F.B.I. Scrutinizes Antiwar Rallies

[MrSoundAndVision]

By ERIC LICHTBLAU The New York Times
link: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=68&ncid=68&e=2&u=/nyt/20031123/ts_nyt/fbiscrutinizesantiwarrallies
<snip>
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 The Federal Bureau of Investigation 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 like recruiting demonstrators, as well as illegal activities like using fake documentation to get into a secured site.


F.B.I. 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.


The initiative has won the support of some local police, who view it as a critical way to maintain order at large-scale demonstrations. Indeed, some law enforcement officials said they believed the F.B.I.'s approach had helped to ensure that nationwide antiwar demonstrations in recent months, drawing hundreds of thousands of protesters, remained largely free of violence and disruption.

<snip>

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. COINTELPRO...

Been there, done that.

There are no 'law-abiding protesters' in the New America. If you were abiding by the law, you wouldn't be protesting, and if you are protesting, you aren't abiding by the law.

Welcome to the One-Party State.

[madrchsod]

2. nothing new

there`s been spies since the rise of civilization. just the names change...

[VolcanoJen]

3. Dupe... locking

Please continue discussion with the original LBN thread on this topic, which can be found here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=235362

When the original thread was first posted, the story was still developing. The link to the NY Times article can be found in post #40 of the thread.

Thanks!
VolcanoJen
DU Moderator

[david_vincent]

4. This is my whizbang anarchist-detecting baton

When applied with force to your head, it will be able to determine whether you're an anarchist or simply a law-abiding protester.