Monitoring You
06 October 2010
by: Bill Quigley and Rachel Meeropol
Thank you, Institute of Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR), for
reminding us how many bad-ass, dedicated and creative groups we count
as allies in our efforts to create a more just world!
Our friends at MoveON.org, the Ruckus Society, Immokalee Workers, the
new SDS, Jobs with Justice, the Brandywine Peace Community, ANSWER,
PETA, Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty, MOVE, The Yes Men, Poor
People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, Climate Ground Zero, the
Rainforest Action Network, pro-Palestinian Groups, Puerto Rican
nationalists, prisoners' rights organizations, citizen conservation
groups and immigration activists opposing Arizona's crazy attempts to
criminalize all noncitizens should know - Pennsylvania has been monitoring you.
Just over a month ago, ProPublica broke the story that Pennsylvania's
Office of Homeland Security contracted with the ITRR, a private,
Israeli-based company, to assess terrorist threats impacting law
enforcement priorities in Pennsylvania.
For almost a year, ITRR provided bi-weekly intelligence briefings to
Pennsylvania Homeland Security, which focused in equal part on
"jihadist" communications and trainings throughout the world and also
social justice organizing and protests across the country.
Pennsylvania Homeland Security, in turn, distributed this information
to 800 federal, local and state law enforcement agencies, along with
"relevant stakeholders" like local businesses. Information provided
included the political views and movement building strategies of
hundreds of law-abiding groups and individuals.
The targets of ITRR are not just Pennsylvania groups, but also a
veritable who's who of left and liberal groups, including MoveON.org,
the Ruckus Society, Immokalee Workers, the new SDS, Jobs with
Justice, the Brandywine Peace Community, ANSWER, PETA, Stop
Huntington Animal Cruelty, MOVE, The Yes Men, Poor People's Economic
Human Rights Campaign, Climate Ground Zero, the Rainforest Action
Network, pro-Palestinian Groups, Puerto Rican nationalists,
prisoners' rights organizations, citizen conservation groups and
immigration activists opposing Arizona's crazy attempts to
criminalize all noncitizens.
In the scandal that followed, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell
disavowed ITRR's focus on First Amendment protected activity and
promised to end the contract. Pennsylvania State Homeland Security
Director Ed Powers resigned. And in response to significant public
pressure, OHS published the hundred-odd intelligence bulletins
produced by ITRR over the last year on its web site. These bulletins
are posted on the home page of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management
Agency. As lawyers at the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR),
many of these groups are longtime friends and allies.
Indeed, even our organization, CCR, itself gets a mention, as
"Pennsylvania Actionable Intelligence Bulletin No. 106" includes a
lengthy discussion of an ALF press release reminding activists that:
"Nobody Talks, Everybody Walks," and suggesting as further reading
CCR's know-your-rights pamphlet, "If an Agent Knocks."
CCR is succinctly described as "a veteran legal advocacy organization
devoted to a plethora of radical causes." Well said!
But we shouldn't joke too much.
While ITRR frequently acknowledges that the groups whose first
amendment actions it has so closely monitored have no history of
violence or illegality, over and over they warn law enforcement of
the risk of violence and property destruction that accompanies protest.
Bulletin No. 6, for example, provides the details of an anti-war
protest at Lockheed Martin. "TAM-C analysis have found no indication
that this protest will be disorderly" ITRR reports, but "Lockheed
Martin is an [sic] key commercial-resource ... The possibility exists
that the high-profile nature of the target will attract radical
protestors from the ranks of local Communist and/or Anarchist
movements." Similarly, a Lancaster protest against the desecration of
Native American graves appears to be a "peaceful protest designed to
conform to legal norms" but, "ITRR analysts note the small, but
present, risk that the above-mentioned issue may be taken up by more
radical elements, potentially including anarchists or lone-wolf
Native American rights supporters."
If there is one central theme to be taken from the bulletins, it is
this: dangerous anarchists are everywhere and even the most peaceful
protest may turn violent.
ITRR provides not just dates and times, but "strategic analysis." For
example, the November 20, 2009, Bulletin includes a lengthy and
detailed account entitled "the Return of Campus Activism." Students
everywhere are organizing against increases in tuition, we are told.
Protests like one at UC Davis, which included placards stating,
"Education only for the rich" are not "spontaneous," but rather are
"part of an international Anarchist movement that has been
coordinated through Internet postings." If "student are coordinating
their activities" ITRR ominously concludes, "it behooves law
enforcement personnel from both the campus environment and civil
authorities ... to start working on their coordinated responses."
Another exceptionally creepy bulletin includes a segment entitled
"West Chester Activists Hope to 'Build Momentum,'" recounting an
anti-war activist group's attempts to mobilize people to attend
anti-war demonstrations in DC. ITRR recounts, "thus far, the group
has: lectured to college students, taken part in a protest organized
by the West Chester University branch of Students for a Democratic
Society in opposition to the troop surge in Afghanistan ... and some
members have helped put out a radical newsletter." Don't worry: "ITRR
is monitoring anti-war activist communications for additional
planning related to Pennsylvania assets."
The extent of the "monitoring" here is far from clear. Much of ITRR's
information clearly comes from organizations' own web sites and press
materials, but the bulletins are laced with more sinister references
to "intercepted internal communications."
And not just groups are named, there are some references to
individuals too, including an inexplicably detailed bio and
discussion of the political views of the newly hired executive
director of Rainforest Action Network.
The Bulletins are so outrageous as to be almost comical, but the
upshot is not funny.
This is not an isolated incident. While ITRR claims to have no other
governmental contracts, it seems clear that they generally perform
just this type of surveillance and monitoring of protest groups for
corporations who fear the impact of speech and organizing on their
bottom lines. This explains the constant rants regarding the
potential dangerousness of animal rights and environmental activists:
when successful, such groups force corporations to internalize the
harm they cause to the environment and to the communities who stand
in their way.
And yes, this contract may end shortly, but what has happened to the
hundreds of bulletins already distributed to law enforcement across
the country?
There is a direct negative effect of consistently teaching law
enforcement that protesters pose national security risks, which has
real effects on policing and on enforcement respect for lawful protest.
Since 9/11 we have seen increased hurdles to dissent in the US. Every
protest now not only brings out local cops, but also is a potential
terrorist event monitored by Joint Terrorism Task Force personnel.
These folks do not have any real terrorists to monitor, so they are
going after First Amendment protected activities of freedom to
assemble and freedom of speech.
For an example, we need look no further than the Office of the
Inspector General report released last month, detailing what happens
when an FBI agent has a slow day. It is titled "A Review of the FBI's
Investigations of Certain Domestic Advocacy Groups," Office of the
Inspector General, Sept. 2010. Available online.
http://www.justice.gov/oig/special/s1009r.pdf
Apparently the FBI has so little work to do, they occasionally tell
new agents something like "you might as well go watch the crowd at a
protest and hey, while you are there, be sure to photograph any folks
who look Middle-Eastern." It is also noteworthy that this report only
discusses FBI surveillance which people outside the FBI have documented.
Reflect as well, on the recent series of FBI raids and grand jury
subpoenas issued to over a dozen anti-war and anti-imperialism
activists. Going to Palestine or Colombia for a solidarity trip and
protesting at the RNC? Well, our country has FBI agents and Joint
Terrorism Task Force people to investigate you.
Our advice to you: take a look at the bulletins for yourself. If you
or your group is named, make a stink about it. Find out if your local
law enforcement offices have received the information and demand they
destroy it. And remember, at least you're in good company.
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