Partnership
for Civil Justice
<
http://www2.justiceonline.org/site/R?i=HYZ3hShZQgFk_sL-M7zYcw>
FBI
documents just obtained by the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund
(PCJF)
pursuant to the PCJF's Freedom of Information Act demands reveal
that from
its inception, the FBI treated the Occupy movement as a
potential criminal
and terrorist threat even though the agency
acknowledges in documents that
organizers explicitly called for peaceful
protest and did "not condone the
use of violence" at occupy protests.
The PCJF has obtained heavily
redacted documents showing that FBI
offices and agents around the country
were in high gear conducting
surveillance against the movement even as early
as August 2011, a month
prior to the establishment of the OWS encampment in
Zuccotti Park and
other Occupy actions around the country.
"This
production, which we believe is just the tip of the iceberg, is a
window
into the nationwide scope of the FBI's surveillance, monitoring,
and
reporting on peaceful protestors organizing with the Occupy
movement,"
stated Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, Executive Director of the
Partnership for
Civil Justice Fund (PCJF). "These documents show that
the FBI and the
Department of Homeland Security are treating protests
against the corporate
and banking structure of America as potential
criminal and terrorist
activity. These documents also show these
federal agencies functioning as a
de facto intelligence arm of Wall
Street and Corporate America."
"The
documents are heavily redacted, and it is clear from the production
that the
FBI is withholding far more material. We are filing an appeal
challenging
this response and demanding full disclosure to the public of
the records of
this operation," stated Heather Benno, staff attorney
with the
PCJF.
* As early as August 19, 2011, the FBI in New York was meeting
with
the New York Stock Exchange to discuss the Occupy Wall
Street
protests that wouldn't start for another month. By September,
prior
to the start of the OWS, the FBI was notifying businesses that
they
might be the focus of an OWS protest.
* The FBI's Indianapolis
division released a "Potential Criminal
Activity Alert" on September 15,
2011, even though they acknowledged
that no specific protest date had been
scheduled in Indiana. The
documents show that the Indianapolis division of
the FBI was
coordinating with "All Indiana State and Local Law
Enforcement
Agencies," as well as the "Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center,"
the
FBI "Directorate of Intelligence" and other national FBI
coordinating
mechanisms.
* Documents show the spying abuses of the FBI's "Campus
Liaison
Program" in which the FBI in Albany and the Syracuse Joint
Terrorism
Task Force disseminated information to "sixteen (16)
different
campus police officials," and then "six (6) additional campus
police
officials." Campus officials were in contact with the FBI
for
information on OWS. A representative of the State University of
New
York at Oswego contacted the FBI for information on the OWS
protests
and reported to the FBI on the SUNY-Oswego Occupy encampment made
up
of students and professors.
* Documents released show coordination
between the FBI, Department of
Homeland Security and corporate America. They
include a report by
the Domestic Security Alliance Council (DSAC), described
by the
federal government as "a strategic partnership between the FBI,
the
Department of Homeland Security and the private sector,"
discussing
the OWS protests at the West Coast ports to "raise
awareness
concerning this type of criminal activity." The DSAC report
shows
the nature of secret collaboration between American
intelligence
agencies and their corporate clients - the document contains
a
"handling notice" that the information is "meant for use
primarily
within the corporate security community. Such messages shall not
be
released in either written or oral form to the media, the
general
public or other personnel..." (The DSAC document was also
obtained
by the Northern California ACLU which has sought local
FBI
surveillance files.)
* Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS)
reported to the DSAC on
the relationship between OWS and organized labor for
the port
actions. The NCIS describes itself as "an elite worldwide
federal
law enforcement organization" whose "mission is to investigate
and
defeat criminal, terrorist, and foreign intelligence threats to
the
United States Navy and Marine Corps ashore, afloat and in
cyberspace."
The NCIS also assists with the transport of Guantanamo
prisoners.
* DSAC
issued several tips to its corporate clients on "civil unrest"
which it
defines as ranging from "small, organized rallies to
large-scale
demonstrations and rioting." It advised to dress
conservatively, avoid
political discussions and "avoid all large
gatherings related to civil
issues. Even seemingly peaceful rallies
can spur violent activity or be met
with resistance by security
forces. Bystanders may be arrested or harmed by
security forces
using water cannons, tear gas or other measures to control
crowds."
* The FBI in Anchorage reported from a Joint Terrorism Task
Force
meeting of November 3, 2011, about Occupy activities in Anchorage.
*
A port Facility Security Officer in Anchorage coordinated with the
FBI to
attend the meeting of protestors and gain intelligence on the
planning of the
port actions. He was advised to request the presence
of an Anchorage Police
Department official to also attend the event.
The FBI Special Agent told the
undercover private operative that he
would notify the Joint Terrorism Task
Force and that he would
provide a point of contact at the Anchorage Police
Department.
* The Jacksonville, Florida FBI prepared a Domestic Terrorism
briefing
on the "spread of the Occupy Wall Street Movement" in October
2011.
The intelligence meeting discussed Occupy venues
identifying
"Daytona, Gainesville and Ocala Resident Agency territories
as
portions ...where some of the highest unemployment rates in
Florida
continue to exist."
* The Tampa, Florida FBI "Domestic Terrorism"
liaison participated
with the Tampa Police Department's monthly intelligence
meeting in
which Occupy Lakeland, Occupy Polk County and Occupy St.
Petersburg
were discussed. They reported on an individual "leading the
Occupy
Tampa" and plans for travel to Gainesville for a protest
planning
meeting, as well as on Veterans for Peace plans to protest
at
MacDill Air Force Base.
* The Federal Reserve in Richmond appears to
have had personnel
surveilling OWS planning. They were in contact with the
FBI in
Richmond to "pass on information regarding the movement known
as
occupy Wall Street." There were repeated communications "to pass
on
updates of the events and decisions made during the small rallies
and
the following information received from the Capital Police
Intelligence Unit
through JTTF (Joint Terrorism Task Force)."
* The Virginia FBI was collecting
intelligence on the OWS movement for
dissemination to the Virginia Fusion
Center and other Intelligence
divisions.
* The Milwaukee division of the
FBI was coordinating with the
Ashwaubenon Public Safety division in Green Bay
Wisconsin regarding
Occupy.
* The Memphis FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force
met to discuss
"domestic terrorism" threats, including, "Aryan Nations,
Occupy Wall
Street, and Anonymous."
* The Birmingham, AL division of the
FBI sent communications to HAZMAT
teams regarding the Occupy Wall Street
movement.
* The Jackson, Mississippi division of the FBI attended a meeting
of
the Bank Security Group in Biloxi, MS with multiple private banks
and
the Biloxi Police Department, in which they discussed an
announced protest
for "National Bad Bank Sit-In-Day" on December 7,
2011.
* The Denver, CO
FBI and its Bank Fraud Working Group met and were
briefed on Occupy Wall
Street in November 2011. Members of the
Working Group include private
financial institutions and local area
law enforcement.
* Jackson, MS Joint
Terrorism Task Force issued a "Counterterrorism
Preparedness" alert. This
heavily redacted document includes the
description, "To document...the Occupy
Wall Street Movement."
You can read the FBI - OWS documents here where we
have uploaded them in
searchable format for public viewing.
<
http://www2.justiceonline.org/site/R?i=yXNu2hggkS1sWlN28nAhCg>
The
PCJF filed Freedom of Information Act demands with multiple federal
law
enforcement agencies in the fall of 2011 as the Occupy crackdown
began. The
FBI initially attempted to limit its search to only one
limited record
keeping index. Recognizing this as a common tactic used
by the FBI to
conduct an inadequate search, the PCJF pressed forward
demanding searches be
performed of the FBI headquarters as well as FBI
field offices
nationwide.
The PCJF will continue to push for public disclosure of the
government's
spy files and will release documents as they are
obtained.