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Prominent Austin Activist Admits He Infiltrated RNC Protest Groups for FBI (5 posts)

  1. truthmod
    Administrator

    Strange.

    Open Letter from Brandon Darby
    http://www.indymedia.org/en/2008/12/918526.shtml

    http://www.democracynow.org/2009/1/6/prominent_aus...

    An Austin-based activist named Brandon Darby has revealed he worked as an FBI informant in the eighteen months leading up to the Republican National Convention. Darby has admitted to wearing recording devices at planning meetings and wearing a transmitter embedded in his belt during the convention. He is expected to testify on behalf of the government later this month in the trial of two Texas activists who were arrested at the RNC on charges of making and possessing Molotov cocktails.


    But in an open letter to the activist community, Darby maintained he only acted to prevent violent actions by a small group that, he says, would have undermined the cause of social justice. Darby writes: “I strongly stand behind my choices in this matter… [W]hen people act out of anger and hatred, and then claim that their actions were part of a movement or somehow tied into the struggle for social justice only after being caught, it’s damaging to the efforts of those who do give of themselves to better this world. The majority of the activists who went to St. Paul did so with pure intentions and simply wanted to express their disagreements with the Republican Party. It’s unfortunate that some used the group as cover for intentions that the rest of the group did not agree with or knew nothing about… I made the choice to have my identity revealed and was well aware of the consequences for doing so. I know that the temptation to silence or ignore the voice of someone who you strongly disagree with can be overwhelming in matters such as this one… I have confidence that there will be a few people interested in discussion and in better understanding views different from their own, especially from one of their own. My sincere hope is that the entire matter results in better understanding for everyone.”

    Posted 15 years ago #
  2. truthmod
    Administrator

    What is this, an attempt to give agents a heart?

    Posted 15 years ago #
  3. chrisc
    Member

    Wow, it's very much like the NZ case, (see: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/416010.html ) see also this article which explains how he was uncovered:

    Statement on Brandon Darby, the 'Unnamed' Informant/ Provocateur in the "Texas 2"

    by The Austin Informant Working Group

    ...

    Over the years Brandon Darby has established strong ties with individuals in many different radical communities across the United States. While it is not yet clear how long or to what extent Darby has been acting as an informant, the emerging truth about Darby's malicious involvement in our communities is heart-breaking and utterly ground-shattering to those of us who were closest to him.

    Darby operated in and around the Austin community for about 6 years, and this is the same Brandon Darby who participated in the Common Ground Collective in New Orleans during 2005-2006. Based on the evidence we have, Brandon has been giving the state information since at least November 2007, but there is also information that suggests his informant activities may go back further, at least to 2006 or earlier. In the documents, Darby makes numerous remarks that are inflammatory and often untrue or grossly taken out of context. There is also compelling evidence to suggest that Darby, more than just reporting on Crowder and McKay's activities, was actively encouraging, enabling, and provoking the two men to take illegal action.

    We recognize that suspicions and accusations of Darby have been circulating for some time now, including one corporate media article by David Hanners in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on October 29, 2008. Our aim in releasing this information is to clear the confusion that has circulated in the last few months.

    We want to point out that while the conclusions of these suspicions and accusations turned out to be correct, these conclusions were not based on any verifiable facts, and thus, their public airing was inappropriate and irresponsible. When these accusations surfaced, we did what we could to quash them, trusting what we believed to be true about people in the absence of any compelling evidence to the contrary. Having been presented with new evidence, we are acting on it promptly and deliberately.

    Through the history of our struggles for a better world, infiltrators and informants have acted as tools for the forces of misery in disrupting and derailing our movements. However, even more dangerous to our communities than setting people up, turning them in, or gathering information, informants sow seeds of fear, paranoia, and distrust that fester and grow in paralyzing and destructive ways. We must be forever vigilante against deceptive, malicious and manipulative actors, while we defend the trust and openness that give our communities cohesion and power.

    ...

    http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2008/12/66041.ph...

    Posted 15 years ago #
  4. chrisc
    Member

    More found via the feature article on Houston IMC, http://houston.indymedia.org/

    Austin RNC Informant is Provocateur Not Hero

    by Austin Informant Working Group

    ...

    According to the FBI's documents, Darby, posing as an activist, had been covertly gathering information for the FBI since at least February 2007, twelve months before he ever met Crowder or McKay or knew of any plans for the RNC. "As an older seasoned activist, Darby had a lot of sway over Crowder and McKay, making them susceptible to his often militant rhetoric," said Gabby Hicks, who was in St. Paul with Darby during the Convention. "He was always the one to suggest violence, when the rest of us clearly disagreed with those strategies."

    Darby has been characterized by many people who have known and worked with him as both persuasive and manipulative, with a history of provocation, instigation, and incitement. According to Lisa Fithian, who worked with Darby for years, "Brandon was always provoking discord and aggression, in the anti-war movement in Austin in 2003, in protests in Houston against Halliburton, and in disaster relief at Common Ground in New Orleans. I worked with Darby in all of those places and saw the disruption he caused."

    ...

    http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2009/01/66155.ph...

    Posted 15 years ago #
  5. chrisc
    Member

    Brandon Darby: Proud Snitch

    Brandon Darby of Austin, Texas was an activist in the global struggle against capitalist neoliberalism.

    Brandon Darby was also working undercover as a snitch for the FBI.

    Suprisingly, he's proud to be an informant and has come out in the open about it.

    This website intends to be a clearinghouse of information about Brandon Darby.

    http://brandondarby.com/

    Posted 15 years ago #

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