FBI watches antiwar activists, environmentalists, and vegetarians

[DeepModem Mom]

LA Times: FBI Keeps Watch on Activists
Antiwar, other groups are monitored to curb violence, not because of ideology, agency says.
By Nicholas Riccardi, Times Staff Writer
March 27, 2006

DENVER — The FBI, while waging a highly publicized war against terrorism, has spent resources gathering information on antiwar and environmental protesters and on activists who feed vegetarian meals to the homeless, the agency's internal memos show.

For years, the FBI's definition of terrorism has included violence against property, such as the window-smashing during the 1999 Seattle protests against the World Trade Organization. That definition has led FBI investigations to online discussion boards, organizing meetings and demonstrations of a wide range of activist groups. Officials say that international terrorists pose the greatest threat to the nation but that they cannot ignore crimes committed by some activists....

***

The FBI's encounters with activists are described in hundreds of pages of documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union under the Freedom of Information Act after agents visited several activists before the 2004 political conventions. Details have steadily trickled out over the last year, but newly released documents provide a fuller view of some FBI probes.

"Any definition of terrorism that would include someone throwing a bottle or rock through a window during an antiwar demonstration is dangerously overbroad," ACLU staff attorney Ben Wizner said. "The FBI will have its hands full pursuing antiwar groups instead of truly dangerous organizations."

ACLU attorneys say most violence during demonstrations is minor and is better handled by local police than federal counterterrorism agents. They say the FBI, which spied on antiwar and civil rights leaders during the 1960s, appears to be investigating activists solely for opposing the government....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fbi27mar27,0,5815737.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[mdmc]

1. they are Americans

not mer'ikans

[omshanti]

2. Vegetarians? I better go hide the tofu.

Cos, you know how *dangerous* tofu can be.
:sarcasm:

[MountainLaurel]

3. And the lentils

Who knows what horrors they will unleash!

[wtmusic]

10. Shhh

the codeword is "steak"

[Sal Minella]

11. My daughter is a tofu-eater, so I know how insidious you people are.

[Ufomammut]

4. "Antiwar groups monitored to curb violence, not because of ideology"

...Says agency. Agency is lying.

[CountAllVotes]

5. how totally stupid!

and what a total waste of taxpayers money! :grr:

:kick:

[Minnesota Libra]

6. Where do I go to join all three? I'm serious!! If they want...........

.....someone/something to investigate it might as well be me than someone who gives a crap what they think. Just don't tell anyone I like an occasional good steak.

So where do I join up?????

[DinahMoeHum]

7. Like I've said, this is standing on a brick to kick a duck in the ass.

So why should we fear these FBI guys (Fuckheads, Bunglers, Imbeciles)

:evilfrown:

[Catchawave]

8. These groups certainly ARE a threat.....

...to big business profits ! The lobbyists win again! :silly:

The FBI should be rounding up those "God hates fags" people, they scare me more than tree and bunny huggers!

[gratuitous]

9. Oh yeah, you know those pacifist groups

Quakers, Mennonites and Brethren, oh my! If you don't buy into redemptive violence, you're a real threat to our country's security.

And you KNOW that a few broken windows seven years ago just has all the establishment's panties in a bunch!

Man, I haven't used "the establishment" as a phrase for over 30 years!

[newspeak]

12. so , is this the same FBI

who didn't protect us on 9/11? The ones who couldn't or wouldn't be bothered to stop known terrorists in our country? That hindered honorable FBI agents who wanted to investigate and protect us before that tragic day? Now you really have to wonder about the agenda when those who are adamantly against violence are being spied upon. I salute those agents who put our nation's security as a priority (unfortunately, I believe many have probably quit or retired). But, the recent surveillance of Quakers, peace groups and those administering to the poor, like Dorothy Day's group, is pure neocon harassment. It seems those who believe in true violence are not the threat, but those who believe in the true words of Jesus, and those who attempt to emulate Jesus. So, apparently, true Christianity is really under attack by our own government!