Are you a US citizen? Do you disapprove of something the authorities are doing? Do you assemble with others of like concerns who might want to use their right to demand redress of grievances?
You're very probably a criminal. As the saying goes, about justice and the rule of law in this, Der Hömělānd: "Guilty if proven to exist."
NYPD intelligence officers monitored liberal groups, files reveal
...Undercover New York police department officers attended meetings of liberal political organizations and kept intelligence files on activists who planned protests around the US, according to interviews and documents that show how police have used counter-terrorism tactics to monitor even lawful activities....
...The FBI, for instance, has collected information on anti-war demonstrators. The Maryland state police infiltrated meetings of anti-death penalty groups. Missouri counterterrorism analysts suggested that support for Republican congressman Ron Paul might indicate support for violent militias...
Obviously there was no reason to lead my headline with "Breaking" and this kind of thing has been going on for a long time and grows legaller and legaller with each new bill and executive order signed. And the headline does not refer to America the Sane, which has long since cracked.
This bit in the article (and you have to go to Great Britain it seems to get this kind of info) is fruitful to reflect upon:
...Many big cities, such as Seattle in 1999, Cincinnati in 2001 and Toledo in 2005, have seen protests turned into violent, destructive riots. Intelligence from undercover officers gives police an idea of what to expect and lets them plan accordingly.... "This was a program designed to determine in advance the likelihood of unlawful activity or acts of violence."
So we can be pretty sure that the activities of the self-described "Black Bloc," by some completely unforeseeable chance, provides a rationale for spying on lawfully engaged citizens. Myself, I don't think "Black Bloc" really captures the essence of their effort nearly so much as "Black Ops" does.
The proof is in the pudding.
Oh well, not able to hang around for much longer tonight, but didn't want this kind of news to disappear.