FBI Memo: Protesters Subjected to 'Pretext Interviews'

[chlamor]

Protesters Subjected To 'Pretext Interviews'
FBI Memo Shows No Specific Threats

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 18, 2005; A04

New FBI documents to be released today show that anti-terrorism agents who questioned antiwar protesters last summer in Denver were conducting "pretext interviews" that did not lead to any information about criminal activity.

The memos were obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union as part of ongoing litigation and provide a glimpse of the FBI's controversial efforts to interview dozens of members of leftist protest groups before the party conventions last year in Boston and New York.

<snip>

But the new memos provide no indication of specific threat information. Instead, one heavily censored memo from the FBI's Denver field office, dated Aug. 2, 2004, characterized the effort as "pretext interviews to gain general information concerning possible criminal activity at the upcoming political conventions and presidential election."

Another memo from December 2004 indicated that Sarah Bardwell, one of the Denver activists singled out for interviews, was targeted because she had helped organize an antiwar protest and was a member of a group called Food Not Bombs, which the memo characterized as having a "close association" with a radical anarchist group.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/17/AR2005051701240_pf.html

[Tempest]

1. Gestapo tactics

Straight out of Nazi Germany.

[rodeodance]

2. our "leaders" think protestors = terrorists!!--the mentality is mind bog-

gling!!

[MountainLaurel]

3. A few years ago in Mother Jones

In 2002, there was an article from a woman who had been investigated in the 1960s because she was *gasp* a member of a folk-singing group. She was seeing the same thing happening again, commenting on FBI questioning of a group she participated in -- might have been a Food Not Bombs group, or even just a local peace organization.

Everything that is old becomes new again. Does no one at the FBI remember the Church Commission?

[UpInArms]

4. you ask

Does no one at the FBI remember the Church Commission?

That's so pre-9/11 thinking :sarcasm:

[MountainLaurel]

5. Ain't it the truth?

When the Patriot Act was passed, and various Bushistas were complaining about how the FBI had been crippled by the FISA rules, I was screaming at the TV "Well, you know why those rules are in place you stupid fuck? Remember J.Edgar and the King smear campaign?"

[UpInArms]

7. Orwell is prolly rolling in his grave

with what is occurring now.

The illusion of the Constitution and Bill of Rights has become a backdrop for the destruction that this mal-administration continues to promote.

:(

[lonestarnot]

6. This will not affect my actions or others who truly want to see the end of

this war for lies. History should teach and truth will prevail.

[gratuitous]

8. Yep, for those of you too young to remember COINTELPRO

Here it comes again for the new century! You can be spied on by your own government for your thoughts and insufficiently jingoistic rah-rah Americanism. Make sure you get all your library books back on time.

[Coastie for Truth]

9. Has the time come

<>

[chlamor]

10. That is AWESOME

From The One Day to be Finger Lakes Autonomous Zone