Spies among us: The American Civil Liberties Union yesterday released a slew of documents it acquired through the Freedom of Information Act that indicate the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been investigating such terrorist organizations as Greenpeace, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. In a press release the ACLU said the FBI has expanded “the definition of ‘domestic terrorism’ to include citizens and groups that participate in lawful protests or civil disobedience.”
Among the documents released [yesterday] were more than 100 pages of FBI files on PETA. Multiple documents indicate ongoing surveillance of PETA-related meetings and activities, including a “Vegan Community Project” event at the University of Indiana during which the group distributed vegetarian starter kits to students and faculty, an animal rights conference in Washington, DC that was open to the public, and a planned protest of Cindy Crawford’s decision to become a llama fur spokesperson.
The ACLU said that FBI surveillance of mainstream organizations involved in public education campaigns has allowed the bureau to maintain files with names and other information on law-abiding Americans who support or participate in events organized by the groups. One file released by the FBI in response to a request for ADC’s records included a contact list for students and peace activists who participated in a 2002 conference at Stanford University, which focused on ending U.S. sanctions against Iraq.
“The FBI should be investigating real terrorists, not monitoring controversial ideas,” said Ben Wizner, an ACLU staff attorney. “Americans shouldn’t have to fear that by protesting the treatment of animals or participating in non-violent civil disobedience, they will be branded as ‘eco-terrorists’ in FBI records.”
