Markin comment:
Just in case anyone thought the National Defense Appropriations Act (NDAA) provisions for extensive detention, etc. were a fluke listen up-Big Brother is watching! Watching closely We are NOT paranoid.
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Meeting at ACLU offices regarding surveillance of peace groups
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From : Pat Scanlon
Subject : Meeting at ACLU offices regarding surveillance of peace groups
Reply To : Pat Scanlon
Wed, Mar 28, 2012 12:08 PM
Hi Smedleys,
Yesterday a small group of us met with Kade Crockford at the ACLU offices to review surveillance video tapes taken by the Boston police of area peace groups and Occupy Boston. The ACLU requested information on surveillance, including these tapes of four peace groups in the boston area, MFSO, Code Pink, UJP and VFP. There was one more related to a demonstration at the Israeli consolate. As it turned out a lot of what we saw had to do with OB. We (VFP) were there but several tapes were clearly of OB.
The videos were taken by a uniformed police officer at many events, marches and gatherings of peace groups and OB. There were many that we watched that had to do with Occupy Boston and marches originating from Dewey Square or having to do with OB. The arrests in October were extensively filmed. We suspect that just like the seventeen minutes missing from the Nixon Watergate tapes, there was editing going on prior to the ACLU receiving the tapes. Some seem to cut out, just at a crucial moment, ie. actual hands on arrests being made. Regardless, though interesting and at times quite boring the tapes signify a certain degree of surveillance by the BPD. What is important is what was the purpose and what were those tapes used for.
The person taking these tapes was very visible, was in uniform, was in plain sight, everyone there clearly saw him and knew he was filming for the police. My question is where there others taking photos or filming, maybe from the FBI or Home Land Security that were not so obvious. The big question, what is being done with these films? Were there still photos also being taken?
As many of you know, when I was in the service I was in Military Intelligence (I know the great Oxymoron). When I got back from Vietnam I was stationed at Fort Holabird, in Dundalk Maryland, Headquarters US Army Intelligence. For a year and a half I worked in what was known as records repository. This was a huge single floor building that contained the dossiers (files) that were Army investigations on individuals, groups, companies etc. The vast majority of the investigations we saw were of military personal. But there were a significant number of investigations of non-military individuals, groups and companies.
This was the Army investigating these individuals, groups and companies. That was supposed to be illegal for the Army to be spying on civilians, but there it was. Most reports were accompanied by 8 X 10 glossy photos. For example, on college campuses there would be a demonstration, there would be a picture of a group at the demonstration, each head had a number above it. On the back of the photo was the number and a dossier file number relating to that individual. Keep in mind these were college students protesting the war. There would be an investigation on each person identified and that information would be in a file. I could tell you many stories related to this but I won't bore you, I think one is enough, you get the picture.
If they were doing that then, what do you think the FBI, Home Land Security and who knows who else is doing now. It is not the video tapes taken by the BPD that concerns me, it is more what is being done with those tapes and or pictures, and why? It is not the uniformed BPD officer taking the videos that are of much concern, it is those we could not identify, taking photos or films that result in investigations of individuals supposingly exercising their constitutional right to freedom of assembly.
Did the BPD follow up and conduct investigations of individuals identified in those films and photos? If they did, for what reason? I think these are the questions that the ACLU are trying to uncover and expose. I would suspect that what they received from the BPD may be the tip of the iceberg.
They also filmed their tactical planning session prior to the raid at Dewey Square's second site. I don't think they intended to send this video, but they did. This is interesting because it shows the behind the scene planning for the raid in October.
If anyone connected with OB wants to pass this information along to maybe the legal team at OB, they might be interested in viewing these films as well.
They can contact Kade Crodkford at the ACLU offices at 617-482-3170.
Have a great day,
Pat
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