Police Spied Broadly Before G.O.P. Convention

[Judi Lynn]

Source: New York Times

By JIM DWYER
Published: March 25, 2007

For at least a year before the 2004 Republican National Convention, teams of undercover New York City police officers traveled to cities across the country, Canada and Europe to conduct covert observations of people who planned to protest at the convention, according to police records and interviews.

From Albuquerque to Montreal, San Francisco to Miami, undercover New York police officers attended meetings of political groups, posing as sympathizers or fellow activists, the records show.
(snip)

But potential troublemakers were hardly the only ones to end up in the files. In hundreds of reports stamped “N.Y.P.D. Secret,” the Intelligence Division chronicled the views and plans of people who had no apparent intention of breaking the law, the records show.

These included members of street theater companies, church groups and antiwar organizations, as well as environmentalists and people opposed to the death penalty, globalization and other government policies. Three New York City elected officials were cited in the reports.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/nyregion/25infiltrate.html?hp

[gratuitous]

1. Well, that First Amendment could mean anything!

How is a law enforcement officer supposed to figure out if somebody's doing something that might be against the law if they don't engage in a little extra-legal surveillance beforehand?

I mean, shoot, read the amendment for yourself:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

So the cops would have just been prospectively enforcing laws that, had they been enacted, would have been unconstitutional. How could anyone find anything wrong with that?

[rodeodance]

2. I read this stuff (below)------and it comes across like they are following terrorists!

.....n at least some cases, intelligence on what appeared to be lawful activity was shared with police departments in other cities. A police report on an organization of artists called Bands Against Bush noted that the group was planning concerts on Oct. 11, 2003, in New York, Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and Boston. Between musical sets, the report said, there would be political speeches and videos.

“Activists are showing a well-organized network made up of anti-Bush sentiment; the mixing of music and political rhetoric indicates sophisticated organizing skills with a specific agenda,” said the report, dated Oct. 9, 2003. “Police departments in above listed areas have been contacted regarding this event.”

Police records indicate that in addition to sharing information with other police departments, New York undercover officers were active themselves in at least 15 places outside New York — including California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montreal, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C. — and in Europe.

The operation was mounted in 2003 after the Police Department, invoking the fresh horrors of the World Trade Center attack and the prospect of future terrorism, won greater authority from a federal judge to investigate political organizations for criminal activity.

[rodeodance]

3. Ha Ha HA---look at this!!

.......“Activists are showing a well-organized network made up of anti-Bush sentiment; the mixing of music and political rhetoric indicates sophisticated organizing skills with a specific agenda,”

[hootinholler]

6. They're gonna Boogy Ooogy Ooogy! n/t

[rodeodance]

4. “All our activities were legal and were subject in advance to Handschu review,”

Under a United States Supreme Court ruling, undercover surveillance of political groups is generally legal, but the police in New York — like those in many other big cities — have operated under special limits as a result of class-action lawsuits filed over police monitoring of civil rights and antiwar groups during the 1960s. The limits in New York are known as the Handschu guidelines, after the lead plaintiff, Barbara Handschu.

“All our activities were legal and were subject in advance to Handschu review,” Mr. Browne said

[CrazyOrangeCat]

5. fucking Gestapo thugs.

[cassiepriam]

7. Back to the 1960's........ nt

[Kolesar]

8. Billionaires for Bush

Marco Ceglie, who performs as Monet Oliver dePlace in Billionaires for Bush, said he had suspected that the group was under surveillance by federal agents — not necessarily police officers — during weekly meetings in a downtown loft and at events around the country in the summer of 2004.

“It was a running joke that some of the new faces were 25- to 32-year-old males asking, ‘First name, last name?’ ” Mr. Ceglie said. “Some people didn’t care; it bothered me and a couple of other leaders, but we didn’t want to make a big stink because we didn’t want to look paranoid. We applied to the F.B.I. under the Freedom of Information Act to see if there’s a file, but the answer came back that ‘we cannot confirm or deny.’ ”

The Billionaires try to avoid provoking arrests, Mr. Ceglie said.

Just another story here, but his stage name was too much! :rofl:

Was all kind of hard to read with that warmonger Thomas Friedman's face on the right sidebar.

[guruoo]

9. Cops working under....

"I’m on the job" "I got my shield around my neck – you want to see that?"




CRIMINAL COURT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF NEW YORK : PART 37 / JURY 25
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK,
AFFIRMATION
- against -
DOCKET NO. 2005NY038585
KEVIN CAPLICKI, Defendant.

Much more:
http://oliverandoliverlaw.com/tewst/SUBSdft1.htm

[WillyT]

10. K & R !!!

:kick:

[Bozita]

11. NYPD versions of Agent Mike?

[Jcrowley]

12. Sounds familiar

and I've been around since:


K&R

No illusions.

[Julius Civitatus]

13. GOP was particularly afraid of parody: they spied on comedy troupe

Disgusting. These people are truly afraid of comedy. The very creative comedy troupe Billionaires for Bush were spied and infiltrated by federal agents, and an intelligence report written about their "activities." What were they looking for? "Punchlines of mass destruction"? Holy crap! This administration makes Nixon seem sane:

The satirical performance troupe Billionaires for Bush, which specializes in lampooning the Bush administration by dressing in tuxedos and flapper gowns, was described in an intelligence digest on Jan. 23, 2004.

“Billionaires for Bush is an activist group forged as a mockery of the current president and political policies,” the report said. “Preliminary intelligence indicates that this group is raising funds for expansion and support of anti-R.N.C. activist organizations.”

Marco Ceglie, who performs as Monet Oliver dePlace in Billionaires for Bush, said he had suspected that the group was under surveillance by federal agents — not necessarily police officers — during weekly meetings in a downtown loft and at events around the country in the summer of 2004.

“It was a running joke that some of the new faces were 25- to 32-year-old males asking, ‘First name, last name?’ ” Mr. Ceglie said. “Some people didn’t care; it bothered me and a couple of other leaders, but we didn’t want to make a big stink because we didn’t want to look paranoid. We applied to the F.B.I. under the Freedom of Information Act to see if there’s a file, but the answer came back that ‘we cannot confirm or deny.’ ”

The Billionaires try to avoid provoking arrests, Mr. Ceglie said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/nyregion/25infiltrate.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1&hp

[Robbien]

14. The police department now takes its orders from the RNC?

Does one have to be a loyal GOPer to join the NYPD now? I thought being a Republican was only a requirement of a Federal job.

[progressoid]

15. K/R

I blame Fred Thompson.

[L. Coyote]

16. IDEA: Photograph, photograph, photograph at all events

Digital cameras have no film expense. Activists could be documenting everyone at events they organize. It is time to identify these brown shirts. Then, make sure they are exposed. Put their mug shots and names online where every future employer will see it. That should deter them somewhat.

And remember, just because you are being followed does not mean you are paranoid. It just means your not a Republican!!