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Vol. 79/No. 7      March 2, 2015

 
NYPD ‘terror’ unit threatens
workers’ political space
 
BY BRIAN WILLIAMS  
The New York Police Department, like cop agencies in Canada and across Europe, is using the Islamist attacks in Paris that killed 13 people at Charlie Hebdo and four victims of Jew-hatred at a kosher supermarket to beef up its “counterterrorism” operations. They argue that deterring possible terror attacks trumps freedom of speech and association. Plans include a larger police presence at political protest actions.

Police Commissioner William Bratton announced the creation of a new 350-member anti-terrorism unit, which would be equipped with long rifles and machine guns, to “handle” large demonstrations. The unit “is designed for dealing with events like our recent protests” against the police chokehold killing of Eric Garner in Staten Island, or “what just happened in Paris,” Bratton told officers at a Police Foundation breakfast Jan. 29.

The next day, following widespread public criticism, Bratton backed off, saying two new, separate units would be created. One, involving some 550 cops, would deal with monitoring protesters and other short-term assignments. The other, 350 heavily armed officers, would be assigned to counterterror patrols under the department’s Intelligence Division and Counter-Terrorism Bureau.

Over the past decade U.S. police agencies have been stepping up political surveillance operations. Following the al-Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001, 78 “fusion centers” were set up through which federal spy agencies, state police departments, “counterterrorism” Red Squads in major cities, private intelligence outfits and bosses’ factory police share spy data. The information is available to 780,000 cops in 18,000 state, local and tribal agencies.

In Canada, the federal government introduced “anti-terror” Bill C-51 Jan. 30. It makes speech to “promote or advocate” terrorist acts a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. It would make it easier for police to get a warrant to arrest individuals who have not committed a crime and hold them in custody for up to seven days. A judge could impose a year of house arrest on anyone who “may” commit a terrorist offense, regardless of whether charges have been filed.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service would gain new powers to access buildings to plant surveillance devices, as well as cancel people’s travel arrangements and shut down their bank accounts.

In France, more than 1,000 extra cops and paramilitary forces have been deployed in Paris and authorities are clamping down on the rights of prisoners who are Muslim. Belgian officials announced they have stepped up spying against a number of organizations, declining to identify who or where. U.K. Home Secretary Theresa May announced plans Jan. 29 for more vehicle and passenger searches at border locations.

Katy LeRougetel in Calgary, Alberta, contributed to this article.
 
 
Related articles:
Obama uses Islamic State terror to seek war powers
Wash. rally: Charge cops who killed farmworker
 
 
 
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