A new internal memo from the Washington, D.C. Police Department warns police that protestors this weekend might use violence and pipe bombs, and specifically tells police to be alert for persons who are photographing, videotapping or taking notes, the D.C. Independent Media Center has learned.
The document, obtained this morning by the Independent Media Center, paints protestors and media producers alike as suspicious and potentially dangerous.
"It is possible that some of the radical groups that are involved may stage so-called 'probing' incidents between now and the actual event," the memo reads. "Such incidents are intended to test police, fire and EMS response. Such incidents may include vandalism, pipe bombings, or 'Molotov cocktails.'"
Specifically, police are told to be alert for "suspicious" people who are gathering information about police activities or calling police on the phone "posing" as reporters. The memo recommends that police should photograph people on the streets who are photographing, videotaping or taking notes.
The memo paints a negative image of protestors and independent reporters, and was issued a day before rank and file officers take to the streets to work during the demonstrations. [Full Story]
I was in DC today. There WERE an awful lot of scruffy looking types with little notepads writing things down...