(Updated 5/3/12) The government has taken a step further in attempts to demonize the occupy movement and protest in general.
Today, the media is reporting that the fellows involved in the Ohio bridge bomb plot are members of the Occupy movement.
The goal is to tie together the actions of these bomb plotters who also claim to be anarchists into a neat little package to prove to America and the world that occupy, protesting and protesters are bad, mmkay?
The tactic of dispatching agent provocateurs to undermine peaceful protests is a regular tactic seen in nearly all social justice movements. In the past few years a majority of the trouble caused at protests here and abroad have been at the hand of "anarchists" who usually have no tie to the movement at hand.
Agent provocateurs can be found from the smallest of local activist groups to larger organizations and gatherings. The troubling trend of FBI infiltration into such groups to coerce individuals into planning actions they may have not otherwise have thought of is a worrisome aspect of being associated with activist organizations. The tactic of dispatching agent provocateurs to undermine peaceful protests is a regular tactic seen in nearly all social justice movements. In the past few years a majority of the trouble caused at protests here and abroad have been at the hand of "anarchists" who usually have no tie to the movement at hand.
In this case, the accused bomb plotters can be labeled as domestic terrorists and under Obama's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) - detained indefinitely without right to trial.
Take it one step further and the Occupy movement or anyone protesting the US government could be labeled a domestic terrorist and held under the NDAA guidelines. Good thing he never closed Guantanamo....
The case for the government and military using agent provocateurs at protests has been vetted for years. Take a look at these headlines found in mainstream publications showing some admittance that this is indeed a tactic used by the government and military:
G20 police 'used undercover men to incite crowds' - Guardian UK
ACLU wants probe into police-staged DNC protest - Denver Times
New York Police Covertly Join in at Protest Ralies - NY TIMES
...and this is just what they've allowed to come out. Many independent journalists have been writing on this topic for years.
The problem with trying to color a whole movement from the actions of a few bad apples is problematic. Should we look at the religious affiliation of serial killers to prove that their religion spawns murderers? Or the political association of charged Wall Street or Washington criminals to prove that Republicans (or whomever) are inherently crooks?
The powers that be are banking on the fact that the general population will not use their critical thinking skills and be swayed into believing that these few men, who were essentially entrapped and coerced by the FBI in the first place, represent the Occupy Movement and protesters in general.
Lets just bank on the fact that many, many people are waking up.
Some Links on the use of agent provocateurs:
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