yahoo groups + surveillance

This was originally posted on DC Indymedia at
http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/110895
Whether it's totally legit or not, it is a reminder to NOT trust the
internet, and companies like Yahoo in particular!]

On Saturday a little after 1PM, a flashmob action was scheduled to
take place at Pentagon City mall. Only thing is, the mall was
crawling with rentacops and FBI(!) when an advance team arrived.
The email group used to set up the event was on Yahoo, and someone
snitched to Yahoo. Yahoo responded by blocking the list but
accepting incoming messages and forwarding them to Pentagon City
security.

This is not the first time Yahoo has done something like this. In
Jan 2002, they blocked the MGJ list of that time, gave the FBI all
subscriber data, and then sold it to spammers as well, probably in
violation of both federal law and their own privacy policy.

Fortunately, our people had inside access as well, thus gaining all
kinds of information about security's plans-in particular, the
compromise of the email list. The action was called off, but a lot
of interesting intel was gathered for our side.

Mall security had a description of the shirt out coordinator was
supposed to wear-and a description of what that kind of garment was
supposed to look like. They had printouts of the emails that never
arrived.

Mall security and cops approached and threatened people they could
identify, never realizing they were themselves under surveillance as
well. This was an errie flashback of NY city in many ways.

There was suspicion that the Enemy had an agent in our meetings to
be able to go after the Flashmob so easily, but I suspect electronic
surveillance of ASFC(where DAWN meets) instead. It is far easier and
produces much of the same info.

It is very interesting that people in flak jackets who were NOT mall
security and NOT Arlington cops were there. It is believed they were
FBI, and their interest in such a mild action is highly unusual and
suspicious.

In addition, security was talking about "prosecuting" people-but for
what? Flashmobs, where people suddenly start chanting of having loud
conversations for 2-5 minutes, violate no laws.

Anyway, Pentagon City has made themselves a target for more than
flashmobs by their actions, and surely will be visited again in ways
they will have far less control over. They will with they had let
teh flashmob take place when this ends.