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Green Scare
Updated 6/14/07 Updates: According to the Dept of Justice at their January 20th press conference, these arrests & subpoenas are part of a nation-wide effort to target activists in the US under new domestic terrorism legislation, although in reality, the word "terrorism" is not mentioned once in the 83-page indictment. Many of those who were arrested have cooperated with authorities to lessen their prison terms. One activist has died in jail. All of the remaining non-cooperating activists have pled guilty, and all except the activist turned informant, Jacob Ferguson, are now facing long sentences with possible terrorism enhancements added on. The charges are in relation to a string of actions which took place between 1997 and 2001, actions that were claimed by the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front. [Initial Report | Jeff Luers' March 2006 Dispatch] Police Informants gave information about some of the people taken into custody during this sweep, most notably, Jake the Snake. Ferguson's informing work to the FBI has been made publicly available, in the form of the actual arrest and search warrant request submitted December 7th, 2005. Dec 22, 2005 one of the originally indicted activists was found dead in his cell. The authorities claim it was a suicide. Bill Rodgers, 40, was a long-time community activist from Arizona where he ran the 'Catalyst Infoshop' bookstore out of his home. For more information or to see how you can support Bill's life work see: www.supportbill.org. [FSRN Audio Interview about Bill with his friend and supporter] On March 2, the Bush administration dealt yet another blow to the First Amendment, as the SHAC 7 were found guilty of multiple federal felonies for advocating the closure of the notorious animal-testing lab Huntington Life Sciences by running a website educating people about animal abuses, publishing a newsletter, speaking at events, and publicizing protests. Now, six activists face years in federal prison. All six are currently under house arrest while awaiting sentencing in September; The SHAC7 Support Committee and attorneys are planning to appeal. Support has been withdrawn for the following co-defendants, after it has come to light that these people have decided to cooperate with the FBI by giving information on other activists, in exchange for the possibility of reduced sentences: Stan Meyerhoff, Kevin Tubbs, Lauren Weiner, Chelsea Dawn Gerlach, Suzanne Savoie, Kendall Tankersley, Darren Thurston, and Zachary Jensen. Jennifer Kolar of Seattle has also been giving information leading to the arrest of at least one of these activists. Lacey Phillabaum is also providing testimony against others.
From the open publishing newswire:
CLDC's 2nd Annual Local Harvest Feast and auction at Mt. Pisgah Arboretum near Eugene
Mt. Pisgah Arboretum 5:30-9:30 pm on September 1, 2011. Join us for a locally grown, yummy, four-course dinner prepared by C. Ashley Hawkins including music, socializing, appetizers, luscious drinks, followed by dinner, more music and a silent and live auction. Featured Speaker: George A. Kimbrell, Senior Attorney, Center for Food Safety; Music by Sol de los Andes All proceeds go to benefit the work of CLDC! RSVP @ 541-687-9180 or www.cldc.org
From the open publishing newswire:
Environmentalism is the defining issue of our times. The ecological crisis is touching all of our lives. The environmental movement is engaged in a life-or-death struggle with the forces of industry; at stake is the planet that gives us life.
Sycophantic environmentalists regularly dismiss the ELF as "ineffective" in the capitalist press. An odd invective indeed given that if we have different goals we are going to have different ideas of what "effective" means... The first guideline is "to inflict maximum economic damage to those who profit from the destruction and exploitation of the environment." This is the essence of ELF strategy, to force their targets to perform a cost benefit analysis, in which the target arrives at the decision that they should stop what they are doing because it is more expensive to continue than it would be profitable. The ELF's greatest strength is that it cannot be physically destroyed, in past years the US government has had a certain amount of success in finding and imprisoning ELF soldiers. But ultimately it doesn't matter if they catch all members of the ELF because the group is not so much an organization as it is the living embodiment of an idea (the use of sabotage in defense of the Earth) and ideas cannot be jailed or killed.
From the open publishing newswire:
After three years in a Chinese jail, Justin Solondz is taken into US custody Justin Solondz spent years on the run before being arrested in China three years ago. This week, years in a Chinese jail, he was deported and taken into US custody at a Chicago airport. He is being charged with a role in two actions: the 2001 University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture arson (claimed by the Earth Liberation Front), and the arson and attempted animal release at the 2001 Litchfield Wild Horse and Burro Corral in Susanville, California (claimed by the Animal Liberation Front).
Recently, Solondz's former girlfriend, Briana Waters, entered into a plea deal in which she agreed to testify against Solondz at his upcoming trial. A search for his name on the BOP Inmate Locator did not give any results, and his current jail address is not known. With several cooperating witnesses, he faces a hard legal battle ahead. I will be posting his jail address as soon as it is available. For now, give your silent support to the three remaining fugitives from this FBI sweep dubbed the "Green Scare case". They are somewhere out there tonight, continuing to be hunted as "terrorists" by the FBI. - Peter Young  http://www.voiceofthevoiceless.org/
From the open publishing newswire:
Infamous snitch Jacob Ferguson arrested on drug charges, sent to prisonp>From Voice of the Voiceless Infamous snitch Jacob Ferguson arrested on drug charges, sent to prison The man who wore a wire for the FBI and sent over a dozen people to prison for ALF / ELF actions is himself now going to prison. Jacob Ferguson was sentenced this week to 5 years for ?manufacturing, possessing and selling heroin?, according to court records. Ferguson rose to infamy after becoming the lead informant in the ?Operation Backfire? FBI sweep. The arrests led to prison sentences for over a dozen people on arson charges for ALF / ELF actions going back almost 10 years. Three of those charged ? Joe Dibee, Josephine Sunshine Overaker, and Rebecca Rubin ? are still on the run. His role in over a dozen arsons claimed by the Animal Liberation Front / Earth Liberation Front made him a valuable asset for the FBI. When he secretly began cooperating with the government in 2004 to send many of his former friends to prison, he accepted a plea bargain which called probation only and no prison time. That ended this week when a recent drug bust finally led Ferguson to prison. He is also expected to receive a federal prison sentence in addition to his 5 year state sentence. Ferguson sent people to prison for the following ALF actions (in addition to numerous other ALF / ELF actions):
From the open publishing newswire:
"better this world" documentary puts focus on government use of informants post-9/11; award-winning film has its portland premiere at the clinton st. theater. The premiere comes just after Congress passed an extension of the Patriot Act on May 26.
Synopsis: The story of Bradley Crowder and David McKay, accused of intending to firebomb the 2008 Republican National Convention, is a tale of idealism, loyalty, crime and betrayal. Better This World follows the radicalization of these boyhood friends from Midland, Texas, under a revolutionary activist. The results: eight homemade bombs, multiple domestic terrorism charges and an entrapment defense hinging on a controversial FBI informant. The film goes to the heart of the war on terror and political dissent in post-9/11 America. Screening times: June 17 - 24th 7 & 9 PM Tickets: http://www.clintonsttheater.com/
trailer: http://www.betterthisworld.com
http://www.loteriafilms.com
From the open publishing newswire:
Briana Waters accepted a plea bargain today, June 14th, which requires her full and complete cooperation with the state. It reads, in part, "Defendant shall cooperate completely and truthfully with law enforcement authorities in the investigation and prosecution of other individuals involved in criminal activity. Such cooperation shall include, but not be limited to, complete and truthful statements to law enforcement officers, as well as complete and truthful testimony if called as a witness before a grand jury, or at any state or federal trial, retrial, or other judicial proceedings. Defendant acknowledges that this obligation to cooperate shall continue after Defendant has entered guilty pleas and sentence has been imposed..." The plea agreement later states, "Defendant agrees that Defendant's sentencing date may be delayed based on the United States' need for Defendant's continued cooperation..."
The "Statement of Facts" in the plea agreement implicates other people in the actions to which she is pleading guilty. This includes Justin Solondz (who is currently awaiting trial), Rebecca Rubin and Joseph Dibee (who have not been captured).
From the open publishing newswire:
The Day for Solidarity with Long-term Anarchist Prisoners is now two weeks away. June 11th is an open invitation to demonstrate support for Marie Mason and Eric McDavid, who are each serving 20 years. This date provides an opportunity to build links of affinity and solidarity towards the destruction of the prisons and prison-society.
This occasion for solidarity—as an open invitation—can to be responded to however people want, according to their own ideas and contexts. But many people have written asking for suggestions so we wanted to share a quick list of ideas for people who wish to plan events: *Organize an info-night.... * Throw a [vegan] benefit party/show/pancake breakfast/barbeque/picnic Though Marie and Eric's cases cannot be simplified to a lack of support, we understand that the state succeeded in imposing such long sentences on Marie and Eric in part because it was able to isolate them, both politically and socially. In the wake of these long-term sentences, support for Eric & Marie—and for other Green Scare and anarchist prisoners—has relied on the consistency and commitment of their respective families and support crews. As anarchists, we think there are many ways to improve their visibility that don't rely on the mass media, but rather on organizing and face-to-face interactions in the street. Thus, in particular we encourage people to: *Organize microphone demos and other very public events. *Put-up posters, and drop banners (only with permission, of course!). Full-color posters were just printed that can be sent your way. *Operas, plays, ballet, like Redbird Prisoner Support in Colombus, OH! *Other, wholly-new and original plans that we'd be excited to promote and spread for June 11, 2012, and until every prisoner is free, Get organized, and get in touch with us if you need to!  june11thsolidarity@gmail.com
http://www.june11.org
From the open publishing newswire:
Support political prisoners!
Briana Waters is a devoted and loving mother of her four-year-old daughter. She is a professional musician and violin teacher based in Oakland, California. On March 15, 2006, she was falsely accused of participating in a politically motivated arson which took place at the University of Washington in May 2001. Though she was released on October 13th, she was recently re-indicted with new charges. This event will feature a local lawyer giving an update about Briana's case, as well as a talk by folks from her support group. Additionally, it will feature a screening of Watch, a documentary directed by Briana about the fight to save an old growth forest. All money raised will go to her legal defense fund. Please come and show some solidarity for political prisoners! The event will start at 7pm. There will be a $3-5 suggested donation at the door. All money raised will go to Briana's legal defense. For more information, visit: http://supportbriana.org/
http://redandblackcafe.com
From the open publishing newswire:
A benefit at WOW Hall for the Civil Liberties Defense Center's eco-prisoner support program
Solidarity with Earth Defenders March 5 at 7 pm at WOW Hall (291 W. 8th Ave., Eugene) Featuring Etheric Double Soundsystem, holy!holy!holy!, and the Alder St. All Stars, with guest speaker Tre Arrow and radical poet Slugthang $10 in advance, $15 at the door Etheric Double Soundsystem is an experimental live pa experience, fusing a variety of music styles into a cohesive mix of sounds, commonly referred to as groove sorcery. Meant to awaken and inspire the listener to reconnect with their animalistic roots, the music of Etheric Double Soundsystem, though unorganic in nature, calls on us to abandon the confines of our industrial cages and embrace the primal archetypes within. *holy!holy!holy!* was forged in the primal war ofdomestication. We defy these ways. We despise these streets, theseschools, these occupations called work. We are wildness, and willdismantle the civilized destructive forces that have controlled ourworld. There are many worlds, with many languages. They will tell their children, that despite how hard they looked, they never saw uscoming...
From the open publishing newswire:
Dear friends, Yesterday marked the 5th year of Eric's arrest and imprisonment. Every year, at this time, we are forced to reflect on all that has happened. It is never an easy process, but this year feels different. This year we know that Eric will be in prison for the duration of his sentence. All of his appeals have been exhausted. 5 years is a long time - but we aren't even halfway there...
We have watched in horror these last few years as more and more of these kinds of cases have appeared across the country. It is hard not to think of this as a time of mourning. So maybe instead of a day of mourning, today can be a day of defiance. Today can be a celebration of thought crime. Won't you celebrate with us? Please remember that other folks are sitting in prison for very similar reasons as Eric! They deserve your support. Marie Mason and Sadie (Joyanna Zacher) both have birthdays this month. Please consider sending them a note of support. Finally, we recently set up a wishlist on Microcosm for Eric. If you would like to send him something, please visit: microcosmpublishing.com
From the open publishing newswire:
Dear friends, On Wednesday, December 8, the 9th circuit court of appeals denied Eric's request for a rehearing en banc. This was, in effect, Eric's last available option in the appeals process (other than appealing to the extremely conservative supreme court). Hope has proven to be a fleeting, evasive creature throughout this whole process. Many of us knew better than to fall for its seductive overtures. But hearts are so often blind to what our minds know to be truth - even when we knew what the outcome would be, our hearts had trouble letting go. We wanted Eric out here, with us. Free to wander in ancient forests, to play in the swirling, roaring ocean. To live outside a cage. But now, whatever traces of hope may have remained have been scattered in the wind. And so, his struggle continues.
Eric would like to send his sincerest thanks to all of you. Your letters, your songs, your donations, your words of encouragement have kept Eric and his loved ones inspired and strong. Keep it coming! Eric has a long road ahead of him, but with your love and support he will press on. He remains strong in heart and mind. And he knows that dreams can never be caged. http://www.supporteric.org
From the open publishing newswire:
Recent FOIA documents have uncovered some interesting information... Recently we began receiving documents in response to a FOIA request we filed with the FBI about Eric McDavid. The documents have uncovered a few alarming pieces of information, but one in particular we felt it necessary to share with the public as soon as possible. For years people have been speculating that writing political prisoners would result in a person being "put on a list." Unfortunately, it seems that those speculations were not unfounded.
We have received perhaps hundreds of pages documenting Eric's correspondence with other people. These letters are not just kept on file - the Sacramento County Main Jail forwarded all of these letters to the Sacramento FBI field office, which then forwarded them to local field offices around the country (and to law enforcement internationally) to warn the FBI in other cities of a "possible environmental/animal rights extremist" or "a possible anarchist extremist" in their community. Originally, the FBI's communications included a statement that "Sacramento is forwarding this communication for information purposes only." But later, they began including a much longer statement which read, in part: "this information has been determined to be of such a nature that some follow-up as to the possibility of criminal activity is warranted..." These statements were included no matter what was the content of the letter - often the documents include the statement that the letter was "benign in nature." To view some of these documents, please visit: http://ecoprisoners.org/news.htm
From the open publishing newswire:
The FBI raids Utah activist house in an A.L.F. investigation for the second time in five months.
The FBI raids my home for the second time in five months. Today I awoke at 9am to FBI & ATF agents raiding my home in Salt Lake City. This is the second time my home has been raided in an A.L.F. investigation in five months. Ten agents with the FBI and ATF corralled myself and my roommates into the living room, handed us a search warrant, and spent the next five hours removing belongings from our home. The warrant indicated they were seeking evidence in recent Animal Liberation Front arsons, including two in Utah. |
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