January 29
by Mark Lewis
As one of the organizers of the NATO protest last
October, I was shocked to learn in the Independent (Punk
Patrol-Jan 22-28, 2004) that undercover police, including the deputy chief's
son, Patrick McElderry, had been employed to spy on us. I thought those days
ended thirty years ago with Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover.
I guess not.
In 2002, when the police "spy-file" scandal broke, it brought a federal lawsuit
against the Denver department by the ACLU, and a subpoena of the "spy files"
from the CSPD on behalf of 3,200 groups, individuals, and journalists. It
was learned that the Colorado Springs police had been spying on peace groups
here for 18 years and sending information to the Denver police and the FBI.
Our police denied monitoring people "involved in a peaceful activity", and
Commander Kurt Pillard, of the intelligence unit said, "We don't follow anyone
who we suspect is involved in peaceful activity."
Wrong then and wrong now.
At the time the Denver city council and Mayor Webb denounced the practice.
Can we count on our council to finally denounce this continuing and escalating
practice? Isn't it finally time to examine the issue that started when the
council first considered hiring a new chief of police trained by Daryl Gates
in Los Angeles? Isn't it finally time to evolve beyond these "L.A. tactics",
McCarthyism, and civil rights abuses?
And what comes next after undercover infiltration of "anyone who we suspect
is involved in peaceful activity"? I don't know, but if the tactics I witnessed
during the Nixon/Hoover era are to be used again, next will be undercover
police creating confrontations to be blamed on protesters. Maybe that already
happened last February when ours was the only police force in the nation to
use tear gas as we joined millions around the world protesting a war we knew
then had insufficient justification. I guess next will be wire taps on our
phones and email intercepts. Then the tax audits start. Will we be added to
the terrorist "no fly" list and not allowed to go home for Christmas?
Where the hell is our Constitution?
At Kent State in 1970, undercover police chained the gates closed, barring
the escape of the students before the National Guard opened fire. 9 shot.
4 killed! In 1972 the "Gainesville 8", members of Vietnam Veterans Against
War, were arrested for planning a violent disruption of the Republican convention
in Miami. The person advocating such deplorable tactics turned out to be an
undercover cop. Hoover's COINTELPRO program put 3,000 phone taps and 800 bugs
on the NAACP.
At our protest of Bush's visit to Fort Carson in November, the CSPD falsely
told us that the Secret Service said we had to stay 150 feet from Academy
Blvd. The Secret Service spokesman said, "I'll deny that"; but by that time
we had moved to the county property next to the "B" Street exit and had a
peaceful, lawful protest in support of our troops and against Bush's Iraq
policy. This all came about because we went straight to the police that day,
as usual, to ask them what their guidelines were in an effort to be as cooperative
as possible.
These tactics are not only a waste of time and resources, but totally unnecessary.
Our meetings are open to the public just as our protests are. Our websites
and discussions are on the net and anyone can sign up to participate and receive
our daily news digest. The Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission's newsletter
"Active for Justice", is available all over town. We inform the police of
any planned activities and thought we had a cordial relationship with the
department. We also provide our own "peacekeeper" force at all demonstrations
to actively maintain our strict code of nonviolence.
So, has exercising our first amendment rights to free speech, peaceful assembly,
and redress of grievances been deemed a crime in Colorado Springs? Where's
the probable cause? Where's the due process?
Where the hell is our constitution?
I call on the CSPD to obey the law like we do, and reject these wasteful and
antiquated policies. I call on the city council to protect our civil liberties
and investigate these tactics openly and thoroughly, now that they've been
given a second opportunity. I call on all supporters of the constitution to
stand with us in it's defense.
Your rights may be next!
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