Posted on 18-8-2004

FBI 'Harassing' Protesters
By Gary Younge in New York, August 17, 2004, The Guardian

The FBI has questioned dozens of demonstrators planning to come to New
York for the Republican convention later this month and encouraged agents
to scour protest groups for evidence of any planned disruptions.

In a nationwide move that civil rights advocates called "chilling", the
FBI has drawn up a list of people it intends to question because they may
have information about possible violence.

In Missouri, three unnamed young men have been subpoenaed and informed
that they are part of a domestic terrorism investigation, although their
lawyer says the police have not told them on what grounds.

"It is part of a national effort to chill dissent in this country," said
William Dobbs, the spokesman for United for Peace and Justice, which is
planning to stage week-long demonstrations in New York during the
convention. "And it is always a worry that this kind of intimidation will
scare some people off."

The FBI says it is concentrating on possible crimes rather than trying to
quash dissent. Most interrogations have centred on whether violent
demonstrations are planned.

"The FBI isn't in the business of 'chilling' anyone's first amendment
rights," FBI spokesman Joe Parris told the New York Times, referring to
the right to free speech and free assembly enshrined in the US
constitution.

"But criminal behaviour isn't covered by the first amendment. What we're
concerned about are injuries to convention participants, injuries to
citizens, injuries to police and first responders." Those planning to
protest say the interrogations amount to harassment. "The message I took
from it was that they were trying to intimidate us into not going to any
protests and to let us know that 'hey, we're watching you'," said Sarah
Bardwell, an intern at an anti-war group in Denver.

Last year Denver police agreed to restrict intelligence-gathering after it
was revealed that they kept files on 3,000 people and 200 groups.

"This kind of pressure has a real chilling effect on perfectly legitimate
political activity," said Mark Silverstein, legal director for the
American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado.

"People are going to be afraid to go to a demonstration or even sign a
petition if they justifiably believe that will result in your having an
FBI file opened on you."