Photos of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taken outside New York City Hall in December 1964 appear to be a joyful public celebration on the surface, but upon closer inspection, they reveal the depth of surveillance conducted by the New York Police Department (NYPD) on the civil rights leader and his associates.
The images were recently uncovered in the NYPD's archives and show King being formally received as a visiting head of state by Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr., with whom he was awarded the city’s Medallion of Honor. However, these photographs also demonstrate that the police had a far less flattering impression of King.
The prints are held in the New York City Municipal Archives files of the Bureau of Special Services and Investigations, which is the NYPD's former political intelligence unit. The images were published for the first time as part of research for Joshua Clark Davis' book "Police Against the Movement".
On their face, the photos depict King emerging from a car greeted by two men in suits, standing with family and confidants, including his wife Coretta Scott King, mother Alberta Williams King, and friend Bayard Rustin. However, what unites these images is that none of the 14 individuals depicted at close range betray recognition that their picture was being taken, suggesting they may not have realized they were being photographed by police.
The placement of these photographs in the Bureau of Special Services' "Red Squad" files makes it clear that the NYPD harbored unfavorable sentiments towards King. This sentiment was amplified just one month earlier by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who condemned Martin Luther King Jr. as "the most notorious liar in the country".
Hoover's comments further delegitimized King and the civil rights movement in the eyes of law enforcement officials, with Wagner publicly praising King but police covertly surveilling him. The NYPD issued surveillance reports on King's movements before Hoover denounced him as a liar, and even deployed the weaponry of deception and disruption to cripple the movement.
This pattern of behavior is not unique to the 1960s, however. Today, local law enforcement agencies continue to deploy weapons of political espionage against social justice movements, with activists being monitored and harassed by public officials. The recent branding of certain protesters as terrorists by federal authorities has further emboldened law enforcement to take action against these groups.
The Intercept's coverage of authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world emphasizes the importance of press freedom in defending democracy. As such, it is crucial that news outlets continue to scrutinize government actions and hold them accountable for their treatment of activists and protesters.
The images were recently uncovered in the NYPD's archives and show King being formally received as a visiting head of state by Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr., with whom he was awarded the city’s Medallion of Honor. However, these photographs also demonstrate that the police had a far less flattering impression of King.
The prints are held in the New York City Municipal Archives files of the Bureau of Special Services and Investigations, which is the NYPD's former political intelligence unit. The images were published for the first time as part of research for Joshua Clark Davis' book "Police Against the Movement".
On their face, the photos depict King emerging from a car greeted by two men in suits, standing with family and confidants, including his wife Coretta Scott King, mother Alberta Williams King, and friend Bayard Rustin. However, what unites these images is that none of the 14 individuals depicted at close range betray recognition that their picture was being taken, suggesting they may not have realized they were being photographed by police.
The placement of these photographs in the Bureau of Special Services' "Red Squad" files makes it clear that the NYPD harbored unfavorable sentiments towards King. This sentiment was amplified just one month earlier by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who condemned Martin Luther King Jr. as "the most notorious liar in the country".
Hoover's comments further delegitimized King and the civil rights movement in the eyes of law enforcement officials, with Wagner publicly praising King but police covertly surveilling him. The NYPD issued surveillance reports on King's movements before Hoover denounced him as a liar, and even deployed the weaponry of deception and disruption to cripple the movement.
This pattern of behavior is not unique to the 1960s, however. Today, local law enforcement agencies continue to deploy weapons of political espionage against social justice movements, with activists being monitored and harassed by public officials. The recent branding of certain protesters as terrorists by federal authorities has further emboldened law enforcement to take action against these groups.
The Intercept's coverage of authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world emphasizes the importance of press freedom in defending democracy. As such, it is crucial that news outlets continue to scrutinize government actions and hold them accountable for their treatment of activists and protesters.
these pics are wild, you can't even show up in public without being watched. i mean, you'd think a city like new york would be all about freedom and stuff, but nope, it seems they were super invested in keeping an eye on king and his crew. 
and now we know that even some of the people who were supposed to be supporting him were just playing along with the surveillance game... it's like, what was really going on behind closed doors? 
and honestly, it's not that different today, it feels like law enforcement is still trying to keep tabs on these social justice movements. 
we need more transparency and accountability from our authorities, or else we'll just keep living in a world where freedom of speech isn't so free after all... 
I mean, think about it - King's visit is all smiles on paper, but behind the scenes, NYPD was basically watching his every move like he was some kinda fugitive 
. News outlets need to keep pushing back on this stuff, holding authorities accountable for their actions... we can't let them get away with silencing marginalized voices 
.
it's not okay for anyone to be monitored or harassed just because they're speaking out about social justice issues, we need more accountability from our leaders 
It's wild to think that despite all the accolades from Mayor Wagner, the police were still keeping tabs on him. It just goes to show how hard it is for people in power positions to change their tune when it comes to social justice movements.
The fact that the FBI would openly criticize someone like Dr King, who was fighting for civil rights and equality, just shows you how entrenched some people are in their own biases. It's no wonder activists today are still feeling the heat from law enforcement agencies.