In New York, newly released court papers reveal the city’s police department has secretly recorded Black Lives Matter protesters since the death of Eric Garner in 2014, sending undercover officers to demonstrations. The disclosure came as the NYPD refused to make public videos, photos and other records requested under the Freedom of Information Act. Lawyers seeking the records say the surveillance could violate the First and Fourth Amendments. They say the NYPD may have also violated so-called Handschu guidelines, which bar the NYPD from spying on protesters for solely political reasons. In August of 2015, The Intercept reported that New York transit police also spied on Black Lives Matter protesters.