Shame on Mayor Hales and the Portland City Council for Rejoining the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF)

The Progressive Party applauds Commissioners Fritz and Novick for voting against rejoining the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF)

Progressive Party members Jason Kafoury and David Hess spoke against the City of Portland rejoining the JTTF agreement at the February 5, 2015, City Council meeting. Only Police Chief Larry O’Dea, U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall and a representative from the Portland Business Alliance supported rejoining the JTTF. Over 35 activists, including Brandon Mayfield, spoke against rejoining the agreement. Over a hundred citizens attended. Please watch the videos at http://www.portlandoregon.gov/article/518464.

Portland City Council to consider withdrawing from FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force

Brad Schmidt
Oregonian
December 2, 2014

The Portland City Council, led by Mayor Charlie Hales, is considering withdrawing city police officers from the federal Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Hales on Monday scheduled a Dec. 18 meeting where the City Council will consider "withdrawal from JTTF involvement." The 2 p.m. meeting is scheduled to run 90 minutes.

The move from Hales, a long-time skeptic of task force involvement, may have the political support in City Hall to dissolve the Police Bureau's hazy relationship with the group. Commissioners Amanda Fritz and Steve Novick have questioned involvement and have criticized the city's skimpy annual reports about the partnership.   Read Article at Oregonian.

The Portland City Council needs to hear from YOU. Please use the text of the letter we sent to the Commissioners today, and the key points listed after the letter, as a guide to composing your own letter telling the City Council to vote NO on the JTTF. Contact info for each commissioner and the city attorney is below our letter. Send your letter by email now!

Dear Mayor Adams and City Council Commissioners,

We write you with serious concerns about the possibility that Portland City Council may vote to expand the presence of the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in our community.  Fundamental questions have not been answered, and legitimate concerns have not been adequately addressed.

How will assigning Portland Police officers to the JTTF benefit the Portland community?

Portland already suffers from lack of funds for social services.  We see schools (and police stations) closing and fewer facilities providing social services for larger areas with less resources at their disposal.  Rather than assign these officers to the JTTF and open up our city agencies and offices to the FBI, we should be investing our tax dollars and community resources into expanding and strengthening social services for the benefit of our community.

We have composed messages to the city commissioners, asking them to VOTE NO on Portland rejoining the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). You can use these as models for your own messages to the commissioners. Each message includes the email address for that commissioner.

Message to Commissioner Saltzman

Message to Commissioner Fish

Message to Commissioner Fritz

Message to Mayor Adams

We have not included Commissioner Randy Leonard, as he has already stated his opposition to rejoining the JTTF.to Portland City Council members

Joint Terrorism Task Force debate captures Portland's idiosyncratic attitude
March 10, 2011
by Brad Schmidt, The Oregonian

Protesters stormed into Portland City Hall on Thursday to deliver petitions to policymakers' offices opposing involvement in the federal Joint Terrorism Task Force. When the group couldn't get beyond a lobby security point, protesters began shouting "City Council, Come on Down!" Only Commissioner Randy Leonard appeared, helping a representative deliver the petitions and talking the group into moving back outside, where the demonstration began.

For confirmation of "Keep Portland Weird"-ness, look no further than the decade-old debate about the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Nowhere else have city leaders limited their relationship with the FBI over civil liberties.

Nowhere else have activists protested involvement of a handful of police officers.

Nowhere else have discussions come up again and again, with packed City Hall galleries, flipflopping politicians and onlookers who jeer cooperative agreements with the feds.

And now the debate is back.

Protesters Rally Against Portland's Participation in the JTTF

by Rebecca Jacobson

Willamette Week

March 10, 2011

 

Attorney Greg Kafoury speaks at today's anti-JTTF rally  = = =>

Despite the cancellation of today’s City Council hearing on whether Portland should rejoin the federal Joint Terrorism Task Force, about 70 protesters still turned out at City Hall this afternoon to oppose the city’s participation in the JTTF.

Chanting “No secrets, no spies, we want our civil rights” and carrying signs reading “Stop FBI Harassment,” protesters said participation in the JTTF could jeopardize Americans’ civil liberties. They voiced particular fears about FBI infiltration of advocacy and minority groups, including peace and environmental activists and Muslim communities.

Protesters also expressed frustration at City Council repeatedly delaying a vote on whether Portland should rejoin the JTTF.

“They moved it in order to spread out the opposition,” said Philip Kaufman of the Oregon Progressive Party, one of the rally's sponsors. “They’re trying to disorganize us."

Protesters also circulated petitions vowing to campaign against any city commissioners who vote to rejoin the JTTF. The demonstrators entered City Hall at 1:30 pm—about an hour in to the rally—with the aim of hand-delivering these petitions. There, they were met by city Commissioner Randy Leonard, who told them the public hearing had been delayed after increased signs of cooperation from the FBI on finding a solution that would not require Portland rejoining the JTTF.

Leonard, who has opposed Portland’s participation in the JTTF, then gave the protesters some advice—perhaps in an attempt to dispel the crowd.

“We’ve received hundreds of very thoughtful emails,” he said. “We encourage thoughtful emails.”

March 10 RALLY OUTSIDE CITY HALL DAY OF JTTF VOTE!

Say No to Portland Joining the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).
Say Yes to Civil Rights!

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!!!
If your group wants to co-sponsor this event please contact civilrights@progparty.org

DATE:  Thursday March 10
RALLY:  12:30 pm    
SPEAKERS:  1:00 pm
CITY COUNCIL VOTE:  2:00 pm (public testimony will be taken)
LOCATION:  Outside City Hall Council Chambers 1221 SW 4th Ave, Portland, OR 97204

On March 10 the Portland City Council will be voting on whether the City of Portland should re-enter the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).

We strongly oppose Portland joining the JTTF, because we value our civil rights.  We don't want roving wiretaps, secret access and domestic spying on non-violent activists & community groups.

Further, Portland police officers cannot comply with Oregon law (ORS 181.575) and at the same time operate as deputized FBI JTTF agents. The most recent FBI 2008 Guidelines--as well as documented abuses uncovered by the ACLU across the country--show that FBI monitoring of individuals and organizations engaged in lawful First Amendment activity has only increased since 2005, when the City of Portland left the JTTF.

The City of Portland has a shameful history of spying on civic organizations, activists, and concerned citizens.  As written by Ben Jacklet in the Portland Tribune (Sept 12, 2002; updated Oct 30, 2009), the Portland Police engaged in political spying for 3 decades (that we know about): 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

The Secret Watchers:  How the police bureau spied for decades on the people of Portland

[The Portland] police kept watch over a broad range of harmless political and civic organizations. Intelligence officers built files on the People’s Food Store co-op, the Northwest Oregon Voter Registration Project and the Women’s Rights Coalition -- even the Bicycle Repair Collective, a city program offering a $24 course on how to fix flat tires and adjust brakes.

The files obtained by the Tribune focus on organizations, not individual Portlanders. But in the files appear the names of at least 3,000 people from 576 organizations. The names are presented in formal intelligence reports, appear on lists of participants in meetings and groups, are highlighted on posters that advertise events and are underlined in newspaper clippings.

Along with militants and activists are hundreds of regular citizens who were included simply for practicing everyday democracy -- writing letters, signing petitions, joining organizations and attending lectures or school board meetings.

Let's not revert to the Portland Police as political spies.  We said NO in 2005 and we say NO now!

CO-SPONSORS:  Oregon Progressive Party, Oregon Jericho, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, NW Student Coalition, Portland Central American Solidarity Committee, the Portland Coalition Opposing Political Repression, Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, International Socialist Organization and you...

For more information visit:
Oregon ACLU:  aclu-or.org/content/fbis-joint-terrorism-task-force-0
Committee to Stop FBI Repression: StopFBI.net
Oregon Progressive Party:  ProgParty.org/repression

contact:  civilrights@progparty.org or pdxcopr@gmail.com

CONTACT CITY COUNCIL and TELL THEM WHY WE DON'T WANT the JTTF in PORTLAND

They are elected officials.  If they vote for the JTTF, then we won't vote for them!
 
Sam Adams
Mayor, Commissioner of Finance and Administration
(503) 823-4120
Samadams@portlandoregon.gov
 
Amanda Fritz
Commissioner of Public Utilities, Position Number 1
(503) 823-3008
amanda@portlandoregon.gov  
 
Nick Fish
Commissioner of Public Works, Position Number 2
(503) 823-3589
Nick@portlandoregon.gov
 
Dan Saltzman
Commissioner of Public Affairs, Position Number 3
(503) 823-4151  
dan@portlandoregon.gov   
 
Randy Leonard
Commissioner of Public Safety, Position Number 4
(503) 823-4682
randy@portlandoregon.gov
 
LaVonne Griffin-Valade
City Auditor
(503) 823-4078
lavonne.griffin-valade@portlandoregon.gov