[News] FBI Documents Reveal Secret Nationwide Occupy Monitoring - link to docs

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://www.justiceonline.org/commentary/fbi-files-ows.html

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=ctmdyEvMO2LFSXP7B4Tdng>
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.

See the NY Times article on this: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/nyregion/occupy-movement-was-investigated-by-fbi-counterterrorism-agents-records-show.html?hpw&_r=0 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/nyregion/occupy-movement-was-investigated-by-fbi-counterterrorism-agents-records-show.html?hpw&_r=0>

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