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COINTELPRO Returns: My First-Hand Experience With Government Spies
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Dave Zirin
AlterNet
July 21, 2008
Finally, at long last, I have something in common with Muhammad Ali.
No, I’m not the heavyweight champion of the world, and haven’t been named spokesperson for Raid bug spray. Like “the Greatest” – not to mention far too many others — I have been a target of state police surveillance for activities — in my case against the death penalty — that were legal, non-violent, and, so we assumed, constitutionally protected. In classified reports compiled by the Maryland State Police and the Department of Homeland Security, I am “Dave Z.” This nickname was given by an undercover agent known to us as “Lucy.” She sat in our meetings of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, smiling and engaged, taking copious notes about actions deemed threatening by the Governor of Maryland, Robert Ehrlich. Our seditious crimes, as Lucy reported, involved such acts as planning to set up a table at the local farmer’s market and writing up a petition. Adding a dash of farce to this outrage, she was monitoring us in the liberal enclave of Takoma Park, Maryland, a place known more for vegans than violence, more for tie-dying than terrorism.
Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act and the ACLU, we now know that “Lucy” was only one part of a vast, insidious project. The Maryland State Police’s Department of Homeland Security devoted near 300 hours and thousands of taxpayer dollars from 2005 and 2006 to harassing people whose only crime was dissenting on the question of the war in Iraq and Maryland’s use of death row.
My dear friend Mike Stark, a board member of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty is at times referred to in “Lucy’s” report as a “socialist” and an “anarchist.” One can only assume this is the pathetic time honored tradition of reducing people to simple caricatures, all the better to garner Homeland Security grant money.
Veteran peace activist in Baltimore, Max Obuszewski, who initiated the suit, was as well consistently shadowed as he walked down the streets. His “primary crime” (their lingo) was entered into the homeland security database as “terrorism – anti govern(ment).” His “secondary crime” was listed as “terrorism — anti-war protesters.” The database is known as the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, or HIDTA. Yes, a respected peace organizer of many decades standing is checked as a terrorist, his actions listed as criminal, for doing nothing more than exercising his rights. It boggles the mind.
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Former police superintendent Tim Hutchins defended these totalitarian practices by saying, “You do what you think is best to protect the general populace of the state.” (The article mentioned that Hutchins is now a federal defense contractor. I guess The Global War on Terror is just the gift that keeps on giving for the Hutchins family.)
But “protect the general populace” from what? The surveillance continued even after it was determined that we were planning nothing more dangerous that carrying clipboards in a public place. Hutchins and the Ehrlich administration have undertaken an ugly violation of our civil rights, manipulating fears of terrorism to stamp out dissent.
This is COINTELPRO pure and simple. Like the infamous counter-intelligence program whose heyday many assume was a relic the 1950s and 1960s, it’s an effort to harass the innocent and breed paranoia, all for daring to question power.
Governor Ehrlich and Tim Hutchins stand in the legacy of those who hounded Martin Luther King, and facilitated the death of Malcolm X. They stand in the tradition of those who drove the great actor, college football superstar, and activist Paul Robeson toward The mental breakdown that claimed his life. When Robeson’s files were opened under the Freedom of Information Act, the results were terrifying.
As his son, Paul Robeson Jr. has written, “From the files I received, it was obvious that there were agents who did nothing but follow every public event of my father, or even of me…. It took on a life of its own…. Over time, even for someone as powerful and with as many resources as my dad had…the attrition got to him.”
Now Robeson is on a postage stamp. The moral midgets who destroyed him went unpunished. That’s what has to change. The ACLU, to their credit, is going on the offensive.
As ACLU lawyer David Rocah said at a news conference in Baltimore on Thursday, “To invest this many hours investigating the most all-American of activities without any scintilla of evidence there is anything criminal going on is shocking. It’s Kafkaesque.”
Unfortunately for people like Gov. Ehrlich, it is also “the most All American of activities” to take the constitution and use it as their personal hand wipe.
As the great political philosopher Ice T wrote, “Freedom of Speech…. just watch what you say.” Well, now is exactly the time not to watch what we say. I’m angry. I’m angry for my friends, who trusted “Lucy” and others. I’m angry that my tax dollars went to paying the salaries of people who spy and intimidate those exercising their rights. I’m angry that Barack Obama just voted to increase the power of the Federal government to disrupt people’s lives. And I’m angry enough that I’m joining a lawsuit initiated by the ACLU. “Homeland Security” picked on the wrong sports writer. They also picked on the wrong group of activists. We will not be silenced.
[People who want to express their outrage can contact the office of the current Governor Martin O'Malley. We should demand a full investigation of the MSP, public release of all documents obtained through this illegal activity, and a specific commitment that the anti-death penalty and anti-war movement will not be targeted. Call the office of the governor at 1-800-811-8336, or submit a comment online at http://www.governor.maryland.gov/mail/]
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July 21st, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I hope that everyone out there who is doing, ‘ahem’ black market activities, understands the implications of this. If DHS is willing to invest that many hours and dollars into an activist group that is protesting the death penalty and Iraq, how many hours do you think they are investing into YOUR activities? Freedom of Speech, watch what you say…That’s funny, does anyone know what song that replaced on the rerelease of ‘Body Count,’ the album that song is from? Yeah, a giant piece of censorship, that’s what. Anyway, all I want to say is for everyone to be careful, and if they are in any dealings with ‘new’ people in a group or organization, go ahead and spend the $20 and get a background check done on the individual. If it looks fishy, throw it back in the got-damn lake!
July 21st, 2008 at 11:11 pm
All our internet activities can be seen and now it’s legal. It wouldn’t be a surprise that anyone who reads anything online that is not in line with the propaganda is monitored. What is so shocking is the amount of time given to this, and that would mean a great deal of law enforcement people are wasting their time on people just doing what Americans should do…understanding and participating in their democracy.
There are so many great figures from history that did this. Emerson, Thoreau, etc. They were philosophers that questioned the way people lived their lives, and were non-violent and benign to even the political scene. The “danger” they posed was in the individuality of their thought, the pure genious of their philosophies – it wasn’t seen as a danger then, but it is their type of writing and genious that would be looked at today as a danger by those who currently control the masses with the twisting and ommissions of truth.
It still boggles the mind, also, as to what was the big deal with John Lennon who’s protesting seemed to be so distasteful that his death was staged and then passed off as the act of a crazy fan. Clearly around the time he was being an activist, and being monitored, he was touching the nerve of people who didn’t like his support of the “working class hero”.
There is a great deal of power in words. And there is a great deal of power in the wordlessness of a person’s way-of-life. To live your life right, to live within that which you believe, is more “dangerous” to those that wish to control your thoughts than anything else there is. And to have them kill you for it, is only to strengthen your credibility and validate the truth.
July 21st, 2008 at 11:32 pm
This was the USA? Are we just going to sit back and die? f--- THE GOVERNMENT AND EVERYONE WHO LIKES IT
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:08 am
FTP
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Jive is right…Those peckerwoods got nuthin better to do than make a living off your misery…
July 22nd, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Great article Dave Z. Thanks for the info, very disturbing. Keep up the good work.
July 22nd, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Maybe someone should find out who this “lucy” DHS whore is and beat the livin’ s--- outta her!
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:46 pm
I really wish the author would have quoted at least some sources. It’s so important that journalist or “spreaders of the truth” enable the reader to verify, and even more importantly learn more for themselves. The sword of truth can only be sharpened by by the stone of verification.
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:00 am
“We will not be silenced.”
You already have been. Enjoy your time on the terrorist watch-list. Good luck with flying anywhere for your court appearances.
Welcome to slavery.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:56 pm
caulbearer Says: What is so shocking is the amount of time given to this, and that would mean a great deal of law enforcement people are wasting their time on people just doing what Americans should do…understanding and participating in their democracy.
Another uneducated fool who does not understand our country, but wants to spew venomous advice.
The United States is NOT a DEMOCRACY asshole, it was and is supposed to be a REPUBLIC!
“And to the Republic for which it stands” NO wonder they do not want our kids to say the pledge of allegiance in schools. It doesn’t say; “And to the Democracy for which we stand” !!
You’ve been brainwashed into think that democracy is our foundation, wrong!
A democracy is mobocracy, nothing less.
Think of it like this, Democracy = two wolfs and a sheep discussing what’s for dinner, guess who the sheep is?
So, if the richest people in the country that would equal 50% +1 said, all us rich people will live in luxury and the other 49% can live in s---, that would be a democracy voting for the better majority. Well, unless you are one of the rich assholes that would live in luxury, your Democracy just sold your fellow Americans down the river for your own selfish needs. Sound familiar?
Democracy kill countries……as witnessed by the destruction of the United States, it’s economy, and it’s people.
I loath stupid people who want to fight for this country, yet don’t even understand it’s foundation.
Keep dreaming about Amerika, for it as well as all of us will fall soon. This country is done, and moving to the next phase.
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:53 pm
George Washington seems like an awfully smart guy — informing us that the US is not a democratic country but rather a Republic. Interesting that in his rage at we “morons” he fails to use the plural of the word “wolves” in a manner other than the moronic.
The US is at least by virtue of illusions built upon the foundations of democracy, and although I am certain that the founding fathers had no intention of creating a democracy, the advertising, by the current president going back to the very first whose name you have appropriated — has all been of one voice “we are a democratic country.” The other of our two political parties is called “democrat” as a pretense that this debate actually “rages on” despite our actually being a corporate oligarchy of the fascistic variety.
You should probably get a better education before you go around calling others “morons,” otherwise you may find yourself sentenced to watching “Dances With Wolfs” thousands of times by your local magistrate.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
I have been on the terror watch list for a decade. I am going to post this to see what happens because every post I’ve ever made here has been deleted.