Activists Reportedly Bust Cops Placing a Camera to Illegally Spy on Political Opponent

 Because cops using taxpayer dollars to spy on their political opponents with cameras and other intelligence-gathering devices is an ominous practice, the town of Memphis enacted a decree in 1978 barring cops from doing just that.

Cops being cops often act as if they're above the law and therefore the following case out of Memphis may prove that notion.

Antonio Cathey may be a union organizer who works full time for Fight for 15, the trade union movement calling for $15-per-hour wages for fast-food workers.

Cathey is additionally a police accountability activist who has had his share of questionable encounters with the Memphis local department for attempting to carry them accountable.

In 2018, 50 heavily armed officers: local police, sheriff's deputies, some from other agencies, many of whom shielded their identity with black ski masks, raided Cathey's home to require one roach from an ashtray and issue him a citation.

Fast-forward to 2020 and cops reportedly still have it out for Cathey.

This week, Cathey noticed an unusual "High Voltage" box placed on an influence pole outside of his home.

When a fellow activist climbed up the pole to examine and open it, they found a camera inside.

"It was right there. Right up thereunder light" said Cathey to FOX 13, noting that the camera was pointing directly at his home.

FOX 13 confirmed that the camera belongs to the Memphis local department.

Because the box was on an influence pole, they contacted Memphis Light, Gas, and Water and inquired about it.

MLGW confirmed it had been indeed put there by Memphis police and against normal protocol.

FOX 13 said that they had to send five emails to MLGW just to urge the subsequent response.

"The camera in question was actually an MPD covert camera they installed temporarily and didn't undergo the traditional attachment process. MPD would normally handle a covert camera installation through MLGW, however, these cameras were only temporary for MPD and maybe put up quickly and removed quickly by MPD also ."

Cathey told them it had been pointing directly at the house where he and fellow activists meet.

"I am pretty sure they were most definitely surveilling me and other activists that meet on this street with me," said Cathey, adding, "They aren't only doing this to me. they're doing it other activists, known activists loud activists."

Apparently, this is often not an uncommon practice by the Memphis police.

Other activists showed FOX 13 video what they allege were police surveilling them at their jobs and houses.

FOX 13 emailed the Memphis local department repeatedly since this camera was discovered and nobody has replied.

Naturally, citizens and even council members are worried about their local cops spying on citizens for arguing with them politically.

Jr said, "Our citizens of the town got to know. Was this associated with ongoing police work or was this simply spying or surveilling people due to their political beliefs?".

In the middle of the night, The Memphis police or the Feds put up this inconspicuous box outside local activist and lead organizer of Fight for $15, Antonio Blair, registered address.

As you'll see, it's a reasonably powerful 20x zoom camera directed straight at his house.

He was also targeted on the primary day of the ACLU trial against the town of Memphis regarding police surveillance(They were found guilty).

Antonio and therefore the Fight for $15 had a lawsuit against the Memphis local department for intimidation/Civil rights Violation also.

The day after he made the post to Facebook, the camera disappeared.

In reference to the potential response by police, Demster says he is not buying anything they say: "I can already tell you i'm not getting to buy whatever story, whatever PR they're close to push."