THE SECRET POLICE ARE HERE – PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST AGENT PROVACATUERS
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts), Michael O'McCarthy's Blog on August 25th, 2007 10:10 am by HL
THE SECRET POLICE ARE HERE – PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST AGENT PROVACATUERS
By Michael O’McCarthy
In 1971 a small group of Left activists and investigative journalists revealed the confession of a long-time professional police agent provocateur to the world. Among the list he gave us of acts of “radical” behavior influenced, if not orchestrated by him and other police agents, were acts of arson, murder and conspiracy to commit murder. But what was the most disturbing confession
was nightmarish: It revealed a White House orchestrated, (Nixon), secret plot to plant explosives at the San Diego Republican Convention and manufacture evidence indicating that the bombing was the work of anti-war radicals. The result of our investigation would become the now legendary book; The Glass House Tapes – by the Citizen’s Research and Investigative Committee.
Both a history of illegal U.S. police activity and a expose, the book contained what would be the first of many revelations to follow which would expose what we now know as COINTELPRO (Hoover and the FBI), the CIA’s OPERATION CHAOS, and a significant number of illegal acts of surveillance and provocation by members of various intelligence agencies, both “civilian” and military. One of the end results of that work was the Church Committee, which curtailed
domestic activities of the CIA until the Bush regime re-engaged them in The Patriot Act I.
As the recent exposure of Canadian under-cover agent provocateurs attempting to sabotage a peaceful demonstration has shown, the secret police are now being infiltrated into both the current anti-war movement and into community organizations with ties into that movement. (SEE: _http://www.youtube.com/v/St1-WTc1kow_ (http://www.youtube.com/v/St1-WTc1kow) )
Thus, its time to look at some practical means in dealing with illegal police activity and protecting your constitutional rights to gather, organize and speak. I highly suggest that you make yourself aware of these tips and put them into practice as they have been gathered from a history of long and often painful, personal experience:
1- Hold only public meetings. Create an official recording of the meeting topics, agenda and plans.
2- 2- Condone and conduct only legal actions. “Illegal” actions such as sit-ins – etc. ought to be announced before hand as “acts of civil disobedience,” and those who participate must agree to be peacefully arrested. Non-violence is the key to the success of democratic protest. Police riots that confront such activities can be shown for what they are.
3- 3- Equip sufficient numbers of organizers with cameras to record the event. Make recordings available to both the “u-tube” and to the mainstream media. Where possible post them on the organization’s web site; forward to other friendly web media.
4- 4- Befriend members of the mainstream media. Sooner of later public sentiment can swing those corporate owned employees to capture more of what can be the “turning of the tide.” Sooner or later the mainstream media employees become targets of the police.
5- 5- No alcohol, drugs or any form of weaponry ought to be present at official meetings or activities. The use of drugs, alcohol by the police agents inevitably leads to out of control behaviors; weapons of any kind can lead to arrests.
6- 6- Report anyone who suggests illegal or violent activity to the membership of the organization immediately. This is not rumormonger time. Be sure of your facts. Allow a democratic process to make decisions about this person’s intention and identity. We all get angered at the crimes the state commits; we get angry at the way the state will repress us. But there is a difference between “letting off steam,” so to speak, and provocatively inciting members to illegal and/or violent acts.
7- 7- Make sure the organization has a solid and communicative relationship with its own legal entity. Report any unwanted – suspicious behavior to that entity ASAP, making a record of the report.
8- 8- If an illegal activity has been committed by a member of the group, expel that person until their behavior can be investigated; with advice of the legal entity, consider whether that person ought to be reported to the police: often the agent provocateur is undercover and unknown to the uniformed law enforcement personnel and can be “surfaced” by that process.
9- Under NO circumstances take individual or collective personal action against that person or persons: Such actions will lead to charges of conspiracy to commit assault against police officers, obstructing justice or worse. Often the “civilian” agents are mentally unstable persons; often they have been busted for crimes and are being used by law enforcement – blackmailed to alter or terminate their sentence or have charges dropped; or they are paid and will do anything to earn their fees. Which means committing other criminal acts and framing organization members for the crime.
10- Have your legal entity advise you regarding filing charges against any attempt by police agencies that have infiltrated your organization and perpetrated, or attempted to perpetrate, illegal actives.
11- If your organization adopts these tips as rules of conduct post them publicly in all offices, in your newsletter to other members and have them available at all meetings. Constant vigilance and awareness of constitutional rights is the best protection.
12- For so long as there are democratic remedies for redress of grievance, a progressive moment MUST pursue them. Not only for its own well being, but also as a conscious raising means to reach those who have yet to become aware of the state that the State is in!
And you may want to refer all members to:
_http://nlg.org/resources/kyr/kyr_English2004.pdf_
(http://nlg.org/resources/kyr/kyr_English2004.pdf)
