Police Accidentally Tweet Screenshot Showing That They Monitor Anti-Racism and Anti-Police Brutality Groups

By Michael Harriot, The Root

16 September 18

n their efforts to inform the public that they were doing everything possible to manage the spontaneous combustion of several homes, the Massachusetts State Police inadvertently let a few organizations fighting to end police brutality, racism and the reign of Donald Trump, know that they are being watched.

On Friday, as homes throughout Massachusetts’ Merrimack Valley exploded from a gas line problem, the Massachusetts State Police sent out a tweet from its official account asking people to evacuate their homes if they lived in certain areas of the state. To show the locations, they included a screenshot of one of the MSP Watch Center’s computers with a map.

Social media sleuths quickly noticed the bookmarks on the computer were related to a few anti-police violence organizations as well as an anti-Trump organization and a “resistance” calendar of events in the area.

According to WBUR, the first bookmark, “MAAPB,” is Mass Action Against Police Brutality, a group whose stated goal is to “end police brutality and institutional racism,” which is clearly a threat to public safety and should be monitored. If MAAPB is successful in stopping police violence and racism, what the hell would the cops do on days when there weren’t any natural gas explosions?

COMBAT, another bookmarked site, is the Coalition to Organize and Mobilize Boston Against Trump, who say they are a “grassroots, intersectional coalition of students, artists, and workers organizing creatively to resist all forms of oppression.”

Look, I don’t claim to be a criminologist or anything, but whenever you start using words like “intersectional,” “coalition” or “oppression,” you should expect the police to be watching. That’s what they do—oppress intersectional coalitions. It’s literally in the job description.

Another site, the Massachusetts Resistance Calendar was also saved. The site lists upcoming anti-Trump protests around the state.

The state police deleted the tweet and shared another cropped image as soon as they noticed it, but we all know that the internet is undefeated at bringing up old shit, forcing the agency to deny that they were monitoring any groups.

The Massachusetts State Police would only say that they have a responsibility to “prepare for all large, public gatherings,” and released a statement with one of the lamest excuses of all time:

We, obviously, need to know if large numbers of people, for whatever reason, are going to be on public roadways or public spaces, so that we may ensure the safety and rights of those who have gathered as well as of the members of the public around them.

I’m going to have to use that one to see if it works. It sounds as lame as a teenager’s explanation to his mom when he was caught masturbating or when you go to the bathroom at work to wash your hands and it smells like a dookey bomb exploded but someone comes in behind you and thinks you did it, and you really want to explain that your insides don’t smell like rotting roadkill but you don’t know how to say it.

David Propocio, an MSP spokesperson, told The Guardian that: “We do not collect information about – nor, frankly, do we care about – any group’s beliefs or opinions,” but would not comment on the reasoning the groups were bookmarked when pressed about it.

This screenshot was taken at the MSP Watch Center, an information-gathering initiative that is known for monitoring Black Lives Matter, high school anti-racism student groups, and even a black Boston city councilman who happened to mention the word “Ferguson” on Facebook one day.

But I understand this is a public safety initiative, which is why I downloaded the app that tells me when the Krispy Kreme ‘hot’ light comes on. And no, I’m not monitoring it

I obviously, need to know if large numbers of hot, soft, mouthwateringly delicious donuts are going to be coming off the belt so that I may ensure the safety and rights of all pastries as well as the stomachs of the people who want to devour them.

How to Build Progressive Power

By Robert Reich, Robert Reich's Blog

16 September 18

ven in these dark times, I am confident that we can defeat Donald Trump and all he stands for. But it will require building a multiracial, middle, and working class coalition dedicated to renewing our democracy and creating an economy that works for all, not just the privileged few. Here’s how:

First: At the heart of this coalition must be deep and abiding commitment to the democratic principles of political equality, equal opportunity, and justice for all.

These same ideals that animated many of us—both white and black Americans—to fight for civil rights and voting rights in the 1960s.

Second: Central to renewing our democracy is getting big money out of politics.

For decades, the wealthy and corporations have flooded our political system with campaign contributions and lobbying dollars. In turn, Washington has rewritten the rules of the economy in their favor. This vicious cycle of money and politics funnels more and more wealth and power to those at the top.

Third: We have to ensure the economy works for all Americans, not just the wealthy and corporations.

Since the 1980s, the wages and economic prospects of the typical American have gone nowhere. Nearly 80 percent now live paycheck to paycheck, and those paychecks have grown less secure.

Addressing these economic hardships requires a bold agenda: a basic income, a jobs guarantee, Medicare-for-All, access to free public colleges and universities, stronger unions, and worker representation on corporate boards.

Fourth and finally: whether you voted for Bernie or Hillary or anybody else, we must put aside our differences.

If we fail to do this, we are playing into the hands of those who seek to divide us. Trump and his enablers will continue to try to divide us, stoking racial divisions, stirring animosity, and breeding confusion and despair. We must not let them.

We have never been a perfect union. Our finest moments have always been when we sought to become more perfect than we had been. Together, we can do so again.