Any FBI Employees in YOUR Activist Organization??

January 16, 2011 by Bruce Reilly Unprison

The struggle continues for the Minneapolis activists working in solidarity with Palestinians, who are now accused of aiding “terrorists” and whatnot, but what we now know is that an FBI agent infiltrated their circle of social justice activism. With the rise of COINTELPRO 2.0, activists around the nation may want to look around at their meetings and check up on their Facebook Friends.

To all of you dedicated hard core loving people I have refused to “Friend”: Please know that I am just being cautious. The sad thing is that this attitude is required simply to exercise one’s civil rights of petitioning their government, Freedom of Speech, and Assembly. Or in this particular case, the right to aid an oppressed people facing genocide.

Is it so wrong to help the Palestinians? Do nations around the world have laws against providing material aid, such as food and medicine (the types of things regular folks can actually obtain)? No. Has the global community labeled Palestinians as “terrorists” in the struggle for land and liberty in land controlled by Israel? No. Are the Palestinian people, represented by thousands of individuals, groups, and organizations “at war” with America? No.

So what is the FBI doing investigating, arresting, and prosecuting activists who are not even alleged to have anything to do with weapons or violence? The Committee to Stop FBI Repression has done an excellent job to organize a response, including a national day of action on January 25th.

As the Patriot Act comes up for renewal and we approach the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11, it is worth assessing the true intent of American Intelligence Agencies and the Military-Industrial Complex which they serve. In the meantime, it is clear that there are certain elements (some known, some otherwise) who have proven to be undemocratic and, unfortunately, should not be trusted to protect the freedoms of the activists- the likes of whom are America’s greatest legacy.

A brief list of America’s “terrorists:”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Jefferson, John Brown, Frederick Douglas, Daniel Ellsberg, Eugene Debs, and many many more…