Religious persecution, or overbearing regulations?

I have always thought a parking or traffic problem was at the root of whatever complaint the county received. The county has every right to address those issues, but the warning was for holding a religious assembly without a permit. And, assuming the report is accurate, surely there is a more direct way of determining whether people are having a religious assembly without asking the questions they were asked, like asking them if they are holding a religious assembly. Asking if they say amen or praise the Lord or pray seems a little more invasive than asking the simple question.