There has been considerable controversy over BP preventing journalists and activists to film in public areas — showing the damage of the recent spill on animals and the environment. BP has no authority to do so, but it continues (as in this video) to prevent filming at various locations.
The video shows Drew Wheelan, the conservation coordinator for the American Birding Association, was filming himself across the street from the BP building/Deepwater Horizon response command in Houma, Louisiana. He is approached by an officer (who we learn later is working for BP):
Wheelan: “Am I violating any laws or anything like that?”
Officer: “Um…not particularly. BP doesn’t want people filming.”
Wheelan: “Well, I’m not on their property so BP doesn’t have anything to say about what I do right now.”
Officer: “Let me explain: BP doesn’t want any filming. So all I can really do is strongly suggest that you not film anything right now. If that makes any sense.”
Wheelan says that he was later pulled over by the same officer and another officer named Kenneth Thomas with a badge reading “Chief BP Security.” He was allegedly questioned and Thomas confiscated his Audubon volunteer badge.
The deputy was off-duty at the time and the story below reports that Major Malcolm Wolfe of the sheriff’s office insisted that there was nothing wrong in an officer working for a private company to use his police car to pull over citizens. The story says Wolfe thought it was a proper use of a vehicle because Wheelan could be a “terrorist.” He should rest assured. With the possible exception of the 9-11 attacks, no terrorist in history has caused the type of property and environmental damage as BP.
If BP contests these facts, it should do so clearly and publicly. As it stands, this is a truly frightening story.
Source: Mother Jones
Jill,
In my opinion CA’s legislature is better than ours but they weren’t given the opportunity to debate the matter.
I find one line out of many particularly chilling:
” … The regulation also says that if someone has a dispute with an officer and it goes to court “the police officer’s statement under oath is considered conclusive evidence under the Act. …”
Another way of phrasing the above is: “Thus sayeth the King.”
And what fool said the terrorists didn’t win?
Hello George,
You’re right. I thought CA’s legislature was better than ours. I’m certain their courts are less likely to tolerate this than US courts. Still, it is so very striking how far the elites will take their power. At least Iceland is copping an attitude! Hope you are doing well!!
Jill,
I saw that article too. I also noticed the powers were granted by executive fiat through the cabinet, not by the legislature, which was in session and able to consider the proposal.
Welcome the new totalitarian executive. Every country needs to fight this kind of abuse of power.
Hi Byron,
I didn’t call it capitalism, I called it fascism.
I consider Canada more civilized (in general) than the US but here is what they are doing: “TORONTO – Police forces in charge of security for the G20 in Toronto have been granted special powers for the duration of the summit.
[‘Don’t touch that fence!’ The new legislation allows police to search anyone within five metres of the G20 security fence in downtown Toronto (Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press)]’Don’t touch that fence!’
The new powers took effect Monday and apply only along the border of the G20 security fence that encircles a portion of the downtown core. This so-called red zone includes the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, where delegates will meet.
The new powers are designed specifically for the G20, CBC’s Colin Butler reported Friday.
Ontario’s cabinet quietly passed the new rules on June 2 without legislature debate.
Sgt. Tim Burrows of the G8/G20 Integrated Security Unit said the new regulations make parts of the existing Public Works Protection Act apply to the G20 security zone in downtown Toronto.
“The public has nothing to fear with this legislation and the way the police will use this legislation,” said Burrows. “It really comes down to a case of common sense and officer discretion. If you’re approaching that fence line, we want to know why.”
The new powers are in effect on the streets and sidewalks in and around the security fence.
Under the new regulations, anyone who comes within five metres of the security area is obliged to give police their name and state the purpose of their visit.
Police, at their discretion, can deny access to the area and “use whatever force is necessary” to keep people out.
Anyone who refuses to identify themselves or refuses to provide a reason for their visit can be fined up to $500.
The new rules also give police the power to search anyone who approaches the fence.
The regulation also says that if someone has a dispute with an officer and it goes to court “the police officer’s statement under oath is considered conclusive evidence under the Act.”
The new regulations authorize police to use the powers starting on Monday, June 21 and police will have those powers until Monday, June 28 when the G20 delegates leave town.
Burrows said police have already made “two or three” arrests under the new rules as of Friday morning.
“We’re bound by duty to protect the people that are going be within that fence line,” said Burrows. “If you refuse to tell us [why you’re there], then we have to assume that your purposes are not of a peaceful nature.” (from the CBC)
Meanwhile the US is cranking up the drones for use here. We should be screaming.
“Major Malcolm Wolfe of the sheriff’s office insisted that there was nothing wrong in an officer working for a private company to use his police car to pull over citizens. … it was a proper use of a vehicle because Wheelan could be a ‘terrorist’.”
=================================================================
(The off official duty deputy failed to include the traffic stop in his incident report.)
The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office Uniform Commander and spokesman, Maj. Malcolm Wolfe, needs to update his department’s “terrorist recognition” training program.
One of the benefits the tax payers of Terrebonne Parish provide their deputies is a “take home” vehicle. They also pay approx. $1000 per year on the insurance for each vehicle. Since BP’s security force are using the sheriff’s cars to conduct official BP security business, the tax payers of Terrebonne Parish should demand that BP provide the necessary dollars to pay for the vehicles, their insurance, and upkeep.
I think we are in the midst of a Corporative coup….and the inneffective response to the cleanup is an intentional message by an invading force.
“The US is definitely a fascist state. The govt. has put its considerable resources to work for corporations against the interests of its own people. ”
http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html
Hard to know if our Gov is for us or against us…turns out that for most of us, the world is flat afterall.
It seems that at some point, the FBI should have the responsibility to crack down on local law enforcement when they misuse their equipment and authority. How is “confiscating” this guy’s property anything other than theft?
Oh, wait, don’t tell me. “Federalism,” right? Until this stuff gets wildly out of control, it’s up to the state government to police the local police? Didn’t we figure out during the civil rights movement that these states can’t be trusted to protect the fundamental rights of the residents of those states?
I say we give the “tea partiers” something real to freak out about. This seems like an emergency situation, and it seems there’s a very real need to get federal law enforcement down there and very active to put a stop to this “southern hospitality.”
Jill:
here is a quote from the book:
“The state must have absolute power over every man and over every sphere of human activity, the Nazis declared. “The authority of the Fuhrer is not limited by checks and controls, by special autonomous bodies or individual rights, but it is free and independent, all-inclusive and unlimited,” said Ernst Huber, an official party spokesman, in 1933.
“The concept of personal liberties of the individual as opposed to the authority of the state had to disappear; it is not to be reconciled with the principle of the nationalistic Reich,” said Huber to a country which listened, and nodded. “There are no personal liberties of the individual which fall outside of the realm of the state and which must be respected by the state… The constitution of the nationalistic Reich is therefore not based upon a system of inborn and inalienable rights of the individual.””
Nal-In my state there generally wouldn’t be any liability for the employing municipality if it has clear policies concerning the line between activities on and off duty. However, if the police chief were to say it’s fine for off-duty officers to use official vehicles to pull over motorists on behalf of the private employer, that’s arguably a policy statement that the on and off-duty activities are linked and could lead to liability. I would be interested in what kind of press BP would get if the affected people started requesting injunctive relief against BP’s employees’ interference in their lawful activities. In this particular instance, he could at least instigate a criminal complaint against Thomas for theft of the Audubon badge. Of course, I’m not familiar with the relevant state statutes.
Jill:
that has been happening for a long time and the Patriot Act put it into overdrive. What you are talking about is not Capitalism but Fascism. Hopefully people will wake up to this.
A book called Ominous Parallels speaks to just this issue.
Bryon,
Nothing is wrong with that working and making 70K a year. Month on Month off.. The point trying to be made is that Long got the Oil Company’s to pay like 40% of the states budget. When Obama did the same thing in order to clean up the mess created by BP its called a shake down.
The US is definitely a fascist state. The govt. has put its considerable resources to work for corporations against the interests of its own people. Here is an account of contractors in the Gulf by Jeremy Scahill. “BP and US Government ‘Command Center’ Guarded by Company From Afghan Embassy Hazing Scandal
By Jeremy Scahill – May 28th, 2010
Published in The Nation
I just got off the phone with my friends Naomi Klein, author of “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism,” and her husband Avi Lewis, host of al Jazeera English’s popular program Fault Lines. They are traveling around the devastated US Gulf reporting on the horrific disaster caused by BP’s massive oil spill. They described to me a run in that they just had with the private security company Wackenhut, which apparently has been hired to do the perimeter security for the “Deepwater Horizon Unified Command.” The “Unified Command” is run jointly by BP and several US government agencies including the US Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security.
Wackenhut, of course, is the notorious private security company that operates in the US and around the globe. It recently became part of the huge British mercenary network G4S…”
If you read up on foreclosures, the “health care for the insurance industry” bill, the bailout, and what is going on in the Gulf (to name only a few) you will see public resources being transferred to private corporations from the public coffers. As CCD points out, at this point, anyone can be a “terrorist” by the definition of this sheriff (and many other entities within the govt.) This should scare people. This cannot be justified because it is Democrats in power or with statements like, “I trust Obama”. We have a Constitution because no person or party, no matter how much you may like/and or trust that person/party should have this kind of power. This is the power of a police state, the rule of fiat. Anyone is open to having the full faith and credit of the US govt.’s many resources brought to bear against them. I strongly urge citizens to unite and peacefully but forcefully confront the police state the US has become.
Ay:
what is wrong with making 70k a year in an honest fashion?
You cant have jobs if you don’t have companies and you cant have welfare and roads and waste water treatment plants if you don’t have good paying jobs to tax.
Police officers moonlighting as security guards is a common practice. What is the municipality’s liability when those officers break the law? If the municipality has insurance, I’d bet the policy doesn’t cover such instances.
Wait, wait hold the press. Huey Long, who appears to be long forgotten started the shake down of oil company’s to clean up the mess they created in LA. I hear tell that Long got a lot of bad PR at the time. But when municipalities and other government functions, such as roads, sewer, schools, books (not that they have to learn to read) were being paid for by the state it kinda got forgotten. I heard somewhere that at one time that the generous donations that the Oil related company’s give the state during the Long tenure was about 40% now a days it about 14%…..
So the answer to your question in short, the Oil Industry owns the state.
A worker can earn better that 70k a year for 6 months of dedicated service off shore. Sometimes you feel like you are in the service as you give your life for the company. That’s the short and long of the story….
JT:
THANK YOU! for continuing to speak Truth to Power.
When exactly did we become a corporate police state?
Since the US military runs on oil, about 27 gallons per day per person, big oil can do no wrong. Oh and its for our own good, protecting the citizenry from the truth.
Is the possibility that anyone can be a terrorist, now a legal, and valid probable cause to pull someone over? Absent having broken any other known law, how can the sheriff justify that stop?
The fact that he was in a county owned car has nothing to do with it, once they left BP property this officer has no authority to pull over any person on a public street while acting as an agent for BP.
The corporations like BP suffer from amnesia, having forgotten the country they are in.
This is the United States of America and we have to throw this propaganda obsession they call spin and PR out with the other trash.
What is the best Propaganda. Who better than the US to disseminate Propaganda, the Corporations of course.