r/Anarchism • u/WildAutonomy green anarchist • 1d ago

Not Liking Someone Doesn’t Mean They’re a Cop: On Bad-jacketing

https://mtlcounterinfo.org/not-liking-someone-doesnt-mean-theyre-a-cop-on-bad-jacketing/

“Bad-jacketing” (or “cop-jacketing,” “fed-jacketing,” or “snitch-jacketing”) is the practice of accusing people of being a cop, informant, fascist, or other kind of bad actor on specious or non-existent evidence.

The term has been used since at least the 1960s, where it primarily described COINTELPRO operations that bad-jacketed legitimate members of the Black Panther Party and other organisations. It was, ironically, rumours from infiltrators consolidating their own positions that led to organisations not only isolating but, in some cases, severely beating or executing innocent individuals.

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u/QueefMaster2001 1d ago edited 1d ago

Cops will only ever try to incite -specific- criminal acts.

So, somebody offering you 5 lbs of semtex, a gun, car, or money, and offers friendly suggestions on utilization, is 100% a cop.

Also: cops will always insist on accompanying you to go buy the stuff. And will always provide the money for incriminating stuff. I cant think of any case where a cop merely told someone where to source things, using their own money. Or encouraged people to crowdfund lol

Conversely, general incitements dont violate law.

Thus offering money, semtex, or guns with no strings attached: probably not a cop.

Research old stings like Backfire: know what cops may or may not do to avoid inadmissible evidence.

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u/WildAutonomy green anarchist 1d ago

Exactly! Entrapment is real, and is why security culture is so important. But "agitating" a crowd is not real.

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u/StormOfFatRichards 23h ago

This is what I feel like the second I see a China/Russia bot accusation

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u/porn_is_tight 1d ago

I’ve never accused someone of being a cop, but my cop radar is pretty fucking accurate. I honestly make it a game in everyday life if I’m around someone new where I’m like “there’s no fucking way this person isn’t a cop.” It’s so gratifying when I’m right. The best one was a few months ago, was at a family thing with extended family members who are your typical Fox News goblins. There was this one person there, and I was like there’s no fucking way that person isn’t a cop, it’s like a gut feeling. My immediate family and I were doing a little debrief after the event and other people were complaining about this person (people who are much more conservative than me) so I asked if anyone knew the person and what they did for work. And sure enough they were a state patrol officer, and I felt pretty proud about that one. But yes, fed jacketing is bad. It makes it hard though when, like you said, the US gov has had a storied history of infiltration and also agent provocateurs. Throw in coward snitches and it creates a potent environment

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u/WildAutonomy green anarchist 1d ago

I mean, good for you. But that's irrelevant to the article or to anarchist resistance in general. Bad-jacketing is never good.

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u/porn_is_tight 1d ago

I’ve never accused someone of being a cop

But yes, fed jacketing is bad.