CHICAGO (7 Nov 2002)- Local NBC affilate reports that police changed rules last month to allow them to do covert surveillance video, infiltrating groups, "as long as the intelligence-gathering has a legitimate law-enforcement purpose."

While the city leaders say they are just doing their due dilligence to make sure the city does not fall victim to riots and damage as they allege "anti-globalization protesters" have done in Seattle and DC, they are making legitimate protest appear criminal and dangerous. On Channel 5's own website is a poll where 63% of 1222 web respondents say the protesters' anti-corporate message has no merit.

This is evident too in other countries, such as currently in Italy. The Italian government has been banning the entry of people such as a British leader of the anti-sweatshop movement from speaking at the European Social Forum, "an open meeting space designed for in-depth reflection, democratic debate of ideas, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences and planning of effective action among entities and movements of civil society that are engaged in building a planetary society centered on the human being." Bans like this give the public the belief that the Social Forum's activities are not peaceful discourse.

The Chicago PD's treatment of those protesting the TABD as a dangerous element from which they need to protect the public will serve to further the prevention of legitimate discourse, as is happening today in Italy.

Please post photos of police posing as demonstrators.