Posted in Grand Juries, Legal Issues on Oct 14th, 2009
A Utah animal rights activist has been indicted by a federal grand jury on felony contempt charges for asserting his First and Fifth Amendment rights, and refusing to cooperate with the “animal rights terrorism” witch hunt. His trial is scheduled to begin on November 2.
The grand jury is investigating the release of thousands of [...]
Posted in Activists Arrested, Legal Issues, Media on Oct 5th, 2009
Jake Ferguson was the lead arsonist in the “Operation Backfire” Earth Liberation Front actions in the Northwest. He was involved in more than a dozen arsons, more crimes than any other defendant. But he is walking the streets, free, because he became a government informant. He wore a wire and entrapped his friends into make [...]
Posted in Legal Issues, Prisoner Support on Oct 2nd, 2009
Jeff “Free” Luers was released from prison early today after a Lane County Circuit Court Judge signed a supplemental judgment granting him an additional 30 percent reduction in his total incarceration time. In 2001, Luers was sentenced to 22 years, 8 months in prison for burning three SUVs in the name of defending the environment. [...]
Posted in Activists Arrested, Legal Issues on Oct 2nd, 2009
An environmental activist has been arrested in connection with the 2006 attempted arson of homes under construction in Pasadena, California. The government says the action is connected to the Earth Liberation Front.
The FBI alleges that DNA found on cigarettes left at the scene (as part of the incendiary device) matched the DNA of Stephen James [...]
Posted in Activists Arrested, Federal Terrorism Laws, Legal Issues, Legislation, Prisoner Support on Sep 30th, 2009
Four animal rights activists are facing charges under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act for chanting, demonstrating with masks covering their faces, and chalking defamatory slogans on the sidewalk. If convicted, the “AETA 4,”—Joseph Buddenburg, Maryam Khajavi, Nathan Pope, and Adriana Stumpo—could be sentenced to 5-10 years in prison.
The AETA 4 case is a startling example [...]
Posted in Activists Arrested, Legal Issues on Sep 25th, 2009
Police in Pittsburgh have been rolling out their new toys and dressing up like stormtroopers at the G20 protests. (Much more at Pittsburgh Indymedia).There have been reports of direct action in the streets, with activists rolling dumpsters into the paths of oncoming riot police and police pepper-spraying, beating, arresting, and surveilling activists. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review [...]
Posted in Activists Arrested, Legal Issues on Sep 4th, 2009
B.J. Viehl has changed his plea to guilty and admitted releasing hundreds of mink from a Utah fur farm as part of an Animal Liberation Front raid. Viehl and his codefendant, Alex Hall, were charged under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act.
He now faces up to 5 years in prison.
Alex Hall is still taking his case [...]
Posted in Activism & Activists' Response, Activists Arrested, Legal Issues on Sep 3rd, 2009
Last year, Canadian police arrested Sea Shepherd’s First Officer, Peter Hammarstedt, and Captain, Alex Cornelissen. In Canada, it is illegal to witness or document the slaughter of the seals. They were charged with approaching, witnessing and documenting the killing.
They were interrogated for 4 1/2 hours, during which time they said absolutely nothing, refusing to even [...]
Posted in Legal Issues, Police Harassment & Abuse on Aug 25th, 2009
The National Lawyers Guild has created a great new resource, “Operation Backfire: a Survival Guide for Environmental and Animal Rights Activists.” It’s a booklet on how environmental and animal rights activists have been targeted by the government and branded as the top domestic terrorism threat. It also has a great “know your rights” section that [...]
Posted in Activists Arrested, Legal Issues, Prisoner Support on Jun 25th, 2009
This morning Andy Stepanian and I were on Democracy Now talking about secretive political prisons called Communications Management Units. Stepanian is believed to be the first inmate ever released from one of the secretive facilities; he is one of the SHAC 7, a group of animal rights activists convicted of “animal enterprise terrorism” for running [...]
The War on Terrorism has come home. Corporations and politicians are labeling activists "eco-terrorists" and national security threats. Think red-baiting, with a green twist. Here you'll find original reporting and analysis of the Green Scare, and history repeating itself.