November 23, 2003
J Edgar's Ghost Still Walks the Earth
I don't wanna throw the word Cointelpro around too loosely, but here is something to keep an eye on:
FBI scrutinizing anti-war protesters
The FBI has collected extensive information on the tactics, training and organization of antiwar demonstrators and has advised local law enforcement officials to report any suspicious activity at protests to its counterterrorism squads, according to interviews and a confidential bureau memorandum.
The memorandum, which the bureau sent to local law enforcement agencies last month in advance of antiwar demonstrations in Washington and San Francisco, detailed how protesters have sometimes used "training camps" to rehearse for demonstrations, the Internet to raise money, and gas masks to defend against tear gas. The memorandum analyzed lawful activities such as recruiting demonstrators, as well as illegal activities such as using fake documentation to get into a secured site.
FBI officials said in interviews that the intelligence-gathering effort was aimed at identifying anarchists and "extremist elements" plotting violence, not at monitoring the political speech of law-abiding protesters...
...Civil rights advocates have complained for months that federal officials have surreptitiously sought to suppress the First Amendment rights of antiwar demonstrators.
Critics of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, for instance, have sued the government to learn how their names ended up on a "no fly" list used to stop suspected terrorists from boarding planes. And the New York Police Department this year questioned many of those arrested at demonstrations about their political affiliations, before halting the practice and expunging the data in the face of public criticism.
The FBI memorandum, however, appears to offer the first corroboration of a coordinated nationwide effort to collect intelligence regarding demonstrations...
...The memorandum also discussed "innovative strategies" used by demonstrators, like the videotaping of arrests as a means of "intimidation" against the police. And it noted that protesters "often use the Internet to recruit, raise funds and coordinate their activities prior to demonstrations..."
Umm, videotaping as a means of "intimidation"? That's quite a spin.
Posted by jsmooth995 at November 23, 2003 08:35 PM
The difference between being a black activist in the 1960s/70s and a white "anarchist" in the 2000s is that they actually warn you on the front page of the paper that they are coming after you. Oh, and generally they don't shoot at your or blow up your house.
yeah, those "training camps" must be bustling with activity... it must take weeks to train people how to sit down in front of the police and not move.
Posted by: eric at November 24, 2003 12:36 AM
As right as Eric is about the historical contrasts, it still sucks that there even has to be a black/white thing to all this. Activist outreach to some communities has been less than succesful, at least here in Texas, even though it's been obvious from the start that most minority groups oppose Bush and see through him effortlessly. This probably has to do with the fact that it feels a lot safer to go out to a march if you're white - but that in itself is not something you can blame on the activist community. Yes, the "anarchists" and "black block" people are thrill-seeking punchlines, but that doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of marchers out there with subtle political views who happen to truly believe that things are going wrong on a grand scale.
Also, those people getting arrested are making real sacrifices (monetary for sure, and physical danger is not unheard of) in an effort to draw attention to their cause. Whether or not they're effective is a question that remains, but what they're doing does have a definite purpose beyond just getting their rocks off. Also, videotaping cops actually works - they really hate it.
Posted by: David at November 24, 2003 03:00 PM
I am starting a new political movement...
Tha Random Party!
The idea is very simple: close your eyes and vote. This will be sure to fuck the government up much worse than regular. Politicians will never take their jobs for granted. Whoever signs for a position will have a fair chance of getting elected. Can any other system claim this?
Vote Random in 2004!!!!
Posted by: eric at November 24, 2003 06:13 PM
Check out www.guerrillanews.com for more COINTELPRO stuff...
Posted by: Amanda at November 30, 2003 04:09 AM
Also on the topic of COINTELPRO, and the issue of it being a white/black thing...
Targeted groups also included CISPES (Citizens or Committee, I believe, in Solidarity with the People of El SAlvador), The Communist Party USA (where COINTELPRO originated), the KKK (even though, free speech and all, they need to be harassed), the American Indian Movement (Leonard Peltier, et al), feminist movements, etc. However, the harshest COINTELPRO programs were targeted against the Black Liberation Movement: the Black Panther Party, Martin Luther King, Jr [definitely look into that one], Malcolm X, and on and on and on.The book COINTELPRO papers by Ward Churchill and Jim Vander Wall is an excellent resource.
Posted by: Amanda (again) at November 30, 2003 04:15 AM
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