[Boston-editorial] FBI Harrassment of DNC Protesters

Fri Jul 23 21:28:25 PDT 2004

Hi all

After finally getting ahold of the article (really a press release) in 
question, and learning more of the sequence of events, my preference is for 
posting and centering the press release about Boston and the subsequent second 
press release about Denver ASAP.

Incidentally, both press releases (which are attributed in good form) have been 
out a while now, and circulated by email. The information is out there. Boston 
IMC is no longer "breaking" this story, for better or for worse.

What I've heard is that the Boston person (one of several in the house visited) 
who objected to an initial article has not objected since the "press release" 
version was written.

Both press releases are below.

Kind regards
John

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent:      	Fri, 23 Jul 2004 10:02:18 -0700 (PDT)
From:           	Tree Monkey <bangarangatan at yahoo.com>
To:             	distro at news.aaac.org
Send reply to:  	nodnc04 at hush.com
Subject:        	[dnc2004] FBI Harrassment of DNC Protesters 

Enclosures:
1. Press Release from Boston ABC about Boston
2. PRess Release from KMA about Denver

1. <<<PRESS RELEASE>>>

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Contact: Boston Anarchist Black Cross
         Michael Andrews
         617.851.5966
         ABCboston-DNC04 at baamboston.org

FBI agents twice this week have visited the home of a
local activist 
seeking information on people they say plan to protest
the Democratic 
National Convention.

On Monday, July 19, at approximately 7 p.m., four FBI
agents arrived at 
the home of a Boston activist while guests of the
house were sitting on 
the porch. The agents began to interrogate the guests
with questions 
about the DNC protests and the whereabouts of the
residents of the home. 
The FBI agents also sought entrance to the house but
could not produce 
a warrant when asked for one. 

After the individuals present repeatedly refused to
speak to the agents 
in absence of legal counsel, the agents left the porch
but lingered 
beyond the property for approximately 10 minutes
before departing.

The agents returned to the house Tuesday afternoon
seeking further 
information on activists they said they suspect of
planning to protest the 
Democratic National Convention. The agents were again
told that nobody 
felt comfortable talking to them without legal counsel
present.

The agents present may be reached for comment and
verification purposes at:

FBI
Sharon A. Huber
Special Agent Boston
1 Centre Plaza, Suite 600
Boston, MA 02108
617.742.5533 (h)
617.223.6025 (f)
squadc2 at yahoo.com 

The Boston Anarchist Black Cross maintains that this
type of 
intimidation and targeting of activists is unfounded,
illegal, and
unacceptable. Local organizers have seen a surge in
efforts by police to
create fear in the public and in organizers,
demonizing political
activists, 
creating an us-them dynamic and preemptively harassing
activists so as to 
have a chilling effect on First Amendment rights. This
harrassment and 
intimidation campaign has increased in the weeks
leading up to the DNC,
including a prior FBI visit to the home of a NYC
activist on July 8, 2004.

People who are visited by law enforcement officers are
advised to take down the officers’ names and badge
numbers and otherwise not talk to them or let them in
your homes – tell them they can contact your attorney
(you do not have to give them the name of your
attorney). Contact the National Lawyers Guild in
Boston if you are visited by officers or if you have
questions regarding your rights (NLG Boston office:
617-227-7335 or nlgmass at igc.org). Please also contact
the Boston Anarchist Black Cross, which is doing
support work for protesters during the DNC

About the Boston Anarchist Black Cross (ABC): The
Boston Anarchist 
Black Cross is a prison abolition/prisoner support
group affiliated with 
the Anarchist Black Cross Network
(www.anarchistblackcross.org). We 
support those on the inside as well as working on
issues of community 
defense. Boston ABC is helping support protesters
arrested during the DNC. 
For more information, go to
http://www.baamboston.org/abc/ or contact 
ABCboston-DNC04 at baamboston.org about the DNC
protests.

###

2.  For Immediate Release

Statement from Kansas Mutual Aid Legal Collective July
22, 2004

Today we received news from friends and activists in
Denver, Colorado
pertaining to incidents involving the Federal Bureau
of Investigation and
possibly local law enforcement agencies.

It was communicated to us, that two houses in Denver
had been raided by the

FBI and that at least two people had been arrested.
Their charges and
situations are not at this time known to us. We do
know that they were
asked questions about the upcoming election events
including the Democratic

and Republican National Conventions, as well as
questions about "ABC".

According to the person that contacted us, it is not
thought that anything
of value had been taken from the houses, but multiple
checks of
identification occurred. Agents were reported to have
made threatening
statements to individuals who were attempting to
record names and badge
numbers of those agents that were present.

This comes on the heels of repeated harrasment at the
hands of state
agencies of activists in New York and Boston, as well
as more locally in
Kirksville, Missouri, where activists were questioned
by FBI and local
agencies about upcoming events surrounding the DNC and
RNC.

We here at the Kansas Mutual Aid Legal Collective,
denounce these strong
arm tactics by the state's law enforcement agencies.
This crackdown on
those planning dissent comes right after the 900th
U.S. soldier was killed
in Iraq, and support for the state's wars abroad and
at home wanes.

We call on all activists, dissidents, radicals... all
progressive peoples
to join in a solid response to this encroachment on
our rights as human
beings.

We cannot, and will not be intimidated, nor scared
into submission. There
has never been a more crucial moment in our history to
speak out and show
opposition and defiance to those that exploit and
dominate us and the rest
of the world.

Kansas Mutual Aid will continue to monitor these
events and find lawyers,
raise legal funds, and provide assistance in whatever
way we can.

Fear may be their weapon of choice... solidarity will
be ours.

In solidarity, forever.

Kansas Mutual Aid Legal Collective
913-775-1399
kansasmutualaid (at) hotmail.com

Please send any financial contributions to:
KMA c/o Solidarity Center
13 W. 14th Street
Lawrence, KS 66044

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------- End of forwarded message --------- 

-- 
John Grebe
(617) 987-0677
Media Track Coordinator http://BostonSocialForum.org July 23-25 Register online
Radio Coordinator, Boston Independent Media Center
Producer, WZBC news, Saturday 11 am - 1 pm / Democracy Now! weekdays 12-1 pm
on 90.3 FM Boston, worldwide streams http://zbconline.com
_________________________________________