Arrest of Activist Artist Protesting Drones Highlights NYPD Surveillance ProgramJoe Wright The ring of steel is essentially a full-time counterterrorism operation on American soil that even has the ability to shoot down planes. A NYPD social media unitwas set up to track pre-crime criminal language on Twitter and Facebook, as well as a stated commitment to developingpre-crime softwarein an agreement with Microsoft under a Domain Awareness System. The intent seems to be to design a high-tech level of tracking and databasing all passersby under a guilty-until-proven-innocent framework. Certainly once drones are brought fully into American skies in 2015, it is reasonable to assume they will make an appearance over New York. All of this should cause legitimate concerns about the erosion of civil liberties and spur even the half-awake to some sort of action. If one needed confirmation that the establishment intends to crack down on dissenters, one need look no further than the recent arrest of street artist and photographer Essam Attia. Attia, a former veteran of the war in Iraq as a geo-spatial analyst, is not being given much leniency for his satirical attempt to warn his fellow citizens of the growing police state and surveillance measures being put into place. He designed a series of fake ads that co-opted city display cases; his posters depicted drone surveillance and bombings with the statement, Drones: Protection When You Least Expect It. Attia has been charged with 56 counts of possession of a forged instrument and grand larceny possession of stolen property. An additional charge, which could carry the most severe penalty with years in jail, concerns an unloaded .22 pistol that was found under his bed at the site of his arrest. Attia claims that the gun is a 120-year-old antique. The irony was not lost on Attia that this ring of steel surveillance apparatus was actually not responsible for his discovery and arrest it was his own negligence when he gave an interview to But not for lack of trying, as New York continues to invest millions annually despite criticism over stop-and-frisk policies and surveillance of Muslims, among other complaints. The budget is expected to grow by 60% to $47.5 million, even as essential services get cut. (Source) Such expenditure came under additional scrutiny after journalist Christopher Dickey made the statement in June thatthe NYPD counteterrorism initiative is hard to argue with: at least 14 full-blown terrorist attacks have been prevented or failed on Kellys watch. It was a statement that would be repeated often, but was found to hold little merit. As reported byProPublica in July: And they couldnt even stop an anonymous prankster until he revealed himselfafter weeks of activity, only further demonstrating the waste of taxpayer money and the continued illusion of protection embodied within the war on terror. The system is also showing zero tolerance with anti-drone protesters in upstate New York. A judge recently slapped a restraining order on the group in what appears to be a clear attempt to shut down free speech and deny the inherent right to peaceably assemble. Despite being non-violent and complying with permit rules, the protection order signed by the judge lists a whole range of violent behavior from which the base commander must be protected. Clearly the establishment will not brook any protest not even if it is done with a sense of humor. Note: Essam Attia was due to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court yesterday, update is pending. Additional Sources: Read other articles by Joe Wright Here 