Reply #5: Dec 15 - Defense Department calls South Florida peace groups `threats'

[Synnical]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cspy15dec15,0,86463.story?track=mostemailedlink

Defense Department calls South Florida peace groups `threats'

Anti-war activists under watch

By Robert Nolin and Sean Gardiner
Staff Writers
Posted December 15 2005

South Florida's anti-war activists are few in number. Many are retirees, veterans or students. They carry puppets, wave placards or hand out pamphlets to potential military recruits.

But these activities have been labeled a "threat" by the Defense Department. Local peace-mongers, like many around the country, have come under surveillance by the Pentagon.

"I'm disabled, I'm 59 and if I'm a credible threat to the government of the United States, then either the government is terribly paranoid or terribly weak," said Rich Hersh of Boca Raton, whose group, the Truth Project, has come under federal scrutiny.

<snip>

Del Papa said his group, which for two years has organized monthly, then weekly, protests outside the federal courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale, has attracted government agents to meetings in private homes. Though the agents were disguised as anarchists, Del Papa said their footwear gave them away: Nike or Reebok running shoes, which to anarchists represent corporate greed.

"No anarchist is going to wear Nikes or Reeboks to a protest," Del Papa said.

Great infiltration tactics by the Feds, eh?

:rofl: