Shades of COINTELPRO - NYPD had "RNC Intelligence Squad" to track protestors at 2004 Convention

[ck4829]

Undercover NYPD officers traveled around the U.S. and even to Europe to observe activists who planned to protest at the 2004 Republican National Convention _ including hundreds who showed no sign of illegal intent, a newspaper reported.

Posing as activists or sympathizers, the officers attended meetings of political groups in at least 15 states and filed reports with the police department's intelligence division, The New York Times reported on its Web site Saturday.

The officers involved in the "RNC Intelligence Squad" then identified certain groups as potential threats, the Times reported, citing hundreds of still-secret reports it had viewed from the police department's intelligence division. The police often shared information with departments in other cities.

The secret digests said some of the groups planned acts such as blocking intersections and hacking into Web sites. But the Times reported that the vast majority of the reports it viewed described people who gave no obvious sign of wrongdoing, such as members of the satirical performance-art group "Billionaires for Bush" and a group that had planned concerts peppered with political speeches.

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/National/2007/3/25/report_nypd_watched_rncbound_activists.html

[C_U_L8R]

1. They're gonna have to include most everyone below 14th St

a good portion of the west side, maybe some east side, definately most of brooklyn.
I guess the more precise question would be "who wouldn't they include on their enemies list" ???

[tanyev]

2. Billionaires for Bush response on their website:

March 25th, 2007:
The New York Times: Envious, working class NYPD officers shadow Billionaires in 2004.

Billionaires respond:

- "We suspect they were looking for stock tips." - Meg A. Bucks.

- "Spied on? But what would New York's Finest want with New York's Finest Dressed?" - Countessa Frie de Marquette.

- "Balderdash! Didn't we cut their salaries and retirement benefits enough?" - Warren Proffitt.

- "The NYPD didn't need to be so secretive. Bloomie especially. As a fellow plutocrat, if he and his troops were so curious, all they needed to do was drop by the White House and ask us." - Ivana Moore-Enmoore.

:rofl:

[SpiralHawk]

3. "There's nothing to see here. Move along." - republicon corporo-christo-fascists

"America is dead. Your freedoms have been purchased by republicon crony corporations. Shut up, sit down, and remember: Big BushCo loves you."

- republicon corporo-christo-fascisit party of deviant closet sex

[WinkyDink]

4. I guess I'm on tape, then! (*Waves to Agent Mike!*)

[Botany]

5. RNC Intelligence Squad = Stasi: Stasi's motto Shield and Sword of the Party

The Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS / Ministry for State Security), commonly known as the
Stasi (from Staatssicherheit), was the main security (secret police) and intelligence organization
of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The Stasi was headquartered in East Berlin,
with an extensive complex in Lichtenberg and several smaller complexes throughout the city.
Widely regarded as one of the most effective intelligence agencies in the world, the Stasi's motto
was "Schild und Schwert der Partei" (Shield and Sword of the Party)

Why the hell aren't those young republicans playing spy not in Iraq or Afghanistan fighting?

Everyday I see more and more about a "shadow government" created by the bush crime family
whose purpose it was and is to maintain power, manipulate the press, and enrich members of it's
inner circle.

Spying on protest group by an RNC strike force? Sorry but a lot of my fellow liberals have
trouble organizing a bake sale that nets $53.75 let alone overthrowing the government.


This is so illegal that it is not funny.

[rman]

6. Just to point out it's not unique to Bush

Though it very much looks like we're having more of this now then we've had in a long time.

COINTELPRO predates Bush by decades, and you don't need to have a majority in any House in order to create a secret police-like force. All you need is lots of money, and connections with influential people who think like you.

[Botany]

7. 1st time for the RNC ......

.... opposition research and dirty tricks but a spy network?

These people are like cockroaches and seem "to get busy"
in the dark they need to have the light shined on them.

And these people call themselves Americans .... horse shit.

[rman]

8. I doubt the RNC itself was directly involved

in recruiting operatives and organizing these operations.

According to the article it was a NYPD operation.
Which does not mean there was no RNC involvement whatsoever; typically for these kinds of things, ideological/party-loyalists are recruited, whether they are officially associated with the party or not.
I think it's quite possible there's more of that now as well; that the connections to the RNC are more direct now then they were before.