c'mon

don't be silly--you're turning into one of them!

does everyone at a protest have to be KNOWN?

It's always dangerous to throw around charges of 'undercover cop', because this person might be someone who's just out to have a good time and support the activists.

There's a long history of undercover cops and agent provocateurs. A good book I've read about this is The Cointelpro Papers by Ward Churchill. It details what the FBI did to radical groups in the 60's and 70's.

Also, there's the incident in Quebec, where cops infiltrated an anarchist cell by creating a 'job' for an unemployed anarchist, and then a cop become friends with the guy. The police found out everything, and the cell was arrested. Just imagine the act the cop put on.

Here's what I've been told: The thing to look out for isn't the stranger, but the character who's going around advocating crazy actions that appeal to the most aggressive people in the group. It's to find the person who's saying that another group is so messed up that your group should get into a fight with them.

It makes sense. The goals of the local PD are to look good to the voters, the property owners, the businesses, and city hall. They can do this by causing activists to destroy some property, and then beating and arresting them. (They don't look so good when the protesters get beat up before the property is damaged.)

As a parting shot - vandalism is a tactic, not an end to itself. It's always practiced by small, private cells, composed of friends who trust each other.

I apologize for the paranoid suggestion and appreciate the comments. It was not my intention to insult or acuse anyone.