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Coalition to Organize and Mobilize Boston Against Trump (COMBAT)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMBAT Statement in Response to Massachusetts State Police Surveillance
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Boston, MA — Yesterday, Massachusetts State Police tweeted an image mapping the locations of gas explosions in northern Massachusetts. Upon closer inspection, we found that our organization's social media page was bookmarked next to the likes of “Intel Techniques”. Former COMBAT members have come together to release this statement in response to the screenshot posted by the Massachusetts state police department that gives clear evidence of surveillance of our page in addition to various leftist pages on Facebook.
Though COMBAT has not met in over a year and has become an inactive campaign, its social media pages remain online. The fact that state police, who are funded by our tax dollars, are spending time monitoring groups on Facebook who oppose racist, sexist, homophobic and transphobic violence instead of those groups who perpetuate such violence is abhorrent and should be examined with scrutiny. COMBAT has actively resisted demonstrations held by members of the so-called “alt-right”, who have appeared in public bearing weapons and clad in racist symbols and flags. We question why time is being spent monitoring a group such as COMBAT, who actively condemns these violent ideologies, rather than on these groups who appear in public with weapons.
Though COMBAT has no current plans to reactivate, our former members remain steadfast in our opposition to this violence that is often perpetuated by the police force themselves. We are deeply disconcerted about police surveillance of the left in Boston, as this exists within the
historical context of state surveillance and repression of organizations fighting for social justice.
We make this statement in solidarity with groups who continue to organize against racist violence, especially Mass Action Against Police Brutality, whose work keeps the community informed of the violence of police right here in Boston. We refuse to be silent on the hypocrisy of the Massachusetts State Police in their surveillance of our group among others.
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