Memphis police accused of using fake accounts to surveil black activists

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Memphis police accused of using fake accounts to surveil black activists

Documents appear to show police kept dossiers on dozens of Memphis-area activists along with lists of their associates

Jamiles Lartey
Wed 1 Aug 2018 11.00 BST Last modified on Wed 1 Aug 2018 11.01 BST

Memphis activist and protester Keedran Franklin already knew the city’s police had an eye out for him.

At local demonstrations, he’s frequently the first person to be arrested. Sometimes officers sit outside his office in unmarked cars waiting for him to leave, Franklin and his attorney Scott Kramer claim. In public, officers who Franklin has never met come up to him and address him by name, Kramer said, “just to let (Franklin) know that they (the officers) all know who he is.”

But after all that, Franklin was still surprised to see just how deep it went.

A trove of documents released by the city of Memphis late last week appear to show that its police department has been systematically using fake social media profiles to surveil local Black Lives Matter activists, and that it kept dossiers and detailed power point presentations on dozens of Memphis-area activists along with lists of their known associates.

No name is more prevalent in the documents than that of 32-year old Franklin, who has become a veteran organizer with the Memphis Coalition of Concerned Citizens and Black Lives Matter causes over the past few years. It’s “saddening” and “a little scary at times,” he told the Guardian, while finding a touch of humor in it too. “Doing all that for this ol’ poor black guy from south Memphis,” Franklin laughed.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/01/memphis-police-black-lives-matter-activists

[better]

1. I for one do not find this at all difficult to believe.

I lived in Memphis for the first half of my life, and know from experience that some of the cops there are some shady MF'ers.
And I'm a middle-class white dude, so I'm sure I barely know the half of it!

[AldoLeopold]

2. What are you doing?

"You are talking about vengeance. Will vengeance bring your son back to you? Or my boy to me? I forgo the vengeance of my son. But I have selfish reasons! My youngest son was forced to leave this country... because of this Clinton business! Now I have to make arrangements to bring him home safely. But, if some unfortunate accident might befall him. Or if he gets shot in the head by a police officer... Or if he gets struck by a bolt of lightning, I'm going to blame some of the people in this room! And that I do not forgive. But, that aside, I assure that I will not be the one to break the peace we have made here today."

Years ago I was a liberal. Not that long ago - I voted for Obama twice. This is not a troll post. Please understand that. I actually know where you're coming from. I do not think it will be good for us if you persist.

Since I was young, I have had an awakening. These reasons I will not mention, nor will you pay attention to. I just needed a bit of solace in a post to zealots. I do think you are zealots - and I have not used this word very often - I think you have become just like the National Socialist Party. A people of waning values and morals which are not held by most of the population...so you resort to bitter tactics. Is this right?

What are you doing? This wasn't even liberalism when I was a liberal. You are hurting this country. Very badly. You will see it as a victory, but it is not. I love my country. I love the world more, and now, maybe only in the meantime, the United States is the world. It won't be forever, so we should leave something lasting and good before we are done. Yes?

Please stop. You've created maniacs all over the country. This I think is true. This is not good. Please stop. Stop with the press manipulation, stop with the violence, stop with the anarchy.

My youngest - my son, he is 22, is a reasonable man. I want his future in this country to be good and prosperous. I think many may hinder that.

In my old age, I'd say that violence will only cause more problems than any here realize. This is not good.

This I will say: If you feel like you must persist in these actions and in these repercussions to duly held elections, things will get to a very bad place. I don't think either of us want that. No matter what your political bent.

Step back - please. None of this can come to any kind of good. We're all pawns of someone bigger than us - but we do not have to act like Mongols chopping off heads before they enter a new village.

I'm asking you kindly - please stop with this.