Justice Department Provided Assistance for Anti ZImmerman Protests

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**Frazzled**

http://dailycaller.com/2013/07/10/doj-provided-security-for-anti-zimmerman-protests/

Docs: Justice Department facilitated anti-Zimmerman protests
12:59 PM 07/10/2013

A division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) was deployed to Sanford, Florida in 2012 to provide assistance for anti-George Zimmerman protests, including a rally headlined by activist Al Sharpton, according to newly released documents.

The Community Relations Service (CRS), a unit of DOJ, reported expenses related to its deployment in Sanford to help manage protests between March and April 2012, according to documents obtained by the watchdog group Judicial Watch.

CRS spent $674.14 between March 25-27 related to having been “deployed to Sanford, FL, to work marches, demonstrations, and rallies related to the shooting and death of an African-American teen by a neighborhood watch captain.” CRS spent another $1,142.84 for the same purpose between March 25-28.

CRS spent $892.55 “to provide support for protest deployment in Florida” between March 30-April 1, and $751.60 “to provide technical assistance to the City of Sanford, event organizers, and law enforcement agencies for the march and rally on March 31.”

Sharpton, who promoted the Tawana Brawley hoax in the 1980s and in 1995 led a protest against the “white interloper” owner of a Harlem clothing store that ended in a deadly shooting rampage at the store, was a featured speaker at the March 31 rally, called “The March for Trayvon Martin,” where he advocated for Zimmerman’s prosecution.

CRS expenditures related to the anti-Zimmerman protests continued through mid-April. Between April 11 and April 12, CRS spent $552.35 “to provide technical assistance for the preparation of possible marches and rallies related to the fatal shooting of a 17 year old African American male.”

Local government officials noticed the Department of Justice’s efforts in building “bridges of understanding” in Sanford.

“Congratulations to our partners, Thomas Battles, Regional Director, and Mildred De Robles, Miami-Dade Coordinator and their co-workers at the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service for their outstanding and ongoing efforts to reduce tensions and build bridges of understanding and respect in Sanford, Florida,” wrote Amy Carswell, Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board Program Officer, in an April 16 email.

“Thank you Partner. You did lots of stuff behind the scene to make Miami a success. We will continue to work together,” DOJ official Thomas Battles wrote in reply to Carswell.

“That’s why we make the big bucks,” Carswell replied.

CRS was established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to the CRS web page, “The Community Relations Service is the Department’s ‘peacemaker’ for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, and national origin. Created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, CRS is the only Federal agency dedicated to assist State and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony.”

A Department of Justice spokesperson said that she did not know off the top of her head what CRS’ role was in the anti-Zimmerman protests but is currently trying to figure out that answer. The Daily Caller will update this story upon receiving a statement from DOJ.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/07/10/doj-provided-security-for-anti-zimmerman-protests/#ixzz2YfTK0zlk

**CptJake**

A Holder lead DOJ is political? Who woulda thunk it.

**Dreadclaw69**

I should be surprised by this, but given the amount of other scandals hitting this Administration I'm really not.

**ironicsilence**

I remember the good ole days when our government had different branches for that checks and balances nonsense

**Ahtman**

Wow, a unit develo9ped to try and limit anguish and violence caused from possible ethnic strife was in Florida during a time of possible ethnic strife. This is shocking news indeed. Making sure protests remain peaceful seems like something that the DoJ can and should get behind.

The Community Relations Service is the Department's "peacemaker" for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, and national origin. Created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, CRS is the only Federal agency dedicated to assist State and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony.

**whembly**

Ahtman wrote:
Wow, a unit develo9ped to try and limit anguish and violence caused from possible ethnic strife was in Florida during a time of possible ethnic strife. This is shocking news indeed. Making sure protests remain peaceful seems like something that the DoJ can and should get behind.

The Community Relations Service is the Department's "peacemaker" for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, and national origin. Created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, CRS is the only Federal agency dedicated to assist State and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony.

Are you sure they'd try to limit the anguish and violence in this case?

If I was a crass, cynical donkey-cave, I'd say this was nothing more an attempt to gin up racial outrage during the election season in order to motivate blacks to vote.

**CptJake**

I wonder if the local and state LE agencies requested Federal help. If not, and there was no violence/threat of violence that the local and state LE could not handle, at best it was a waste of tax payer money.

Not everything is a Federal issue.

**Dreadclaw69**

whembly wrote:

Are you sure they'd try to limit the anguish and violence in this case?

If I was a crass, cynical donkey-cave, I'd say this was nothing more an attempt to gin up racial outrage during the election season in order to motivate blacks to vote.

You're almost making it sound like the President made an ill advised statement about the case before the full facts were out....

**Frazzled**

Ahtman wrote:
Wow, a unit develo9ped to try and limit anguish and violence caused from possible ethnic strife was in Florida during a time of possible ethnic strife. This is shocking news indeed. Making sure protests remain peaceful seems like something that the DoJ can and should get behind.

The Community Relations Service is the Department's "peacemaker" for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, and national origin. Created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, CRS is the only Federal agency dedicated to assist State and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony.

If they lent support for protests thats the exact opposite. Nothing like a Justice Department that fans the flames of racism.

**Ahtman**

Frazzled wrote:
If they lent support for protests thats the exact opposite. Nothing like a Justice Department that fans the flames of racism.

I know your idea of controlling a protest is to have the police bring out the fire hoses and k9 units, but interacting with the protests and ensuring they don't get wonky is much less messy.

**Dreadclaw69**

Ahtman wrote:
Wow, a unit develo9ped to try and limit anguish and violence caused from possible ethnic strife was in Florida during a time of possible ethnic strife. This is shocking news indeed. Making sure protests remain peaceful seems like something that the DoJ can and should get behind.

The Community Relations Service is the Department's "peacemaker" for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, and national origin. Created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, CRS is the only Federal agency dedicated to assist State and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony.

But why are they providing security? That seems outside both their man power and their remit
http://www.mainjustice.com/2010/07/21/dojs-community-relations-service-expanding-its-mandate/
Even with their "expanding remit" they are supposed to "get into a room and get single or multilateral talks with parties who have opposition to one another, that they will develop some understanding". And they seem quite short staffed to provide security for these protests - "Today, a staff of 34 full-time employees man four field offices and 10 regional offices"

http://www.justice.gov/crs/

CRS is the only Federal agency dedicated to assist State and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony.

CRS facilitates the development of viable, mutual understandings and agreements as alternatives to coercion, violence, or litigation. It also assists communities in developing local mechanisms, conducting training, and other proactive measures to prevent racial/ethnic tension and violent hate crimes committed on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or disability. CRS does not take sides among disputing parties and, in promoting the principles and ideals of non-discrimination, applies skills that allow parties to come to their own agreement. In performing this mission, CRS deploys highly skilled professional conciliators, who are able to assist people of diverse backgrounds.

http://www.justice.gov/crs/mandate.htm

§ 2000g-1. Functions of Service

It shall be the function of the Service to provide assistance to communities and persons therein in resolving disputes, disagreements, or difficulties relating to discriminatory practices based on race, color, or national origin which impair the rights of persons in such communities under the Constitution or laws of the United States or which affect or may affect interstate commerce. The Service may offer its services in cases of such disputes, disagreements, or difficulties whenever, in its judgement, peaceful relations among the citizens of the community involved are threatened thereby, and it may offer its services either upon its own motion or upon the request of an appropriate State or local official or other interested person.

**Frazzled**

Ahtman wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
If they lent support for protests thats the exact opposite. Nothing like a Justice Department that fans the flames of racism.

I know your idea of controlling a protest is to have the police bring out the claymores and terminator units, but interacting with the protests and ensuring they don't get wonky is much less messy.

Corrected your typo.

**Dreadclaw69**

Now by Terminator units are we talking those from the films, or Officers in Tactical Dreadnought Armour?

**Frazzled**

Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Now by Terminator units are we talking those from the films, or Officers in Tactical Dreadnought Armour?

yes.

**d-usa**

Frazzled wrote:
Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Now by Terminator units are we talking those from the films, or Officers in Tactical Dreadnought Armour?

yes.

**Rented Tritium**

That's not a whole lot of money. It's annoying that federal staff came down to do it though. There's already a pretty good infrastructure set up to give the local departments a bit of grant money to pay for some overtime for things like this.

**whembly**

Rented Tritium wrote:
That's not a whole lot of money. It's annoying that federal staff came down to do it though. There's already a pretty good infrastructure set up to give the local departments a bit of grant money to pay for some overtime for things like this.

But the real question is why the hell is the government doing an organization of a protest against the interests of individual citizens? I wondered that had the DoJ had not done this, would all this racial antagonism be muted?

Here's another good question from my twittah feed... How much will they spend if there are riots following acquittal (due to this case being a racial-politics witch hunt from the start)?

**d-usa**

Rented Tritium wrote:
That's not a whole lot of money. It's annoying that federal staff came down to do it though. There's already a pretty good infrastructure set up to give the local departments a bit of grant money to pay for some overtime for things like this.

Have you ever applied for a grant? It's not exactly a quick turnaround kind of deal...

Automatically Appended Next Post:

whembly wrote:
Rented Tritium wrote:
That's not a whole lot of money. It's annoying that federal staff came down to do it though. There's already a pretty good infrastructure set up to give the local departments a bit of grant money to pay for some overtime for things like this.

But the real question is why the hell is the government doing organizing a protest against the interests of individual citizens? I wondered that had the DoJ had not done this, would all this racial antagonism be muted?

Where did you get that they organized a protest against the interest of individual citizens?

**whembly**

d-usa wrote:
Rented Tritium wrote:
That's not a whole lot of money. It's annoying that federal staff came down to do it though. There's already a pretty good infrastructure set up to give the local departments a bit of grant money to pay for some overtime for things like this.

Have you ever applied for a grant? It's not exactly a quick turnaround kind of deal...

Really? It's been hit or miss... at least on the research side.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Automatically Appended Next Post:

whembly wrote:
Rented Tritium wrote:
That's not a whole lot of money. It's annoying that federal staff came down to do it though. There's already a pretty good infrastructure set up to give the local departments a bit of grant money to pay for some overtime for things like this.

But the real question is why the hell is the government doing organizing a protest against the interests of individual citizens? I wondered that had the DoJ had not done this, would all this racial antagonism be muted?

Where did you get that they organized a protest against the interest of individual citizens?

**d-usa**

whembly wrote:

? wait wut?

They provided support to the city in manpower and equipment to help manage the protest.

They didn't provide support and manpower to the protesters.

It's a little difference there...

**Frazzled**

Not actually sure what the CRS did (if anything), but after NSAgate, IRSgate, and Gategate(ok I made that one up) I don't give government the benefit of the doubt.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

d-usa wrote:

whembly wrote:

? wait wut?

They provided support to the city in manpower and equipment to help manage the protest.

They didn't provide support and manpower to the protesters.

It's a little difference there...

How do you know that?
If so, thats the State of Florida's job, not me having to pay for it. Its Florida's problem, not mine.

**Dreadclaw69**

Rented Tritium wrote:
That's not a whole lot of money. It's annoying that federal staff came down to do it though. There's already a pretty good infrastructure set up to give the local departments a bit of grant money to pay for some overtime for things like this.

It may not be a whole lot of money compared to other Federal groups, but we're talking about an organisation with 34 full time staff that is supposed to be resolving conflict and tension through dialogue and mutual understanding. That is money and resources that have been reallocated away from it's remit, and which may run counter to it's stated mission.

**d-usa**

Frazzled wrote:
Not actually sure what the CRS did (if anything), but after NSAgate, IRSgate, and Gategate(ok I made that one up) I don't give government the benefit of the doubt.

Well, I just think that people thinking "they provided support for protestors" or "they organized protests" are getting it pretty wrong.

Now people making the argument of "The Federal Government should not be spending money supplementing local and state level law enforcement functions" have a much better point. I will agree with that.

**Frazzled**

d-usa wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Not actually sure what the CRS did (if anything), but after NSAgate, IRSgate, and Gategate(ok I made that one up) I don't give government the benefit of the doubt.

Well, I just think that people thinking "they provided support for protestors" or "they organized protests" are getting it pretty wrong.

Now people making the argument of "The Federal Government should not be spending money supplementing local and state level law enforcement functions" have a much better point. I will agree with that.

Again,my presumption is not of innocence as far as this Justice Department is concerned.

**d-usa**

Frazzled wrote:
d-usa wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Not actually sure what the CRS did (if anything), but after NSAgate, IRSgate, and Gategate(ok I made that one up) I don't give government the benefit of the doubt.

Well, I just think that people thinking "they provided support for protestors" or "they organized protests" are getting it pretty wrong.

Now people making the argument of "The Federal Government should not be spending money supplementing local and state level law enforcement functions" have a much better point. I will agree with that.

Again,my presumption is not of innocence as far as this Justice Department is concerned.

And yet, your gut feeling is nothing but that, and there is no evidence of it actually happening. If you want to be "Wiener Dog Alex Jones" then more power to you though

**Chongara**

Frazzled wrote:
d-usa wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Not actually sure what the CRS did (if anything), but after NSAgate, IRSgate, and Gategate(ok I made that one up) I don't give government the benefit of the doubt.

Well, I just think that people thinking "they provided support for protestors" or "they organized protests" are getting it pretty wrong.

Now people making the argument of "The Federal Government should not be spending money supplementing local and state level law enforcement functions" have a much better point. I will agree with that.

Again,my presumption is not of innocence as far as this Justice Department is concerned.

Is that confined to this case, or is that a general rule?

**whembly**

d-usa wrote:

whembly wrote:

? wait wut?

They provided support to the city in manpower and equipment to help manage the protest.

They didn't provide support and manpower to the protesters.

It's a little difference there...

Eh... you don't thing this whole think is dubious at least?

I mean, why make it about race? GZ isn't even white!

And... I know this is a different topic, but my ex brother-in-law who I still stay in contact with... happens to be USDA all black (his words)...doesn't follow politics at all, just cannot gin up any outrage about this case. He said it perfectly... "until the public/media/politicians start talking about the black-on-black crimes, STFU about the TM/GZ case."

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Frazzled wrote:
Not actually sure what the CRS did (if anything), but after NSAgate, IRSgate, and Gategate(ok I made that one up) I don't give government the benefit of the doubt.

BTW Fraz... I'm stealing "Gategate" from ya...

**Frazzled**

Chongara wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
d-usa wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Not actually sure what the CRS did (if anything), but after NSAgate, IRSgate, and Gategate(ok I made that one up) I don't give government the benefit of the doubt.

Well, I just think that people thinking "they provided support for protestors" or "they organized protests" are getting it pretty wrong.

Now people making the argument of "The Federal Government should not be spending money supplementing local and state level law enforcement functions" have a much better point. I will agree with that.

Again,my presumption is not of innocence as far as this Justice Department is concerned.

Is that confined to this case, or is that a general rule?

General at this point. I haven't felt this way since I was a fire breathing commie and that buttface Georgian was trying to run all the meetings.

**Chongara**

Frazzled wrote:
Chongara wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
d-usa wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Not actually sure what the CRS did (if anything), but after NSAgate, IRSgate, and Gategate(ok I made that one up) I don't give government the benefit of the doubt.

Well, I just think that people thinking "they provided support for protestors" or "they organized protests" are getting it pretty wrong.

Now people making the argument of "The Federal Government should not be spending money supplementing local and state level law enforcement functions" have a much better point. I will agree with that.

Again,my presumption is not of innocence as far as this Justice Department is concerned.

Is that confined to this case, or is that a general rule?

General at this point.

I heard a from a credible source that the everyone in the Justice Department enjoys kicking puppies, for no other reason than to see the betrayal in their big watery eyes.

**d-usa**

whembly wrote:
d-usa wrote:

whembly wrote:

? wait wut?

They provided support to the city in manpower and equipment to help manage the protest.

They didn't provide support and manpower to the protesters.

It's a little difference there...

Eh... you don't thing this whole think is dubious at least?

If you want to make this yet another instance of a topic that is all about "how things feel" instead of known facts, then just let me know and I will go ahead and bow out of the discussion.