--- title: "Cops Are Using Military Spy Planes to Surveil BLM Protesters" description: "The National Guard and law enforcement flew surveillance planes above the heads of thousands of protesters marching in solidarity of George Floyd." date: "2020-06-03" modified: "2020-06-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/government-spy-planes-are-circling-above-heads-of-blm-protesters" categories: - "Future Society" - "Military" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "government surveillance" - "surveillance" - "the digest" --- # Cops Are Using Military Spy Planes to Surveil BLM Protesters ![The National Guard and law enforcement flew surveillance planes above the heads of thousands of protesters marching in solidarity of George Floyd.]() *\Image: Jonathan Cutrer/Victor Tangermann\* ## Cyberpunk Dystopia The National Guard and law enforcement are flying surveillance planes above protesters marching in solidarity of George Floyd, who was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer last month, [*Motherboard* reports](). According to data obtained by *Motherboard*, a RC-26B reconnaissance airplane circled over Washington, DC Tuesday night. The plane carried night vision cameras and has been used to bust drug rings in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has also been used to assist during natural disasters. ## Spying on Protesters "Multiple federal agencies are flying surveillance planes over protests, and it's likely that some of these planes are outfitted with a Dirtbox or similar technology," Martin Shelton, principal researcher at Freedom of the Press Foundation, told *Motherboard*. A Dirtbox is device that can act like its a cell tower, thereby duping smartphones into giving up their physical location. "What this means for protesters and journalists covering these events is that phone numbers, as well as voice calls and text messages, are likely being scooped up for analysis," Shelton added. ## Predatory Practices Just last week, US Customs and Border Protection [flew]() an unarmed Predator drone over Minneapolis during protests. It appeared to fly over the city in a hexagonal pattern [at 20,000 feet](). Civil liberties groups were outraged. "No government agency should be facilitating the over-policing of the Black community, period," said Neema Singh Guliani, senior legislative counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, in [a statement](). "CBP's use of drones over the city of Minneapolis should be halted immediately," Singh added. **READ MORE:** [The Military and FBI Are Flying Surveillance Planes Over Protests]() \[*Motherboard*\] **More on surveillance:** *[THE US GOVERNMENT IS SEIZING HUGE NEW SURVEILLANCE POWERS]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()