The FBI flagrantly abused its counter-terrorism authority to conduct a widespread surveillance and monitoring operation of School of Americas Watch (SOAW), a nonviolent activist organization. Hundreds of pages of documents obtained by the PCJF, on behalf of SOAW, once again revealed the FBI’s functioning as a political surveillance and intelligence operation and its use of its domestic terrorism authority against peaceful protest in the U.S.
A legal battle waged by the PCJF resulted in a settlement in which New York City was required to establish a constitutionally valid permitting scheme for protests in Central Park. It was also required to undertake a feasibility study into the optimum and sustainable use of the Great Lawn and what efforts could be undertaken to maximize the availability of the lawn for large events including First Amendment protected rallies and demonstrations.
This litigation was filed by the Partnership for Civil Justice on behalf of demonstrators who were assaulted in a police riot against a permitted anti-war demonstration protesting the occupation of Iraq on April 12, 2003. The lawsuit forced changes in MPD use of motorcycles and bikes as weapons against demonstrators.
This groundbreaking constitutional rights lawsuit charged that local and federal law enforcement violated the U.S. Constitution by singling out people for arrest based on their perceived political ideology, targeting persons the government deemed by their manner of dress to be, or to associate with, anarchists. The MPD gave a secret FBI intelligence unit access to interrogate the protestors on video. The PCJF successfully secured a victorious settlement, including monetary payments to the individuals and changes in police policies.
