(Updated below)
Those who are not, and usually never have been, involved in a street protest, typically form their opinions of the protesters and their causes by watching the news on TV. The protesters, meanwhile, have sworn for years - from the Genoa to Quebec City to Miami and everywhere in between - that agent provocateurs have infiltrated their ranks in order to give an excuse for the police to implement their heavy handed techniques. Unfortunately all the average person sees by watching the evening news is the mainstream media's portrayal of the violence as being orchestrated by countless trouble makers within the actual protest movement.
And those who decide to make their voice heard protesting various injustices get labeled as wacked-out extremists determined to cause violence. Usually, though, this is not the case.
Take this account of the protest in Genoa in 2001:
...the police routinely plant infiltrators and agent provocateurs in the crowd. Four men masked-up and dressed all in black, as if they were Black Bloc members, were filmed getting out of the back of a police van and smashing up a bank. A prominent Italian Socialist MP told of how he observed a large number of similarly dressed men armed with various different weapons in a police station the morning of Friday 20th. I heard from another Irish protestor how, wearing a black t-shirt, he had felt something on his back at the GR protest early on Friday morning. He turned around, and there was no-one there. Later that day, when changing his clothes, he noticed that a large white X had been chalked on his back. A number of other black-clad protestors had been marked or covertly sprayed with red and yellow paint, being marked out for police snatch squads, presumably assumed to be members of the Black Bloc.
But, as the same writer continues it is often the authorities in charge of security who initiate the violence.
...As we sat around the campsite fire drinking wine and discussing the days events, spirits were high following what has since been hailed as the largest peaceful protest of our generation (the like of which has not been seen since the Sixties). The mood quickly turned as we were told of events at the Indy Media Centre that night by a clearly frightened and out of breath witness. A large squad of Carabinieri [military police of Italy] had stormed the IMC and the school beside it, also part of the IMC, and after locking the doors, had proceeded to violently beat all inside before arresting them on trumped up charges of resisting arrest and possession of weapons. They had claimed it was the headquarters of the Black Bloc; the real reason for this flagrant abuse of human rights was that much video and photographic evidence against the illegal actions of the police were contained within. They confiscated video cameras and tapes, computer hard-drives and photo films. I downloaded a video from the internet, filmed by one of the 6 who had escaped out a window at the back of the building, which showed a woman holding her hands above her head pleading "Non violencia, non violencia" repeatedly as a Carabinieri approached her. He drew back and smashed her in the face with his baton, and proceeded to kick and beat her as she fell to the ground. Another joined in, and continued to beat her until she stopped screaming. As the police left, photographs were taken of the blood-drenched walls and floor. 90 people from the IMC were arrested and badly beaten while in police custody. In a report written by an Italian police officer, we are told of the way in which those arrested were treated: "They lined them up and banged their heads against the walls. They urinated on one person. They beat people if they didn't sing Facetta Nera [A Fascist hymn]. One girl was vomiting blood but the chief of the squad just looked on. They threatened to rape girls with their batons." These actions were sanctioned by the State, and still have not been officially condemned, thus abolishing the thin veil of democracy under which we supposedly live. And still little concerning these atrocities has been reported in the mainstream media.
So what does the average person forming his opinion based on media accounts believe?
Those who write the news would have you believe that the protests were little more than an unruly gang of youths and hooligans smashing up shop-fronts with completely apolitical motivations. Although discouraging, it is hardly surprising that the media focused on 2000 rioters rather than over a quarter of a million non-violent protesters marching peacefully against the global ravages of capitalism on Saturday 21st July.
I have been to a couple of protests like these, in Argentina, and in Cancun, and I can assure you that those who are agent provocateurs are well-known and easily identified - though try convincing the average couch potato that they even exist. Further, I can assure anyone that the vast majority are not there to undertake any violent action whatsoever.
Well now more evidence has surfaced - much to my embarrassment in my own country - that sleazy behavior by police continues.
Protesters are accusing police of using undercover agents to provoke violent confrontations at the North American leaders' summit in Montebello, Que...
A video, posted on YouTube, shows three young men, their faces masked by bandannas, mingling Monday with protesters in front of a line of police in riot gear. At least one of the masked men is holding a rock in his hand.
The three are confronted by protest organizer Dave Coles, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. Coles makes it clear the masked men are not welcome among his group of protesters, whom he describes as mainly grandparents. He urges them to leave and find their own protest location.
Coles also demands that they put down their rocks. Other protesters begin to chime in that the three are really police agents. Several try to snatch the bandanas from their faces.
Rather than leave, the three actually start edging closer to the police line, where they appear to engage in discussions. They eventually push their way past an officer, whereupon other police shove them to the ground and handcuff them.
Late Tuesday, photographs taken by another protester surfaced, showing the trio lying prone on the ground. The photos show the soles of their boots adorned by yellow triangles. A police officer kneeling beside the men has an identical yellow triangle on the sole of his boot...
...The three do not appear to have been arrested or charged with any offence.
With the advent of YouTube hopefully the criminal actions of the authorities will become much more publicized and understood. Here is the video of the despicable scene from Quebec.
How pathetic is that?
Update: The Quebec provincial police now admit it:
Quebec provincial police are defending the actions of its three agents who posed as protesters during this week's North American Leaders' summit in Montebello, Que.
Insp. Marcel Savard defended the three agents today at a news conference in Montreal and insisted they were not there to provoke demonstrators.
He also says one of the officers was given a rock by protesters but the officer had no intention of using it.
After originally denying it, the force has admitted the trio were involved in the protest after a video clip of the them showed up on the popular website, Youtube.com...
But don't worry, the Quebec provincial government will not let this type of conduct slide.
A spokeswoman for Quebec Public Security Minister Jacques Dupuis says the minister won't comment on the actions of the officers because he doesn't get involved in police operations.
Well, local governments sure don't seem to have a problem getting involved in "protest operations." But no need to worry. The Canadian federal government will certainly look into this.
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day has already rejected opposition calls for an inquiry.
Ok, not so much. Well, then, maybe now the media will vastly change its portrayal of protesters, focusing instead on the unethical and sleazy behavior of those who are supposed to be on the side of law and justice but instead do anything to tarnish the opposition to the status quo image while protecting the most powerful interests in society.
But then again, I'm not holding my breath.
In principle, I have nothing against police surveillance work. Those sorts of operations can be perfectly viable, especially at events where a small group of rabid, anarchist protesters have been known to incite full-fledged riot scenes. But there is fine line between reconnaissance operations and inciting protesters so that you can make the big arrest. The story at Montebello clearly appears to be a case of the latter, and, worse still, the pitiful work of amateurish incompetants.
The author of this editorial rightfully portrays this protest as one of older folks determined to keep the peace. But notice that by the end of the article he brings up once again the "rabid, anarchist protesters." Sure they exist, but does he really think that this is the first time police have sent in undercover cops with the express reason to stir it up and give security forces a chance to bust some heads? There will be some small repercussions but in the end it will always be the protesters who are blamed for any violence. You can count on it.
Paying three agents to go undercover. Price: a few hundred bucks.
Defending this as a legitimate operation: Priceless
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