NYPD spied on RNC protesters

Corporations are People Too, originally uploaded by Lindsay Beyerstein.

Surprise, surprise. The NYPD infiltrated non-violent groups like the Billionaires For Bush and the Men (and Women) in Black Bloc during the Republican National Convention. [NYT]

I've read various media reports about spying before the RNC, but the idea that the Johnny Cash demo was infiltrated by undercover police officers cracks me up. Our tax dollars at work, eh? My previous blog photograph, the one with the slick-backed hair and the curled lip, was taken just before I left for the Man in Black protest at Sotheby's.

Ironically, one of the best things about that particular protest was that that the rank-and-file uniformed cops that I met were Johnny Cash fans.

We protesters were in this sort of metal livestock pen. It was shaped like a long peninsula parallel to the main auction building. I was up at the front. Since the enclosure was narrow at the tip, I was basically standing as close to the cops as I was to most of the other protesters. Granted, I was fenced in, and they were free, with their plastic handcuffs dangling conspicuously from their belts and helicopters flying overhead. Still, the uniformed cops I met seemed to actually be enjoying the music that Man In Black protesters were supplying. They were trying to keep that police officer impassive expression going, but I could tell they were suppressing grins. So, I started chatting with them. Turned out, the guys on the other side of the fence were big fans. I wonder if they knew that the NYPD had undercover operatives monitoring us.

Here's another picture from RNCweeps-week. This one was taken before the Billionaires for Bush croquet party on the Great Lawn of Central Park.

Comments

[TomK]

I thought of that picture when I read this.

Have you done a FOIA request on yourself?

[TomK]

I thought of that picture when I read this.

Have you done a FOIA request on yourself?

[norbizness]

NARC! NAAAARRRRCCCCC!!!!

[greensmile]

It took a long time for the other shoe to drop. We were over this territory back in December and missed a few spots

Levitra DeShill ... thats funny.

[greensmile]

hey,that was december of 2005,..a really long time for this sort of crap to go unprotested and unexposed..

[John Lucid]

I almost forgot that you used to be a billionaire, Lindsay. My, how you managed to squander all that money, girl! Did you blow it all on man-whores? Buying whores is what Republicans do best, after all.

[herbert browne]

A great horse, Man-O-whore... & sire of Mano-A-mano-whore... both real winners! I think their jockeys' silks were always green... ^..^

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

It's those no-bid cost-plus manwhores you gotta watch out for.

Signed,

--Ex-Billionaire

[Alon Levy]

Let me get it straight. NYPD wants to make sure anarchists don't blow up subway stations, so it infiltrates Men (and Women) in Black and Billionaires for Bush?

Meanwhile, the New York subway system still has outdated ventilation. An attack identical to the London Underground bombing would kill several times as many people just because of differences between the systems' level of maintenance.

I'm glad to see that Bloomberg is spending the portion of my tax money that doesn't go toward subsidizing commuters in Long Island on making sure I won't die if the 116th/Broadway station gets bombed.

[Cass]

It was that guy in the tie-dye shirt, I know, who kept asking me questions about "free love".

[mudkitty]

The Cashes were liberals.

[ChrisR]

It's those no-bid cost-plus manwhores you gotta watch out for.

Aunt Bunnatine told you so!

[Eric Jaffa]

It should be illegal for a cop to go undercover without a warrant.

Judges should only be allowed to grant such a warrant if there is reasonable suspicion that a violent crime took place or has been planned.

[Chinmaya Sheth]

Just wanted to point out "no-bid cost-plus"? Not true.