Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have been knocking on the doors of activists and community organizers in Cleveland, Ohio, asking about their plans for the Republican National Convention in July.
As the city gears up to welcome an estimated 50,000 visitors, and an unknown number of protesters, some of the preparations and restrictions put in place by officials have angered civil rights activists. But the latest string of unannounced home visits by local and federal police marks a significant escalation in officials’ efforts to stifle protest, they say.
“The purpose of these door knocks is simple: to intimidate the target and others in efforts to discourage people from engaging in lawful First Amendment activities,” Jocelyn Rosnick, a coordinator with the Ohio chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, wrote in a statement denouncing the home visits.
More than a dozen people in the Cleveland area have reported being visited this week by local police, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Secret Service.
Michael Nelson, an attorney and the president of the Cleveland chapter of the NAACP, said that police officers visited the parents of one of his clients, a young woman who was among 71 people arrested in May 2015 following the acquittal of a police officer in the deaths of two unarmed people.
When the parents asked whether their daughter was in trouble and why they wanted to speak with her, the officers replied that they wanted to ask “about any information she might have about anybody engaging in violence, planning violence for the RNC.” Nelson and others have asked for a meeting with the agencies involved in the door knocks.
“Maybe we need to have a discussion about the Constitution,” he told The Intercept. “Last time we heard of anything like this was when Dr. King and J. Edgar Hoover were around.”
The FBI confirmed that visits have taken place. “In preparation for the upcoming RNC, the FBI, along with our federal, state, and local partners, has been working collaboratively with members of the community,” a spokesperson for the FBI’s Cleveland field office told The Intercept. “As part of this preparation, law enforcement is reaching out to individuals known in the community who may have information that could help ensure a safe and secure environment during the RNC.” Cleveland’s police department did not respond to requests for comment.
Maggie Rice, an organizer with Food Not Bombs, said that members of her group were visited by police but felt too “rattled” to speak to a reporter. The group is not planning to stage protests but has applied for permits to be in the RNC event zone in order to feed both protesters and Cleveland residents dealing with disruptions to public transportation and services like Meals on Wheels.
“A lot of Cleveland’s most vulnerable residents will be at risk,” Rice said. “The idea that the FBI would be coming in, knocking on our doors and asking questions of people that they know are not involved in organizing any protests and that are basically a humanitarian organization is completely unacceptable and very disturbing.”
“One FBI agent and one plainclothes Cleveland police officer, both white men, showed up and started asking questions about other Food Not Bombs members and our activities,” Rice said. “I personally believe that this is an attempt to intimidate because they know we play a vital role in helping people stay out longer and have their voices heard.”
In other visits, officers asked about people’s previous addresses, political and social affiliation, and convention plans, according to the NLG. “We are concerned these visits will chill the free speech activities of individuals wishing to lawfully protest,” said Rosnick. “And that individuals who are not planning to be involved in the RNC are being harassed due to their associations.”
The group is holding free legal training sessions for local activists and residents and has been monitoring law enforcement preparations ahead of the convention. To Cleveland organizers, the recent door knocks are just a reminder that they are being watched.
“Cleveland is no stranger to FBI interference and FBI entrapment,” said Rice. “I’d say most Cleveland activists and support organizations like ours are aware that every room we’re in probably has an FBI agent in it. And we act accordingly.”
Top photo: “FBI Police Car” by Tony Hisgett using CC BY 2.0
Fear and intimation clown crews.
“Knock, knock.”
–“who is there?”
“Government authorities. We want to ask some questions about your daughter, her activities, possible acquaintances. It should only take a minute or two. If you are busy now, then we can come back at a better time for you.”
—” We aren’t busy right now. But we don’t understand why you want to speak with us about our daughter. First of all, she is an adult and its been several years since she lived here. And you should already have all of her contact information from her arrest at a civil protest last year. Besides, her number is listed in the phone book – both home and work. Have you tried reaching her that way yet?”
“Honestly, I don’t know if anyone has tried to reach her directly. I only know that my assignment is to contact parents and relatives of the names on this list – the PAT C list.”
—“Why would you need to contact her parents? How did she even get on that list?”
“Its funny you asked because I was wondering the same thing. I asked my supervisor about that at the assignment briefing. He explained they might need a name from the list at a future date – someone who can get the credit for a very important event, very newsworthy. He said that the public gets confused when you try to explain to them all the people and all the nuts and bolts that go into creating that event. He said everything works out more smoothly if there is just one person who can take credit for the whole thing. Thats what this PAT C list is for.
—“O.K., so our daughter is on this list you’ve got – PAT B or CC or whatever it is. We still don’t understand why you need to speak with us.”
“The way it was explained to me is that some people will try to deny giving all the credit to one person on the list. Family and others who know the person may not believe they should get all the credit. They will say it was totally out of character, that they never said or did anything in the past that would connect to the actions needed to earn credit for the big event. Our coming to speak with you today helps lay the groundwork for you to understand there may be some things about your daughter that you never knew. Things which she may have kept completely hidden from you.”
— “OOh my goodness! Are you serious! This is absolutely outrageous!”
“I’m sorry you feel that way, because its actually very practical. But don’t worry, we won’t need to have you answer any questions about your daughter. The point of coming here was simply to plant the seeds. We may have to send someone out to speak with you once more in the near future, but I doubt it will be necessary. I think our visit today has accomplished what is needed.
Thank you for your time and have good afternoon.”
“The FBI disclosed that its agents visited X’s home in early 2016 to interview her parents, but stressed that she was not under investigation at that time. Evidence of her involvement in the convention bombing that killed 24 white Americans and injured 51 others was not received until September, when X’s cellmate reported that she confessed to planning but not actively participating in the bombing.”
Hey, look everybody…the Klan showed up…as evidenced by the last several posts.
After what just happened in Sacramento, the neo-Nazis are looking more reasonable than some of their opponents! I don’t like or trust ANY movement that wants to stop people from having their chance to speak by violent confrontation. How the fuck are we supposed to make fun of stupid Nazis and put an end to their ideas if we don’t let them open their mouths to make fools out of themselves in the first place?
Maybe the federales should pay a visit to soros to see what he has planned.
Maybe you should poop outside the cave, it will smell better.
Sounds to me like Cleveland is trying to not become the next San Jose. Peaceful protest is a First Amendment protected activity, but the anti-Trump protesters have been everything but peaceful.
How much proof do citizens need to show that this is a post Orwellian dystopia, not a democracy in any sense. 48 out of 100 either do not care…. or believe the BS of the police state. These individuals have been turned into the watch dogs of the oligarchs, and it only takes a little bit of cash to do it. Garbage in and therefor Garbage out. Without correct information people make many mistakes and that is how our election system works for the wealthy. They feed us irrelevant BS!
Our Governments are our enemies now!
Intimidation is a technique used in terrorism.
CAEXIT & TXEXIT, California and Texas, leave the evil Washington DC where we have NO representation!
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746
Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy
https://texassecede.com/
TEXAS SECEDE!
Look, you want Texas, it’s all yours. But most of here in California are capable of dealing with our role in a federal republic, especially once Texas goes it’s own merry way. Via con Dios!
Let’s be honest; the cops should focus on the violent left wing Marxist kiddies and assorted illegal scum who are physically attacking those of us whose candidates don’t abide by their collectivist ideology.
Never will you see the Tparty or Trump supporters driving to Bernie or Hillary events in order to physically attack them and ruin their event.
I’m sick of the lying left wing and their enablers in the media.
Provoke an attack and you get one. Basic universal law. Duh.
Sorry, but Trump supporters still hold the title for most aggressive and violent supporters. They deserve any brutality that comes their way.
Jocelyn Resnick is sneaky by claiming the cops are trying to “intimidate people from engaging in lawful 1st amendment activities”.
Lying scumbags (often propagandistic Jews like Resnick) are part of the problem when they pretend that the left wing aren’t the biggest threat to free speech, gun rights and peaceful assembly by those of us on the right who want to freely associate with the candidates of our choice.
So, do you live below the Mason-Dixon or in a cave, or both?
If one of these gestapo goons slimes-up at your door, simply turn your video camera on them, and smile and begin questioning THEM. Try to have at least one or more friends with you as well. Slimy cops FEAR you having witnesses and they prefer to get you alone for maximum intimidation. Ask them why they are violating their oaths to “protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies both foreign and domestic” by attempting to intimidate you and YOUR rights. Ask to see their drivers licenses and their personal phone numbers. Never let up in QUESTIONING THEM. Never answer ANYTHING. Just keep peppering them with questions–where they went to school, have the ever been sued, have they ever lied in court, etc. Believe me–they will get the message and move on.
I doubt it’s that easy. If you really want to be free you have to pay the price. They will pick you up and maybe you’ll never be heard from again. Maybe your friends will stand up for you or will shut up out of fear for their own families.
But it’s not as easy as just turning your camera on THEM.
This type of questioning only deserves one type of response. “Will your wife be pegging you with the 12 or 16 inch dildo tonight? My question deserves an answer just as much as yours does.” and then close the door.
Good luck with that response especially if you’re Muslim.
Ha ha ha ha ha!! Agreed!
The police state is at an All time high. It’s very important that you know your rights! Never give up fighting for your inalienable rights. Real Talk.
The FBI is laying the foundation for an expedient prosecution of those who are arrested while protesting.
Defense Attorney-” Mr Smith, the prosecutor has added a statement to your file from the FBI agent who spoke with you at your house back in June that says your refusal to answer questions was suspect ” or ” your demeanor was suspect ” or ” you said you weren’t going to be involved in any protests or violence yet you were arrested at a protest where there was violence, it’s felony to lie to an FBI agent, did you know that Mr Smith? You are going to be charged and prosecuted for “…… blah blah blah.
I guarantee this crap will happen or something similar will.
“I’m invoking my right to remain silent”.
“Please show me your warrant or leave my property.”
Perfect!
That’d be great if they werent infiltrating activists undercover, posing as their friends, living as their lovers and having babies with them, etc (ask British activists on the latter — it happens). That only works when they want to play by the rules. I’ve come to the belief when they ARE playing by the rules it’s usually only to cover up or create another path to get access to things they’ve accessed by violating numerous laws and basic human rights. So kinda they f*ck you if you do and they rape you if you don’t. Sometimes they’ll do both and you’d probably never know. While those rights are important, I’m not convinced they respect them (or the spirit of them). And that’s what really needs to be fixed.
Have you forgotten that Homeland Security doesn’t need a warrant? Am I recollecting that correctly?
Or it could be as simple as the cops telling the “activists” they’re not going to “‘stand down” this time (aka) Uh-oh.
That’s still simple, thuggish intimidation. If they want to explain that they could make a press statement. Instead they show up unannounced to question people who haven’t been involved in violence and who have a right to protest.
If these are just “peaceful protesters”, why does the race and sex of the police matter? They sound like left-wing lunatics to me. They know exactly why the FBI is talking to them.
According to the the statistics on the Wikipedia page “Demographics of Cleveland”, 33.4% of the population are non-hispanic whites, and 48.0% of the population is male. Therefore, assuming that demographics of gender and race are independent, there is only a 2.6% chance that two randomly selected people in Cleveland will both be non-hispanic white males.
@hangonasec –
No, these folks don’t sound like lunatics —– didn ‘t you read that the one group is not planning to protest, but to FEED people? You should take a moment to remember that protest and dissent are FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. After all, where would we be if the Founding Fathers (and Mothers :-) ) didn’t protest way back when?
As far as why would race make a difference. First, the article quoted the one gal. So that was HER observation. Second, think about JDawg’s notation of demographics. Third, often in communities of color, interactions with police are NOT always positive, so there could be some tension there.
It is a shame that we even have to deal with racial issues in 2016. But it is evident that there is still bigotry around. Why don’t you call for an end to that?
And finally, I guess, yes, I think they DO know why the FBI or other agents are talking to them. It’s called intimidation.
Why do I get the impression that Attila the Hun sounds like a “left-wing lunatic”
to you?
The feds have good reasons to think there will be demonstrator violence at the RNC because there has already been demonstrator violence at Trump rally’s.
The real fireworks may happen at the DNC where the #Bernie or Bust contingent will see their hero submit to the Party and their queen and he tries to cajole them into the veal pens. I hope they react strongly to this manipulation, it will make entertaining news and video.
It would seem that their “good reasons” would require them to knock on the doors of those with a record of violence then… in southern California if I recall correctly… as opposed to what they are actually doing.
It might also be worth pointing out that Repubs willingly filing into their veal pens is always incredibly boring.
I think the Tea party and the rise of Trump negated your last paragraph.
Trump groveling before AIPAC, MIC interests, oil companies, etc. suggests wishful thinking on your behalf.
There’s more fresh air in the exhaust from my car.
I’m not a Trump supporter but it has been refreshing watching him step over these moneyed elites and appeal directly to voters. He has stated that Israel will have to give up something for a deal with the Palestinians which is anathema to AIPAC and he is not seeking their funding, yet. Many of these elites have run screaming from him directly into Clinton’s arms and others are still trying to block his nomination, this just shows who is the tool of the status quo in this contest.
How do you reckon one of their own from the 1% club will step over them? It’s all for show.
The violence at Trump rallies is way overblown and exaggerated by Trump supporters themselves. Unless, of course, THEY are the ones committing the violence against peaceful demonstrators, which they are renowned for.
….. This means that certain individuals are being systematically profiled and rated for potential danger by the Gov. I wonder what the selection and rating criteria are; and how wide the dragnet is.
Yes, my thoughts exactly.
Apparently current law is that if the FBI wants to question you, and you don’t want to answer their questions, you must EXPLICITLY state “I am invoking my Fifth Amendment rights to remain silent”; if you do not, your silence can be used as evidence against you by a prosecutor:
http://www.thewire.com/politics/2013/06/supreme-court-salinas-v-texas-ruling-explained/66309/
Get ‘lawyered up’, it’s the best way to frustrate the neocon/neolib authoritarians and their sleazy STASI apparatchiks.
Sound advice if you can afford it, but this is part of where our ‘justice system’ fails us — you can’t GET a lawyer until charges are filed (and even then you probably won’t get a good one) — by then it’s already too late for most people who couldn’t or can’t afford a lawyer when they’d need it most (and something both the FBI, police, and every other Western law enforcement and investigatory agency will use in their favor) — it’s one reason, in fact, that the case close rate’s so high in the first place: they often don’t have enough to prosecute until they’ve essentially violated your civil rights (Miranda be damned). As other articles on this site (and definitely many other sites) have pointed out, some people are a day or two of missed work away from financial collapse. That definitely puts them at a disadvantage.
Current law is that Obama can execute any American.
Well, you still have to travel to someplace like Yemen first; domestic drone strikes on political dissidents are not yet allowed. Although I believe local police departments are trying to get their hands on gun-loaded drones like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNPJMk2fgJU
While I am certain there would be political blowback, I have no reason to believe the legal justification would be any different on U.S. territory.
Good to know.
To me, it sounds like the police and FBI are doing the right thing by asking and planning, but might be going about it in such a way that is scaring people. In the wake of terrorist actions in Boston, Paris, Orlando, etc., it makes complete sense to open a dialogue with community leaders and activists.
For their part, the police and FBI could help in making the protests peaceful by assisting groups like Food Not Bombs to secure a good location for their food services at the protests, by making sure that medical aid tents and portable toilets will be in good locations, etc. It should be about “Let us work with you to help insure your First Amendment rights so you can have a meaningful, peaceful protest.”
If anyone at those protests starts shooting or sets off a bomb, all the people there will look to the police and FBI to end the situation, to care for the injured, and to investigate. Maybe plan with them in advance to try to keep such things from happening? Know your group members and be wary of new arrivals. If anyone is talking about committing violence or is in possession of weapons or bomb-making materials, — report it.
Caution your group members that talking stupid is not allowed. Talking about violence can get people arrested and charged with big crimes. Educate your group members about the law and about entrapment. Don’t let fools or obstructionists stand in the way of everyone being educated, aware, and knowing what are their rights and what is actually a crime.
It takes sophistication and smarts to put on a good peaceful protest. Be educated and be smart in your tactics. If you see something, say something. If you know about something, say something. Keep everyone safe.
I think you don’t realize just exactly what you are doing because “in your mind” you think you are helping. You are being “controlling,” and that isn’t OK. Think freedom, not restriction because you are pressing “your” agenda on other people (probably making the situation worse by it), and that also is not OK.
Manipulation in a supposedly free society is not OK. Back off, way the hell off, because trying to control people like they are in a prison is a good way to escalate a situation.
One of life’s lessons is that you can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink. Also, just because in “your mind” you think you are right, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are actually right.
Telling people what they can and cannot do like God, is not OK. You are not God, and you are flawed with personal issues just like the rest of us. It is like expecting your kid or your parent to be perfection 24/7 according to “your” rules by controlling them and restricting them.
Conservatives and liberals do not think alike. There have been extensive studies, and even genes are involved. It is similar to cultural differences, but even deeper. Please get a clue.
Not OK to encroach on people like this. It borders on mental illness, and mental issues. You have boundary issues as a person and are encroaching on peoples’s boundaries in an unhealthy way. Get help.
“To me, it sounds like the police and FBI are doing the right thing by asking and planning” The police and the FBI have the right to do this? This is still America lady. They have no right to “visit” anyone not suspected of a crime!
Chris, I have helped plan major protests in major locations. Peaceful, safe protests are more productive because a broader range of people can and will participate. In a risky or violent protest, those who care about their safety do not attend or leave quickly, leaving it as a protest of the fringe elements.
Educated, respectable, employed, safe people also have the right to protest. The elderly and handicapped have a right to protest. People who do not want to be injured or witness anyone else being injured have a right to protest. When it comes to protesting something as ominous as a Donald Trump presidency, Americans from all walks of life will want to be out in protest.
Add to all this that there have been several major terrorist acts in the U.S. in the past 3 years. One group (ISIS) has threatened to commit many terrorist acts this summer on U.S. ground. The people with the best opportunity to help prevent such acts are those in a position to see and hear things.
It sounds like the police and FBI are going around to activists to ask for their help in keeping the protests peaceful and safe. They can stop by and talk with whoever they want, and any person also has the right to not talk if they do not want to talk.
Your misconception that these agencies can only talk to a person suspected of a crime is incorrect. Anyone can refuse to speak to the police and FBI. The agencies appear to be doing outreach to community activists as a way of asking for their help in averting any tragedies and in running a peaceful protest. It sounds like maybe the way it is being handled is scaring some people. Maybe people feel like they are being accused, rather than being asked to be helpful eyes and ears on the scene.
When it comes to a major protest, who do you think is setting up the boundaries, the system for getting a press pass, the system for screening those entering the protest area, deciding which items will and won’t be allowed into the area? The police and FBI , that is who.
If “something happens,” people blame the FBI or police for not knowing about it beforehand. That was the case with the Orlando shooter, the San Bernardino shooters, and many others. “How did they slip through the radar?,” people ask, as if the police and FBI can foresee the future about every person and every event.
In this instance, the police and FBI are going out and talking with key activists and asking them to keep an eye out and let them know if they hear of anything that might endanger others. The most logical thing is to take the agents’ business card, thank them, and say you will call them if the need arises.
Nobody believes for fives seconds that these police and FBI goons are interested in providing a helping hand to known activists. It’s about fear and intimidation, nothing more. And it’s frankly none of their business what people are “planning”; that’s why it’s called a protest. Perhaps if they’d used something of those fancy gizmos on their trendy batman utility belts to solve the issues in society that cause people to protest in the first place, they wouldn’t have to worry about “security concerns”. Take your prying eyes elsewhere.
Do you think they care where the food setups are or the toilets are. Would you be married to someone in law enforcement or are you in law enforcement?
No, I have helped plan major protests. My experience is that cities want the protests to go well, be peaceful, etc. From reading these comments, I think it likely I have more actual experience at this than others commenting here. A protest is an event with people in attendance, and it should be planned like one.
The popo are more likely to gun down protestors with live ammo again like in the good ol’ days.
This is exactly how a police state operates. Not one with “iron teeth” but in a nice, gentle version.
Remember, this is occurring on Obama’s watch. Supposedly a liberal Democrat who loves democracy. Notice how the usual liberal claque keeps very quiet about this type of thing. Now if it were George Bush, imagine…
And it will be the same when (if?) Hillary is elected. That’s why some of us wonder if a “centrist” is better than the alternative. At least with a Republican the self imposed blinders come off…
Liberal this, liberal that… sounds more like you are projecting your token conservotard scarecrows than dealing with an actual conspiracy like you claim.
Also, Obama is hardly a liberal. A Rockefeller Republican, more like, but too dark skinned for the GOP to claim him.
“Last time we heard of anything like this was when Dr. King and J. Edgar Hoover were around.”
People have very short memories. Pre-event intimidation has been standard operating procedure for a very long time. Every West Philly troublemaker has a dozen similar stories regarding the Repugnants Convention held in Philadelphia in 2000.
It sucks to live in a police state, but that’s what we are stuck with until the Empire self-destructs.
Bloomberg arrested around 1800 and held around 1200 on the piers in NYC in 2004, for pre-crime, in filthy despicable conditions in Guantanamo-on-the- Hudson, prior to the repub convention
Well my memory’s not that short. It was in the mid-’90’s, I had pulled my white-and-blue Citroen DS-19 into the San Diego State University parking lot — I don’t remember exactly why but I think to eat fast food I’d bought up the street. Makeda Dread was doing her Reggae show on 91X — the pop rock station. I’d just turned the radio on and she was talking and takling — in the middle of a heavy topic, it seemed. Now, to me, this reggae show was where the latest and most annoying reggae you ever heard came piping over straight from Jamaica or whatever. Every so often she would get down with some classics. The show bugged me. I don’t know why I had it on except for the dim hope it would be something cool. Then she laid it on me in plain English: in a civil trial in a US court of law several agencies of the United States Government were found guilty of conspiracy to kill Martin Luther King, Jr.
Most people haven’t heard about that.
Farage, Wilders (NL) & Le Pen (FR) aren’t really the brightest politicians. They ride on negative sentiment and racism without any clear political involvement.
What the UK Referendum clearly shows is that people are fed-up with EU & Neo Liberal politics and lobby-ism e.g. the current establishment all together. The people don’t want “Trickle down Economics “. What actually means: Lets us get it all and then maybe we’ll let you have a bit to. That sounds like the Mafia. Buck goes up, shit goes down !!
Brexit however is a very good indicator that there’s more possible. It would be a good moment now to get rid of TTIP. Farage, Wilders & Le Pen could make them selves helpful by achieving this…….
Orwell’s “1984” is beginning to seem less like fiction and more like prophesy.
You mean…’documentary’. ‘Prophesy’ is reserved for future events.
I wonder what the mayor of Cleveland, LeBron James, thinks about all this?
What does a police state look like?
Just look around America. It has transformed from a free country to a police state. Need to change the name to Amerika
amerikkka is more appropriate
Time to escape the country while you can.
Harder than I had hoped. Plus neoliberalism has ensured that if you aren’t in a rightward marching 1st world surveillance state, you’re in a 3rd world country under the violent sway of the 1st world surveillance states.
Little by little they just keep creeping over the line–in some cases in leaps and bounds. The banks own the FBI (Guardian News ferreted that out with Freedom of Information documents with regard to the Occupy takedown).
I feel like I’m in a sinking ship. The fracking regulations just got turned down by a federal judge. Britain left the EU, Cameron resigns, the EU market is taking a huge dive, affecting global markets, and Trump just arrived in Britain to oversee his golf course (environmental disaster) and congratulate Britain on Brexit. Britain’s equivalent of Trump, Boris Johnson (a Libertarian), is looking good for Britain’s next PM.
You turn your head away, and ten more damn things are plaguing us.
@CEK –
I’m in the U. S. and I feel the same way. You try to address one fire and — yup, more pop up. And I don’t think I’ve seen a political climate this toxic. It’s scary. I’m not even sure what to do anymore. I pray and pray and —- well we still need some miracles. Yup, miracles, plural.
I know. I think a lot of this has been stewing for some time, and it is like the lid blowing off a pressure cooker globally. Some people don’t get it, some people are dazed and still do nothing, and some people get it and hit the ground running like the journalists at The Intercept and other alternative media–and those journalists globally that put their lives on the line. That’s a miracle, and I do think we are going to see others.
I would like to see more exposure of the corporate/Wall St. corruption (globally) and nastiness, but when billionaires hit alternative media with lawsuits here in the US, and get vicious, they can destroy them.
MJ is still getting hit (he is paying people to sue them and sued the reporter, and anyone involved, and is still at it), and they barely survived, so our access to the truth is blocked on several sides: by mainstream news that is owned by moneyed people with an agenda, by agenda’d moneyed people with lawsuits (lawyers are for sale and judges can be bought), by government obstruction, etc.
I know it was probably an idiot’s errand, but I emailed a couple of Senators (Sanders is one) about getting legislation that protects the Fourth Estate (alternative media) from lawsuits that restricts their ability to get the truth out. I think the government is already a lost cause too-corrupted by money, but we have a least a corner of the Fourth Estate left. Petitions would be good, but I don’t have the health to do that right now.
It would take a miracle for this to happen (AT&T got their restrictions on lawsuits against them–easy for them because they own politicians), but I think we are living in unordinary times, so if you don’t try, then nothing whatsoever will happen.
@CEK –
Hi – hope you get to read this. I think you are definitely on the right track. I too, would love to see more investigations and coverage of corruption. It needs to be exposed and rooted out. We need to make the system more responsive to “the people.” And the idea of protecting journalists is absolutely great. There should be shield laws. Freedom of the Press needs to be protected here and in other countries, too.
Now help me out here, because when you wrote: “MJ is still getting hit (he is paying people to sue them and sued the reporter, and anyone involved, and is still at it…” I think I’m missing something – who is MJ???
Oh sorry, MJ=Mother Jones. I don’t agree with every piece they write, but they are good investigative people, and they have stood up and exposed a lot of things.
A defamation case filed by a major Republican donor, Frank VanderSloot (he is active in the Mormon church and anti-LGBT), and his company, Melaleuca Inc., against MJ. MJ won the case, but fighting it was very expensive for them, and almost put them out of business. Details: http://www.motherjones.com/media/2015/10/mother-jones-vandersloot-melaleuca-lawsuit
Recently MJ did a piece on prisons run by a private corporation (by Shane Bauer): CCA. MJ received a letter when the piece ran, from MJ: “The letter came not from CCA’s in-house counsel, but from the same law firm that had represented a billionaire megadonor in his three-year quest to punish us for reporting on his anti-LGBT activities. When he lost, he pledged $1 million to support others who might want to sue us, and, though we won the case, were it not for the support of our readers the out-of-pocket costs would have hobbled us.” http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/06/cca-private-prisons-investigative-journalism-editors-note
@CEK –
Thanks so much for that clarification. What a shame they had to go through that. I don’t read MJ (now I know what that means), but I do think it has a good reputation overall.
I’m struck that over history it seems it’s so hard for any positive changes to get going. Saw a piece on Mysteries at the Museum on Mr. Pingee (I think it was) who was mayor of Detroit sometime in the late 1800. A lot of folks were out of work and really struggling, many of them immigrants. He had the idea to start a community garden where they could do some small scale farming. He approached wealthy citizens for donations to by gardening tools and all to get it started. He was basically turned down flat. He actually took the extraordinary step of selling his own beloved horse to raise most of the needed cash. Thankfully, the garden proved wildly successful. But I a) give him props for making that tough decision to put his plan into action and b) feel sadness that he had to do that.
As Michael Moore once said, “The only people I know that ever went to jail are peace protesters.” And as we all know, it is the people inside the RNC conference that should be in jail.
Especially their money buddies who paid for their campaigns, too.
When I was a boy and my parents were teaching me why I should love and respect this country I would hear things like due process and the right to vote and have an attorney if needed. That we respects human rights and we look out for our neighbors. We don’t torture or spy on our people. The police don’t beat people and the law is fair. That we wouldn’t allow a fellow American to go hungry or a women to be raped without consequence. America was special because of these things and it was my duty to keep it that way when I became an adult. I feel like either my parents lied, or were naive. The idea of what it means to be American, to uphold the beliefs or this country, what it stands for has been so radically changed in my lifetime or just never was. We were never perfect. We have always had horrible things but there seems to be an institutionalized difference form what our values used to be and what they are now. I don’t know how to explain torture or spying any other way. The FBI has always spied on protesters and the military and intelligence service has always been to rough at times. The difference is the scope of those crimes. We now spy on protesters and do it in the daylight. It’s not done by some rogue agent or sector. We had intelligence officers who hurt and tortured people and military staff who committed war crimes but not as a matter of objective or policy in general. That alone is such a radical shift in what’s acceptable for our government to do it’s shocking. We need to wake up and chart a course back toward liberal democracy before we find ourselves living in a place like Ukraine. As amazing as our constitution is it’s just a piece of paper. It’s up to us to follow it even when it’s hard or costly. It’s the decisions we all make everyday that determine if we are living up to those ideals or just using them as a p.r. strategy. Just because we’re scared and angry doesn’t make it right to torture. Just because we want less immigration doesn’t mean we deny migrants outright because of their faith. We judge people as individuals in America. Just because you want less taxes doesn’t mean you let a person go homeless or hungry. Especially if their a vet or a child. WTF happened to us.
Well put. I have had pretty much the same thoughts and literally am starting to feel silly teaching my son the same lies so he too can become disillusioned later.
It’s not that we didn’t break all these rules before, but we at least pretended that we were wrong when we did. Today we have candidates arguing for torture and one-upping each other over how many kids they’d kill to keep America safe. We talk about doing to Muslims what our most evil of enemies did to Jews – and it’s just all ok.
But it isn’t. It’s wrong, it’s evil, and it’s not who we should be.
They don’t own the flag. They don’t own patriotism. We need to take back these symbols and make them stand for what our grandfathers died for – a nation of real morals.
If you live anywhere near Washington, DC, make a trip to the Holocaust Museum. Pay particular attention to the top floor on which is depicted the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party police state. Notice how quickly that occurred; and realize, the Germans were a well educated, literate society. Then compare that to what is happening in the US today. Then ask yourself “WTF is happening to us.
If you live anywhere near Washington, DC, make a trip to the Holocaust Museum. Pay particular attention to the beginning of the exhibit on the top floor depicting the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party police state. Compare that with what is happening in the US today. Keep in mind that the Germans,too, were a well educated, literate people. Then ask yourself “WTF is happening to us,” and why?
I wouldn’t go so far as to call the American populace educated or literate.
Gestapo USA story written by the same yanks who write how terrible all other countries are.
Reminder: The FBI headquarters building in DC is still named after J. Edgar Hoover.
Hoover Dam: Still missing that trailing ‘n’. ;)
Perhaps if the people protesting republican events weren’t so violent and nasty they would not have their rights infringed. Tit for tat, good job FBI?
Perhaps if the FBI did something about the root causes of poverty and oppression in society they wouldn’t have to worry about violent and nasty protesters. Tit for tat, good job protesters?
“I’d say most Cleveland activists and support organizations like ours are aware that every room we’re in probably has an FBI agent in it. And we act accordingly.”
Anyone could be an agent at any time. Even that woman in the red dress.
What, are they concerned attendance in general will be pitifully low at said-same convention… and are simply out promoting the event, guerilla marketing, kinda? Talk about a street buzz!
Perhaps if the FBI had decided to leave Mateen’s file “open”, then when he went to buy the guns he would have been blocked. And of course had the file been left “open” when he attempted the gun purchases his case would have been immediately put in the “active” folder thereby possibly thwarting the massacre in Orlando.
Instead they are busy harassing Americans who have the right to protest.
Incredible.
Well said! We have a Gestapo just like in nazi Germany’s. They were defeated but who’s going to defeat the latest version? Nice post!
The only surprise here is that the police are so dumb they went to a member of a group called Food Not Bombs to ask her if she was going to be serving bombs at the demonstrations. I take it back, there’s no surprise at all—such people must utterly lack any sense of irony to do their jobs. How can anyone who knows who the Hoover Building is named after take the organization seriously, unless they are mentally and morally compromised?
Or maybe their lists told them it was Food Or Bombs, Bet You Can’t Guess Which. I wonder how many kids’ lemonade stands they also threatened as they made their rounds.
They only threatened the ones with small metal pineapples on display, and those without them.
Since protesting is legal, this is clearly a misallocation of law enforcement resources.
If they have time to do this, it must mean that investigations of actual criminals aren’t needed, so their budgets should be cut appropriately to save taxpayers money.
Now, if, as I suspect, there are actual criminals that should be investigated but they’re doing these visits instead, then those ordering these visits should be fired for dereliction of duty.
So, which will it be?
Budget cuts or heads rolling?
Citizen altohone, your screen name and IP address have been captured and entered into the database.
A few more incidents like this and your file will begin to show evidence of integration into a growing network of dissenters, only a few of whom are tangentially associated with deadly terrorists but all of whom will require monitoring and screening for overseas contacts. This will, unfortunately, require more work to be performed by FBI analysts.
Thank you for justifying our budgets for the foreseeable future. You may return to your deviant activities.
Pffft!
You’re about 30 years too late Baldie.
I grew up in DC, and I worked hard to make that database harder to manage.
Comments here that few ever read pale in comparison.
If you’re not on their lists, you’re not livin well.
“You’re about 30 years too late Baldie.”
Story of my life.
@altohone –
Oh, I love your comment. Yes, you’d think our so-called LE folks would have better things to do than harass folks – who may not even be planning protests.
Sadder still is that most of our population is still asleep or in denial of the dangers. What will it take to make folks aware? Is it too late? I have never been so concerned about things as I am now. It’s getting harder and harder to sustain any kind of optimism.
You nailed it feline16. It has become increasingly more difficult to remain optimistic. We are racing toward a precipice while the citizens sleep. I’ve had to limit my exposure to both the MSM and independent press just to ensure my sanity. I don’t know if it’s too late, but the sense of urgency increases. God help us, please.
Hey feline16
Optimism isn’t necessary, and it comes and goes.
But there are a few things to keep in mind.
They didn’t hold a press conference to announce these “visits”, because they are afraid of you… the people, the citizens, the masses… but particularly people like you who pay attention and refuse to remain silent.
NSA spying, FBI letters, trade deals, most of our regime change wars, arms deals, Pentagon budgets… you name it… done in secret because they are afraid.
They cower behind secrecy out of fear.
They try to silence you because they are insecure due to their fear of exposure… the exposure of their actions and lies.
They crushed Occupy because 64% of people polled supported their agenda.
They had to lie cheat and steal to stop a 74 year old socialist.
They’re afraid because their divide and conquer games aren’t working very well any more.
Most of the population, which includes a big chunk of Republicans, is not asleep.
They may not be marching or grabbing their pitchforks yet, but they are pissed.
And more aware than THEY want us to be.
It ain’t over til it’s over… and it’s far from over.
And if push comes to shove, would you rather die defending your beliefs or warehoused in some assisted living facility eating lousy food?
Each and every police officer and FBI official swear a supreme loyalty oath to follow the U.S. Constitution – which includes the Bill of Rights – as a condition of having authority over regular citizens.
Isn’t the word “Fidelity” part of the FBI’s whole identity? How can one who is disloyal to their oath have fidelity?
Hollow words and oaths mean nothing when the rule of law no longer apply to those in power. Just a breath of hot air as treason runs rampant and accountability is no longer an option.
They pledge elegance to their paychecks and careers. This is how Roman empire fell and how US empire will fall. Lawlessness in highest echelons of power and shear terror among population by those who abdicated their solemn duty.
This is despicable behavior. After stealing under the cover of law (civil forfeiture) now KGB style knock at the door in the middle of the night.
Here is something about two political systems as one.
https://contrarianopinion.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/pools-and-propaganda-case-of-political-system/
It’s spelled allegiance, not elegance. The root of the word is liege. This is significant, as one’s liege is one’s lord or king. And of course the FBI is under the leadership of Obama. Guess who the FBI really have allegiance to.
For any lawyers out there, is the activists’ participation in these interviews mandatory or voluntary??
Unless the FBI delivered a subpoena to testify in front of a grand jury, then it’s entirely appropriate to politely ask them to leave after collecting their personal identification, which they are required to show. You can also film them on your cellular phone.
It’s basically an effort at harassment, nothing more. Of course the worst thing to do is to respond with anger or violence.
All please take note of this advice. And, do not invite them into your home!!
ACLU advice on police / FBI / ICE etc. home visits:
>IF THE POLICE OR IMMIGRATION AGENTS COME TO YOUR HOME
>If the police or immigration agents come to your home, you do not have to let them in unless they have certain kinds of warrants.
>Ask the officer to slip the warrant under the door or hold it up to the window so you can inspect it. A search warrant allows police to enter the address listed on the warrant, but officers can only search the areas and for the items listed. An arrest warrant allows police to enter the home of the person listed on the warrant if they believe the person is inside. A warrant of removal/deportation (ICE warrant) does not allow officers to enter a home without consent.
>Even if officers have a warrant, you have the right to remain silent. If you choose to speak to the officers, step outside and close the door.
Just remember, these are the same clowns who refused to investigate Wall Street criminals for their roles in the 2008 economic collapse – they’re nothing but STASI-style functionaries and apparatchiks, not worth getting angry with.
When the police serve a warrant, isn’t it customary to knock down the door with a battering ram? Lol
Is that before, after, or when in the ‘breaking and entering without a warrant first’ ala sneak-and-peek timeline? I always assumed those came first. First they come with the LOCKPICKS to GO THROUGH EVERYTHING YOU OWN then they might come by with the battering ram, but usually those are reserved for scaring people not investigating anything.
While the law says that the police must have a warrant to enter your home, in real life they do as they want such as in my case in which in the last six months the NYPD has twice raided my apartment at gun-point after breaking its door, and in one of those visits left a note with the name of the officer of the Department of Homeland Security who ordered the crime. I would not be alive today if I had protested too much during the raid, as these terrorists in uniform would have planted a weapon to justify my assassination.
Lawyers that I have contacted consider these crimes as “trivial because no-one was shot or killed” giving a licence to the police to continue their terrorists acts.
Oh I’m well aware of who they are…that’s why I ask. Thanks for the responses.
If the FBI questions you without arresting you, you have no Miranda rights. If you choose to refuse to answer their questions, they can then arrest you and, thanks to the Supreme Court Salinas Vs. Texas ruling (See: http://www.thewire.com/politics/2013/06/supreme-court-salinas-v-texas-ruling-explained/66309/ ), prosecutors can use the fact that you chose to remain silent as evidence of your guilt.
Interesting…Thanks for the response. That’s more the answer I was looking for. So in the case of the FBI questioning activists (who aren’t suspected of having committed a crime), is there a specific law/case that you can point to that would penalize/charge the activists merely for their refusal to participate in the interview??
What that case says is that you explicitly have to state “I am invoking my Fifth Amendment rights to remain silent” if you wish to refuse to answer police/FBI questions without having it later held against you in a court of law. (Thanks to Steve for the link).
Failure to explicity reference the Fifth Amendment could be held against you. Kind of astonishing.
There are instances of elected persons violating their oath of office to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. Charges of treason should be preferred against these persons.
Well hell! If I hadn’t been considering attending a demonstration before, a happy little house call like this would definitely convince me to! Wasn’t it over-the-top ham-handed crap like this that made you folk rebel against the Crown in the first place?
Some would call your statement history, others would say, huh?? What are you talking about.
Supposedly.
HMMM… So how do they know who are the community organizers or activists? Must be another of those “secret” lists going around, especially thru those fusion centers which no one seems to know about. Secret courts, secret trials, secret evidence, secret letters, secret police, secret prisons… All hallmark of a transparent democracy. Strange, article after article like this is written, yet what about the articles never written, or the stories which are not being told, but suppressed. What’s really happening accross the country?? I guess we are just going to completely tip toes around the elephant in the room. I better be quiet before the banshee appears and berates me in it’s vile manner and high voice telling me i have mental illness while it screams at the top of it’s lungs. There is no abuse happening in “secret” it’s impossible, it’s not happening, all lies. Look, look, i even wrote a Wiki article proving it’s all lies, look, look at my factual article which is the pinnacle of my life and career. Now go get your meds. Off i go to tighten up my tin-foil hat and take my daily government prescribed meds as i wait for the next article tip-toeing around the obvious. Maybe i’ll be lucky enough to get another article on Stingray/Dirtboxes and how they got more redacted blacked out information from the government as after a decade, apparently no one knows what it really is. Yawn… still asleep after all these years…
That’s why you’re a boorish joke. You don’t seem to know how to converse honestly. The depiction you’ve made above of Mona is childish ranting and has no connection with reality.
Yes, i’m a boorish joke which you couldn’t wait to respond to and yes, i don’t know how to converse honestly as i’m a pathological liar who takes government meds while wearing a tin-foil hat. Can’t you read or comprehend as i’ve done stated all this already. I wasn’t speaking about Mona, nor did i mention her in my post, but as her lap dog of attack, foaming at the mouth with your dribble i understand y where you are coming from as you need to protect her at all costs. Again, i already stated i have “no connection with reality” this is why i’m prescribed government meds and wear a tin-foil hat. Everyone knows Mona is the most pleasant, kind, thoughtful, caring and honest poster on this site. No one is questioning her motives as her posts represents who she is and is there for all to see. It’s good to know she has a lap dog as yourself defending her honor. Now that i think about it, i remember you. I know EXACTLY wow you are as you “converse honestly” with your dirty little mouth you hypocrite. Your posts are there for all to see how you “converse honestly” you hypocrite.
Echo Papa Exposed
Inside Erik Prince’s Treacherous Drive to Build a Private Air Force
Yes, i know exactly who you are as you sit here and write “You don’t seem to know how to converse honestly.”
Never, ever saying anything to you, here is what you wrote to me while now stating “you don’t seem to know how to converse honestly”…. YOU HYPOCRITE.
Kitt ? fgt4urights
Apr. 11 2016, 2:13 p.m.
@Spam asshole:
You shit on virtually every single thread, no matter what the subject content of the article.
Yes, you and Mona both are ones we should strive more to be like as you have a way with words. I know you are allergic to truth and facts, now let me go tighten my tin-foil hats and go take my government meds as it’s time again. In the meantime, stay real Kitt.
The police state is here, plain and simple.
Soon these terrorists in uniform will break the doors of the homes of these political dissenters, and if there is a chance will shot them to death knowing that as representatives of the regime they get away with their crimes.
That is exactly what the NYPD did to me by raiding my apartment twice in the last six months, and even leaving a note stating that the Department of Homeland Security ordered the raids.
Who are the terrorists?
“One FBI agent and one plainclothes Cleveland police officer, both white men, showed up and started asking questions about other Food Not Bombs members and our activities,” Rice said.
How exactly is their ‘whiteness’ relevant to any of this??
Also, remember that people are currently screaming and shouting to allow this same group (FBI) to create a secret list of any American to deny/curtail their constitutional rights without due process.
Ok, if this goes well, we will next come calling on you to collect all your firearms, pitch forks, kitchen knives, and hammers. For the time being you may keep any rocks under one ounce or over 150 pounds This maybe subject to change pending a damage assessment of one ounce rocks. Thank you for your support. Have a nice day.
They’ll probably pull David and Goliath out of their repertoire and outlaw stones & rocks completely. C’mon.
I remember the bad ol’ days of the 1960s, when the “press” in the USA asked this question of Martin Luther King…ALWAYS: “Will there be/do you expect violence at your demonstration/march?” ALWAYS. Same mentality.
“Good morning sir or madam. We’re from Big Brother. You’re on our ‘unpredictable activist’ watch list, and we’d like to pressure you with intimidation until your actions are predictable to our satisfaction once more. We’re glad you see a profound and distracting difference between the main players in the goofy theater of left-versus-right politics which we kindly put on for you, but anything that can be perceived as anti-establishment must be crushed in the bud and dismissed as fanatical interference with the social order. Remember, we have zipties which will painfully restrict the circulation to your bound hands, and vans to leave you in for hours and hours until you cool off.”
They had better hire a whole lot more FBI agents since the number of activists have grown exponentially to counter the oppression #StillSanders
they also apparently have spine-severing rough rides, in waiting, and grand juries primed to expunge any murder committed during such
So, already with police knocking on doors, great. Wonder how long it will take them to start doing this at midnite and or with masks on so they can’t be identified.
Next up, Kicking in Doors
I recommend Radley Balko’s “Rise of the Warrior Cop”. The masked midnight no-knock era’s been here for quite a while. Still, it’s refreshing that they’re starting to drop the “we respect your rights” bullshit and are being honest enough to clearly tell us to bend over and take it.
Seconded on that book. Also worth reading are Aaronson’s book ‘The Terror Factory’ and ‘The Muslims Are Coming!’ by Kundnani.
There are still people around brainwashed into worshiping at the dark twin altars of Hoover and McCarthy. Will we ever know how much harm they have contributed toward over time?
There actually *is* another possibility entirely, which is that the conservatives all decide that there is no use wasting their vote on a fringe candidate who can’t possibly win, and decide to line up behind Gary Johnson instead. But we all *missed* our chance to raise a ruckus in Orlando back in May when they held their convention!
“Anybody engaging in violence, planning violence for the RNC”?
Most likely the police…
The police visits are dangerous enough, but the federal agents are much worse. The thing is, it’s illegal and very punishable to lie to a federal agent. So if you say you don’t plan to protest, and then next month somebody talks you into going, they can prosecute you. Oh, but you say you changed your mind? Great, tell it to the jury in three years. Or plead out to time served in two, if you don’t like sitting in jail.
We live in a fascist country, a creeping dystopian nightmare that will be complete under POTUS Clinton.
I think we’re going to wind up with a fascist dystopian nightmare no matter who’s elected — what we’re really probably voting on this year is if it’ll be a largely corporatist one or a largely governmental one, and to which extent/percentage those will be true. With Trump I suspect corps will obliterate and own us more, and with Clinton probably more governments. Given the human penchant for greed and how difficult it is to deal with things on multiple fronts, plus how utterly non-humanist corporatism is, even though I despise the idea of more governmental surveillance I suspect we have a better chance of slightly less privatization of spying (with all of the FOIA (kind of a joke now) inapplicability that comes with it) with Clinton… but we’re still going to get our butts handed to us. Dystopia is dystopia?
But she’ll be a woman. How can a woman preside over a dystopian nightmare? Women are nurturing and peace-loving. Take, for example Madeleine Albright. Ain’t she a woman?
Modern day STASI. Fear law enforcement.
If Mr. Trump believes that drunken club goers should carry assault rifles, then obviously he will permit responsible elected RNC delegates to be armed, although he might have some second thoughts about the #NeverTrump delegates. The FBI will therefore have their hands full keeping an eye on the several thousand delegates carrying AR-15 rifles. So I’m surprised they have time to harass activists as well.
……don’s be surprised if at some future time, a recording of the conversations turn up…..or, maybe exist but are “erased” accidentally…..
…..same police mentality that has allowed the government to create Gitmo and keep it going……
……of course, it is intimidation to have the police just show up in an effort to “protect the community” against future threats….
….”just in the neighborhood; thought I would stop by and say hey and ask if you will be a good citizen and tell us if you know anyone who will be making bombs during the RNC”…..sure…..
……wish I did not keep thinking that the Constitution is slowly dying…..
Unlike Kitt I’m not surprised, but it is disgusting. But this is how the FBI has always rolled since Hoover. Seattle, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Miami . . . anywhere there is going to be some meeting of political or economic muckety mucks the goons show up to try and intimidate everyone out of exercising their First Amendment rights in anything but the most soothing tones out of sight out of mind.
Most of the Bill of Rights is dead except the 3rd, 9th and 10th which are not really like the other 7 anyway. The 2nd seems to be the only one of the remaining 7 anybody cares about and is willing to defend albeit to an unreasonable extreme in the case of the 2nd (IMHO).
To be fair, the first amendment was dead continuously since British rule.
By “surprised” I don’t mean that I’m surprised that their such cheap tools and fools that they would do that; they have long, long ago and repeatedly proven themselves to be of the most vile of character. What I’m surprised about is that they are foolish enough to advertise what skin crawling, creepy freaks they are. They have zero pride as human beings. Imagine being the spouse of, or related to in any way to someone as sneaky and creepy enough to go around knocking on doors of strangers so that you can lie to them and intimidate them. How could a spouse or a “friend” or an acquaintance expect anything but deceit from such a person of such low quality?
To be fair, they know that pacifist groups are also into free love, interracial sex, smoking dope and other characterizations left over from the 1960s, when the Bureau switched from hunting mobsters to learning more about their fellow Americans.
So maybe the Food Not Bombs daughter had been in a threesome with this member of the Black Panthers who had a cousin who sold smack in Detroit and once got high with some crazy dudes who said they were going to blow the doors off Fort Knox and take all the gold and fly to Russia, man. So the police naturally would be curious to know about the interracial threesome and whether black guys were really well hung like they had heard, which isn’t creepy at all.
You just have to know how the criminal mind works to understand what the FBI is doing here.
@ Baldie
Well I don’t know about all that, wink wink nudge nudge, but it is fucky creepy in the extreme for the FBI going around knocking on doors of charities like Foot Not Bombs.
My response, if they came to my door, in a soothing tone would be: “Hello. Do you have a warrant and if so please produce it for my inspection. If not until you obtain one, piss off, I have nothing to say to you. If you would like to interview me for any reason, you’ll need to arrest and/or detain me as a “material witness” and prepare to be sued if you do.” Calmly close door in FBI agents face.
How did you know? I was there. Thats exactly how it happened.
If you want to know how “well hung” black guys are, just google BBC.
Sure, WE know that. But do THEY know that?
Whomever and all in the area who are either participating in the giving of the “free legal training sessions,” and anyone else who has solid knowledge about how to deal with this gross intimidation tactic, please get out there ASAP and inform all activists and those even remotely affiliated with activists to say absolutely nothing whatsoever to any cop, FBI person or any other law enforcement agent of any sort.
This is disgusting, and I will have to admit that, for once, I am a bit surprised by them using this blatant intimidation tactic.
I don’t see why — They’ve always this blatant intimidation tactic before.
” I am a bit surprised by them using this blatant intimidation tactic.”
Yawn… Still asleep i see. Much, Much worse has been reported for years and completely ignored by people like you. LOL.. You got joke though.
You, as in almost all of your incorrect assessments that you must think are clever and funny and informative comments, have shown yourself to be a blithering idiot once again.
Yes Kitt, resort to your intellectual side of your brain again and hurl insults as it seem it’s all you have left.
ZZZZzzz….
“This is disgusting, and I will have to admit that, for once, I am a bit surprised by them using this blatant intimidation tactic.”
The only one shocked and surprised is you Kitt, and your own words says ALOT about you. You can go back to sleep now you hypocrite lap dog. ZZZzzz….
On the bright side, it’s the one group of people most likely to try to do something about the gross and grotesque overreach and violation. We really do need another Media, PA type of revelation (not advocating a break-in; hoping someone with power and a voice steps up instead to be a true whistleblower).
(and in 1971 police and the FBI didnt have NSLs, PATRIOT, or ANY of the advanced surveillance and data that’s available now. So things are far far worse than just infiltration, threats and questioning.)