- A Latino activist in San Bernardino, Calif., says the city handed him a $17,674.06 bill after a March 17 pro-immigrant rally.
Armando Navarro, a University of California Riverside ethnic studies professor and coordinator of the National Alliance for Human Rights, said his group followed all the proper procedures before the rally, meeting with police and city officials, The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
Navarro said the group paid for permits and liability insurance but was handed the large bill for "extraordinary services" from the Police Department.
The city says it will not enforce collection on the bill but Navarro said it is an attack on free speech and requested an apology from the city.
"We want something written in black and white that says they will not charge us," Navarro said. "This is an issue of First Amendment rights and we will do everything we can to defend them."
"It smacks of racism and corrupted local politics," said Navarro. "At no time was there any mention of having to pay anything for exercising our freedom-of-speech rights."
