Ali Winston
Two unidentified officers monitor and record demonstrators in Downtown Oakland on July 8th, 2010
So we now know that personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service and the California Department of Justice helped gather intelligence during various Oscar Grant protests in 2009 and 2010. The authorities say the assistance of a few dozen federal and state agents amongst the approximately 800 law enforcement officers who turned out for Operation Verdict was not a significant departure from routine police work.
The Bureau has also been actively involved in monitoring demonstrators in other states: In Illinois and Minnesota, a number of antiwar and pro-Palestinian activists have had their houses raided or received subpoenas for records relating to their political views and actions. The FBI’s search warrants indicate they are searching for ties between the activists and groups in Colombia and the Middle East such as the FARC and Hamas.