FBI Investigated Occupy Wall St. as Domestic Terrorists

[JLives]

Was the Rally to Restore Sanity (John Stewart and Stephen Colbert's event in Washington DC) investigated by the FBI? What about the Tea Party rallies where some people showed up armed (and was across several states)? Town hall meetings?

I highly doubt they have the resources to investigate every mass gathering of people. This was not the police popping by to make sure everything was OK, this was the FBI investigating domestic terrorism before the gathering even occurred. Look at the level of force they used against peaceful protesters such as pepper spraying compliant people in the face and the physical beat down that happened. OWS was targeted because of pressure from the companies that pay the bills as they saw it as a threat.

[JLives]

This is an excellent article on it by Naomi Wolf: http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2 ... -on-occupy

There is a new twist: the merger of the private sector, DHS and the FBI means that any of us can become WikiLeaks, a point that Julian Assange was trying to make in explaining the argument behind his recent book. The fusion of the tracking of money and the suppression of dissent means that a huge area of vulnerability in civil society - people's income streams and financial records - is now firmly in the hands of the banks, which are, in turn, now in the business of tracking your dissent.

Remember that only 10% of the money donated to WikiLeaks can be processed - because of financial sector and DHS-sponsored targeting of PayPal data. With this merger, that crushing of one's personal or business financial freedom can happen to any of us. How messy, criminalizing and prosecuting dissent. How simple, by contrast, just to label an entity a "terrorist organization" and choke off, disrupt or indict its sources of financing.

Why the huge push for counterterrorism "fusion centers", the DHS militarizing of police departments, and so on? It was never really about "the terrorists". It was not even about civil unrest. It was always about this moment, when vast crimes might be uncovered by citizens - it was always, that is to say, meant to be about you.

[grammafreddy]

OWS was targeted because of pressure from the companies that pay the bills as they saw it as a threat.

I'd see it as a threat, too, if my business was being targeted.

[JLives]

I see those companies that almost destroyed the economy as a bigger threat than the peaceful protesters using their right to free speech and assembly.

What happened with the FBI and the Occupy movement is wrong.

[GenuinelyInterested]

The "FBI Investigated Occupy Wall St. as Domestic Terrorists ". The FBI concluded that they were not terrorists and allowed them to proceed with their protest.What harm has been done? There were no terrorists, Occupy got to protest, all are safe and Occupy has run out of steam due to lack of ______<insert choice of verb/adverb here>_______.

[grammafreddy]

I see those companies that almost destroyed the economy as a bigger threat than the peaceful protesters using their right to free speech and assembly.

What happened with the FBI and the Occupy movement is wrong.

Such drama.

So the FBI gets word that something is going down against some free enterprise companies and decides to take a closer look before anything happens just in case. And nothing happens to make them alarmed and they deem OWS not to be terrorists and so the gimmie-gimmiers are allowed to continue their *ahem* protest and all is just fine. They got their free speech and their freedom to assemble - what's to *bleep* about?

Maybe all those occupiers shoulda been at work so they could pay their rents and mortgages and feed their families and pay for their university tuitions - or else they shoulda been out pounding the streets looking for work instead of sitting in a tent somewhere bellyaching because somebody else has more than they do.

[Captain Awesome]

I highly doubt they have the resources to investigate every mass gathering of people. This was not the police popping by to make sure everything was OK, this was the FBI investigating domestic terrorism before the gathering even occurred.

FBI doesn't investigate every single people gathering, there's still city and state police for that. The only reason FBI got involved is because the movement spreads across state lines and only FBI has jurisdiction over several states. They were simply doing their job. Even most peaceful demonstration or movements have a tendency to turn ugly if certain elements within the movement get there way - the probability of it has to be investigated, intel has to be gathered, real concerns for public safety have to be addressed. Just taking someone else's word for it - like you do by saying "oh, it was a peaceful protest, I'm telling you!" - is not enough. You might not see it as reasonable concern for public safety, but people with realistic views on life do.

[JLives]

The investigation began before they had assembled and knew the scope when it was just an idea.

I'm sure Occupy Anchorage was a huge threat to national security. http://www.adn.com/2012/12/27/2735537/f ... ement.html

[grammafreddy]

The investigation began before they had assembled and knew the scope when it was just an idea.

Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure at some point in time the concept of destroying the Twin Towers was "just an idea", too. Bet a few families wish that "just an idea" had been investigated before it became a death trap for thousands.

[steven lloyd]

The only reason FBI got involved is because the movement spreads across state lines and only FBI has jurisdiction over several states. They were simply doing their job. Even most peaceful demonstration or movements have a tendency to turn ugly if certain elements within the movement get there way - the probability of it has to be investigated, intel has to be gathered, real concerns for public safety have to be addressed.

Yes, very good point. Unfortunately, while people do have the right and reason to protest, we know there are those who would like nothing more than see violence and chaos break out. Sadly, this is what makes a mockery of any valid protest and deflects from the meaning intended by more legitimate protestors. In this sense, the FBI investigating the movement across state borders helps the legitimate protestors to continue spreading their message.

[JLives]

If only they had some sort of advance written notice that 9/11 would happen. Oh wait...

You are missing the part that they are not terrorists and never were. They were peaceful protesters who were silenced by law enforcement working for private interests. They were beaten, pepper sprayed and forcibly removed. Occupy is still occurring BTW, the media just doesn't report on it anymore.

[GenuinelyInterested]

Why wait until they had already assembled? Investigate early, intervene if required, allow passage when deemed safe.
Sounds like good proactive response to a possible threat. I bet all of the information was shared with CSIS and the RCMP, who then did their part and shared their info with the FBI.

[Captain Awesome]

Unfortunately, while people do have the right and reason to protest, we know there are those who would like nothing more than see violence and chaos break out.

Exactly.

We have public hockey viewing turning into chaos - thanks to certain elements AND lack of proper police investigation and planning before it took place. This is what happens when law enforcement drops the ball. FBI in this sense were ahead of the curve and were preventive as opposed to reactive.

But some people live in a world where everything is fair, unicorns fly around, and fart rainbow and fairness, and there's no need for investigations...

[steven lloyd]

Occupy is still occurring BTW, the media just doesn't report on it anymore.

I’m not sure off hand but I’m guessing there are two ways to get media attention. One is through violence and chaos. The other is through organization and numbers. I guess if a person or group of people believe in a cause enough, they will work to persuade others to join them in their cause and in their protest. Large numbers of people in an organized, peaceful demonstration has both impact and legitimacy. Violence and chaos on the other hand, while also noticeable and media attracting, has unintended negative impact for the cause and no legitimacy.

Again, while people do have the right and reason to protest, we know there are those who would like nothing more than see violence and chaos break out. Sadly, this is what makes a mockery of any valid protest and deflects from the meaning intended by protestors. In this sense, the FBI investigating the movement across state borders helps the legitimate protestors to continue spreading their message. It's up to the organizers to build peaceful numbers.

[GenuinelyInterested]

If only they had some sort of advance written notice that 9/11 would happen. Oh wait...

You are missing the part that they are not terrorists and never were. They were peaceful protesters who were silenced by law enforcement working for private interests. They were beaten, pepper sprayed and forcibly removed. Occupy is still occurring BTW, the media just doesn't report on it anymore.

they are not terrorists and never were As per the conclusion of the investigation and were subsequently allowed to continue.
They were beaten, pepper sprayed and forcibly removed Because of their tactics, interference with other's public safety, and all the drug overdoses that were occurring within the illegal camps upon private property.
If only they had some sort of advance written notice that 9/11 would happen
Let's TRY and stay on topic.