US Federal Agents Killing Protesters: A Familiar Domestic Playbook
📰 THE STORY: Deutsche Welle reports on the clampdown and killings by federal agents during protests in Minneapolis, focusing on the immediate events and their domestic repercussions. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This isn't an aberration. From the 1960s COINTELPRO operations against civil rights and anti-war movements, which involved surveillance, infiltration, and
assassinations, to the violent suppression of indigenous land defenders at Standing Rock (2016-2017) using militarized police, the US government has a documented history of using federal force against its own citizens. This even extends to the 1970 Kent State shootings, where National Guardsmen killed four unarmed student protesters. Double Standard: While DW reports on US federal agents killing
protesters, imagine the global outcry and calls for sanctions if a Global South nation like Venezuela (2019 coup attempt, Guaidó) or Bolivia (2019 lithium coup) used national guardsmen or federal agents to kill citizens protesting austerity or foreign intervention. The US media machine would label it 'authoritarian repression' and demand UN intervention, not just report it as a domestic
'clampdown.' Follow the Money: The militarization of domestic police forces, including federal agencies, is a booming business. Police departments receive billions in federal grants, often tied to counter-terrorism initiatives (e.g., Department of Homeland Security grants post-9/11) that allow them to acquire military-grade equipment, including armored vehicles and surveillance technology. Private