NYC Police Spy on Iraq Protesters and Funerals


Here we go again.
­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
<http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/22/nyregion/22police.html>

Police Infiltrate Protests, Videotapes Show [excerpt]
By JIM DWYER

Undercover New York City police officers have conducted covert
surveillance in the last 16 months of people protesting the Iraq war,
bicycle riders taking part in mass rallies and even mourners at a street
vigil for a cyclist killed in an accident, a series of videotapes show.

In glimpses and in glaring detail, the videotape images reveal the
robust presence of disguised officers or others working with them at
seven public gatherings since August 2004.

The officers hoist protest signs. They hold flowers with mourners. They
ride in bicycle events. At the vigil for the cyclist, an officer in
biking gear wore a button that said, "I am a shameless agitator." She
also carried a camera and videotaped the roughly 15 people present.

Beyond collecting information, some of the undercover officers or their
associates are seen on the tape having influence on events. At a
demonstration last year during the Republican National Convention, the
sham arrest of a man secretly working with the police led to a bruising
confrontation between officers in riot gear and bystanders.

Until Sept. 11, the secret monitoring of events where people expressed
their opinions was among the most tightly limited of police powers.

Provided with images from the tape, the Police Department's chief
spokesman, Paul J. Browne, did not dispute that they showed officers at
work but said that disguised officers had always attended such
gatherings - not to investigate political activities but to keep order
and protect free speech. Activists, however, say that police officers
masquerading as protesters and bicycle riders distort their messages and
provoke trouble.

The pictures of the undercover officers were culled from an unofficial
archive of civilian and police videotapes by Eileen Clancy, a forensic
video analyst who is critical of the tactics. She gave the tapes to The
New York Times. Based on what the individuals said, the equipment they
carried and their almost immediate release after they had been arrested
amid protesters or bicycle riders, The Times concluded that at least 10
officers were incognito at the events.

After the 2001 terrorist attacks, officials at all levels of government
considered major changes in various police powers. President Bush
acknowledged last Saturday that he has secretly permitted the National
Security Agency to eavesdrop without a warrant on international
telephone calls and e-mail messages in terror investigations.

In New York, the administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg persuaded
a federal judge in 2003 to enlarge the Police Department's authority to
conduct investigations of political, social and religious groups. "We
live in a more dangerous, constantly changing world," Police
Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said...

--
Got a problem with CAIR and its dishonest tactics? Write your representatives!
<http://capwiz.com/lwv/dbq/officials/directory/directory.dbq?command=congdir>
.

Relevant Pages