The FBI and police are deploying military-grade surveillance tech against Black protesters. Tell Congress to pass legislation that would stop this gross repression of protesters’ First Amendment rights.

Friend,

Black activism is once again transforming the country for the better as protesters demand justice for the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Elijah McClain, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor and countless others. But nationwide, protests against police violence are being met with more police violence.

In the United States, police and the FBI have always repressed civil-rights movements.¹ As technology has advanced, so have the tools used to push back against racial-justice activists: 60 years ago in Birmingham, Alabama, law enforcement used fire hoses and dogs; 6 years ago in Ferguson, Missouri they rolled out tanks and armored trucks; and today, across the country, police are deploying tanks, tear gas and advanced surveillance and tracking technology.

Facial-recognition cameras, StingRay devices that trick nearby cellphones and steal data, automated license-plate readers, high-altitude spy planes and drones fitted with night vision and infrared sensors are all being used against protesters in the United States.²Tell Congress to put a stop to this by introducing legislation to ban the surveillance of protesters across the country.

The list of surveillance tools deployed to identify, track, entrap and arrest protesters is staggering and still growing. Worse still, it’s widely known that facial-recognition technology does not work and is riddled with racial bias. This tech has led to the misidentification of Black people, other communities of color and gender-nonconforming people.

People should be able to rise up against state violence and racism without experiencing further state violence in the form of militarized weaponry, surveillance technology and arbitrary arrests.

Members of Congress must support their constituents by protecting their right to protest. Tell lawmakers to pass legislation that would #ProtectBlackDissent.

The legacy of Black protest is a celebrated part of American history because it continuously pushes our entire society to be more equitable, truthful and free. The FBI’s response to Black social movements of the ’60s and ’70s disgusts us — and for good reason. The newest wave of the same movement is under attack once again.

We acknowledge past assaults on Black movements as a shameful part of our collective history. And we refuse to be complicit in a new, shameful era of high-tech repression.

History will repeat itself unless Congress chooses to do something different. Demand that Congress stop the police and FBI from repeating one of the ugliest chapters of our history.

Thanks for all you do,

Lucia and the rest of the Free Press Action team
freepress.net

1. “The FBI’s War on Civil Rights Leaders,” The Daily Beast, June 3, 2020

2. “How to Spot Police Surveillance Tools,” Popular Mechanics, June 19, 2020