THP went undercover among Occupy Nashville protesters

[kpete]

Source: The Tennessean

THP went undercover among Occupy Nashville protesters
After reports of lewd behavior, troopers went undercover

Written by
Nate Rau | The Tennessean


State troopers and Metro police officers conducted undercover operations in order to infiltrate Occupy Nashville protesters in the days leading up to the controversial arrests last month, according to records reviewed by The Tennessean.

Responding to increasing reports of illegal and lewd behavior among Occupy Nashville protesters, Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers dressed in street clothes and mingled among the crowd, according to the documents.

Unmarked vehicles also made regular rounds of the public square above the Legislative Plaza office building, where the protests have taken place every day since early October. Occupy Nashville protesters, like their national counterparts in Occupy Wall Street, oppose undue corporate influence on government.

An email from Department of Safety and Homeland Security Assistant Commissioner David Purkey instructed two officers to wear “blend in clothing” for the operation.

Read more: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111110/NEWS/311100042/THP-went-undercover-among-Occupy-Nashville-protesters

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Undercover Tennessee Cops Infiltrated Occupy Nashville, Hoped That It Would Get Shut Down
By Zaid Jilani on Nov 10, 2011 at 10:30 am

The Tennessean today writes about how the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) infiltrated Occupy Nashville using plainclothed officers. The paper used a public records request to obtain emails confirming that two THP officers infiltrated the Nashville protests.

The two THP officers who infiltrated the movement used vague rumors of drug use and lewd behavior to justify their need to go undercover at Occupy Nashville. One of the officers, Lt. Preston Donaldson, even created a fake online handle to try to infiltrate the group’s online chats. In an email obtained by the Tennessean, Donaldson was hoping that the Health Department would shut down the protests and make the police “look like the good guys“:



In addition to regularly monitoring Occupy Nashville updates on social media, the THP unsuccessfully attempted to access a secure chat room for the group on Oct. 10. “I attempted to log onto it giving a fake login name Patrick82 on my laptop and was not successful,” an email from Donaldson said.

Just over a week later, Donaldson expressed hope that the protest would be shut down by the state Health Department. “If they start camping, I’m confident that a public health issue will soon develop,” Donaldson’s email stated. “Then the Health Dept. can shut it down and we all look like the good guys.”


http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/11/10/366016/undercover-tennessee-cops-infiltrated-occupy-nashville-hoped-that-it-would-get-shut-down/

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Occupy Nashville protesters are now reacting to the emails obtained by NewsChannel 5 Investigates detailing how the decision was made to raid the Occupy Nashville camp.

The emails also indicated that the state knew before the second nights of arrests that none of the charges were likely to hold up in front of a judge.

"My question in response would be :
‘Why are they messing with such a peaceful protest in such a warlike manner.
Why declare war on peace?'" asked one of the protesters overnight.

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/16006052/protesters-react-to-thp-emails-about-raid-arrests

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THP Emails Describe 'Covert' Plan, Concerns About Arrests
VIDEO: http://www.newschannel5.com/story/16003432/thp-emails-describe-covert-operation-concerns-about-occupy-arrests

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SELECTED EMAILS
http://www.newschannel5.com/category/225361/selected-thp-emails-regarding-occupy-nashville-arrests

[freshwest]

1. "...look like the good guys..." Rather juvenile, but I'm sure the media bought that sales job.

[saras]

18. They don't seem to get that there's something to being good guys beyond "looking like". Fools.

[benld74]

2. Another Barney Fife attempting to impress another Andy,,,

[Blue_Tires]

3. major kick

[DeSwiss]

4. K&R n/t

[patrice]

5. Trust is fostered by honesty & authentically shared power, not disguises & entrapment. nt

[alfredo]

6. Our local OWS has been good at self policing. The police have

been visible, but friendly.

[SoapBox]

7. The out of control Police Militia Departments, continue their slimey activities...

As I've been saying over and over and over...

Time for the 99% to take control of the Police Departments, paid for with
the TAX DOLLARS of the 99%, back from the 1% and Rich Special Interests.

Hey Militia...How's about going out and arresting some Banksters???

[dotymed]

8. I am confident that the vast majority of Occupy protests

have undercover "police" (FBI, whatever) in their groups. It has always been a tactic to infiltrate "the enemy." Too bad that they do not recognize that we are not the enemy. The enemy is the 1%.

Of course their bosses bosses are all about "protecting" the 1%. Most of these agents are eager to advance their career by pleasing their masters. Isn't that a lot of what OWS is about? "Our" politicians protecting and profiting from the 1% at the expense of the 99%.

It will be too late when "law enforcement" is targeted for privatization by TPTB.

[usrname]

10. I agree

Protecting the 1% is like protecting Jerry Sandusky. You can do it for so long before you realize how immoral and unconscionable it is. The police, I hope, will soon understand that.

[Uncle Joe]

9. And that's kind of ironic as Occupy Nashville had asked the state for troopers to be posted there

for security purposes, this would've only required less than a handful of State Troopers but they were told the state couldn't afford to "babysit" them, just prior to 70+ troopers being sent to arrest them two nights in a row.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[DallasNE]

11. The THP Went Under The Covers?

At least so to speak. We all know that law enforcement people do this kind of stuff as a first resort all the time so I'm sure Occupy Nashville wasn't taken by surprise. Occupy Oakland has had some real problems with an anarchist group attempting to blend in and the anarchists have caused some real problems out there with their criminal behavior.

[yodermon]

12. "Why declare war on peace?"

Well *that* pretty much sums it up.

[DirkGently]

13. In other words, police decided to shut the protest down FIRST, then investigated only to justify it.

So much of the world works this way now. No need to reach conclusions based on reasoning, because you can always backfill some kind of lie after reaching the conclusion you want. Iraq, anyone?

It's called "bad faith" and it's a lot of what's wrong in my opinion.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

14. Bunch a Double Knot spy wannabes. Ooooohh, sneaky pigs. You're so "smrt"

[MisterP]

15. so any provocateurs will be peeing in bushes, not writing on windows?

unmask! unzip!

[formercia]

16. Missed the whole point.

There were Homeland Security people involved in this operation.

Why the FUCK is Homeland Security going after peaceful protesters and who is the ASSHOLE who ordered it?

[Uncle Joe]

17. Exactly, they could have been there in the open and just listened to what was going on.

:shrug:

That's what happens when the state doesn't trust the people anymore which ironically is consistent with the modern Republican demonization of "We the People's" Government, anyone still believing the preface and Preamble of the U.S. Constitution become suspect in Corporate Supremacist eyes.

This is a natural by product of a political mindset bent on alienating and disenfranchising the people from their government in order to obtain and/or maintain power for power's sake.

[cory777]

19. Tenn. troopers infiltrated Occupy protests

Source: UPI

NASHVILLE, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Tennessee state troopers went undercover to infiltrate Occupy Nashville protests before arrests last month, The (Nashville) Tennessean reported.

Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers dressed in street clothes mixed with the protesters in response to reports of illegal and lewd behavior, documents reviewed by the Tennessean show. The newspaper said it obtained the documents under a public records request from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

In an e-mail, David Purkey, assistant commissioner of the department, instructed two officers to wear "blend-in clothing" for the operation.

Troopers also regularly drove unmarked vehicles around a public square near the Legislative Plaza office building, where protests have taken place daily since early October.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/11/10/Tenn-troopers-infiltrated-Occupy-protests/UPI-17451320983756/#ixzz1dNAo49ls


Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/11/10/Tenn-troopers-infiltrated-Occupy-protests/UPI-17451320983756/?spt=hs&or=tn

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Breaking Activist News http://activistnews.blogspot.com/

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. water is wet and in other news... sun rises in the east

anybody who does not understand this, does not belong in a protest.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

23. More over, its in a public place with no access controls

If the cops signed up to work on committees, spoke at the GA, tried to incite violent actions etc there might be some substance to the "infiltration" claim. Otherwise they were just present in the park.

As Nadin said if this is news to anyone, then they need wake up and smell the coffee.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. No there is infiltration

in any insurgency there is... and this is being treated as one, But in other news water is wet.

I assume that MY File is growing now, by leaps and bounds, since I am playing cub reporter.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

25. I agree that there presumtively is infiltration, but this event was not infiltration

They were read instantly and made no attempt to "join in".

I look around the encampment where I am participating and wonder who the infiltrators are. I do not speculate with others, but it is mildly amusing to consider.

When plain clothes cops or gov employees come through its pretty obvious. Normally no one says anything though it is not clear everyone figures it out. That is fine too.

[Tx4obama]

21. Man Outed As Undercover Cop At Occupy Oakland Condemns Police Brutality, Supports The Movement

Man Outed As Undercover Cop At Occupy Oakland Condemns Police Brutality, Supports The Movement

Article and VIDEO here: http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/11/10/366398/oakland-cop-supports-movement/

[ProgressiveProfessor]

22. There are some real quesitons about that particular cop...

http://www.pixiq.com/article/oakland-cop-accused-of-infiltrator-occupy-camp-responds
http://www.pixiq.com/article/oakland-cop-suspected-of-infiltrating-attacked-cameraman-in-2009
Including that the city had to pay $175K judgment for misbehavior he was involved in.



He may be above board, he may not be. Just don't rush to judgment...

[msongs]

26. all those armed to the teeth police in the face of the people. pathetic nt

[Magoo48]

27. Would be a bitch if these junior 007s had to report back that what they witnessed was honorable.

[No Elephants]

28. I want to see them wiggling their fingers. Something tells me they are probably best at the

"block" arm signal.