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FBI Agents Raid US Homes in Search of “Anarchist Literature”

@Will_Potter | 05.08.2012 09:44 | Policing | Repression | Sheffield | World

When FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force agents raided multiple activist homes in the Northwest last week, they were in search of “anti-government or anarchist literature.”

Portland Search Warrant
Portland Search Warrant


The raids were part of a multi-state operation that targeted activists in Portland, Olympia, and Seattle. At least three people were served subpoenas to appear before a federal grand jury on August 2nd in Seattle.

In addition to anarchist literature, the warrants also authorize agents to seize flags, flag-making material, cell phones, hard drives, address books, and black clothing.

The listing of black clothing and flags, along with comments made by police, indicates that the FBI may ostensibly be investigating “black bloc” tactics used during May Day protests in Seattle, which destroyed corporate property.

If that is true, how are books and literature evidence of criminal activity?

To answer that, we need to look at the increasing harassment, surveillance, and prosecution of anarchists and political activists associated with the Occupy Movement.

In some cases, such as the May Day arrests in Cleveland, the FBI has been so desperate to arrests “anarchist terrorists” that it supplied them with bomb-making materials and used an informant to entrap them. The same thing happened in Chicago.

The motivation for these operations, and the instruction that “anarchist” means “terrorist,” is coming straight from the top levels of the federal government. As I recently wrote, new documents show that the FBI is conducting “domestic terrorism” training presentations about anarchists.

The FBI presentation described anarchists as “criminals seeking an ideology to justify their activities.”

This is the guilt-by-association mentality that is guiding FBI and JTTF assaults on political activists; if agents find “anarchist literature” in a raid, it is evidence of criminal activity because anarchism, in and of itself, is criminal activity.

The Seattle grand jury may or may not be investigating May Day protests. What’s clear, though, is that the grand jury is being used as a tool in this criminalization of those suspected as “anarchists.” Grand juries are secretive processes that are frequently used against political activists in order to acquire information. They are fishing expeditions. If activists refuse to testify about their personal beliefs and political associations, they can be imprisoned. Jordan Halliday, for example, was recently released after serving more than six months in prison (and being imprisoned once already for four months) for asserting his First Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights and refusing to provide information about the animal rights movement.

As one organizer with Occupy Seattle said after the raid: “…we are not being raided for connection to any crime, but to some political ideology that the police think we have.

“I was just doing research on the old Pinkerton strikebreaking paramilitaries, so it’s kind of funny, you know, to have that old Red Scare history burst through my front door at six AM.”

@Will_Potter
- Homepage: http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/fbi-raid-anarchist-literature-portland-seattle/6267/

Comments

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Black Bloc, police agents

07.08.2012 08:13

What is this about?

There is enough evidence around so show that Black Bloc are police agents: Police Provocateurs: Black Bloc Cops EXPOSED at the G20,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E946rBhH6GM

I even encountered them at a health service march in June last year. They had been exposed in the media as anarchist thugs. I asked a policeman what they were going to do about them and was told to mind my own business. that is, The police officer did say they were a threat, he was protecting them.

So, what is this raid about? Black bloc are simply playing their role as police agents. Having been identified as thugs, the public and progressives are likely to believe that this is a not bad example of political policing. But this then justifies political police which can then be turned on legitimate protest.

Simon


black bloc is only a tactic

07.08.2012 09:13

simon -

black bloc is a tactic, used by many many people around the world, to protect their identities from the state/others during demonstrations. yes, there are cases of both public law enforcement officers and private security industry employees using the tactic themselves, either to protect their own identities from activists, or pretend to be activists themselves. but most of the time, it's normal people, fed up with being captured on surveillance cameras and police databases and fit team spotter cards and redwatch websites...

the portland-based people whose homes have been raided are known to be involved in some kind of 'activism', which is why the police have targetted them. however we have no idea if they have actually been involved in any black bloc style activity. presumably their homes did contain things like backpacks/ black clothing/ paint etc, but obviously this stuff by itself is not evidence of them committing criminal acts, or of participating in a black bloc, at any time.

seems most likely this was a 'fishing trip', to gather as much personal info as possible, cause stress/ trauma etc, and maybe put pressure on one or two individuals to inform on others. what those activists could do with right now is some solidarity, not clueless people in other countries abusing an open-anon-publishing site to have a little rant about how they think all black bloc are cops.....

someone who can read


The SWP, truth movement and other pacifists are state agents here in the UK

07.08.2012 12:56

Every march/rally that they are involved in supposedly against the status quo achieves absolutely nothing, are well contained by the state, pose absolutely no threat to the establishment and are an affront to anyone who takes 'changing the world' seriously. Black Bloc gets my thumbs up every time, they achieve things and mean business, where others have futile sing-alongs, hug ins, die ins and wave identical placards.

just another individual


@Simon

10.08.2012 01:35

just watched the video you linked. Black Bloc wear all black and mask up. What you have here are plain-clothed police, not Black Bloc.

garfunckle