DoD Training Manual: Protests are "Low-Level Terrorism"

[quakerboy]

7. To be entirely fair

That does have some aspect of truth.

What was the goal of the Tea party gatherings where they brought and proudly displayed guns?

Even here on DU, as we talk about OWS, how often does someone say something about the 1% quaking in their boots?

Causing fear(low level terror) in the opponent.

Low level terrorism. Same as, for instance, a boycott of Target due to their anti-gay political donations. We hope to bring the fear that enough customers will leave to effect their bottom line. Truth is even if every DU member quit going there, it would hardly effect their bottom line, and certainly not the CEO's compensation. But if we can show strength they will fear that more might leave them, and change their ways.

That said, the suppression of nonviolent protest would go far past "low level terrorism". The way OWS has been treated, the way the Convention protestors were treated before them, that would go right to mid-level terrorism in my opinion(progression- nonviolent to harming someone, with people being killed as high level). The way that it has been handled by law enforcement officers has clearly been set out to intimidate, with the hope of terrorizing citizens into not exercising their rights to speech.