This Is How You Kill a Protest Without Firing a Shot
A federal leak frames dissent as terrorism. The goal isn’t safety, but silence.
This weekend, people will gather in cities across the country to protest ICE raids, police violence, and the slow-boiling erosion of rights under the current administration.
But just as organizers finalize plans, the federal government wants to plant a different image in your mind: not banners, not bullhorns, but bombs.
A leaked intelligence bulletin, reported Tuesday by journalist Ken Klippenstein, shows that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are circulating internal warnings suggesting that protests, particularly those targeting ICE or Trump-era policies, may be used as cover for domestic terrorism.
Let’s stop right there.
Because the message of the leak isn’t really that there’s a credible threat.
The message is that you might be one.
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This is how fear is used, not to inform, but to deter.
Klippenstein’s report is based on a document dated October 1st, shared with law enforcement agencies nationwide. It warns of an “increased threat of violence” at ICE facilities, citing vague and unspecified concerns that “domestic violent extremists” (DVEs) could exploit peaceful First Amendment protests as cover for violence.
What it doesn’t do — and this is key — is provide any direct evidence of such plans in connection with this weekend’s protests. No cells, no intercepted plots, no suspects.
Just the insinuation: Protest may not be what it seems.
This is the oldest play in the authoritarian book. Sow just enough doubt, wrap it in bureaucratic language, and let fear do the rest.
The brilliance of this strategy — if we can call it that — is that it doesn’t need to be believed. It only needs to be felt. Just enough to make you second-guess whether to show up. To wonder if you’ll be filmed. Flagged. Targeted. Labeled.
And maybe that’s the point. Maybe the leak was the message.
This isn’t the first move. It’s part of a plan.
If you’ve been following our reporting on NSPM‑7, this memo isn’t surprising. It’s inevitable. NSPM‑7, or National Security Presidential Memorandum-7, was quietly issued earlier this year, laying the groundwork to redefine political dissent as domestic extremism.
It doesn’t outlaw protest outright. It doesn’t need to.
Instead, it empowers a vast network of federal agencies — from the DOJ and DHS to the IRS and Treasury — to investigate, disrupt, and criminalize anything that smells like a “coordinated campaign” of political pressure. Protests. Boycotts. Mutual aid. Even speech.
The logic of NSPM‑7 is not precision. It’s elasticity.
You don’t have to commit violence. You just have to be near it, near someone else who’s been near it, talking about it, tweeting about it, or organizing in a city where it might happen one day.
It’s guilt by proximity, made policy.
And now, thanks to this leak, it’s entering the bloodstream just in time to keep thousands of people home this weekend.
See our previous reporting here:
The Narrative Is Already Set: “No Kings” = Extremism
If you think this is all hypothetical — just a theory about how fear might be used — look again.
In the past few days, top Republican officials have begun publicly labeling this weekend’s No Kings protests as extremist, violent, and even “pro-terror.”
“It’s all the pro-Hamas wing and the Antifa crowd, the Marxists… they’re all gonna gather on the Mall.”
— House Speaker Mike Johnson, Politico“This is about one thing: scoring political points with the terrorist wing of their party.”
— House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, National Memo“A hate-America rally.”
— Speaker Johnson, again, Common Dreams
These aren’t just hyperbolic soundbites. They’re trial balloons designed to test how far the Overton window can shift when it comes to protest, dissent, and speech.
And when paired with a leaked DHS/FBI bulletin warning that protests may be leveraged for terrorism, the messaging becomes clear: You are not a concerned citizen. You are a potential threat.
The goal isn’t to discredit protest. It’s to criminalize the idea of it, before it even begins.
Here’s what they’re hoping you’ll forget:
You still have the right to protest.
You have the right to gather in public, to speak, to chant, to livestream, to document, and to shout “No more” until your throat cracks.
You have the right to stand with people who are being zip-tied in their pajamas in the middle of the night, to mourn a pastor who was shot with a flash-bang and pepper-sprayed in the face, and to demand that journalists not be arrested for doing their jobs.
You are not a terrorist for being outraged.
You are a citizen. Your dissent is not a threat. It’s a signal that democracy might still have a pulse.
They leaked this to scare you.
So let’s be honest: it’s okay to feel afraid. That means you’re paying attention.
But do not let that fear steal your clarity.
If this weekend’s protests didn’t matter, they wouldn’t need a memo. They wouldn’t need a leak. They wouldn’t need to conflate truth-telling with terrorism.
They’re scared of what you might do if you show up, and what the rest of the country might see if you’re allowed to be heard.
So go. Go grounded. Go with purpose. Go with your rights in your pocket and your people at your side.
But don’t let them rewrite the story before it’s even begun.
See our reporting from this spring on why mass protest matters:
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Thinking About Protesting? Start Preparing.
You don’t have to know everything now. But start with this:
Don’t protest alone. Go with someone you trust.
Let someone know where you’ll be and when you plan to return.
Wear neutral clothes. Cover identifying tattoos. Bring ID only if you must.
Write key info (lawyer #, emergency contact) in permanent marker on your arm.
Charge your phone, or better yet, bring a spare battery or a burner phone.
Bring water, snacks, and at least one mask. Avoid valuables.
We’ll publish a more detailed safety & supply checklist later this week. For now, just remember: you’re not powerless, and you’re not alone.
Resource: Know Your Protest Rights
The ACLU provides a straightforward and informative guide to your rights at protests. Memorize it. Screenshot it. Share it.
Join the resistance. Subscribe today.
Sources:
Leak: Feds Think Protests Hide Terrorism — Ken Klippenstein
Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence (NSPM‑7, White House) — The White House
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Develops New Strategy to Counter Domestic Terrorism — The White House
Trump signs memo calling for crackdown on alleged ‘organized political violence’ — ABC News
Stakes Are High: Big Law Alerts Clients on Trump’s Domestic Terrorism Order — Democracy Docket
Turning Powerful Post‑9/11 Counterterrorism Tools Onto Domestic Policy Targets — Arnold & Porter
Presidential Memo Purporting to Counter Domestic Terrorism Threatens Constitutional Protections — Human Rights First
ACLU Statement on the Trump Administration’s Memorandum Targeting Political Opponents — aclu.org
Trump orders crackdown on ‘domestic terrorists’ in escalation of a campaign against political rivals — opb.org
NSPM‑7 — Wikipedia
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This was done quietly through law enforcement during the BLM rallies. I am LE in Los Angeles and some cops were afraid about driving to and from work that “Antifa” was going to follow and ambush them. It was so dumb. They were planing the seeds back then, and now it’s just igniting the same fear but on a much larger scale. They are writing a script and setting a stage to dismantle democracy and calling it patriotism.
It's an old sales tactic that you can sell anything with fear.