Douglas Edwards 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇲🇽🇵🇦🇬🇱🇩🇰🇪🇺Apr 11

I'm starting to see disparaging statements about the #HandsOff protests, suggestive of #COINTELPRO: that they were "permitted", that they had "little effect", that "hundreds of thousands" showed up (actually millions), that we should try to find "other, more effective" approaches — rather than attend #April19th.

That means #HandsOff is working.

Keep it up.

Show threadDouglas Edwards 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇲🇽🇵🇦🇬🇱🇩🇰🇪🇺Apr 12
The general drift of the apparent #COINTELPRO against #HandsOff is that protests are ONLY useful if they directly confront police; that this behavior matters more than the number of protesters; and that anyone placing primary emphasis on getting the largest protest crowds possible is naive and insufficiently leftist. This is contradicted by research on the downfall of #dictatorships, and is straight out of the #AgentProvocateur / #COINTELPRO playbook. Be very suspicious of ANYONE giving this kind of strategic advice. For me, this is #instablock material.
Show threadDouglas Edwards 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇲🇽🇵🇦🇬🇱🇩🇰🇪🇺
Now it looks like the #COINTELPRO isn't limited to attacks on #HandsOff. I just saw (and boosted) a very sensible post about the dangers of #USA border #checkpoints even to US citizens. That post got accused of "virtue signaling" by a skeezy-looking account that appeared to exist for the sole purpose of sniping at leftists with the hope of demoralizing them. I not only blocked that sniping account, I reported it.
Apr 12 at 6:29amWeb
Show threadDouglas Edwards 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇲🇽🇵🇦🇬🇱🇩🇰🇪🇺Apr 12
Until very recently, I had seen few if any posts on Mastodon that had the smell of #COINTELPRO. Now I'm seeing them everywhere. Be on the lookout, and if you're not already familiar with #COINTELPRO tactics, please try to familiarize yourselves.