Comments on: FBI, Ramsey County spied on Iowa group before RNC

By: Rick

Rick — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:04:11 +0000

Uhhh, Ann… Were you anywhere near the RNC while in town? I was, and the behavior from people who call themselves adults was sickening. Feel free to peacefully protest, but the crap I saw go on was indescribeable.
What happens in law enforcement is someone from within the group being targeted usually snitches them out, as shown with the group from Texas. Law enforcement investigates and if deemed worthy, try to infiltrate the group. It’s no different than law enforcement infiltrating a biker gang, drug gang, the mafia, whatever.
Please keep in mind, these groups had leveled some pretty caustic threats towards law enforcement and had laid out part of their plans on how they were going to disrupt/attack delegates taking process in our electoral process.
Lastly, I am pro life. Please do not group me in with some nut who attacks clinics and targets their workers. But ask yourself this question; how many babies do those clinics murder every day. THAT Ann is a despicable act.

By: Ann

Ann — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:27:25 +0000

It amazes me Fletcher hasn’t been investigate. How can another state allow it’s citizens to be spied on and their personal data collected without just cause by a sheriff’s dept from another freaking state. How shameful and embarrassing.

And you idiots who say job well done to the cops. How easily you give up for freedoms and civil rights. If the sheriff’s dept from another state came in and collected data on you because you belonged to the NRA, or because you belonged to conservative church that supported Pro-Life and Pro-Life activist groups (that have been know to kill drs and bomb clinics) you guys would want to start a revolution.

Fletcher and the neo-con homeland security goon squad had no right to raid the homes in Minneapolis and no right to spy on peace groups in other states. None of these people had committed any crimes.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:59:54 +0000

Good move by the cops. Job well done

By: Rick

Rick — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:22:17 +0000

Good. Proactive police work rather than reactive. Well done…

By: Abbie

Abbie — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:43:44 +0000

In addition to “Norma Jean,” who was working for Sheriff Fletcher, there was an FBI informant in Iowa City. According to the story in the Des Moines Register:

“Political activists Ehl and Goodner said they believe they know the identity of the FBI informant who spied on the Iowa City protesters.
“They say it was a young man from Michigan named “Jason” who claimed he was a U.S. military conscientious objector. He told people he had been discharged from the Air Force after he objected to being deployed to Iraq.
“The man hung out with Iowa City activists for months, sharing beers and meals with them while expressing solidarity with their political beliefs.
“Goodner and Ehl said “Jason” later admitted that he provided information to the FBI in exchange for money.”

Of course, FBI informant Brandon Darby infiltrated the Austin, Texas, anarchist group, and had some kind of influence on the “Texas 2,” who pleaded guilty to making Molotov cocktails.

There likely were other FBI and police informants among anarchist and anti-war groups in other cities in the run-up to the Republican convention in St. Paul.

By: justin

justin — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:33:16 +0000

Funny, I remember Matt Bostrom of the St. Paul police telling people at the RNC community planning meetings that this kind of thing would not happen. Granted, the St. Paul Police and Ramsey County Sheriff are two different outfits, but somehow I can’t help but feel lied to. Not that I’m surprised.