Jennifer Flynn knows there are eyes in the walls. She has been followed. She’s an activist pushes for funding and better treatment for those living with AIDS. Does someone want to silence her?
The woman knows what it’s like to be followed. In 2004 the day before the New York City AIDS Housing Network Rally at the Republican National Convention she visited her family in Hillside, New Jersey. Noticing a car with New York tags parked outside of the house she made note of it. When she left that evening to return to her Brooklyn home she noticed that the car started to follow her. Then there were two more vehicles tailing her. She weaved in and out of traffic, the cars stayed on her trail. She slowed down long enough allowing one of the cars to come up beside her. Gesturing at the men in the car they “threw up their arms as if to say, ‘We’re only doing what we’re told,’” she remembers.
Finally along Goethals Bridge on the Jersey side they stopped their pursuit. She made it home only to find another car with two men in it using laptops. Looking out at 4a.m. she was shocked to see them still there.
In New Jersey she had jotted down one of the license plate numbers and gave it to a lawyer she called in a panic, Christopher Dunn.
The license was traced to a company called Pequot and a post office box outside of the city. It’s common practice for the police and law enforcement agencies to “hide” undercover cars in false addresses. The NYPD though wasn’t involved. Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence David Cohen said no one was under surveillance because of the rally.
The city that the post box was traced to is Amenia. Population 1,115. The street from the license plate exists, just not the address. Someone suggested the reporter working the story go to the post office.
The post office gave some clues perhaps, but more questions came from their answer.
“That’s not a real company,” the assistant says. “The people who used that box, they’re from New York. They used to come here and get the mail, but not anymore.”
Colgan is tempted to elaborate, but doesn’t.
“I can’t because of the sensitive nature of the issue,” she says.
Flynn still hasn’t any idea who followed her or if the incident had anything to do with the GOP Convention. Of course you have to realize that activists had 1,806 arrests among them at that convention. People were arrested and instead of being taken to jail were held for hours in a West Side pier warehouse. The New York Civil Liberties Union is suing. They also want the release of raw NYPD intelligence reports detailing police surveillance of activists and protest groups.
The activists are starting to learn. In America it’s better to be silent and go with the flow.
“When you use scare tactics, you really are curbing our right to dissent against the government,” she said. “The only thing this is serving to do is squash public dissent. By going after the organizers of a rally, you really are sending a message - ‘Don’t hold a rally.’”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.