Comments on: Operation Bent Penny at 1971 May Day Protest http://www.historynet.com/operation-bent-penny-working-undercover-at-the-1971-may-day-protest.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Sun, 26 May 2013 05:23:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Ginger Firestone http://www.historynet.com/operation-bent-penny-working-undercover-at-the-1971-may-day-protest.htm#comment-862078 Ginger Firestone Mon, 04 Feb 2013 03:48:31 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13684040#comment-862078 I was one of the 'protesters' at this event, a hippie of sorts, and I expected that I would find this agent's observations to be at odds with my own, mostly because any time I read an account of something I experienced personally, I find much to take exception with. Instead this jives perfectly with my recollections! I was surprised at how non-militant the folks were there. It was more like a party, Jamboree style, with, yes, a lot of marijuana, and talk of acid. My boyfriend and I spent a good part of the day Saturday at the National Gallery, and I felt a little guilty for not being more involved in the protest activities, but i wasn't really sure what we were supposed to do, other than listen to speeches by Rennie Davis and so forth. And the part about waking up at 'first light' to helicopters flying low and announcements broadcasting that we had to be out of there by noon are absolutely what I remember. This was a problem, because we had been led to believe we were on a different time frame, and now we had to figure out how to meet up with our ride, since we had to leave the area and walk far away. We got up immediately, stuffed our things into whatever we had, and took off. In those days, you could easily believe they would open firre on the crowd. Remember Kent State! Of course, there was no way to use phones or other communications for that purpose. I think we had a near miracle that allowed us to run into our friend, who was not in attendance at the event, to get a ride back to North Carolina. I was one of the 'protesters' at this event, a hippie of sorts, and I expected that I would find this agent's observations to be at odds with my own, mostly because any time I read an account of something I experienced personally, I find much to take exception with. Instead this jives perfectly with my recollections! I was surprised at how non-militant the folks were there. It was more like a party, Jamboree style, with, yes, a lot of marijuana, and talk of acid. My boyfriend and I spent a good part of the day Saturday at the National Gallery, and I felt a little guilty for not being more involved in the protest activities, but i wasn't really sure what we were supposed to do, other than listen to speeches by Rennie Davis and so forth. And the part about waking up at 'first light' to helicopters flying low and announcements broadcasting that we had to be out of there by noon are absolutely what I remember. This was a problem, because we had been led to believe we were on a different time frame, and now we had to figure out how to meet up with our ride, since we had to leave the area and walk far away. We got up immediately, stuffed our things into whatever we had, and took off. In those days, you could easily believe they would open firre on the crowd. Remember Kent State! Of course, there was no way to use phones or other communications for that purpose. I think we had a near miracle that allowed us to run into our friend, who was not in attendance at the event, to get a ride back to North Carolina.

]]> By: jack swift http://www.historynet.com/operation-bent-penny-working-undercover-at-the-1971-may-day-protest.htm#comment-789119 jack swift Sat, 18 Feb 2012 04:58:35 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13684040#comment-789119 You bring back many memories. My mom still carries to this day, the "bent penny" in her change purse. She found it in the washing machine, in the days after the MAY DAY demonstrations in DC, while washing the clothes I wore also working the Mall for BNDD & President Nixon. I too was a newly minted agent having graduated from the BNDD Academy at 1405 five weeks before that infamous couple of days. How funny it seems now 41 years later but at the time we were dead serious about the mission we were tasked to do. You bring back many memories. My mom still carries to this day, the "bent penny" in her change purse. She found it in the washing machine, in the days after the MAY DAY demonstrations in DC, while washing the clothes I wore also working the Mall for BNDD & President Nixon. I too was a newly minted agent having graduated from the BNDD Academy at 1405 five weeks before that infamous couple of days. How funny it seems now 41 years later but at the time we were dead serious about the mission we were tasked to do.

]]> By: Donna Vogelpohl http://www.historynet.com/operation-bent-penny-working-undercover-at-the-1971-may-day-protest.htm#comment-782347 Donna Vogelpohl Sat, 26 Nov 2011 12:24:49 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13684040#comment-782347 Wow I accidentally came across this story - looking for something else and had to read it. I worked for the FBI as a file clerk from March 71 to July 72 - I was there in DC during the May Day Riot and the one thing I do remember most was looking forward to not being able to get to work. I rode in a carpool of 4 - we drove and only in one spot did we come across a few pieces of wood laid out to stop traffic but of no more significance that is barely slowed us down. I worked that day, I never saw a hippie and I was utterly disappointed 19 yr old, straight laced girl. I ended up meeting a sailor at a party where FBI employees got drunk but pot was not much on the scene. Today I am a grandmother, still pretty straight laced but so liberal and totally agree with the other posts. Our gov is not to be trusted - the Gov is owned by the corporations and panders to the military. I have never smoked pot and never will - but am for deregulating and more programs to help those who want to quit. I am organic farmer too - never have grown the stuff and probably never will - for me it is not good but I know those who need it for medical reasons. I am pro-choice, feel women have yet to get our rights, and have protested Iraq and am currently an advocate of the Occupy movement and was in DC again in Oct at the Stop the Machine rally - I chatted with EPA employees and DHS employees while there and many other employees of the gov - and they all supported the movement - they are on the inside as employees looking out and up and seeing the corruption and the mess - there's a song - the Dirty F-ing Hippies were Right - on youtube - kinda wish I really had been one - cept for the drugs - I've never had that yen - but so cool to know why the May Day riots failed to stop me from getting to work that day. Wow I accidentally came across this story – looking for something else and had to read it. I worked for the FBI as a file clerk from March 71 to July 72 – I was there in DC during the May Day Riot and the one thing I do remember most was looking forward to not being able to get to work. I rode in a carpool of 4 – we drove and only in one spot did we come across a few pieces of wood laid out to stop traffic but of no more significance that is barely slowed us down. I worked that day, I never saw a hippie and I was utterly disappointed 19 yr old, straight laced girl. I ended up meeting a sailor at a party where FBI employees got drunk but pot was not much on the scene. Today I am a grandmother, still pretty straight laced but so liberal and totally agree with the other posts. Our gov is not to be trusted – the Gov is owned by the corporations and panders to the military. I have never smoked pot and never will – but am for deregulating and more programs to help those who want to quit. I am organic farmer too – never have grown the stuff and probably never will – for me it is not good but I know those who need it for medical reasons. I am pro-choice, feel women have yet to get our rights, and have protested Iraq and am currently an advocate of the Occupy movement and was in
DC again in Oct at the Stop the Machine rally – I chatted with EPA employees and DHS employees while there and many other employees of the gov – and they all supported the movement – they are on the inside as employees looking out and up and seeing the corruption and the mess – there's a song – the Dirty F-ing Hippies were Right – on youtube – kinda wish I really had been one – cept for the drugs – I've never had that yen – but so cool to know why the May Day riots failed to stop me from getting to work that day.

]]> By: Richard http://www.historynet.com/operation-bent-penny-working-undercover-at-the-1971-may-day-protest.htm#comment-781801 Richard Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:33:05 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13684040#comment-781801 Weird? I'm very certain that if we knew half of the crap the "hidden powers" are up to day in and day out, we'd be scandalized beyond imagination. The stranger-than-fiction treasonous activities these people are continually up to "behind our backs" never ends... it's never over. treason (n) Treason, sedition mean disloyalty or treachery to one's country or its government. The act of working against one's country's own best interests. Since corporate and military interests buy our politicians, and as such, our governments, it might be hard to say that these people work against the best interest of their government(s), but they are CERTAINLY continually working against the best interests of their countries' citizenries, and in this sense continually committing treasonous acts upon our countries' peoples. It is endlessly a wonder to me that no one seems to be able to lucidely perceive this reality, even tough the medias are controlled and censored to prevent or minimize the mention of certain ideas, even though our education systems are don't cover political ideas outside of the established doctrines. Weird? I'm very certain that if we knew half of the crap the "hidden powers" are up to day in and day out, we'd be scandalized beyond imagination.

The stranger-than-fiction treasonous activities these people are continually up to "behind our backs" never ends… it's never over.

treason (n) Treason, sedition mean disloyalty or treachery to one's country or its government. The act of working against one's country's own best interests.

Since corporate and military interests buy our politicians, and as such, our governments, it might be hard to say that these people work against the best interest of their government(s), but they are CERTAINLY continually working against the best interests of their countries' citizenries, and in this sense continually committing treasonous acts upon our countries' peoples. It is endlessly a wonder to me that no one seems to be able to lucidely perceive this reality, even tough the medias are controlled and censored to prevent or minimize the mention of certain ideas, even though our education systems are don't cover political ideas outside of the established doctrines.

]]> By: XP Smith http://www.historynet.com/operation-bent-penny-working-undercover-at-the-1971-may-day-protest.htm#comment-778567 XP Smith Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:45:15 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13684040#comment-778567 Thanks for an interesting write-up. It was fascinating to read a government undercover agent's perspective of this tumultuous period. As for the drug use I guess I'm not surprised. I actually think that much of the anti-government stance, so different from the 'Greatest Generation's' of WWII vets stems from the disillusionment of seeing JFK shot, and the war in Vietnam, which LBJ quickly escalated our involvement in as soon as JFK was out of the way. I also wonder if any undercover federal agents were present during the black civil rights demonstrations, and if they have any equally interesting stories to tell? One thing as a kid I remember was that if you were conservative, you pretty much hated hippies, but also blacks, at least in my white suburban neighborhood. Many called them n-ggers and said that desegregation was a 'mistake.' Also, present with the hippies by 1969 in Mall demonstrations were many liberal church groups and middle class moms. How do I know? My mom went to the November 1969 anti-war demonstration with many older fellow church people! Meanwhile, my dad worked at the Pentagon at the time and denied that she was ever there!! The truth is stranger than any fiction that can be written, which I learned as a boy growing up during this weird era. I'm glad it's over. Thanks for an interesting write-up. It was fascinating to read a government undercover agent's perspective of this tumultuous period. As for the drug use I guess I'm not surprised. I actually think that much of the anti-government stance, so different from the 'Greatest Generation's' of WWII vets stems from the disillusionment of seeing JFK shot, and the war in Vietnam, which LBJ quickly escalated our involvement in as soon as JFK was out of the way. I also wonder if any undercover federal agents were present during the black civil rights demonstrations, and if they have any equally interesting stories to tell? One thing as a kid I remember was that if you were conservative, you pretty much hated hippies, but also blacks, at least in my white suburban neighborhood. Many called them n-ggers and said that desegregation was a 'mistake.' Also, present with the hippies by 1969 in Mall demonstrations were many liberal church groups and middle class moms. How do I know? My mom went to the November 1969 anti-war demonstration with many older fellow church people! Meanwhile, my dad worked at the Pentagon at the time and denied that she was ever there!! The truth is stranger than any fiction that can be written, which I learned as a boy growing up during this weird era. I'm glad it's over.

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