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<div style="margin: 1em 0em;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.justiceonline.org/commentary/fbi-files-ows.html">http://www.justiceonline.org/commentary/fbi-files-ows.html</a><br>
<br>
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.</div>
<div style="margin: 1em 0em;">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. </div>
<div style="margin: 1em 0em;">“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.”</div>
<div style="margin: 1em 0em;">“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.</div>
<ul>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.)</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.” </li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">The FBI in Anchorage
reported from a Joint Terrorism Task Force meeting of November 3, 2011,
about Occupy activities in Anchorage.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.” </li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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).”</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">The Virginia FBI was
collecting intelligence on the OWS movement for dissemination to the
Virginia Fusion Center and other Intelligence divisions.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">The Milwaukee
division
of the FBI was coordinating with the Ashwaubenon Public Safety division
in Green Bay Wisconsin regarding Occupy. </li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">The Memphis FBI’s
Joint Terrorism Task Force met to discuss “domestic terrorism” threats,
including, “Aryan Nations, Occupy Wall Street, and Anonymous.”</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">The Birmingham, AL
division of the FBI sent communications to HAZMAT teams regarding the
Occupy Wall Street movement.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.</li>
<li style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;">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.”</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin: 1em 0em;"><a rel="nofollow" title="FBI files"
target="_blank"
href="http://www2.justiceonline.org/site/R?i=ctmdyEvMO2LFSXP7B4Tdng">You
can read the FBI - OWS documents here where we have uploaded them in
searchable format for public viewing. </a></div>
<div style="margin: 1em 0em;">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. </div>
<div style="margin: 1em 0em;">The PCJF will continue to push for public
disclosure of the government’s spy files and will release documents as
they are obtained.<br>
<br>
<font size="2"><font face="Arial">See the NY Times article on this: </font></font><a
rel="nofollow" target="_blank"
href="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</a><font
size="2"><font face="Arial"><br>
</font></font><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863.9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.freedomarchives.org">www.freedomarchives.org</a>
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