The Burglary That Exposed COINTELPRO: Activists Mark 50th Anniversary of Daring FBI Break-in

Fifty years ago, on March 8, 1971, a group of eight activists staged one of the most stunning acts of defiance of the Vietnam War era when they broke into an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania, and stole every document they found. The activists, calling themselves the Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI, began leaking shocking details about FBI abuses to the media. The documents exposed COINTELPRO, the FBI’s secret Counterintelligence Program, a global, clandestine, unconstitutional practice of surveillance, infiltration and disruption of groups engaged in protest, dissent and social change. Targets included Martin Luther King Jr., the Black Panthers, the American Indian Movement, the Young Lords, antiwar groups, Black booksellers and other organizations. The leaked documents triggered congressional investigations, increased oversight and the eventual passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The FBI never knew who was involved in the break-in until 2014, when several of the burglars made their identity public to coincide with the publication of a book about the break-in. To mark the 50th anniversary, we speak with Bonnie Raines, one of the activists involved in the heist, as well as Paul Coates, the founder and director of Black Classic Press and BCP Digital Printing, who was a target of FBI surveillance as part of COINTELPRO. “We already knew that we were being infiltrated. We knew that provocateurs were all throughout. We knew that the FBI had us under constant surveillance,” says Coates. “But I don’t think anyone at the time really knew the full extent of the program.”
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[@marykayryan7891]

When I get discouraged, people like these remind me that there are people who are willing to do what needs to be done. Thank you.

[@garciamaritza40]

Very good comment. Thank you.

[@Waaaaagh-n7r]

I wish younger folk in the modern era were more like this. Our lack of those people are the reason tyranny has been running amok. Keeping people isolated from one another has been keeping people complacent.

[@marykayryan7891]

@@Waaaaagh-n7r I think young folks these days are better than when we were young. They are more organized, faster to respond and less likely to engage in a lot of infighting nonsense. And they have the internet. (Remember mimeographing?) The issue isn't young people's socalled apathy, which is a media invention. Look at Black Lives Matter. Extinction Rebellion. Water and Land Protector Groups etc . etc. No. It is the fact that the "system" has become so much more difficult to get at (it isn't in file cabinets somewhere. It's in the cloud) and so much more brutal. When we were young, college cost a few hundred bucks a semester. Now it costs literally tens of thousands. There are very few good jobs with security and benefits. My middle class kids do not think they will ever be able to own a home and they both work very hard. Kids today are fine. But WHERE ARE ALL THE 60'S PEOPLE. Some are dead and the others are voting for Trump.

[@MyRapNameIsAlexbitsnpieces]

When I was younger I used to talk about how people need to understand how strongly people were in denial before the revelations of COINTELPRO. Now I talk about how willfully ignorant people are so that they can get back into denial and stay there.

[@grmpEqweer]

The surveillance tools have gotten much better.

[@chrys3073]

It's crazy.

[@johnnywraie1955]

“were” in denial 🤦‍♂️ You mean like those who still refuse to accept the Truth of what the Democrats and RINO’ perpetrated on January the 6th of 2022 🤷‍♂️ then again, my refusal to follow and accept the government media Mandate I actually Believe My Own Eyes …

[@rafomic4210]

​@@grmpEqweerand CIA is still Working . What was that White Boy Thing ?

[@MakeLuvWorldWide]

@@grmpEqweerMuch better because they’re presumably right beneath our finger tips and in our faces now, 24/7. The average citizen does not read any terms, conditions and guidelines for all of these services we use daily, so there’s no telling the rights we are giving away or things we’re agreeing to.

[@sleepingbeauty3239]

It was exposed but never stopped. It's only grown worse.

[@mrnice4434]

It's easy today with everybody carring a smart phone with them.

[@bpalpha]

You ain't kidding. 😓

[@frahman7485]

Nah, they was out of pocket back then

[@cmebans35]

Now it's called gang stalking

[@Lion-rf8xi]

They probably locked their filing cabinets and put up a few alarms after this lol.

[@ForNika]

J Edgar Hoover name should not be on FBI building anymore.

[@moniqueloomis9772]

True, but that wouldn't change its purpose or legacy.

[@djalead.7301]

These activists indeed behaved heroically. But, I would never describe the FBI as "gracious." More like devious, I would say. Great segment!

[@erict7093]

I bet Ben Sharpiro is like "No! No! This never happened! America is NOT racist"!

[@whitepaperkat67]

You forgot was

[@ralphbernhard1757]

Those were the days. You still had to physically "break in" to expose the methods with which our governments and their agencies operate. That was a true "wikileaks 1.0" moment. Snowdon. Assange. These guys. True heroes.

[@dbirdeycapozzi9807]

I'd say: Also Heroes. Because none of us got to where we are, on our own. All those who went before us laid the groundwork. Indeed can you see how we are One?

[@dividedconquered3784]

They were brave, whistler blowers are not treated kindly! 🙌💚 Bless you and your husband's soul!

[@emhu2594]

Whistleblowers always get burned at the stake. It is tragic and deplorable.

[@billiamc1969]

WAY MORE BRAVE than the Twitter Fraud Squad

[@cosmicHalArizona]

A timely report reminding US citizens that it's business as usual in the surveillance of Americans.

[@erinmich5425]

This interview was great... Thank you Democracy Now.....

[@mcmxli-by1tj]

Give them a big Thank-YOU.

[@KevinLacy70Divine]

Respect to democracy now✌🏿💯❤️

[@marvinwilliams4181]

Smh this nation 😡

[@dividedconquered3784]

This Plutocracy!😏

[@typheran1]

This program continues to this day.

[@user-ti3vp9mt3z]

Yes, and facilitated by NSA mass surveillance. The Patriot Act enabled warrant-less surveillance. DHS fusion centers coordinate community partners to decimate targets. The program uses sabotage, character assassination, traffic mobbing, RF microwave weapons, aircraft, drones, noise attacks. It contracts out to criminal networks. Targets are relentlessly attacked, then smeared, falsely accused and banned. I could go on

[@seansmith3058]

Great story. Should not be forgotten.

[@ronofficial5958]

Somebody needs to break into every government office and connect the dots. We are ALL being watched now. Everybody. How did we sit back and allow them to do this to us? Complacency is how. Blind faith is how.

[@chrys3073]

Yep! You nailed it. That and technology has made us lazy.

[@user-ti3vp9mt3z]

They bamboozle us by saying "We have to fight terrorism". In fact, THEY are the terrorists.

[@positionadjust353]

This is unbelievable on every level I mean absolutely incredible... Reparations Now

[@valeriehaider3273]

THANK YOU JUAN!!!!!! COOL DUDE!!!

[@10vidaurri]

did not know all this. brave folk. thank you!

[@sharan4700]

The Feral Instigation Bureau (FIB) is there to GUT our 4'th Amendment.

[@ShubhamBhushanCC]

These people are the real heroes.

[@msdeemorning427]

J Edgar Hoover had files on everybody that is why they were afraid of him.

[@NellieKAdaba]

Wow

[@jean-luceyesofyoureyes5502]

And the Mafia had pictures of him cross dressing having sex with his right hand man so thats why he said there is no such thing as the Mafia

[@calebcampbell8285]

@@jean-luceyesofyoureyes5502 yep

[@trustmesonimyourfather9097]

Afraid of a crossdressing homosexual. Pathetic.

[@ina1815]

They even had children and risked it all wow 👏🏼💛

[@faithford9143]

Thank you so much for your heroism. That’s the only way America can get things done the right way. you can’t listen to the laws all the time.

[@dunkelmonkey]

I vaguely remember hearing something about this in passing, but I really didn't know much about it. It's nice to hear the full story from the perspective of the people involved

[@ania2.089]

AMAZING! FREEDOM FIGHTERS AT ITS BEST!!! THANK U!! THANK U ALL!!!

[@ronhanson9453]

Heroes and patriots. Much respect!

[@cozeeetv]

Shameful!

[@solidaritytime3650]

Remember the espionage act from Wilson's administration is still on the books. Take care!

[@DerMig590]

Oh this is gonna be an epic movie!

[@elroyjetson6380]

FBI wouldn't allow it

[@danielm.4346]

A great story. Praise for these people's intelligence, determination, and courage.

[@digitalbookworm5678]

Have to wonder if they would have been so "very gracious" if it had been a black female student wanting that interview. 😏

[@paulturnet4572]

That's obviously a "rhetorical question " right ?

[@Seablast14]

Real heroes and heroines✊

[@mollymaguire1391]

Think what they are able to do NOW.

[@madeandcrowned]

These are true patriots!

[@roslynwilliams4917]

Good for them!

[@danlhendl]

Bravo!

[@patricktilton5377]

Bilbo Baggins was hired to be a burglar, so don't tell me that ALL burglars are bad people! Sometimes they're heroes.

[@mikegriggs4572]

Thank you

[@sergiocarrasco325]

Such brave souls. Legends of the Left! Your example will live on to inspire future generations of freedom fighters the world over.

[@lboogie6958]

Still Active..

[@sebastianmelmoth685]

Fascinating - thank you so much.

[@tomitstube]

amazing what they did. and they're so right that intimidation is a key tactic, making people think they're always being watched, that you can't trust anyone, and so on. it drives these activists further underground, (by design) and law enforcement has much better technology these days, you couldn't do what they did in 1971 today, but people are just going to have to be smarter and more savvy. but the thing to remember is most people underestimate the power they have in fighting corruption.

[@MinkytheMinkY]

Wow, the distrust of who was an agent, remains. Can see how this can split a movement.

[@michaelwilliamybarra2409]

This sounds like the makings of a great movie here, with a critical analysis on whistleblowing for government surveillance in the U.S., touching on several points with regards to foreign and domestic policy with regards to both the Vietnam War and a reflection on today's war on "terror" and dealings with the Israeli government!

[@mikasan237]

So brave, courageous, and to be alive to tell the story!!

[@ThaOneChrisJONES]

Keith Forsyth looked like a buff John Lennon when he was young. lol

[@perrymason4208]

Bonnie Rains is a badass

[@GreyException]

So what should ordinary people do? Other than to ignore the MSM narratives that tell us what to think and who our ‘enemy’ is?

[@strawberrychaos73]

True heroes.

[@madeandcrowned]

01:50 - Black Americans have always been a target of the U.S. government.

[@versewonderstrikes5353]

White people were surprised at the FBI’s level of white supremacy. Now that’s saying something. Two major black politicians VP Harris and Senator Tim Scott were on tv saying America isn’t a racist country.😂😂😂

[@sebastianrios7735]

I would be so lost if it wasn’t for Democracy Now.

[@1LoDeezydotcom]

Stop calling it a robbery. It was civil confiscation.

[@trustmesonimyourfather9097]

Right . Even the lady interviewer is trying to throw dirt on it asking the first guest if she was the one who "cased the joint" (like a robbery). BS!!

[@OneChenoa]

WOW the truth will prevail.

[@nobodyexceptme7794]

All u gotta do is stand up ppl.

[@davidmurphy5405]

J edgar ate off our silver. Gramps would golf with Ike ..As the assets and liability lawyer for the Penmsylvania Railroad which had the 3rd largest police force next to Pinkerton. Grandma Long was Huey Longs cousin... Talk about a republican democrat split ! They were married had one constant crisis little girl married 8 times to the wildest veterans on the planet. I was guarding Kissinger and Chase on a million acre preserve with 52 armed employees I blew an ulcer and evaced to fort Whipple where my mom and the chief of staff Col. Whitman had to autopsy his son Roy...it was a nasa anti grav murder as I was the suspect leaker. So I got raided and my college trailer had 3 seeds hidden in a curtain rod in a 35mm film canister. Hugh Hefner on the phone with a blank check to the supreme court . Gramps wasnt amused shook my hand as he never had been to the high court in 46 years ... I was a first year law student from a conservative republican 32° mason lawyers family... ACLU did not sit in to this paradigm I was blackballed out of the masons and disinherited ...the FBi and gramps hero J Edgar now had a plan for ...disposal. wore taps and tails and I moved to a ghost town called Walker... my new neighbor ...anton levay hinproest of the satanic church..oh joy ? Some people lead nice quiet lives...not me... so Prescott Arizona may not have been the best place to run this test case... cowboy central. Cowboys are veterans with pensions to augment the $200 mo. pay ... everyone on the ORO had medals for KIA and clusters and citations. . Col. Green wanted loyal men. He got them . The most proficient killers in the history of killing . Ringo showed me where we bury the rustlers on double o... I was 13... Not a jury in Arizona would convict an ORO cowboy... they didnt have the rights. And if the hammer fell with these boys you were judged and executed instantly.. and some poor badtardnor two was never heard from again. Just a mound by a tree. This was serious business. Sheriffs office asked us to bring em in ... we try .... we try.... these are the qualifications of an ACLU lawyer ....right? I did some work with Alice in Phoenix we were after crime in the state ranks... as usual. So Judge Hancock...the old.alcoholic sentenced me to take it in the ass 46 years now. Same time gramps was a lawyer ... and today we find marijuana heals 97% of all disease if you bake yer bud 300° for six minutes and throw a gram a day in the smoothie for a month or two and all yer problems vanish .. this all started when uncle Russel allocated $9M for the particle accelerator in the us health hospital in new Orleans.. Lee Oswald hijacked it and stole weaponized cancer specimens. He also worked at Cutter Labs who passed out 200 million doses of cancer infected polio vaccine. So it's the biggest scandal in history Nixon knowingly greenlighted this national disaster and Oscners oncology was normalized as marijuana was heavily.sippressed and 30 million innocent children were criminalized arrested beaten tortured murdered and some are still in jail after 40 50 years God dam it all to hell anyway. J Edgar ordered Huey Longs death according to our family doctor a 33... who.met fdrs doc another 33 and he said fdr did not have polio he had syphilis and he removed a 38 from behind his ear....oops. followed his finger out the hole. This was J Edgar work. Then he flew out of Dallas at 3 am as jfk flew in at 11....get it ? This is the kind of shit you learn when you are the senate finance chairs nephew my first 33 years... the first years of my life were spent in masonic halls lectures by rather important people. ..big dinners demolays and service service service... oh I was given the holy 33° oil.. since birth. Yeah my pineal gland popped open early... they didnt appreciate a creative aware little smart ass.. everyone loves a little ass... but no one likes a smart ass....except another smart ass...

[@ano1962]

The police are not here to help you

[@36cmbr]

Wow!

[@skysky7377]

Stunning 😤 more like abusive, what is the fascination and obsession 😠

[@patrickcarney9177]

Heroes & Heroines

[@dbirdeycapozzi9807]

Yes.

[@naejimba]

This is happening NOW.

[@robertrichard6107]

Woman is my hero!

[@ScienceMatters.]

True Americans!

[@thesandmancurtballirg4371]

Wow !!!

[@noahnelson6385]

This is the most badass shit ever. WHERE IS THIS HEIST FILM?? 👀👀

[@tonywords6713]

How did they never end up getting charged? You'd think they'd be like Snowden and have to go into exile

[@user-ti3vp9mt3z]

The times have changed - for the worse!

[@Traveltransmissions]

Are any of these people calling out the bureaus never ending abuses of their law enforcement powers in 2023?

[@tezotezo8532]

Hoover was a weirdo

[@tomaszwida]

am asking where are the statues of these heroes?!?!

[@40bpaula]

That's gonna take a few centuries to come to fruition. After all, they're just now coming out and it's gonna take that long before they're truly recognized as heros in this country especially with the government we have.

[@ursulaotieno6998]

Kudos democracy live, i would still be in the dark

[@chrisdaniels4674]

I’ll tell you Right now. The people that broke into the office were on the payroll tbey just saw through the BS. They had enough brains to think for themselves

[@johnquinn456]

Love you Betty

[@Zzworld_roblox1001]

This is going to be debated heavy when we talk about reparations this was outta line

[@trustmesonimyourfather9097]

All we will ever do is talk about reparations if nobody is down to TAKE what is owed.

[@PryvetKid]

Who was the second chief of the FBi

[@ladellallen3155]

We constantly told that systematic racism is in our head. Well, America there's a lot of Truth that is rising to the surface. I thank the Most High for raising us up in the end times. The end of this wicked system out forth by the heathens and gentiles alike. Also for exposing the wicked system implemented within my own people who refuse to turn away from the error of our ways.

[@kat451]

3:57 sounds like he is describing Trump

[@TheJoshA]

The fact that these criminals feel it's ok to come out shows you who us running this country.

[@SubnormalEntertainment]

They exposed a giant surveillance program, the fact that the FBI had targeted Martin Luther King and sent him letters telling him to kill himself, lied to the public about one of the most brutal wars this country has ever waged, assassinated and attempted numerous world leaders for the oh so grievous sin of not aligning with U.S interests, overthrown sovereign nations to turn them into puppet states, and I could go on for fucking hours about what these heroes exposed.

[@LI-pm3mh]

Also look into “Iron Fist” it’s a new version

[@episdosas9949]

idk. wouldnt you think they would still get arrested 50 years later. they so tricky. they could have done it themselves.

[@Ecotechnologist]

Ever hear of statute of limitations?

[@episdosas9949]

@@Ecotechnologist yeah i have. have you ever heard of the police not following the laws. or political prisoners who are still in us prisons. do you think they could come up with a penal code that doesnt have limitations. they kinda do what they want to do regardless of the laws. and often with immunity.

[@valeriehaider3273]

This was HOOVER'S hands.. I believed they had changeed??? Enlighten me please??

[@dawnpalmby5100]

A gentle way to look into it is the Edward Snowden interview on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, its funny but will give u an idea of what's going on n then u can decide if u wanna go deeper down that rabbit whole. Warning tho, ur going b disappointed or frustrated if not just pissed off bout what u find out

[@valeriehaider3273]

@@dawnpalmby5100 we're aware of "RABBIT HOLES " more than one.. as for Edward?? Totally support him and Julian/others before/after.. truth is not any agency/or our government's practices.. all is surfacing.. we have to watch our own BACKS.. This all goes WAY BACK politically.. I'm probably your "senior" .. seen alot..questioned alot.. not a "HERD" Follower.. I've found the higher up you go?? The questions asked?? Those in Authority hate to be questioned...

[@bryansmith9231]

The heads are usually always agents of misfortune.

[@Doggfan]

Big mistake coming out..

[@moniqueloomis9772]

Hmmm. I think Cointelpro came to visit BLM.

[@bradhenderson2369]

It's going on now. I'm a targeted individual and it's far worse now

[@tracyclark7560]

Ta-Nehisi's daddy!

[@marvincage956]

aka Khartoum B1 🇱🇾 💯 🤔

[@berniek.morgan3481]

Smokin Joe Frazier was the 1st Man to put Cassius Clay on the Canvas. I was living only like 10 minutes away from this Media Office and had NO IDEA what was going on!!! I wonder if ANY of these people were ever arrested ??? Does anybody know???

[@dawnpalmby5100]

He legally changed his name to Muhammad Ali. no, none of the FBI has been charged with the crimes the perpetuated on American citizens or the infringement on their rights or the assassinations that were carried out.

[@pedromac1620]

Bloody heroes.

[@ALBANIAN4FREDOM]

You all must watch video of professor Carol Swain on PragerU History of Democratic Party! This video helped me to dacite to choose a political party!

[@OdellHarden]

Democrats won't show BLM this

[@dontecooper6479]

Just like the capital hill protesters. Power to the people!!!

[@maggiehogland1891]

Nope - not even in the same universe

[@grmpEqweer]

If you're talking about 1/6, uh, no. Those people were misguided puppets of power, at best.

[@40bpaula]

that's like comparing juicy apples to sour, dried up oranges. Not even close.

[@dontecooper6479]

@@maggiehogland1891 Does not "The end justifies the means" apply to both groups?

[@maggiehogland1891]

@@dontecooper6479 I don’t know how you compare war and racial protesters late night burglary - not one person injured to the 1-6-2021 MOB that was calling for death. I just can’t understand how to even begin to ‘justify the means’ on that.