The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a clandestine monitoring operation on last week’s Tea Party protests, filming and cataloging the hundreds of thousands of Americans who acted on their First Amendment right to Free Speech.
The FBI operation reportedly began on March 29 with a single-page memo to the organization’s 56 field offices, mandating data collection on American citizens who were planning the demonstrations. The Special Agents in Charge (SACs) were instructed to verify the date, time and location of each TEA Party within their region and supply that information to FBI headquarters in Washington.
A second directive, issued on April 6, instructed the SACs of each field office “to coordinate and conduct, either at the field office level and/or with the appropriate resident agency, covert video surveillance and data collection of the participants of the TEA parties.” Surveillance was to be performed from “discreet fixed or mobile positions” and was to be performed “independently and outside of the purview of local law enforcement.”
The information comes from an FBI agent who leaked the information to The Canada Free Press. “Listen to what I am saying,” the agent said during an interview with Doug Hagmann, founder (NEIN). “The Department of Homeland Security Intelligence Assessment that is receiving so much attention is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and the true patriotic citizens of this country are on the Titanic. This is what bothers me. But is goes far beyond that assessment. There have been very significant changes made over the last few years that redirect the focus and assets of the intelligence community internally. These changes have greatly accelerated under this administration, and the threats have been redefined to include those who used to be patriots. It’s not only chilling but absolutely insulting to God-fearing Americans.”
The agent also said that the protests were classified as “political demonstrations” and not all FBI agents were privy to the directives.
These new reveleations come hot on the heels of last week’s Homeland Security memo that classified returning Iraqi war veterans and American citizens with social-conservative issues as “right wing extremists” who could potentially be terrorists.
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Huh… Why were there no articles protesting that the FBI profiled people at anti-war rallies? How about arrests of peaceful protesters at RNC conventions? While I agree that it’s wrong to profile and “stalk” legal protests exercising a civil right, I think it’s hilarious that so many narrow minded people are only whining now that it targets them while just a few years they were cheerleading it.
Of course they did this. We are the ones to watch right? This is intimidation. Don’t let it get to you. Be proud the FBI is photographing you! That means we are doing something right. I know they have my pic as I was at a party and saw them there with the cams. I hope the got a lot of blank video tape, they are going to need it. Battle on Patriots!
To “a”: I’m NOT “only whining now that it targets them”… I was at a Tea Party, and frankly I’m GLAD they (whomever they are) were filming the group. Maybe someone in this pathetic government will discover who the GOOD guys are!
Let me guess ‘a’, you were 100% against the program to monitor calls from known terrorists overseas to people in the US (not you talking to some relative overseas), but this is perfectly legitimate. This is monitoring US citizens because they disagree with the government, not monitoring calls to collect intel on attacks. Most of the people I marched with were in their 60′s and 70′s. True threats, obviously, because many were veterans.
If anyone doubts the direction that this administration is going, you are an idiot! Obama and his administration easily blow off any criticism and then attacks the critics. They are gaining more and more power because the majority of Americans are no more than lemmings running off of the cliff. Many of the others do not care, as long as they are receiving money from the government through social programs. This country is doomed unless we stand up and take control back.
I’m a conservative by nature and nurture, but “a” is right. We can’t have it both ways. We can’t expect law enforcement to be at left-wing rallies but not at conservative cause rallies. As long as it’s done peacefully, it is a citizen’s right to petition against the government. Just remember “a”, the only two things protecting the 1st Amendment are people exercising it(the 1st) and the second amendment!
And to the rest of the left who just don’t get it: fundamental tax reform (a form of a consumption tax) would get rid of just what you say is wrong: “the politics of corruption” by removing the ability of politicians and bureaucrats to manipulate, intimidate, and ingratiate by using the tax code to punish some and reward others in order to push an agenda!
If the FBI did their jobs they would have done a background check and vetting of Obama. He has never been vetted . All the other candidates had to have background checks but not him. WHY Why is he spending thousands to keep all his records sealed. Obama is getting security briefings everyday, how in hell did he get a security clearance in the first place. It sounds like the FBI is in Obama’s pocket now so a background check will obviously never be done now. What a shame, this man is scary and he gets a free pass. UNREAL
Sounds like every household needs to own a gun to protect us form the feds.
Game over man
time to get out the masks and disguises. Just like the radicals that protest G20/G7/Rep conventions.
@ “a”
Yes, but we also don’t hear you protesting now, either.
a:
You may want to work on your abilities of discernment. The Bush administration domestic surveillance program of suspected terrorists who want to kill Americans, and I don’t remember a single report of abuse with that program, even in the mainstream media. The Obama adminsitration is spying on ordinary citizens who are merely exercising their First Amendment right to protest Obama’s spending. Big difference! The fact that the mainstream media hasn’t reported on this means either that they are so in love with Obama that they can’t bear to report it or that they haven’t been able to confirm the story being told by the FBI source (which seems unfathomable given the number of FBI agents who could serve as corroborating sources).
May I suggest that when we go to Tea Parties and similar events we take our cameras too. When we see apparent government types taking pictures and video lets return the favor, and post the images on the web.
My name is Tim Singleton. I was at the Tea Party on Veteran’s Park on April 15, 2009.
I am a Christian, I am a conservative, I believe in a representative republic and not this abortion that Obama and his cronies are trying to bring into existence.
I do object to socialism.
I object to murdering babies and allowing them to expire which Obama clearly supports – his voting record is there.
I do object to Obama’s policies.
I do object to his embrace of Islam and bowing to the King of Arabia…good heaven’s he’s the President of the United States, stand up and act like it!
I do object to nearly every stand that Obama has taken and every policy he has implemented.
I will be at ANOTHER protest on April 25th and the one on the 4th of July.
Americans are NOT The property of the United States, I am a citizen, not a subject.
…and Bush’s Patriot Act just proves Bush and Obama are switch hitters for the same damn team.
a, is that short for a$$?
What peaceful protesters @ the RNC convention? Democrat/leftist protesters have a history of violence. Next, when did DHS put out a document about anti-war protesters? How about the Missouri Highway Patrol? Anything there?
Democrats are ALWAYS the ones who are interning people in camps, nationalizing industries, or removing children from homes at gunpoint, not to mention the things Obama has put in motion.
A, not only are you an a$$, but you are a dumb one at that.
I was at a TEA party in San Jose, CA. I had many requests from people eager to photograph my protest sign. I can only hope that one of the photographers was an undercover FBI spy. I regard it as a badge of honor. It means I touched a nerve within this most repressive administration.
Dangit! I was at a very small Tea Party in Bastrop, TX. Unless the FBI folks were hiding in one of the 2 bushes in front of City Hall…they probably didn’t get the 6 of us that showed up. Guess I’ll have to write to them and tell them to add my name to their “suspected terrorist” list, since I’m white, conservative, own guns….oh! and I had my cowboy hat on! Good Lord I’m in trouble now….
Exercising our Constitutional Rights and Freedoms is the responsible thing to do for ALL Americans. Protecting them is the responsibility of ALL AMERICANs and an oathe to do so is taken by elected officials. (Seems they forgot this!) If we don’t use these rights we will LOOSE THEM. Our current events parallel Germany during Hitler’s rise to power and the EVIL things he caused to happen. WE are on the edge leaning over right now. We must NOT let history repeat itself. Germans were enthralled with Hitler just like they are with Obama. They were blind to the path they were being led down just like obamanites are now. WAKE UP AMERICA!
Well “a”, one major difference with the anti-war rallies is that there existed a real expectation that some of the protestors were working to “tear down” this country and its Constitution. The people involved in the new protests are fighting to keep our country intact and preserve its constitution.
They can take my picture all they want, I hope that they have plenty of film. This isn’t going to SCARE us, it’s going to make us even more angry and defiant.
SCREW YOU OBAMA!!!
In response to “a”….I was at many of those anti-war protests and I attended our Tea Party….the anti-war protests were full of screaming people with signs and T-shirts that had some pretty “rough stuff” written on them…..”BUCK FUSH” and “Hang Bush and Cheney”
The Tea Parties were very controlled and respectful…only two signs that I thought were somewhat questionable.
That’s the difference between Liberlas and Conservatives…Liberals tend to operate from emotion…usually negative….like teenagers. Normal adults grow up and become Conservatives after their brains fully develop.
Liberals then: “Dissention is patriotic”
Liberals now: Dissention is unpatriotic, racist and right-wing extremism”
For those who say, “but the FBI targeted the anti-war protesters too!”, I would say yes, but there was a history of protesters defacing property, spitting on veterans, etc., let alone the burning of effigies of Bush and the U.S. flag- which happens to be legal now- but apparently liberals think this is just a wonderful way of expression.
The Tea Parties, from the planning on up to the actual protests, were out in the open, peaceful, and bi-partisan. That is something the media has gone out of their way to avoid reporting. At one of the rallies, an African-American Tea Party goer gave a speech. Upon finishing his speech, the media literally parted like the Red Sea for Moses! Had this been a liberal protest they would have interviewed him, but not here. They wouldn’t want to give the idea that this was a crowd that contained anyone other then white people.
But if there is anything that the left resent more, it is the fact that people other then liberals could have a grass roots national protest that was more peaceful then a “peace protest”. And that eats them up.
“a” said:
“I think it’s hilarious that so many narrow minded people are only whining now that it targets them while just a few years they were cheerleading it.”
Give it a rest, lib. I doubt anybody would be a “cheerleader” for keeping a database of peaceful protesters. Even those “narrow minded conservatives” LOL.
Actually “a,” there have been many articles protesting FBI surveillance at anti-war rallies. Yes, even by rightists. It all depends on which rightists you ask. Remember two things: 1) Rightists, like Leftists, are not a politically homogeneous bunch 2) The Net is a huge place.
Ron Paul, for example, a Libertarian-Conservative Repubican congressman from Texas, decried the treatment of anti-war protesters. He’s even posted articles on http://www.anti-war.com.
This is one step below the Gestapo.
Didn’t someone once say this couldn’t happen here?
Are we really shocked? During the election we turned a blind eye to some truths, Obama is from a muslim background and we are seeing him acting as such, closing the detention centers with the muslim suspects? Making new friends of muslim states? Government funded baby killing? Oh but when anyone speaks out they are silenced and removed, oh muslims do that too. Wake to hell up America this man is the begining of our end.
Well, at the Houston/Jones Plaza event, the event was literally right across the street from a federal building. So, I most certaily hope they got my picture in high def.
What saddens me is how many Christians actually voted for this man.
I’ve been saying all along,they will kill us if they have to. A lot of them want to now but they don’t know how to do it and get away with it. They are vicious.. Don’t underestimate what they will do. I’m not surprised at this development. In fact I predicted that tea party attendees would be catalogued… What do you expect ? Obama dealt with and played with the THUGS in Chigo politics. (They will know you by your friends.)
If they get away with this,just wait. It will get worse, a lot worse and fast.
ACLJ.com has a petition. I’ll sign it but I am not hopeful of a chnage of course..
Good for the FBI. It lets them keep their job because tey arn’t hunting illigal alians. Bush took some of pur rights but he wasn’t a sicialist. Obama is what he is and keep in mind what Clinton said about the word” IS”.
When you go to the next TEA party take a brown paper sack. Cut holes for your eyes and cover your face. oN THE BACK USW A HUGE MAGIC MARKER AND WRITE AND WRITE.
TO THE FBI
I AM NOT THE BOOGIE MAN
GUESS WHO
I have one question for A. do nou not care that this is an invasion of your right to privacy. Listen to this.
There were the yourh organizations, then the Brown Shirts, then the SS. Then the Gestopo. Is this what you want. Either stand up for our freedoms or get the hell out of my country.
Ten to one ods that the closest you got to the military was a John Wyane movie. We will pary for you. You are so sad.
For “a”. Yes it was wrong to monitor peaceful anti-war protests and it is wrong to monitor peaceful anti-spending protests. And yes, Bush and Obama have both led us away from freedom and toward tyranny. Not to it, but toward it. When there is a perceived threat against protest against government positions, it has a chilling effect on free speech, no matter whether done by left or right. I am a conservative, but a first amendment absolutist first.
My name is Michael Simone, I am an older USCG veteran and I was at the Tea Party in Pleasanton, CA on April 15th, 2009 to protest not only high taxes, but an out-of-control Federal and State government. I will be at the next Tea Party and don’t care that the FBI as directed by BHO or his staff will be there to “watch”/film us. I do continue to be shocked at the speed with which BHO and the Democrat controlled Congress are proceeding to place ever more government control over our lives. I am ticked off that our representatives totally ignore my letters and e-mail protests. Apparently Congress and has now determined that they are the elite, the ruling class and we are nothing but indentured servants good only to pay for their senseless programs.
Like Tim I am a Christian, and a conservative who believes in the Republic as created by our founding fathers. I am a believer, as was Thomas Jefferson, in the Second Amendment as a force for good against government tyranny to whit:. “When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves from tyranny in government.” –Thomas Jefferson
I object to socialism, fascism and communism.
I object to murdering babies as BHO supports.
I also object to every thing that BHO stands for, every position he has taken, and every policy he has implemented.
BHO should have been directed to produce his birth certificate by the Federal Election Commission; the fact that he has not done so willingly and continues to pay attorneys to block access to same, tells me he has something to hide. THAT is something the FBI should actually investigate. But that won’t happen in my lifetime.
The debacles at Ruby Ridge and Waco were caused by out-of-control Federal LE agencies, so I have no faith that those of us who wish to protest “our government” will not be abused somehow.
Ha ha, now it’s your turn. Eat that shit, neocon.
It is amazing that the American hard working moms,kids,
grandpa and grandma are under criticism, what about all
ILLEGAL ALIENS marching, for amnesty? most of then have
some one in the family who is a gang member or member
of the Drug Cartels who run Mexico!!
Why are we suprised? They have been doing this since the Vietnam war. Have we forgotten the shootings of college students protesting the Vietnam war? Why shouldn’t this happen again?
Ill tell you if you dont know God, you better get to know Him. His wrath is upon the earth.
For “a”:
“We deplore and vigorously oppose legislation and executive action that deprive the people of their rights secured under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments under the guise of “combating terrorism” or “protecting national security.” Examples of such legislation are the National Security Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, and the proposed Domestic Securities Enhancement Act (colloquially known as “Patriot II”), and the Military Commissions Act.”
Where did that come from? Platform of the Constitution Party, one of the most conservative groups in America. Please do not paint conservatives with the brush your MSM controllers have handed you. It positively bristles with their own blind stereotypes.
Not only has the FBI been spying on the Tea Parties themselves, you can be assured that they are monitoring websites, blogs, email, etc. and adding those individuals to their “prospective terrorist” list also. You can add me to the list right now if by excercising my right as a citizen to protest the actions of a government that has gone astray classes me as such. It is time for concerned citizens to stand up and be heard, it is time for those of us that have not voted consistently in the past to do so now, it is time to let Washington know that this country is ran by the people and for the people and that they are our servants. We pay them to voice, and follow the instruction of their constituents, which is not happening. How can anyone expect that we lay silent while our Freedoms are trampled into the ground, while the national debt which we all bear escalates at rates unprecidented to any other time in the history of our country, while we as a society pay taxes so the government can add to their control over us. Wake up!! My name is Bill Willis and if my feelings add me to a “list” then so be it. They can take my picture, take my name, I will even give them my weight and height, but they will not take my pride!
I know for sure I’m on the FBI Watch list, and truthfully I DON’T CARE. I wil not be intimidated and I will continue to excercise my 1st and 2nd Amendment rights. I fly my Gadsden Flag with pride every single day. It is not a crime and un-american to speak your mind!