Black Identity Extremists

Black Identity Extremists (BIE) is a designation coined by the FBI. It appeared in an internal FBI counterterrorism report dated 3 August 2017. The document describes police safety concerns from allegedly violent black civil liberty activism in the United States. It was sent to thousands of police departments across America.[1]

Origin

A leaked copy of the FBI report was obtained by Foreign Policy who published it in October 2017.[2][3][4]

Reaction

According to Foreign Policy, the report is the first reference to "black identity extremists", while also noting the report claims "[t]he FBI assesses it is very likely Black Identity Extremist (BIE) perceptions of police brutality against African Americans spurred an increase in premeditated, retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement and will very likely serve as justification for such violence". However, former government officials and legal experts claim the term describes a movement that does not exist.[2] After the report was leaked, civil liberties organizations and political commentators expressed concern that the internal use of this designation by the FBI's counter terrorism unit signals a politically-motivated effort to falsely equivocate black activism, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, with white supremacists.[5][6]

The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the nation's largest black police group, states that the FBI designation is "ill advised."[3]

The term was discussed during the March 20, 2018, sitting of the Congressional Black Caucus.[7][8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "US judge orders release of 'first Black Identity Extremist'". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  2. 1 2 "The FBI's New U.S. Terrorist Threat: 'Black Identity Extremists'". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  3. 1 2 "FBI's "black identity extremists" label is ill-advised, the nation's largest black police group says". Retrieved 2017-12-16.
  4. ↑ Weinberger, Sharon. "BIE Redacted". www.documentcloud.org. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
  5. ↑ Beydoun, Khaled A.; Hansford, Justin (2017-11-15). "Opinion | The F.B.I.'s Dangerous Crackdown on 'Black Identity Extremists'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  6. ↑ Kortyka, Lindsey. "Who Are "Black Identity Extremists"? The FBI Identified Them As A New Domestic Terror Threat". Bustle. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  7. ↑ "Congressional Black Caucus". Congressional Black Caucus. 2018-03-20. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  8. ↑ "US legislators worried by FBI term 'Black Identity Extremist'". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
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