More spying on Americans

None of the 19 terrorists alleged to carry out the 9-11 attacks were American citizens. I am tired of American citizens being put in a position to defend themselves as if they were.
www.nytimes.com...

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.

Protesting our govt is a right provided in the constitution.

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.

Taxpayer money was used to gather intelligence on people which had no intention of breaking the law. Welcome to the police state.

In 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.

Gee is it against the law to play music now? Is it against the law to have a different political opinion than that of the administration in power?

“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.”

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.

Again none of the terrorist were American citizens. When a white man with blonde hair and blue eyes robs a bank the cops don't chase blacks,or hispanics,or asians for that crime. How this authority was granted is beyond me.

Before monitoring political activity, the police must have “some indication of unlawful activity on the part of the individual or organization to be investigated,” United States District Court Judge Charles S. Haight Jr. said in a ruling last month.

Wow...just wow, I guess those peaceful law abiding groups spyed on will be getting cash settlements courtesy of the NYPD.

Nice find, shooterbrody.

I can't believe that these things take place. People need to continue to go to these political gatherings to voice their opinions. As you stated, it is their Constitutionally protected right.

Say hello to the police state? Over my dead body.


Info.

Not much interest in this eh?
Really sad to see people walk by with no interest in indiviual freedoms.