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Almost three years after the 2004 Republican National Convention, the tactics the NYPD used are still being debated in court. Per the NY Times, federal judge James C. Francis ruled yesterday that "hundreds of field intelligence reports by undercover investigators who infiltrated and compiled dossiers on protest groups" must be disclosed.
The city had been battling the NYCLU over the release of the intelligence reports ever since the revelation this past spring that the NYPD started checking in with protesters back in 2003. Some sensitive information will be redacted and protected, but Judge Francis ruled that general information could be released, "It is difficult to imagine how someone could determine the identity of an undercover officer simply from the fact that he or she was present at a meeting or protest attended by dozens, if not hundreds, of people."
The Times reports that if the city decides not to appeal the decision, it has 10 days to turn over the reports. The NYCLU's Chris Dunn said, "We believe these documents will reveal not only the vast scope of the NYPD's political surveillance operation but also that there was no need for the NYPD's harsh treatment of protesters."
You can read the decision here (PDF).
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Man, as a photojournalist covering the RNC, the NYPD was really freaking out at times. It kind of made me realize that if there is ever a time when it's really total chaos they will gladly adopt the us -vs- them mindset. Civilians are the enemy.
usually i'm really bothered by people suing the city, but when it comes 2 the nypd's behavior during the rnc, it is totally justified. the problem is when the next protest comes along, it won't change their behavior because i can just picture them in the squad room saying:
"who cares how much the city has to pay those stupid libruls, it ain't comin' outta my pocket"
it's too bad they can't dock their pay as a result of the lawsuits.
..ever since THE revelation this past spring...
You forgot Latte drinking UWS liberal hippie.
Cops are a bunch of crew-cut SUV-Driving republican squares. They will never get it. The fact that they don't have a brain is what makes them dangerous.
As if the NYPD hasn't shredded everything already.
ain't that the truth, they can't see that the rich and powerful use them as patsies. to do their dirty work. that's why I dance my Irish jig whenever one of them dies or has karma handed to them karma style.
Three years later we're just getting access to the documents that might someday support a request for justice. Yea! The system works!
funny thing, a lot of the protestors didn'thave ID and did not present themselves truthfully and sadly, there's nothing in the constitution that says you have a right to not ID yourself. That said, if you do not properly ID yourself, you can be denied council and basic rights.
Here's my ID, the US Constitution.
Molon Labe.
For every Jew a twenty two.
Never again.
#9 your're an idiot. I think you posted this last time this was discussed, and you were shot down. First, there may be no consitituional right to not ID oneself, but no law against it either, cops still need a reason other then ID to detain you. Second, you can NEVER be denied council while detained, and that is in the constitution. Third, you can NEVER be denied basic rights (unless they ship you to Guantanamo). So three strikes and you're out. So try taking some basic law classes, hell watching law & order reruns would have taught you these basic things.
Right or wrong the protesters have rights under the law which they were clearly not given. The city is just trying to cover its collective ass, and are failing. The longer they darg this out the more $$ down the drains. Fess up and pay the people off, save me some tax dollars already.
This kind of operational policy isn't decided in the "squad room," it's decided by the mayor, police commissioner, and their respective command staffs. So save your platitudinal drivel.
You want to dock the pay of front-line cops and detectives for following operational procedures lied out by top command staff? Are you stupid or just pretending to be a moron?
Troll.
I don't know how we went from a court decision about disclosing field intelligence reports gathered on protest groups to "rights under the law which they were clearly not given." This has nothing to do with ID or "basic rights" during detention, because this has nothing to do with detention.
that's why I dance my irish jig of jigs when a cop dies or has karma handed to them karma style.
am I a troll or speaking the truth?
see you in hell. I'll be waiting for you.
one can sit here and blame the lack of intelligence of the average cop, but i'm sure the overttime pay was needed for many of them and they had their orders. The illegal orders were carried out brilliantly, but illegally. does anyone actually expect that your average cop is going to turn back to a higher ranking officer/official and say, "Hey, I can't do that... It's wrong!" ??
It's easier for the city to put this on the back burner. Apparently the money's not an issue. They get plenty of practice with their tactics, harassing pedicab operators and other working cyclists. RNC hasn't made them think any harder. We're sure to see the roundup cowboy style tactics again in future protests.
Nobody is off the hook here and its about time the city made it right on the three year anniversary.
I wonder if Bloomberg will change his tune now that this is not a party issue for him? Three years ago, his statements were pretty much a carbon copy of the police commissioner's. What's to be said now? I bet it's "wait and see."