I had two undercover cops follow me around a Bush Protest today

[Kathy in Cambridge]

Let me preface this by saying that I look the farthest thing from a radical on the face of the earth. (BTW I'll have my protest report with pics tomorrow). I got to the protest early to take pics of the people assembling to protest King George, and the 10 Bush supporters that eventually had to be defended by the Boston PD because they couldn't defend themselves against the vitriol from AFL-CIO, Iron Workers, Carpenters, Veterans, Military Families, and ordinary folks. I have pictures of these cowering losers also. Boo hoo-they had to cross the street because they were afraid of real Americans! :cry:

Anyway, here I am, nice blonde well-dressed chick wandering around taking pics and these two flat foots begin following me. I walked from the corner of Arlington & Boylston down by the Four Seasons, where guests to the $2000 per plate fundraiser were arriving early to chants of 'traitors', 'send your own kids to Iraq', etc. I took pictures of women in fur and the fat white men that accompanied them. The two undercover guys follow me there and around the block. Finally, I turn around:

"You're cops, I can tell by your bad shoes"

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"I'm a citizen taking pictures, leave me alone"

"Whatever, lady." They knew I knew-they had these smirks on their faces.

I guess everyone's a suspect these days. Tomorrow, I'll have pics and all. For now, good night!

[bobthedrummer]

1. You should have taken their picture!

We used to do that a lot, turn it right back on them.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. I Did

;-)

I'll post tomorrow!

[bobthedrummer]

4. Way to go, sister!

:hi:

[buycitgo]

17. you should have told them your name was Mrs. Henry Krinkle

think Taxi Driver

[9215]

30. I had a strange experience

Can't wait to see the picks.

I had a flat-foot come up to me at a protest in Seattle in Oct. 2002, he picked me of all people, and questioned me about my Orwell quote on the sign I was holding. He wanted to know what the source of the quote was. It was like being on the Internet when someone asks you the source from a post.

It was a big crowd and I saw him talk to no one else. He was wearing a dark full lenth coat and nondescript clothes, close cropped hair, tinted glasses.

I asked him what branch of the intelligence community he worked for and he didn't flinch, just drifted away.

[fearnobush]

3. Excellent Story!!!!

Too bad our state sponsored media will not share what the people in the streets want. We don't need them anyway.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

5. You have to understand-I live in the Cradle of Liberty here in Boston

everyone minds their own business-it's a cultural thing. That two cops would follow some middle-class looking woman with a fake Louis Vuitton bag around is the height of ridiculousness. This is what our tax money pays for. Jesus.

[Wapsie B]

6. I want to be on the side of the police

so badly. They've got a tough job to do. Then we have something like this. What do cops have against a person taking pictures? If you fit some kind of profile I could understand them tailing you with chimpy coming around. But this is ridiculous.

[Zero Gravitas]

23. JTTF

This happening all over, police are watching protesters and infiltrating anti-war groups etc. In most areas there are "Joint Terrorism Task Forces" or some such similar Law Enforcement jargonese. Its basically the FBI & local cops working together to combat "terrorists" which apparently includes any organized group opposed to this Administration's foreign policy.

[yardwork]

39. It sounds like these weren't "cops" - they were some kind of undercover

thugs hired by Rover.

I don't have a link but there have been threads here that link to articles about a private under-cover "security" force that Rove has hired to work with the group to reelect *

It sounds like that might be who was following Rose, and questioning other people at rallies.

I guess that they are trying to intimidate people to stay home.

[Warpy]

7. Really piss 'em off

Dress to the nines for the next demonstration, dress as though you were trying to convince a banker to give you a huge loan for your new business. Not only will this confer a little protection from the worst the cops throw at us, if it does happen, just think of the pictures it will provide.

It's easy for middle America to disparage protestors who look like they're going to a picnic, easier still to disparage those who look like 1960s college radicals. Look like "nice," solidly corporate citizens, and middle America will get the point and be totally on your side.

It's stupid, but it works. We're trying to reach the folks isolated out in TV land who have been trained to focus on style rather than substance and image rather than character.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

8. I'm pretty fashionable

which is why this whole 'profiling' thing was HILARIOUS.

[Cleita]

9. "Women in fur and the fat white men that accompanied them"

I love that quote. Way to go girl. :loveya:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

10. Describes Ugly Republicans to a tee, doesn't it?

[johncoby2]

11. We greet bush at the airport

We have set up at Ellington AFB, the one he flew out of in the 70's, and we bring our flags, our red white and blue stuff and the secret service leaves us alone.

Then when bush comes by, we pull out our signs!

See for a picture of what we do each time he comes to houston.

[xxqqqzme]

12. ahhh, I C a

Code Pink slip in there - love it!

[Warpy]

13. That's part of what I'm talking about

Dress like corporate hacks. Steal their patriotic symbols. Rub their noses in who the real enemy of this country is.

[calimary]

35. It's an EXCELLENT idea. A "Credibility Costume."

I remember a lady at one of the L.A. protests last year - dressed in a VERY respectable "republi-CON" office-type dress, plain stockings and simple pumps. She was holding up one of the BIGGEST handmade signs. She said she never dressed like that ordinarily, but wanted to make a statement.

It's a TERRIFIC tactic. I shall dress up, myself, the next time I go out.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

14. That is great!

hahaha, Dress like Bush supporters then when the time is right whip out the signs! Great idea!

Love the pic

TWL

[havocmom]

22. on cloudy days, carry an folded umbrella

open it up to show message painted on it at appropriate moments

[prolesunited]

16. Which one are you?

You think they would have figured it out by now.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[nostamj]

25. "Honk if you have WMDs" !

inspired!

[BabsSong]

28. Honk if you Have WMD's---I just spit my coffee through my nose

Ohhhh, god that's beautiful............

[calimary]

36. Is there a bumper sticker of that?

I WANT ONE.

[theHandpuppet]

31. Y'all ROCK!

That was great. Thanks for sharing the pic.

[newyawker99]

42. Hi johncoby2!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[SodoffBush]

15. I look forward to seeing the pictures

Thanks for taking the time to protest.

[Demonaut]

18. Iknew it, women judge you by your shoes

lol

[Eye and Monkey]

19. I have video of those two cops for you.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

20. LOL-more like the Keystone Cops!

[sangh0]

21. Well you ARE a dangerous person

what with your being in possession of the truth about Bush*

[Kathy in Cambridge]

24. Armed witha camera-yup, real dangerous

[goforit]

26. Next time just scream "rape"........and watch them run!!!

Oh and take photos of them running and then send them to
king George!!!

[MadHound]

27. This is becoming common practice everywhere I think

Perhaps it isn't your local police, perhaps it is somebody from one of the alphabet agencies, or Homeland Security.

Here in Columbia Mo, we have had every march for the past year and a half photographed and filmed, along with our usual weekly gathering at the post office. In fact we've gotten quite friendly with these folks, mug for the cameras etc. It is just so ridiculous.

Of course this is an old tactic, I remember various folks doing this for Vietnam and anti nuke protests. Somewhere in a file in Washington DC is a film record of my protesting life, from the age of nine until the present.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, I either snap photos right back or ignore the people, it is just a waste of money and manpower.

[sniffa]

29. good job

i was there for a short whiLe, before they began moving the crowd to the free-speech zone. i did see a person with a DU sign, so i wanted to come say hi. :D

there was a group of young kids there (Looked to be high schooL aged, or younger) dressed in sport coats. i couLd onLy assume they were part of some young repubLican cLub. such a shame when the youngins go bad.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

32. I didn't see a DU sign, unfortunately

My friend and I were hanging out with some ironworkers from Southie who were harassing the Repubbies-all 12 of them.

[sniffa]

33. ..

the sign said, "death from DU", so i just assumed it was someone from here.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

34. Depleted Uranium-that was a Gulf War Veterans Group

that was handing out stuff about depleted uranium.

[chimpy the poopthrower]

37. On the other hand...

Would you prefer it if the cops left you alone just because you ARE a white, middle-class female and just focused on not-so-well-dressed minority men to follow around? It always suprises me when progressives say things like "I don't look anything like a terrorist/criminal/troublemaker, etc." What are those types supposed to look like?

In your place I would have approached a uniformed officer, pointed out the two who were following you, and said "See those two men? They've been following me around and it's making me nervous."

I think the ideas some have suggested on this thread make sense. Do carry a camera around to document such things.

And I think protesters should always consider how their dress may affect their message. In your case, being dressed well didn't protect you from being followed, but more important than deflecting police attention is the ability to create an image that may influence other Americans. Why do you think Republicans do things like have their audiences take off their ties to look more blue-collar? I always dress well at such events because to me it is a serious event that deserves serious clothing.

[yardwork]

40. Excellent points!

The face of America protesting against Bush is the face of America - period. We represent a cross-section of all people in this country, including all income levels, all ethnicities, all types of clothing.

I also like the suggestion to point out undercover thugs to uniformed police. That might even get the undercovers some unwanted media exposure.

[cmd]

38. Thank you, protesters, one and all

Keep the momentum rolling.

[wicket]

41. I can't wait to see the pics! :)

n/t

[Kathy in Cambridge]

43. Me too!

:D

[Tuttle]

46. Where does one get 'enlistment forms'?

I saw this on the thread in LBN and thought I'd ask --would be nice to have a PDF so we can print them out for our own civil disobedience.

Thanks for your chutzpah, RR!!!

Tut-tut

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

44. Did they have the stereotypical mustaches?

[chelsea0011]

45. Nothing like a beautiful day in Boston

[Desperadoe]

47. Post their pictures

and make them famous, or infamous, as it would be. They're probably not real cops anyway so you could charge them with stalking you.

These kinds of goons hate to be out in the sunlight, much preferring to remain anonymous so I think we should do our best to destroy their anonymity. In fact, send their pictures to the real police and tell them that you want to file a report of being stalked by these grunts.

It may sound like overkill but this crap is going to get out of hand if it isn't attacked now. Every dumbass Repuke will be running around playing citizen-cop. Maybe we need to recruit a few DU'ers to "follow the followers".

[Kathy in Cambridge]

48. Their ugly mugs are in their blogs BUT

I have many a picture of them. Losers is too kind a description...something tells me they got their asses kicked one too many times as a teenager. All losers big time.