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Comment by arkadiyt | Hacker News Reader

Via Kim Zetter:

> If you're wondering why DEA and US Marshal's Service have been given authority to conduct covert surveillance of protestors, it's likely because they have planes outfitted with Dirtboxes - powerful stingray devices that collect data on phones from the air

https://twitter.com/KimZetter/status/1267969704259280896

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I've seen a lot of cessna-style aircraft circling over south seattle at low altitude in the last few days - no visible camera - I bet that's what they're being used for.

there have been Cessnas flying over Dallas too

This may explain why the DEA, but not why protestors, as opposed to looters

Maybe it is because protesters are more of a threat to those in power than looters

Of course, most of the looters are undercover cops anyway.

Most? I've seen hundreds of people looting in my neighborhood. Most of them aren't even adults, let alone cops.

Yeah this just isn't true. I'm sure that there's been some false flag attacks but to say that most of the looters are undercover cops is asinine.

Because putting "protestors" in the title fits Buzzfeed's narrative better than "looters"? The stated purpose is to allow the DEA to investigate crimes such as looting, arson etc committed under cover of the protests.

Do you really think the cops see a distinction? If so, I encourage you to watch any of the dozens of videos of cops attacking people that have come out over the past 72 hours.

Cop brain is very simple: You wither listen to the cop or you are a criminal. There are no shades of grey, and the US police have demonstrated this across the country this weekend.

Actual text from the authorization memo:

"...to enforce federal criminal laws in the wake of protests..."

So not protestors, but criminals taking advantage of protests.

There are several concerning videos of people trying to trigger violence at protests. Here is one list I saw today...

https://old.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/gvmhh6/fbi_...

I find it unusual and upsetting that this comparison gets made so often.

On one side, you have the generally disorganized public which naturally includes the opportunistic, the provocative, the desperate. On the other, you have the police and the military, nominally organized with a largely uniform mission and code of conduct.

Bad behavior by the government is less excusable and also more threatening.

I don't think it's meaningful to try to compare them. Is police brutality worse - ok. It's not relevant to the investigation the FBI is looking into.

I also think there may be some suspicions that some violent instigators might be acting at the urging of a foreign government - which is the domain of the FBI.

I think it's reasonable to help them in that effort - while also condemning the police for their role.

The death of ONE MAN, George Floyd, caused mass outrage. If a foreign directed agent is able to instigate a similar tragedy, I think that's very very important to nail down.

This is why we need strong encryption. Our First Amendment is under attack. These days you cannot have a right to peacefully assemble and protest without having strong encryption available to plan.

1A doesn't extend to riots. Peaceable assembly is what it covers. Not burning down gov't buildings, shooting people trying to protect their property, or throwing Molotov cocktails in police cruisers.

Peaceable assembly is what the anti-lockdown protesters were all about, but those people are grandma killers, right? Unlike the Antifa thugs that are assaulting women in wheelchairs.

The gov't should use all it's resources to put an end to these riots, which are more insurrection than riot. Hence the surveillance drones and planes. Get used to it or stop rioting. And the gov't will go back to their normal surveillance state. So yeah, we still need strong encryption.

> Peaceable assembly is what the anti-lockdown protesters were all about, but those people are grandma killers, right?

They came with long guns and spat at the police officers. But, okay, sure, that's "Peaceable".

... yes? How many people did they shoot? AFAIK it was 0, in which case how many guns they brought is irrelevant. Likewise spitting at police officers is pretty peaceable by the standards of the current riots.

To be clear, they are total and complete idiots, but unless I've missed something they are peaceful idiots.

Encryption is a small part of the problem: you need to deal with mass tracking, coercion, infiltration, and the lack of checks and balances preventing abuse. I want strong E2E encryption as well but it’s just one part of a large problem.

Not only the First Amendment, but also the Fourth.

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