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October 19, 2012

Boston Police Spied on Protests, Meetings 
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Boston police are being accused of routinely spying on local peace
groups at their meetings and protests. The American Civil Liberties
Union says police have filed regular reports to Boston's Regional
Intelligence Center detailing the activities of groups including
Veterans for Peace, United for Justice with Peace and CODEPINK. One
event at a church featuring the late historian Howard Zinn was filed
under the category of "Criminal Act: Groups-Extremist." Officers also
monitored protesters' out-of-state plans, including attendance at a
rally in Washington, D.C. The police have also held on to the
surveillance files for several years despite federal rules that call for
them to be expunged if no criminal or terrorist activity is involved. In
a statement, the ACLU of Massachusetts said: "Spying on church groups
and peaceful, non-violent, political gatherings violates civil
liberties, wastes scarce police resources and doesn't keep us safe."

 

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