FBI memo on “Black Identity Extremists” A cover for an “iron fist of repression.”

On October 6 Foreign Policy magazine published a story about an allegedly leaked FBI “intelligence assessment” titled “Black Identity Extremists Likely Motivated to Target Law Enforcement Officers.” In that document the FBI links 6 recent attacks on police officers by individuals unaffiliated with any organizations with its own creation, a “Black Identity Extremist movement” acting “in retaliation for perceived past police brutality incidents.”

Although not mentioning any organization or movement by name, the report makes it clear that they include all movements opposed to police crimes against people of color as “Black Identity Extremists.”

Frank Chapman, Co-Chairperson of the Stop Police Crimes Organizing Committee draws a parallel between the current FBI report and its 1960's COINTELPRO conspiracy to crush the civil rights movement through fomenting violence, frame-ups, entrapment, and outright assassination. His full statement follows:

“When we talk about FBI repression of the Black liberation movement let us bear in mind that while COINTELPRO was illegal in the sixties and seventies, these same policies are legal now.

“The FBI Intelligence Assessment entitled ‘Black Identity Extremists Likely Motivated To Target Law Enforcement Officers’ reads like a J. Edgar Hoover memo from back in the day of covert operations against our movement and our leaders--I'm talking about when they were secretly destroying our movement with lethal lies, treacherous infiltration and cold blooded assassinations. But what was covert then is overt now, what was done in the night and shadows yesterday is done in the blast of day today.

“Movements of resistance seem to come in periodic tides of ebb and flow. It seems like the FBI has chosen what they consider to be an ebb-tide moment to create a launching pad for a new wave of brutal repression. Responding to the call of their commander in chief, Donald Trump, they are taking the velvet glove off of the iron fist of repression. They are branding our movement as a hot bed of assassins as they set the stage to assassinate our movement. They are overtly using tactics of intimidation and fear.

“We must not respond in fear. We must boldly push forward building mass resistance to police terror and white supremacy. So when we call you out, come out! And demonstrate that we are driven by boldness and they are the cowards who fear us. Ain’t no power like the power of the people and the power of the people can't be stopped. Demonstrate!!!! #CPACNOW!”