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Critical Mass Bike Rides Face Police Crackdown
New Video Evidence Shows NYPD Covert Surveillance of Cyclists
and Protests
"It's An Excellent Relationship": NYPD on Police
- CIA Links
Critical Mass Bike Rides Face Police Crackdown
Cycling advocates have faced targeted surveillance and policing
over the past year. We bring you excerpts from the documentary
"Still We Ride," which traces the police crackdown
on Critical Mass bike rides in New York City since the Republican
National Convention. [includes rush
transcript]
The ad hoc bicycle advocacy movement Critical Mass consists
of monthly group bike rides in cities around the world. In
New York City, the rides have been specially targeted by NYPD
officers in uniform and in plain clothes.
Last August, when thousands descended on New York for the
Republican National Convention, over three thousand bicyclists
and skaters participated in a Critical mass ride on the eve
of the start of street protests. That night, police moved
in on the bikers and arrested hundreds. Over a week and a
half surrounding the RNC, police arrested nearly 400 bike
riders.
Since then, activists and civil liberties groups say the
City of New York has been targeting bicyclists and Critical
Mass in particular. Police presence at rides includes plain
clothes officers who videotape riders without identifying
themselves as members of the NYPD.
- Still We
Ride, documentary produced by Elizabeth Press, Andrew
Lynn and Christopher Ryan.
- Elizabeth Press, co-director of Still
We Ride. She is also a producer at Democracy Now!
New Video Evidence Shows NYPD Covert Surveillance
of Cyclists and Protests
We host a roundtable discussion on covert police surveillance
of demonstrations in New York City. Newly released video tape
shows what the New York Times describes as "the robust
presence of disguised officers" since the Republican
National Convention in August 2004. We speak with the New
York Police Department, I-Witness video, and The New York
Times. [includes rush
transcript - partial]
Last Thursday, The New York Times published an article revealing
that it had obtained videotapes showing the New York Police
Department conducting surveillance by planting undercover
officers to secretly infiltrate and monitor anti-war protests,
bike rallies, and even a vigil for a dead cyclist. The footage
the Times obtained showed officers holding protest signs,
carrying flowers with mourners, riding their bicycles –
and videotaping people at events.
The Times says that the footage shows at least ten undercover
operatives taking part in seven public gatherings since the
Republican National Convention in August 2004. In an editorial
published the day after the story ran, The Times wrote, "it
is a sad day when a police force generally known for its professionalism
is caught using underhanded tactics to spy on and even distort
political protests and mass rallies."
This is the latest in a series of revelations about domestic
spying that have come to light in the past few weeks. Last
week NBC News revealed that the Pentagon has been monitoring
peaceful anti-war protesters and the New York Times exposed
how President Bush ordered the National Security Agency to
eavesdrop on Americans without court-approved warrants. Also,
newly released documents show that counterterrorism agents
at the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been monitoring
domestic organizations active in causes as diverse as peace,
the environment, animal cruelty and poverty relief.
- Jim Dwyer, New York Times Metro reporter, author of the
expose on covert police surveillance published December
22nd.
- Paul J. Browne, New York City Police Department's Deputy
Commissioner of Public Information.
- Eileen Clancy, forensic video analyst and member of I-Witness
video, a project that assembled hundreds of videotapes
shot during the RNC.
- Norman Siegel, longtime civil rights attorney. He is
former head of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
"It's An Excellent Relationship": NYPD
on Police - CIA Links
New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner for Public
Information, Paul Browne, described the ties between the NYPD
and the the CIA as "an excellent relationship" on
today's edition of Democracy Now!
In light of the NYPD's recent surveillance activity, Democracy
Now! asked Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne about the connections
between the New York Police Department and the CIA.
In January 2002, David Cohen was appointed to be the NYPD’s
first Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence. Cohen came to New
York after a 35-year career with the CIA. From 1995 to 1997,
Cohen served as the CIA's Directorate of Operations, where
he oversaw the agency's worldwide operations, managed the
CIA's global network of offices and personnel, and maintained
agency relationships with foreign intelligence and security
services.
At the time of his appointment Police Commissioner Raymond
Kelly said “David has a strong reputation for forging
ties and working effectively with other government agencies,
foreign governments, and the private sector, and his drawing
upon those strengths and contacts will greatly benefit the
City as he directs the Police Department's intelligence efforts."
- Paul J. Browne, New York City Police Department's Deputy
Commissioner of Public Information
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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