A recently released Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) document titled “Domestic Terrorism Symbols Guide”* links common protest symbols to “terrorism” — another marker in a common theme of conflating militant protest for social justice with deadly terrorist violence within the United States. Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Brennan Center have raised warnings about such documents, citing inadequate protections for people’s constitutional rights.
The FBI special agent pool is lousy with white power fascists and Christian nationalists. Since its directorship isn’t willing to clean house this is all a public relations front to suggest the FBI isn’t as captured as it is.
But James Comey did it no favors, and even ushered in the MAGA era during which Trump ousted him.
You can expect about as much professionalism from the FBI as you can the DEA or ICE. And they all deserve capture and prosecuton by International nazi-hunters once the hounds are released from their slips.
This is nothing new, either. For those that don’t know, the FBI under Hoover worked to undermine protest movements, resorting to blackmail and political assassinations to meet their ends. This is verified and accepted fact; COINTELPRO documents were stolen by activists and released, and details psychological warfare carried out on MLK, to the point of encouraging him to commit suicide, the murder of Fred Hampton and other prominent members of the Black Panthers, and many, many other atrocities committed against so-called subversives.
Emily Maitliss did an excellent podcast for the BBC on Hoover (called ‘The People Vs J Edgar Hoover’) Not sure if it’s available abroad, but well worth a listen.