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The FBI's job is to investigate crimes "in the United States". So far as protesters were engaged in crimes worthy of arrest the FBI is within it's pervue. Tha

The FBI's job is to investigate crimes "in the United States". So far as protesters were engaged in crimes worthy of arrest the FBI is within it's pervue. That said: if arrests were made outside of criminal investigation we would hope the data collected was not retained. Understood that the portland protests are a politically sensitive topic... But the fact the FBI was using all of its capabilities in a situation that seems to have the hallmarks of one interesting to federal prosecutors is not surprising (to me). Hope the downvoters can see my point.......

koheripbal 6y ago
I'm not sure I'd call someone with a pipe bomb a "protestor". Using a bomb for political purposes... that's terrorism, not protesting.
LatteLazy 6y ago
I think you are wrong in general, though I am not an American and won't pretend I know about the US protests in portland or elsewhere... Why do I think you're wrong? The purvue of the FBI needs to be a lot more specific than any crime in the US. We've seen more than enough times that such a wide purvue leaves them ripe for abuse (look up their treatment of MLK). The only practical way for this to happen is for the FBI to actively justify their decisions on what and who to investigate. "Why are these people being investigated?" is a very fair question to ask and one the FBI should happily answer. The only alternative to this is that whoever is in charge (POTUS) gets to decide with no oversight, no checks or balances, and no accountability. We've had that in the past. It didn't end well. Respectfully "it's their job to do this" is a really bad defense, it's the opening line to basically every abuse of power and likely will be part of the defense for all future ones. If the FBI have a good reason to spend time on this, they can tell us and I'll happily support it. If they don't, they need to stop. But either way, they should not get a blank cheque to use a huge budget and enhanced police powers without having to answer to "we the people". This should be an apolitical position, whether you're right or left, extreme or centrist.
- engineer_22 6y ago
  In America you're allowed to think I'm wrong. But you need a permit to protest. Riotous action is not permissible. Enter the FBI.
  - LatteLazy 6y ago
    You comment doesn't address any of my points.

koheripbal 6y ago

I'm not sure I'd call someone with a pipe bomb a "protestor". Using a bomb for political purposes... that's terrorism, not protesting.

LatteLazy 6y ago

I think you are wrong in general, though I am not an American and won't pretend I know about the US protests in portland or elsewhere... Why do I think you're wrong? The purvue of the FBI needs to be a lot more specific than any crime in the US. We've seen more than enough times that such a wide purvue leaves them ripe for abuse (look up their treatment of MLK). The only practical way for this to happen is for the FBI to actively justify their decisions on what and who to investigate. "Why are these people being investigated?" is a very fair question to ask and one the FBI should happily answer. The only alternative to this is that whoever is in charge (POTUS) gets to decide with no oversight, no checks or balances, and no accountability. We've had that in the past. It didn't end well. Respectfully "it's their job to do this" is a really bad defense, it's the opening line to basically every abuse of power and likely will be part of the defense for all future ones. If the FBI have a good reason to spend time on this, they can tell us and I'll happily support it. If they don't, they need to stop. But either way, they should not get a blank cheque to use a huge budget and enhanced police powers without having to answer to "we the people". This should be an apolitical position, whether you're right or left, extreme or centrist.

engineer_22 6y ago
In America you're allowed to think I'm wrong. But you need a permit to protest. Riotous action is not permissible. Enter the FBI.
- LatteLazy 6y ago
  You comment doesn't address any of my points.