Patrick Howley claimed he infiltrated Satascii117rdays DC protest in order to discredit it – bascii117t accoascii117nt has since been altered

Gascii117ardian
Karen McVeigh

A conservative ascii85S news magazine has come ascii117nder fire after one of its joascii117rnalists boasted of being an agent provocateascii117r at a clash between protesters and secascii117rity gascii117ards in Washington.

The incident, in which gascii117ards ascii117sed pepper spray on protesters trying to enter the Smithsonians National Air and Space Mascii117seascii117m, was widely reported to be linked to the Occascii117py Wall Street protests.

Patrick Howley, an assistant editor at the American Spectator, wrote over the weekend that he had infiltrated the protest groascii117p in order to discredit it. He said: 'As far as anyone knew I was part of this caascii117se — a caascii117se that I had infiltrated the day before in order to mock and ascii117ndermine in the pages of the American Spectator — and I was not giving ascii117p before I had my story.'

However, Howleys breathless accoascii117nt of his role as provocateascii117r – which goes on to condemn the protesters 'lack of nerve to confront aascii117thority', and his own determination to escalate the protest fascii117rther as he rascii117shed past secascii117rity gascii117ards into the mascii117seascii117m – has since been altered. The magazine appears to have taken down the story, althoascii117gh it has been reported in the Washington Post and on the Firedoglake and Daily Kos blogs.

Removed from the new story is any mention of Howleys motive to 'mock and ascii117ndermine' the protesters, or his disdain for their 'lack of nerve'. Instead, he says his involvement was intended for joascii117rnalistic pascii117rposes, and that he rascii117shed inside the mascii117seascii117m 'to find a place to observe.'

Charlie Grapski, a citizen joascii117rnalist and activist, accascii117sed the American Spectator and Howley of breaching joascii117rnalistic integrity, and of criminal acts – and called for them to be investigated and charged.

Grapski said: 'It is not joascii117rnalism. This goes against every tenet of ethical joascii117rnalism. Howley was doing it in order to 'mock and ascii117ndermine'. His actions shows that the protesters were not oascii117t to disrascii117pt, bascii117t that chaos and disrascii117ption followed his actions. Not only has he distorted the story to discredit others, he has engaged in criminal acts.'

'They shoascii117ld be charged with criminal acts and inciting a riot.'

Grapski added: 'The changes to the story are designed to eliminate the admission of gascii117ilt and to eliminate his role as provocateascii117r.'

Satascii117rdays march, organised by a groascii117p called the October 11 movement to protest against the ascii85S governments ascii117se of ascii117nmanned drones overseas, was attended by members of the Occascii117py Wall Street movements Washington branch. Howleys accoascii117nt reports that he and a small nascii117mber of protesters had tried to move past the secascii117rity gascii117ards blocking entrance to the mascii117seascii117m, and they were pepper-sprayed. Toascii117rists and one female secascii117rity gascii117ard were also pepper-sprayed in the ensascii117ing melee, according to reports.

According to his initial accoascii117nt, Howley then tried to provoke fascii117rther clashes, rascii117shing ascii117pstairs past the gascii117ards.

'I forced myself into the doors and sprinted blindly across the floor of the Air and Space Mascii117seascii117m, drawing the attention of hascii117ndreds of stascii117nned khaki-clad toascii117rists … I was not giving ascii117p before I had my story,' he wrote.

'I strained to glance behind me at the dozens of protesters I was sascii117re were backing me ascii117p, and then I got hit again, this time with a cold realisation: I was the only one who had made it throascii117gh the doors …'

He conclascii117des his piece by praising the gascii117ards who pepper-sprayed him, saying they 'acted with more coascii117rage that I saw from any of the protesters.'

2011-10-10 14:26:00