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 statements about the actions.

By the government’s repeated admission, this is the only reason that the FBI and Department of Justice were able to successfully prosecute the group of activists the Feds called “The Family.” Without Ferguson, none of this would have been possible. “It was essential,” said assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Engdall.

The FBI has overwhelmingly been incompetent in going after the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front. They’ve had few successful prosecutions, which would never have been possible without snitches. It’s part of the government’s seven step process for convicting activists as terrorists.

Ferguson was recently featured in a CNN “exclusive” about the case. Even by mainstream media standards, it was a pathetic excuse for journalism. CNN repeatedly played up the “terrorist” rhetoric as much as possible, and had no questions about Ferguson’s character. (For instance, Ferguson wore a hat during the interview to cover up the tattoo of a pentagram on his forehead. And according to all of the other defendants and attorneys I have interviewed, he had a serious drug problem that made the FBI’s offer to turn snitch more palatable.)

Ferguson received 5 years probation for his crimes. His co-defendants received 3-13 years in prison, with the “terrorism enhancement.” One co-defendant, Daniel McGowan, is now in a secretive prison facility called a Communication Management Unit because of this “terrorist” status.

The reporter also did not press Kirk Engdall, the U.S. Attorney. There is one question regarding Jacob Ferguson that the government needs to held accountable for, and it is this: If the ELF is the “number one domestic terrorism threat,” if it is “violent” and “dangerous,” and if Ferguson was the lead arsonist of the most destructive ELF cell in U.S. history… how is he walking free? If these activists are truly national security threats, Ferguson, of all people, should be behind bars.

To use the government’s rhetoric, that’s kind of like arresting Osama bin Laden, and then agreeing to let him walk if he wears a wire and entraps some of the other Al Qaeda operatives. It’s a sham. The government let Ferguson walk, regardless of his crimes, because he helped them declare a victory in the War on Terrorism.

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1. FBI Admits Utah Grand Jury May Lead to ALF “Sympathy Attacks”

Ed Abbey’s classic The Monkey Wrench Gang is being made into a big-budget Hollywood movie starring–wait for it– Matthew McConaughey and John Goodman. And the director of “Twilight” is set to direct. I feel ill.

The Monkey Wrench Gang is Abbey’s classic tale of George Hayduke, an ex-Green Beret, leading a band of outlaws in a campaign of sabotage to defend the environment. Plenty of folks say the novel influenced the formation of Earth First! and later the Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front. If you haven’t read it, please do.

What’s most bizarre to me about all this is how, in the hands of someone like Matthew “Just Keep Livin’” McConaughey and the “Twilight” teenage-vampire crew, a story about property destruction is great fodder for a mass-appeal Hollywood film.

But in the hands of activists, the same narrative, in the form of a children’s book, is “eco-terrorism.” For instance, the government said Daniel McGowan was “promoting the criminal activity of others” by linking to the website of The Secret World of Terijian, a children’s story of a pint-sized Monkey Wrench Gang. (The government even included the full text of the children’s book in it’s response to McGowan’s motion for summary judgment.)

Monkeywrenching can be sexy and fun when it’s “just a story” produced by Hollywood. When the same narratives are connected to political struggles, it’s “terrorism.”

Related posts:

1. Avatar Labeled “Recruiting Film for Eco-terrorists”

By former Los Angeles Times cartoonist Tony Peyser:

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1. Vegan Chef Sarah Kramer is a “Domestic Terrorist”

Last week the Center for Consumer Freedom, an industry front group, took out a full-page ad in The New York Times accusing the Humane Society of the United States of supporting “terrorism.” Their crime? A speech at a “holiday gala” for a group called the Humane League. If you’re not following, well, you’re not the only one. The ad included a flow chart to explain CCF’s convoluted logic, and their website has a 70-page document trying to support the flow chart.

CCF argues that they connect the Humane Society to bullhorn-wielding “eco-terrorists” in six steps, and in response I created a little contest called “Six Degrees of Consumer Freedom.” I asked you all to trump CCF by connecting them to real terrorists in fewer steps.

I’m proud to say… we have a winner!

Karen left a comment connecting CCF to terrorism in two steps: CCF was created by Philip Morris, and Philip Morris has ties to cigarette smuggling, which directly funds terrorist groups. (Congrats Karen! You’ll be receiving your “domestic terrorist” apron!)

Below, I’ve added in my own research to substantiate the claims.

• In 1995, Philip Morris created the Guest Choice Network. It’s a front group that was proposed by Rick Berman in a letter to a Philip Morris executive. Here’s the letter.
• In January, 2002, the Guest Choice Network renamed itself the Center for Consumer Freedom. Rick Berman is still in charge.
• Philip Morris has been exposed for its involvement in illegal cigarette smuggling, including smuggling into Iraq in violation of United Nations sanctions. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says cigarette smuggling funnels millions of dollars to groups like Al Qaeda [See Washington Post, ""Cigarette Smuggling Linked to Terrorism" and the UK Telegraph, "US tobacco companies face claims of smuggling to Iraq," and the six-month investigation by PBS and NOW with Bill Moyers.]

I created this new and improved version of the CCF ad… what do you all think?

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1. American Idol Star Carrie Underwood Accused of “Supporting Domestic Terrorists”

A full-page ad in today’s The New York Times accuses the Humane Society of “helping an animal rights terrorism group.”

The ad was bought by the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), a front group that represents the fast food, meat and dairy industries. You might remember CCF from when they attacked Mothers Against Drunk Driving (yep, they represent big alcohol, too).

Here’s the gist of the ad: a Humane Society vice president is speaking at a holiday event sponsored by the Humane League. CCF says the Humane League has members from a group “Hugs for Puppies,” and Hugs for Puppies had members from SHAC Philly, and SHAC Philly had members from SHAC USA, and six members of SHAC USA were convicted on “animal enterprise terrorism” charges for running a controversial website.

Whew. Got that?

If not, don’t worry… the ad has a flow chart!

You know, folks, it really is a sad day when good old scare-mongering needs a six-step process. (Hell, I could connect the Humane Society to Kevin Bacon with fewer steps. And even Sarah Palin could scare-monger with fewer connections!)

And all of those steps are used to connect the Humane Society to what, exactly? A speaking event? Is that really the best CCF can do?

They’ve tried stunts like this before. When Hugs for Puppies had a table at a Humane Society conference (a table alongside dozens of other groups), CCF said they are “consorting with terrorists.” It didn’t get much media play. So now, it looks like CCF is using their deep corporate pocketbooks to get their scare-mongering to the public.

Likewise, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen ads in the The New York Times calling activists “terrorists.” But when those ads ran, they were directed at the so-called “extremists” with Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty.

These ads, though, are going straight for the throat of mainstream groups. And I hate to say it under these circumstances, but… I told you so. When the Humane Society offered a reward for the “eco-terrorist” witch hunt in California, I wrote here that naming names and pledging loyalty oaths wouldn’t be able to protect them, just like it wasn’t able to protect people during the Red Scare.

These corporations and industry groups don’t just want to stop groups like the Animal Liberation Front. They don’t just want to stop the animal rights movement. They want to stop the animal welfare movement. They want to destroy all of them, together. This is a culture war, and it’s time the “mainstream” groups start fighting back.

On that note, I have a proposal. CCF’s ad says it connects the Humane Society to “terrorism” in six steps. I bet we could connect CCF to terrorism (the real kind, not this terrorist-activist nonsense) in fewer.

To play Six Degrees of Consumer Freedom, leave a comment on this post explaining how CCF is connected to terrorism. The best answer gets a free “domestic terrorist” apron!

Related posts:

1. American Idol Star Carrie Underwood Accused of “Supporting Domestic Terrorists”

We’ve seen Adidas endorsing “eco-terrorism” in their ads. Now HSBC, one of the largest banks in the world, has an ad that’s an epic terrorist love story complete with tree sitters, folk music, and happy, apolitical ending.

Here’s the summary: Cops are attacking environmental activists, pulling them from tree sits, using pain compliance holds, carting them off to jail (as “terrorists” I’m sure). As one activist is being hauled off, she sees her husband/boyfriend is one of the loggers. He bails her out of jail, she’s pissed, but she puts her arms around him on the way home. Awww. The message from HSBC? “We recognize how people value things differently. So what we learn from one customer helps us better serve another.”

Blargh. I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

You know what really disturbs me about this? It’s not even that corporations are trying to capitalize off of social movements (I don’t think this is nearly as offensive as Nike’s blatant rip-off of Minor Threat). What really disturbs me is that the big message here is: Politics don’t matter.

Well, you know what, HSBC, political beliefs DO matter. They matter a lot. They matter more than your interest rates and profit margins and advertising campaigns.

There’s good and bad, right and wrong, and I’m so sick of people acting like “to each his own.” As Howard Zinn says, “You can’t stay neutral on a moving train.” The train has left the station, folks. And I hope I don’t sound too curmudgeonly and grumpy and jaded in saying this, but there ain’t going to be hugs at the end of the ride.

I can almost see the FBI putting out its own little YouTube propaganda. They could cast Anna the provocateur. It would show her working undercover for the FBI, poking and prodding environmental activists to commit crimes, and then when lives are ruined and people are sitting in prison, there can be a sweet hug at the end and the FBI logo. See? We can all get along. Right? Right?

Blargh. There I go again.

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The Denver police union made this shirt to commemorate the beating of DNC protesters.

The general myth about protest violence goes something like this: A small group of people, wearing black, were bent on causing chaos and police violence was required to protect the public. Ever heard that one before?

Or, this Star Tribune editorial after the RNC sums it up pretty well:

The show of [police] force was a reasonable response to the behavior and the threat posed by a relatively small number of rogue protesters who traveled to the Twin Cities for no other reason than to damage property…

Supporters of the police crackdown on protestors have cited search warrant applications for some of the home raids in Minneapolis—including a bookstore. The warrant includes a string of absurd, unsubstantiated claims, including that an unnamed “reliable source” of the FBI says that 21 heavy packages that a postman says he delivered “contained weapons to be used during the RNC.”

Turns out, attorneys say the boxes were full of vegan literature.
Perhaps they were for those “terrorist” vegan potlucks.

If you only rely on these “official” sources, and don’t both to question them, it could paint a picture of these protesters as “violent.” But check out what John Wise, a national editor for Fox News, had to say:

On September 4, the convention’s last night, Wise and a colleague left the Fox tent to cover a developing protest. He ended up moving back and forth over a series of bridges in downtown St. Paul, usually in response to police orders, shooting stills and video as police-launched weaponry detonated in the background. In the process, he formed a surprisingly good picture of the protesters. (“I’m not just trying to be some liberal journalist,” Wise tells the Phoenix, “but I did not see one protester get violent, break anything, throw anything at anybody, anything like that. People were wanting to get away, but that’s natural — they were scared.”)

Riot cops relax after beating protestors at the RNC.

But there are two key points that need to be remembered. First, leading up to protests like this, activists are demonized and branded as “extremists” and “domestic terrorists.” Fear is instilled in the general public and law enforcement. Second, local police are being militarized. They’re being outfitted like storm troopers with tear gas cannons, concussion grenades, and other weaponry.

So what happens when you get a bunch of cops hyped up on information about evil protesters and armed to the teeth? Well, check out the image at the top of this post. It’s a t-shirt made by the police union in Denver, celebrating the beatings of protesters at the DNC.

[Check out this video of police conduct at the DNC. And, on a more inspiring note, how the crowd responds when police shut down a lawful Rage Against the Machine concert.]

In some ways, the myth of protest violence is true. It is a small group of people, often from out of state, dressed in all black, that are bent on causing violence and destruction at these mass protests. And they’re called riot cops.

And now, your moment of Zen: Anyone want to try their hand at writing a caption for this photo of Peta pigs and, er, friends?

Related posts:

1. Military Pull Activist Into Unmarked Car at G20 Protests
2. Animal Rights Activists Indicted as “Terrorists” For Home Protests

There’s now a GreenIsTheNewRed Flickr account, as well as a Green Scare Flickr group! I’m hoping ya’ll will enjoy them, for a few reasons:

• You can easily post these photos to your blogs and websites through Flickr.
• You can submit your own images to the group: benefit fliers, photos of Green Scare defendants, protest photos, scare-mongering ads, and of course photos of you at work in your “domestic terrorist” aprons. Post them to the group, and we’ll run some here on GreenIsTheNewRed.
• You might find some articles you haven’t seen. The photo descriptions are full of links to content that, by the nature of the blog, gets burried as time goes on.

To start things off, here’s an image I just uploaded. It’s from Burnout, the graphic novel by Rebecca Donner and Inaki Miranda (which I noted here a while back). It’s a love story about two teenagers who become “eco-terrorists.” I was skeptical, to say the least, of anything that uses the buzzword of “eco-terrorism,” even if it’s just as an idea for a plot. I think the more folks use the word to describe everything from comic books to Law & Order episodes, the more people accept that non-violent activists really are “terrorists.” So I was pleasantly surprised that the book is not only beautiful, but it felt critical of the “terrorist” rhetoric, and cleverly gives some historical background of radical activism that puts the mainstream media to shame.

What do you think? (About the Flickr accounts, and also about Burnout?)

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News continues to come out of the Twin Cities and the Republican National Convention of what I can only describe as a police state showing its true colors. If you read this site regularly, you know I stay far away from language and descriptions like that, because I think it’s best to let the stories speak for themselves. But I’m at a loss of how else to describe this. Here as some of the highlights that the mainstream press has overwhelmingly ignored:

• Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com writes: “Protesters here in Minneapolis have been targeted by a series of highly intimidating, sweeping police raids across the city, involving teams of 25-30 officers in riot gear, with semi-automatic weapons drawn, entering homes of those suspected of planning protests, handcuffing and forcing them to lay on the floor, while law enforcement officers searched the homes, seizing computers, journals, and political pamphlets.” Here’s another wrap-up with a video interview of an attorney on the scene. Police claim the raids targeted protest “leaders.”
• Police raided what’s called the convergence space, a place with computer access, free food, and child care for out-of-town protestors. The raid took place while folks were having a group dinner and watching a video, with children. Police took laptops, schedules and 7,000 “welcoming guides” organizers would have distributed at protests.
• Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman was arrested while reporting about her two producers, who were arrested for “conspiracy to riot” while covering the RNC protests. An AP photographer was arrested at the same time. David Ake, an AP assistant chief of bureau in Washington, said, “Covering news is a constitutionally protected activity…Photographers should not be detained for covering breaking news.”
• Filmmakers who traveled from NYC to document, among other things, police conduct had video equipment seized when they came into town.
• Police raided the home of I-Witness video, whose video coverage exposed police abuse, and lying under oath, during the 2004 RNC. Eileen Clancy was able to write this as police swarmed the home: “We have locked all the doors…The police say that they are waiting to get a search warrant. More than a dozen police are wielding firearms, including one St. Paul officer with a long gun, which someone told me is an M-16.”
• Police raided and seized an Earth Justice bus, used to educate people about environmental sustainability. Check out the number of squad cars in this video.
• Even the local alt-weekly joined the scare-mongering leading up to the RNC, with a tongue-in-cheek “field guide” to the “deranged” people coming to town, including “eco-terrorists” (“Weapon of Choice: Their ability to chain themselves to stuff.”) To be fair, they also listed “FBI moles”.

What’s particularly disturbing is that the federal government and Joint Terrorism Task Forces have been instrumental in all of this. Minnesota Public Radio reported that the FBI was involved in the raids, and the Star Tribune reported that the raids were specifically “aided by informants planted in protest groups.”

You’ll remember that this is the same town where Joint Terrorism Task Forces were recruiting folks to infiltrate vegan potlucks. And you’ll also remember how the government has used “infiltrators” to instigate and provoke illegal activity, such as with “Anna” in the Eric McDavid case, among others.

The mass media have overwhelmingly ignored all of this, while repeating absurd “official” soundbites. Headlines that proclaim “Police hope violent St. Paul protests will end” ignore the simple, crucial facts that police have stormed homes, confiscated leaflets, confiscated cameras, arrested journalists, arrested attorneys, and more. Stories of “protestors turning violent” are quite Orwellian, considering police kicked in the doors of peaceful protestors, armed to the teeth.

How can there be any discussion about protestors (both legal and illegal) without this context? Considering the overwhelming, unconstitutional assaults by the police, I think protestors should be praised for being so restrained.

The purpose of all this, as we’ve seen time and again, is two-fold. The first, through the press, is to further the myth that if you protest the right way you have nothing to worry about. The mayor said it well: “To pick up a protest sign, that’s fine. If you’re here to pick up a brick or some other instrument, there’s a problem.” If people continue to believe lies like this, while ignore attacks on First Amendment activity, this government repression will continue unabated.

The second purpose, regardless of the myths people believe, is to instill widespread fear in anyone who might even consider taking action.

On that note, it’s inspiring to see how folks have responded. I’ll leave you with an excerpt from today’s press statement by the RNC Welcoming Committee

The actions taken yesterday prove that the tactics of intimidation, harassment, violent oppression, the snatching of specific individuals, and the profiling of activists will not stop committed people from taking to the streets for what they believe in and putting their bodies behind those convictions. These tactics were seen yesterday in the targeting of medical workers, journalists, legal observers, and the public. They are the same tactics used daily by police and governments around the world to terrorize and oppress those that they claim to serve…

The infrastructure that has been created for these actions with the help and support of the twin cities community has been amazing. 100’s of people in Minneapolis and St. Paul have opened their homes to 1000’s of protesters, Locals and newcomers have taken time off work and from their lives to cook meals, provide medical care, legal support, and transportation. We understand that it must be intimidating to see people organizing for themselves around the idea of mutual aid and solidarity, but in doing this we are actively creating the world we want to live in. This is work that we will continue to do for the rest of our lives.

What do you think? I know police response at big protests like this (WTO, FTAA, DNC/RNC) has often been extreme, but is this above and beyond?

Related posts:

1. FBI Admits Utah Grand Jury May Lead to ALF “Sympathy Attacks”

Oh good grief, I knew I spoke too soon when I posted about the new “comedy” based loosely on non-violent activists being labeled “terrorists.”

Looks like the “eco-terrorism” buzz has also been milked for a romance novel. Ugh.

The blurb for Leave No Trace by Lynn Romaine:

For undercover DNR agent Nick Seek, what begins as an investigation of ecoterrorism in the Ozarks turns deadly when she becomes a suspect and a target for murder.

Her uncle dead, her aunt missing, a regretted night of passion, and Nick flees, running from the law, a murderer, and her inner fears, searching for answers.

Hawt.

I’m starting to think I’ve chosen the wrong career. Anyone have other ideas of how to cash in on this government repression and the “Green Scare”?

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