Remembering COINTELPRO

Lessons in Surviving Repression

COINTELPRO, short for Counter Intelligence Program, was a covert operation run by the FBI from 1956 to 1971. Its primary goal was to surveil, infiltrate, discredit, and disrupt domestic political organizations deemed subversive or threatening to U.S. political and social order. Initially targeting communist groups during the Cold War, the program expanded to focus on the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power organizations, anti-Vietnam War activists, feminist groups, and others advocating for progressive social change.

The program operated in secrecy until its exposure in 1971 by activists who broke into an FBI field office in Media, Pennsylvania, and leaked classified documents to the press. These revelations led to public outrage, congressional investigations, and eventually the formal termination of COINTELPRO.

Key Strategic Pillars of COINTELPRO

1. Disruption of Leadership:

   • The FBI aimed to neutralize influential leaders in social movements by undermining their credibility, creating division, or removing them through incarceration or violence.

   • Example: Targeting Martin Luther King Jr. through surveillance and smear campaigns to discredit him personally and politically.

2. Infiltration and Surveillance:

   • Government agents and informants infiltrated organizations to monitor activities, spread misinformation, and sow discord from within.

   • Example: Informants were embedded in the Black Panther Party to exacerbate internal conflicts and provoke illegal actions.

3. Suppression of Unity:

   • COINTELPRO sought to divide and isolate movements by exploiting ideological differences, racial or ethnic tensions, and personal rivalries.

   • Example: Letters and fabricated evidence were used to create distrust between Black Panther leaders like Huey Newton and Eldridge Cleaver.

4. Public Discrediting:

   • Activists and organizations were discredited through public smear campaigns, often involving fabricated evidence and media manipulation.

   • Example: The FBI sent an anonymous letter to Martin Luther King Jr., threatening to expose alleged affairs unless he committed suicide.

5. Provocation to Violence:

   • The FBI encouraged or staged violent acts to justify harsher crackdowns on targeted organizations, portraying them as dangerous extremists.

   • Example: Agents incited violent clashes between the Black Panther Party and other groups, leading to escalated conflicts and arrests.

Tactics Deployed by COINTELPRO

1. Surveillance:

   • Extensive wiretapping, mail tampering, and physical monitoring of activists.

   • Example: Constant surveillance of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and others to gather intelligence and leverage for harassment.

2. Infiltration:

   • Deploying informants and provocateurs to disrupt meetings, steer decisions, and escalate tensions.

   • Example: An informant in the Chicago Black Panther Party provided intel that led to the 1969 police raid and killing of Fred Hampton.

3. Propaganda:

   • Disseminating false information to the press, communities, and within organizations to undermine credibility and unity.

   • Example: Fake letters were sent to activists to create mistrust between allies or within organizations.

4. Legal Harassment:

   • Leveraging the criminal justice system to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate activists on dubious charges.

   • Example: Frequent arrests of SNCC and Black Panther members for minor infractions to drain organizational resources.

5. Intimidation and Violence:

   • Threats, physical violence, and even assassinations were used to suppress dissent.

   • Example: Harassment campaigns targeting rank-and-file activists, including bombings of offices and homes.

6. Psychological Warfare:

   • Anonymous threats, false rumors, and coercive tactics to create paranoia and demoralize activists.

   • Example: Letters to Martin Luther King Jr. threatening to expose personal information to ruin his reputation.

Impact on Social Movements

1. Demoralization and Division:

   • Many organizations were weakened or dissolved due to internal distrust and external pressures amplified by COINTELPRO tactics.

   • Example: The FBI’s efforts fueled the fragmentation of the Black Panther Party and sowed discord within the Civil Rights Movement.

2. Loss of Leadership:

   • Key leaders were discredited, incarcerated, or assassinated, leaving movements leaderless and less effective.

   • Example: The assassinations of Fred Hampton and Malcolm X were partially facilitated by government intelligence operations.

3. Chilling Effect on Activism:

   • Surveillance, harassment, and repression created fear among activists, discouraging participation and stifling dissent.

   • Example: Many individuals left activism altogether due to fear of government targeting.

4. Stigmatization of Movements:

   • Public smear campaigns and propaganda cast activist organizations as violent, radical, or unpatriotic, alienating potential allies.

   • Example: Civil rights organizations were labeled as communist fronts, undermining their credibility with mainstream Americans.

Lessons for Activists Today

1. Invest in Security Culture:

   • Emphasize digital and physical security, such as encrypted communications and vetting new members, to reduce vulnerability to infiltration and surveillance.

2. Strengthen Internal Unity:

   • Develop transparent decision-making processes and address internal conflicts constructively to prevent exploitation of divisions.

3. Diversify Leadership:

   • Decentralized leadership structures make movements more resilient to targeted attacks on key leaders.

4. Control the Narrative:

   • Proactively counter disinformation by building media strategies that highlight movement goals and humanize activists.

5. Document and Expose Repression:

   • Monitor and publicize instances of government overreach to rally public support and hold authorities accountable.

6. Build Broad Coalitions:

   • Foster alliances across ideological, racial, and class lines to create a diverse base of support that is harder to isolate and stigmatize.

7. Focus on Long-Term Resilience:

   • Combine immediate activism with strategies for sustainable movement building, such as leadership development, mutual aid, and education initiatives.

Conclusion

COINTELPRO offers a sobering reminder of the lengths authoritarian forces will go to suppress dissent and maintain power. While the program officially ended in 1971, its tactics persist in modern forms of repression. By studying the history of COINTELPRO, activists can anticipate challenges, protect their movements, and develop strategies that ensure resilience and success in the fight for justice and democracy.