NYT: Air Force Watchdog To Probe Use Of Surveillance Plane On BLM Protestors

Police officers wearing riot gear push back demonstrators shooting tear gas next to St. John's Episcopal Church outside of the White House on June 1, 2020. (Photo by JOSE LUIS MAGANA/AFP via Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The Air Force Inspector General will investigate the use of of surveillance planes to monitor Black Lives Matter Protestors in D.C. and Minneapolis earlier this month, the New York Times reported.

The probe will look at how and why the Air Force’s RC-26 aircraft — armed with electronic surveillance capabilities and high-powered cameras — was deployed to provide live footage to FBI and military officials.

The Times reported that the plane — which is typically used for missions like countering drug smuggling — was able to beam live, detailed video to FBI officials in Washington monitoring the protests.

One plane deployed to Minneapolis was flown by Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who has been tweeting angrily about the scandal caused by the use of military surveillance aircraft on U.S. citizens.

The Times reported that “an elite Special Operations unit of the Pennsylvania National Guard” was deployed to Washington as well, to provide unspecified support to the plane’s mission.

The investigation comes as the D.C. national guard prepares a final report on the use of another military asset — helicopters — to buzz protestors in Washington on June 1.

Read the Times report here.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Another pesky inspector general to can. The investigation will be turned over to an acting inspector general, ex-PFC Wintergreen.

  2. Presumably, the investigation will focus on DOJ, right?

    Cut to the chase.

  3. One plane deployed to Minneapolis was flown by Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL)

    Wait, what? Is this a real thing? A member of the United States House of Representatives was deployed by the Air Force to pilot a surveillance mission against American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights?

  4. Avatar for marcm marcm says:

    “Protected?” From what? Words? Special Ops in vests, with guns, clubs, gas, surveillance aircraft, and helos, against the words of a kaffeeklatsch of peaceful demonstrators? Kinzinger is a wanker. He should hold his breath waiting for a “retraction”.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

17 more replies

Participants

Avatar for discobot Avatar for marcm Avatar for cervantes Avatar for losamigos Avatar for soeasy Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for lastroth Avatar for bentonf Avatar for brian512 Avatar for maximus Avatar for libthinker Avatar for timorwig Avatar for godwit Avatar for txlawyer Avatar for n_b Avatar for LeeHarveyGriswold Avatar for DharmaBum

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: