It is beyond stupid to brag to someone you barely know about planning to commit serious crimes. Yet that’s apparently what happened at the NATO protests in Chicago.
Lawyers for the five activists arrested on serious charges say two undercover police agents, “Mo” and “Gloves” steered and encouraged them into illegal activity. This may be true and it may or may not be entrapment.
The undercover police befriended the activists in early May and prosecutors say that one of the defendants bragged about having explosives after knowing them for, what, two weeks. This is mind-numbingly brain-dead.
Among groups on the hard left that still have a functioning brain cell or two, you generally won’t know anything about what the leaders are planning until you’ve been a member for months and they trust you.
These arrests appear to be of dimbulb Black Bloc fringees. There have been several arrests of Islamists in the US on similar charges and by using similar methods. They were also were isolated and stupid and probably no real threat until undercover agents got them going.
And all of them may do serious prison time.
It’s dangerous out there. Be smart and be careful.