Who's spying on Palestine solidarity protests?

From college campuses to the US Capitol, tens of thousands of Americans are using their First Amendment rights to express their opposition to our government’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza. History tells us the FBI, DHS, and local police are spying on these protesters, but it will take a herculean effort to uncover their unconstitutional spying.    We’re on the case. I’ve filed several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests demanding answers from the FBI, and my colleague Cody Bloomfield has filed requests with DHS, NYPD, and multiple state fusion centers.    Cody and I have a track record of getting results. And we’re just getting started.    But freedom of information isn’t free.    State and federal agencies try to saddle us with outlandish fees. And even when the law clearly compels the release of information, agencies like the FBI thumb their nose at statutory mandates and bury our requests in bureaucratic black holes unless we take them to court.    That’s why we need your support today.  Donate Now! The First Amendment gives everyone the right to criticize our government, as well as any foreign government. It protects those supportive of Israel’s actions, as well as those supportive of Palestinian rights.   Yet, many elected officials are apparently in need of remedial lessons in the First Amendment. New York City Mayor Eric Adams told CBS that the NYPD would be monitoring a permitted rally in Times Square. Multiple members of Congress have called for investigations into organizers of pro-Palestinian protests.    While much of what these politicians say is bluster, there is reason to be concerned.    Few groups have been as heavily and consistently surveilled as supporters of Palestinian human rights. And outside pressure from McCarthyites has often been seized upon by the law enforcement to justify the surveillance. Donate Now! I am deeply aware of this. In 2020, after half a decade of fighting with the FBI and a lawsuit, I published an exposé on the FBI’s surveillance of peaceful Palestinian activists. Since then, I’ve been working on a history of FBI political surveillance based heavily on the FBI’s own files. Time and again, we’ve seen the FBI contort its surveillance powers to target First Amendment speech in defense of Palestine. We fear the FBI and other spy agencies might be up to their old dirty tricks.   The FBI, DHS, NYPD and others won’t release documents without a huge fight. It will get expensive. We think we can win, but we’ll need your help.   Please donate today.   In solidarity,    Chip Gibbons, Policy Director Support Defending Rights & Dissent   Join the grassroots movement to fulfill the promise of the Bill of Rights for everyone. Together, we can make police and intelligence agencies accountable to we the people whom they serve. It's time to convert your concern and outrage into political action. Donate Now!   Defending Rights & Dissent 1325 G St. NW Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005 United States