FBI says posting stickers= Terrorism
Charles Amsellem | 05.02.2002 16:04
the FBI is coining the term eco-terrorism for non lethal direct action on behalf of environmental activism and animal liberation.
FBI says posting stickers= Terrorism
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is attempting to broaden the criminalization of dissent by equating the posting of stickers with terrorism. The environmental movement is being specifically targeted for this latest attempt by the bureau by using the term eco-terrorism to describe actions as mundane as posting stickers along with actions such as arson and animal liberation, according to an article by San Fransico Chronicle staff writer Mike Weiss.
After the conviction of two activists last week, the next development will soon take place that has many activists concerned. "On Feb. 12, the House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health is scheduled to hold a hearing about eco-terrorism. Environmental activists have called for nationwide protests against the hearings." (Weiss)
Environmental direct action organizations such as the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) are regarded by the FBI as terrorist networks. They have consistently frustrated the bureau's attempts at stopping the organizations activities as few arrests and convictions were forthcoming in comparison to the outstanding charges against them and the unknown number of people involved with their actions.
David Babarash,who functions as something of an officail spokesperson for the ALF, works for that group from Vancouver. The FBI has confirmed his claim that "No people have been killed or injured as a result of an ALF activity." The insistence of equating the ALF with a terrorist network is the most recent example of the zeal with which the bureau attacks environmentalists. A prime example of this may be the terrorist assault on Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney. Mounting evidence has feuled speculation that the bureau itself is the source of the car bombing that the environmental activists were initially blamed for. Both of the Earth First! activists sued the FBI for false arrest and civil rights violations.
According to Bari, "The FBI files show that no legitimate search for the bomber was ever conducted. Instead, the FBI used this case as an excuse to investigate environmentalists and their associates, both locally and nationally, in a sweeping campaign reminiscent of the 1950's red scare." The authorities have consistently used the September 11th bombings as an excuse to scale back civil liberties and crack down on ever broader definitions of what constitutes terrorist activity. This is most recently evident by the shut down of raisethefist.com by federal authorities and Los Angeles law enforcement. Babarash has stated, ""To compare the horrific actions we witnessed on Sept. 11, to the actions of people who work to save animal lives and our planet while not using violent means is, frankly, ridiculous."
Judi Bari has since died as her health steadily deteriorated in the wake of the bombing which also ruined the Bari/Cherney relationship. Their case is still ongoing and evidence has been mounting in the midst of legal delays that included three failed attempts by the FBI to throw the case out of court.
References:
Read Judi's testimony here:
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/COINTELPRO/judi-upd.html
More info about this brave woman can be found here:
http://www.monitor.net/monitor/bari/
Mike Weiss' article can be found here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/02/03/MN172435.DTL
Editorial cartoon and article on raisethefist:
http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=125165&group=webcast
After the conviction of two activists last week, the next development will soon take place that has many activists concerned. "On Feb. 12, the House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health is scheduled to hold a hearing about eco-terrorism. Environmental activists have called for nationwide protests against the hearings." (Weiss)
Environmental direct action organizations such as the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) are regarded by the FBI as terrorist networks. They have consistently frustrated the bureau's attempts at stopping the organizations activities as few arrests and convictions were forthcoming in comparison to the outstanding charges against them and the unknown number of people involved with their actions.
David Babarash,who functions as something of an officail spokesperson for the ALF, works for that group from Vancouver. The FBI has confirmed his claim that "No people have been killed or injured as a result of an ALF activity." The insistence of equating the ALF with a terrorist network is the most recent example of the zeal with which the bureau attacks environmentalists. A prime example of this may be the terrorist assault on Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney. Mounting evidence has feuled speculation that the bureau itself is the source of the car bombing that the environmental activists were initially blamed for. Both of the Earth First! activists sued the FBI for false arrest and civil rights violations.
According to Bari, "The FBI files show that no legitimate search for the bomber was ever conducted. Instead, the FBI used this case as an excuse to investigate environmentalists and their associates, both locally and nationally, in a sweeping campaign reminiscent of the 1950's red scare." The authorities have consistently used the September 11th bombings as an excuse to scale back civil liberties and crack down on ever broader definitions of what constitutes terrorist activity. This is most recently evident by the shut down of raisethefist.com by federal authorities and Los Angeles law enforcement. Babarash has stated, ""To compare the horrific actions we witnessed on Sept. 11, to the actions of people who work to save animal lives and our planet while not using violent means is, frankly, ridiculous."
Judi Bari has since died as her health steadily deteriorated in the wake of the bombing which also ruined the Bari/Cherney relationship. Their case is still ongoing and evidence has been mounting in the midst of legal delays that included three failed attempts by the FBI to throw the case out of court.
References:
Read Judi's testimony here:
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/COINTELPRO/judi-upd.html More info about this brave woman can be found here:
http://www.monitor.net/monitor/bari/ Mike Weiss' article can be found here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/02/03/MN172435.DTL Editorial cartoon and article on raisethefist:
http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=125165&group=webcast
Charles Amsellem
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
More details
05.02.2002 17:19
On February 12th Congress will try to establish precedent to further criminalize common citizens' attempts to meaningfully influence politics. RESIST. Insist Government account to the People, not the other way around. If you define freedom as the freedom to watch TV, do nothing.
Succumbing to pressure from industries affected by the Earth Liberation Front, Animal Liberation Front and similar groups, the Congressional Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health agreed to hold a special oversight hearing on Eco-terrorism and Lawlessness in the National Forests on February 12, 2002 in Washington, DC.
Spearheaded by Rep. Scott McInnis (Colorado), the meeting is aimed at discussing the efforts to stop the threat to industry posed by organizations that are committed to protecting the natural environment and all life on earth.
According to Mr. McInnis, "It is the primary purpose of this hearing to probe this systematic and rapidly escalating campaign of violence on the National Forests. The Subcommittee will hear testimony from Members of Congress whose constituents have been victimized by environmentally motivated terrorists, from federal law enforcement officials now investigating these crimes, from ELF's former spokesperson, and, finally, from two of the many victims of eco-terrorism."
While Mr. McInnis may claim to be investigating the campaign of violence on the National Forests, the Subcommittee clearly is not interested in protecting these natural areas from the real violence caused by industries that engage in massive destruction purely for the sake of profit. In fact, other than Craig Rosebraugh, ELF's former spokesperson, no other environmental advocate was either given the opportunity or forced to testify at this hearing.
The testimony will be divided into four separate panels:
The first panel consists of Members of Congress, including Rep. Darlene Hooley (Oregon), Rep. George R. Nethercutt (Washington), and Rep. Greg Walden (Oregon). By stressing losses allegedly suffered by constituents, the testimony of this panel appears aimed to encourage new legislation to further criminalize property destruction intended to preserve life. This panel's testimony can be expected to unabashedly and systematically ignore the destruction wrought for the purpose of profit.
Within the last year, statewide "ecoterrorism" legislation has been proposed in a number of different areas and at the federal level. These proposals have not only intended to affect groups like the ELF and ALF, but also above ground organizations working within the environmental and animal advocacy movements. The Congressional testimony to be given on February 12 will no doubt seek to support this kind of legislation and encourage new proposals simultaneously.
The second panel of the hearing will consist of law enforcement currently investigating ecoterrorist crimes. This will likely include the FBI, BATF, U.S. Forest Service and perhaps other statewide policing agencies. There is ample reason to suspect this panel will be explaining the lack of success law enforcement have had in stopping ecoterrorism. (To date, only five people in the United States have been charged with any crime relating to the Earth Liberation Front. In one of the cases the charges were completely dropped.) There is no doubt they will ask for an increase in allocation of funding to law enforcement specifically to fight ecoterrorism. (Already as of 1999 when the FBI officially declared the ELF a terrorist organization, more resources and law enforcement personnel have been assigned to fight ecoterrorism. The increased efforts still have not proved successful.)
On the third panel will sit "victims of ecoterrorism" and other anti-government activity. What the House Resource Committee is referring to as other antigovernment activity has not been disclosed, nor have the identities of those testifying.
The fourth panel consists of Craig Rosebraugh by himself. Rosebraugh, originally asked to voluntarily take part in the hearing, refused publicly, calling Congress and the US government some of the worst terrorists in history. He was then subpoenaed on October 31, 2001 to testify. Read more about Rosebraugh and the National Day of Action Against State Repression here.
The outcome of this hearing can only mean an increase in the penalties facing those who work to stop the destruction of life and the natural world. By placing profits ahead of life, the United States government is attempting to reduce and remove any threat to the business as usual corporate policies of mass destruction in the name of commerce. This while national and private coffers, as well as natural resources, are raided by Bush and his Enron cronies.
This hearing will be open to the public. Please make every attempt to come and take a stand against the continued exploitation and destruction of the natural environment by corporate and government interests.
February 12, 2002 - 3:00pm
1334 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC
portland bill
Homepage:
http://portland.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=7094&group=webcast
in the UK
05.02.2002 17:56
Gonzo