Agent-Provocateurs

How To Counter The Growing Threat Of Agent Provocateurs

December 8, 2021 George Lakey, Waging Nonviolence. Strategize! Agent-Provocateurs, Protests, Violence

As awareness of racial injustice, climate crises and sexist violence grow in multiple countries, activists are responding in greater and greater numbers. We have this in common with earlier periods in history that birthed large social movements: activists “upping the ante,” increasing the power of their action. One-off protests become sustained campaigns, short actions like parades become long marches, a union’s token stay-at-home becomes a prolonged strike, law-abiding demonstrators turn to civil disobedience. It’s easy, however, to overlook a key activist vulnerability that accompanies these moments of increased passion and determination — namely, the increased chance that our opponents will try to lure us into violence by secretly using “agent provocateurs.” Such individuals are planted among us to masquerade as activists, but are actually paid to coax us into using violence. This is a good time to be wary of that possibility.

Police Infiltrate Anti-Fascist Group: “A$$hole At Protest Was A Cop”

September 12, 2017 Michael Roberts, www.westword.com Resist! Agent-Provocateurs, Colorado, Infiltrators, Police

By Michael Roberts for Westword - This week, attorney David Lane expects to file a motion to dismiss charges against members of the Colorado Springs Socialists, a student protest group, over a March demonstration in Colorado Springs on the grounds of "outrageous conduct" by local law enforcement. The reason? Lane argues that undercover officers were improperly embedded among the nonviolent protesters, whose largest offense at the rally appears to have been jaywalking. Continue to read Lane's explanation of the case, which was first reported by the Colorado Springs Independent. "This is a bunch of Colorado College students who call themselves a socialist organization, which doesn't carry with it the connotations it used to, given that Bernie Sanders also carries with him the socialist moniker," Lane says. "They were having a protest about injustice, and when the march moved from point A to point B, the cops told them to get out of the streets. They didn't move out of the streets immediately, and they ended up assembling at a municipal building plaza — and when they were ordered to disperse, they said, 'No.'" How did the cops react to this response? Lane knows, since their exchanges were captured on body camera footage his firm has obtained.

Five Anti-War Protesters Released After Posting $157,000 Bail

April 12, 2017 Staff, www.fightbacknews.org Resist! Agent-Provocateurs, Peace, Syria, Wars and Militarism

By Fightback News. Jacksonville, FL - The Jacksonville community quickly rallied to the defense of their beloved community leaders and activists. On April 8, over 200 people, including leaders in the labor movement, Black community, and progressive groups assembled to demand that all the charges against the Jacksonville 5 be dropped. Supporters chanted “Drop the charges” and the mother of Connell Crooms gave a tearful testament to Connell's character. Community leaders called for a full independent investigation into the police misconduct on April 7, and an investigation into the police spying program on progressive activists in Jacksonville. Just weeks earlier, Jacksonville's Florida Times Union reported that the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) had been spying on protesters, amongst them, Dave Schneider, Connell Crooms and Christina Kittle.

Police Agent-Provocateurs Exposed At Anti-Austerity Protest

January 7, 2016 Carl Bronski, www.wsws.org Resist! Agent-Provocateurs, Infiltrators, Police abuse, Surveillance

By Carl Bronski for WSWS - Further information has come to light concerning the Montreal Police Department’s use of agent-provocateurs disguised as “Black Bloc” protestors at a December 18 demonstration against police violence and the anti-austerity policies of the Quebec Liberal government. Initially the police refused to admit that they had infiltrated the protest. But now they are strongly defending the actions of an undercover cop who drew his revolver and threatened protesters who had “outed” him as a police agent provocateur.

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