Newly Unveiled Photos of MLK Jr. Show Depth of NYPD’s Surveillance

Newly Unveiled Photos of MLK Jr. Show Depth of NYPD’s Surveillance

The latest revelations about the New York City Police Department's surveillance of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. are a sobering reminder of the long history of government overreach and abuse of power in the United States.

The photographs, taken on December 17, 1964, just one week after King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, show the civil rights leader and his entourage being formally received by Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr., who praised him as "a great American who has returned home after a great triumph abroad." On their face, the images are mundane - King emerging from a car, greeted by two men in suits, or standing with family and confidants.

But beneath the surface, the photographs reveal a sinister plot to surveil and sabotage the civil rights movement. The prints are held in the New York City Municipal Archives files of the Bureau of Special Services and Investigations, the NYPD's former political intelligence unit, where researcher Joshua Clark Davis found them while researching for his new book.

The fact that the 14 individuals who appear at close range in the photographs do not even look directly at the camera suggests that they may not have realized they were being photographed by police. However, their placement in the Bureau of Special Services "Red Squad" files makes it clear that the NYPD harbored a far less flattering impression of King.

The New York City Police Department's actions were part of a broader pattern of surveillance and sabotage by law enforcement agencies across the country against civil rights activists. The FBI's notorious COINTELPRO program, launched in August 1967, was tasked with disrupting the civil rights movement, while local police departments continued to deploy their own tactics of deception and disruption.

Today, the legacy of this surveillance continues. Activists protesting ICE and Israel's war on Gaza are still being monitored by law enforcement agencies. The NYPD's Strategic Response Group remains a secretive unit that attends protests and conducts surveillance, sparking calls for its disbandment from local organizers.

The case of Martin Luther King Jr. serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers of government overreach and abuse of power. In this era of authoritarianism, words matter. Federal authorities who vocally attack protesters signal to law enforcement agents that they should not be monitored or probed. Insults and slander give way to surveillance and invasions of privacy, which in turn lead to harassment by public officials.

It is time for us to recognize the real-life consequences of these actions and to stand up against government overreach. The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. We will continue to hold power accountable and defend democracy.

man this is like soooo disturbing these pics are showing us how deep the nypd's surveillance goes and it's like whoa they were watching king like what was he even doing wrong? and then it makes you think about all the other civil rights activists and protesters who got watched too this is a huge red flag for me, we need to be super cautious of our government overreach and we gotta stand up against it or else it's gonna get outta hand 0kay

omg I just saw this news about MLK Jr being surveilled by NYPD in 1964 it's like totally mind blown they had a whole team of agents monitoring him lol can you imagine? it's crazy how the gov't was trying to sabotage his work and the civil rights movement back then. now that we're living in an era where protesters are still being monitored I'm like super uncomfortable this is exactly what we should be standing up against. we gotta speak out against government overreach and protect our rights as citizens

OMG, can u believe the NYPD was surveilling MLK Jr?! Like, what's next? They were even part of this super shady COINTELPRO program with the FBI! It's crazy to think that back then they thought they could just spy on him and his friends. The fact that these pics are in the archives now is like, totally mind-blowing And can we talk about how these actions still affect us today? Like, activists are STILL being monitored by law enforcement? It's soooo scary! We gotta keep speaking out against this stuff and make sure our voices aren't silenced

I mean come on, 14 people in a photo not even looking at the camera? That's like, obvious surveillance right there . I'm surprised it took a researcher to find those files in the first place. The NYPD was always shady, but this is just gross. And what's with the Strategic Response Group still being around? That's just an excuse for them to keep harassing protesters and not have any oversight . We need to hold these law enforcement agencies accountable for their actions and make sure we're protecting our rights as citizens. It's not like this is a new development, but it's definitely a reminder that we still have a long way to go in terms of police reform .

The idea that your govt is watching you all the time is super creepy ...I mean, who wants to be under constant surveillance? It's like, you can't even walk down the street without being watched or recorded or whatever. And it's not just King, this stuff is everywhere, in every city and town. The police are always watching us, waiting for someone to make a wrong move so they can swoop in and shut everything down. It's like they're waiting for a reason to justify their existence, and honestly, I don't know if that's true or not . All I know is that it feels wrong, you know? Like we're living in some kind of dystopian novel where the govt has total control over our lives. And when you think about all the other things that they can do with this surveillance, like monitoring protesters and activists...it's just not right .

just got my hands on those new pics of MLK Jr from 1964 and I'm SHOOK . It's wild to think that even back then, the NYPD was all up in Martin Luther King Jr's grill . Those photos show a whole different side of history - not just some innocent civil rights leader, but a person who was being closely watched and potentially sabotaged by law enforcement.

And it's crazy to see how this all ties into the COINTELPRO program, where the FBI was basically trying to disrupt the entire civil rights movement . It's like we're reliving that history today with ICE and Israel's war on Gaza being monitored by law enforcement agencies . We need to keep pushing for accountability and transparency from our government officials .

this latest revelation about the NYPD's surveillance on MLK Jr is a major problem, it shows that no one is above the law, not even civil rights leaders who are fighting for equality... think about all the times we've heard politicians saying "we're watching you" or "you're under our radar"... well, now it seems like they actually were... this is what happens when government overreach becomes normalized, and we need to hold them accountable for their actions... it's time for us to stand up against these kinds of tactics and demand transparency from our law enforcement agencies

omg u cant believe what they did to MLK Jr he was just tryna spread love and peace but the cops were watching him like a hawk this is so messed up and still happening today those activists protesting ICE and Israel's war on Gaza are being monitored too it's like they're not even human anymore we gotta stand up against gov't overreach and abuse of power we need to protect our rights and freedoms

these photos are like a punch in the gut it's crazy that the NYPD was keeping tabs on MLK Jr they were trying to sabotage his movement and now we see the full extent of their surveillance it's heartbreaking thinking about what he had to go through just to fight for civil rights

the fact that these photos are still hidden away in archives makes me wonder how many other secrets are being kept from us and what's even more disturbing is that this kind of government overreach is not a thing of the past it's happening right now too activists are getting monitored, probed, and even attacked by public officials

we need to hold our leaders accountable for their actions and stand up against government overreach we can't just sit back and watch as our rights get trampled on it's time to take a stand and demand change

OMG I'm literally SHOOK by these photos!!! It's like, we thought we'd made so much progress with civil rights, but it seems like there are still ppl in power trying to watch & control our leaders How can this be?! We gotta stand up against any form of government overreach & abuse of power The fact that these photos were kept hidden for so long is a major reminder of the importance of transparency & accountability I'm all about spreading awareness & promoting positivity, but this is just SO important

Just saw those pics of MLK Jr from 1964... feels like we're still living in a surveillance state . The NYPD's actions were just one part of a larger pattern, but it's eerie how little has changed since then. We need to be vigilant about our freedoms and stand up against those who want to undermine them

these new pics are wild, can you imagine being surveilled like that just 'cause you're a civil rights leader? it's like they were trying to shut down king's movement before he even got started . the fact that they didn't even ask him for permission to take these pics is just shady . we gotta keep calling out when ppl in power are overstepping and abusing their authority .

Who needs a law passed when you can just get the mayor's office to put up watchful eyes everywhere?

I'm totally with the NYPD on this one . I mean, who doesn't want to keep tabs on a guy like Martin Luther King Jr., right? He was asking for trouble with his civil rights stuff . Those photos are just proof that he was being super careful and paranoid about his safety . The FBI's COINTELPRO program was totally necessary back then, keeping an eye on activists and disrupting their plans to cause chaos . I don't see why the NYPD would be surveilling King specifically - he was just doing his job as a public servant . Activists today are just being too sensitive with their protests against ICE and Israel . If they want to get attention, maybe they should try being a bit more subtle .

man i cant believe the nypd was surveilling king like that it's wild to think they were trying to sabotage his movement even after he got the nobel peace prize... and now look at us, still living in an era where activists are getting monitored by law enforcement just for speaking out against injustice what can we do about it tho? maybe its time for us to stand up against government overreach and demand more transparency from our police departments

This is crazy, right? Like, who does that? Police spy on Martin Luther King Jr.? It's like something out of a movie, but it's real life and it's still happening today! The fact that they were trying to sabotage the civil rights movement is just wild. And now they're still doing this stuff with protests against ICE and Israel's war on Gaza... it's like, what even is the point? Can we please just have some trust in our government leaders again?

The latest revelations about the NYPD's surveillance on MLK Jr are a wake-up call for us today . It's crazy to think that 50+ yrs ago, our government was secretly monitoring King's every move, just because of his activism . We can't ignore this dark chapter in American history and expect it not to happen again . The fact that the photos were kept hidden for so long says a lot about how we tolerate abuse of power when it comes from those in authority . We need to be vigilant about government overreach now, especially with all the surveillance being done on protesters & activists who are fighting for justice . It's time to hold our leaders accountable and defend democracy

These new pics of MLK Jr are super creepy lol... I mean think about it - the cops were secretly watching him just because he was a civil rights leader? That's some wild stuff. It makes me wonder how many other activists or protesters have been under surveillance without their knowledge. It's like, what's next? We gotta make sure we're not losing our freedom to free speech and assembly. The gov't should be on the side of the people, not against us. Can't have too much transparency in this regard

This is wild . Can't believe we're still learning about the extent of the NYPD's surveillance on MLK Jr. It's like they thought they could keep tabs on him without anyone noticing... but really, it just highlights how out of control law enforcement can get in times of social unrest.

And what's even more unsettling is that this kind of thing isn't just a relic of the past . The NYPD's Strategic Response Group still exists today, monitoring protests and conducting surveillance. That's straight-up scary . We need to keep pushing for transparency and accountability from our government agencies, no matter how uncomfortable it gets