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Indybay Feature

Plainclothes Police at the March for Our Lives in St. Paul

by ~Bradley (bradley [at] riseup.net)
On September 2nd in St. Paul, the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC) brought together poor and homeless people of every race, background and age, students, social workers, union members, lawyers, religious leaders, artists and others who stand for social and economic justice. The PPEHRC raised their voices in the “March for Our Lives" to demand “Money for Health Care and Housing, Not for War!”

The rally held at Mears Park and the march that followed were heavily infiltrated by plainclothes law enforcement officers.
plain-clothes-cop1_9-2-08.jpg
Interview with Undercover Infiltrators at the March For Our Lives in St. Paul, 9/2/08: video
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/03/18532509.php

How do you know they are cops?

By the way they act.
By the way they dress.
By their own confirmations.
By their responses to questions.
By them coming after me and taking photos.
By the way they methodologically film individuals.
By them getting into a car with someone wearing a badge.


From wikipedia:

Plainclothes Law Enforcement

"Undercover agents should not be confused with law enforcement agents who wear plainclothes. This method is used by police and intelligence agencies. To wear plainclothes is to wear "ordinary clothes", instead of wearing a uniform typically associated with the occupation, in order to avoid detection or identification as a member of law enforcement. Plainclothes police officers typically carry normal police equipment and identification. Police detectives are often assigned to wear plainclothes instead of the uniform typically worn by their peers. The principal difference is that undercover agents will often work under an assumed identity whereas plainclothes police will normally use their own identity."


You can learn more about plainclothes police, undercover agents as well as agents provocateurs:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undercover

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_provocateur
§
by ~Bradley
plain-clothes-cops2_9-2-08.jpg
Shortly after taking this photo, these guys flanked me and took photos of me.
§"I'm not undercover, I'm plainclothes"
by ~Bradley
plain-clothes-cop3_9-2-08.jpg
This man was very nice. He said that he did not mind talking with me and took the time to explain that he was not an undercover cop, rather, he was a plainclothes cop. He told me that his boss was John Harrington (St. Paul Police Chief). You know, this guy:

Amy Goodman Grills St. Paul Police Chief About Her Arrest and Two Democracy Now! Producers
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/03/18532715.php
§
by ~Bradley
plain-clothes-cop4_9-2-08.jpg
After taking photographs of demonstrators, this fellow hopped into an unmarked police SUV. The guy in the driver's seat was wearing a police badge on his shirt.
§
by ~Bradley
plain-clothes-cop5_9-2-08.jpg
§
by ~Bradley
plain-clothes-cop6_9-2-08.jpg
§
by ~Bradley
plain-clothes-cop7_9-2-08.jpg
§
by ~Bradley
plain-clothes-cop8_9-2-08.jpg
§
by ~Bradley
plain-clothes-cops9_9-2-08.jpg
Interview with Undercover Infiltrators at the March For Our Lives in St. Paul, 9/2/08: video
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/03/18532509.php
Add Your Comments

Comments (Hide Comments)
by Anonymous
There was nothing subtle about the undercovers. The guy on the right in the black with glasses approached my black-clad comrade and asked, "hey can I get a quick pictures". The response, "hell no." Then he asked me, "well can you please do me a favor?" To which I responded some of the same and we both pointed our fingers at him to call it out.

Also to note, there was at least one person dressed in all black (hood and bandana too) who was definitely wearing an earpiece.

There was a woman not in your photos who was wearing black clothing (not bloc style but more plainclothes like, maybe sunglasses too, can't quite remember) who was walking by me, not looking directly but I could tell she had me in the peripheral vision. Camera was held down by her waist as if she were 'just carrying it', but I noticed that the lens was pointed near my face as she was nonchalantly walking. I definitely saw her click the shutter at this point.

Did anyone else notice the "window washers" on the side of the building just west of Mears Park on Sibley? They weren't working too hard. When we pointed them out and waved they ascended a few floor up towards the top of the building and continued their surveillance.
by j
there were way more undercovers than just those identified. when the scuffle happened in the street during the speeches in the park prior to the march, they were swarming like mosquitoes all around that park, hanging back, watching, checking things out, talking totheir cop buddies, putting their earpieces in for a minute, etc....
i can think of at least 7 more i saw than the ones shown here.

i'd like to thank the pigs for swelling the march numbers by at least 25. without your hard work (at trying to not look stupid) the city of St. Paul would've been under threat of attack from the moms with babies and activists marching in their PERMITTED march. way to go assholes. you make the KGB proud.
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