“Joint Terrorism Task Force” Arrests Activist on Felony Charge for Wearing a Mask
Apr 27th, 2008 by Will Potter
From DC Indymedia:
On Saturday, April 12, an FBI agent arrested an animal rights activist at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. The activist was charged with wearing a mask in public—a Class 6 felony in Virginia.
On April 5, the arrested activist attended a protest at GMU and wore a mask. After the GMU Police Department identified the activist, a warrant was issued for his arrest. When he appeared at a protest one week later, he was identified and subsequently tackled and arrested. The arrested activist was protesting Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus for their history of animal abuse.
The FBI agent who arrested the activist is part of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and is based in Prince William, VA. His name is Vincent Antignano and his badge number is #1035. He was stalking the arrested activist after he protested on numerous occasions against a private company, Huntingdon Life Sciences, which conducts medical tests on animals.
I spoke with the activist arrested, and I think it’s critical to note that neither he, nor the other protestors, were charged with anything like property destruction. He simply wore a mask at a lawful protest.
To those unfamiliar with activist groups or protests, that may seem odd. Why wear a mask if you aren’t going to do something wrong? What do you have to hide?
For some, it might be an attempt to look intimidating, tough, or just cool. But for many, many activists I’ve interviewed, it’s viewed as a necessity in this political climate. With the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces harassing and filming lawful protests, creating files on political activists, harassing them at home, and bringing grand jury witch hunts, activists don’t want to be singled out and targeted, and they also don’t want to stop speaking up for what they believe.
Ominously, a previous post on Indymedia about the FBI harassment said:
Help is urgent and we cannot continue this alone. Activists feel intimidated and threatened from many sides. Help is needed.
The bigger question here, though, beyond the absurdity of charging a non-violent, lawful protestor with a felony for wearing a bandana, is why the Joint Terrorism Task Force is monitoring a circus protest.
Even if you believe that groups like the Animal Liberation Front are truly the “number one domestic terrorism threat,” even if you believe that breaking a window in the name of the environment is a national security concern, protests against Ringling Bros. haven’t seen very much of that. Elephants have not been “liberated,” and the use of non-violent civil disobedience at circus protests isn’t nearly as common as it was in the late 90s. Ringling, though, has been relentless in targeting activists.
What the FBI is doing could be described, to borrow another Orwellian phrase from this “War on Terrorism,” as a pre-emptive war. Activists aren’t breaking the law, but they must be arrested because they MIGHT break the law.
Think that’s absurd? Check out the comments by FBI Special Agent Robert Springer Springer, who told a university crowd that the construction of a highway in Indiana could “arouse an eco-terrorist attack.”
But don’t worry, dear readers. As this FBI agent says, “We uphold the Constitution in everything we do…By working in domestic terrorism investigations, you get to see the First Amendment in action.”
Related posts:
Insane! He was tackled!?
Posted it on digg: http://digg.com/politics/Felony_for_wearing_a_mask_at_a_demonstration/
Got this in an email, and thought I’d post it:
“I wonder how this affects us ‘northern folk’ who protest in the winter months with scarfs and hoods wrapped tightly around our faces to protect us from the cold? Maybe protests will only be allowed certain months of the year….just to make sure we are not ‘terrorists’.”
Man, this makes me completely rethink my 2008 Halloween and 2009 Mardi Gras costumes… now I don’t know what I’ll be if I can’t wear a mask…
ha ha. It also made me think about all the nail salons in DC, where the Chinese women who work there rock the surgical masks non-stop.
[...] Will Potter, who adds: I spoke with the activist arrested, and I think it’s critical to note that neither he, [...]
This is doubtless an attempt to squelch our First Amendment rights and sounds like an AETA arrest, which in itself has GOT to be unconstitutional.
Fortunately, it was far more civilized when I protested in DC, save for a mother swearing at us in front of her children for daring to hand out flyers declaring the animals were mistreated. Never mind that there were no gruesome pictures.
I am so relieved that there are no more unsolved murders or serious felonies or serious threats to American lives by actual terrorists in our country!
Now – our law enforcement, from local PD to FBI, to HS has time to harass and imprison people for using their 1st amendment rights.
That’s so cool, all of our money and resources can now go directly back into watching ourselves!
Where can I apply to be a Stasi?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi
Seriously though, how can these ‘officers’ live with themselves, being a perversion of what law enforcement should be?
And what can the rest of us do if the public does not even seem care once they do here about green scare cases?
It’s not like we’re seeing this topic show up in even the higher profile “liberal” media like NPR, etc…
It really makes aspects of being a LEGAL AR activist kinda depressing…
Any optimistic words for us, Will?
Gir:
It’s so frustrating that none of these issues get play in major media, or, like you said, even the “liberal” outlets like NPR or The Nation. What’s worse, the few folks in liberal organizations that ARE paying attention don’t (want to) believe that these tactics could ever be used against them. There’s just such a disconnect. Part of that may be simply a self-preservation tactic: if you ignore what’s going on, it makes it easier to keep on a steady path.
I think your comparison to the Stasi is a fair one, in many ways, and I think about that a lot. If there’s any room for optimism in all of this, it’s related to historical comparisons like that.
In many ways, what is going on now is quite mild compared to what other activists have experienced throughout history. I don’t mean to downplay it, in any way. It feels so overwhelming (especially after reading a blog like this!). But I like to think about the courage that groups and individuals have shown throughout history, in the face of even worse odds, and in the face of even harsher tactics.
If people in power thought they could get away with tactics like that, I believe they would be using them. The fact that they’re targeting these movements means they view them as a threat, as effective. And the fact that they’re trying to pick off “fringe” groups, and stay out of the public spotlight, reflects that they know there are limits to their power, and limits to what people will tolerate: they know that, even as bad as things seem, they can only push people so far right now. In other words, they’re afraid.
Will,
Could it not be a test of the waters?
Go after the small fringe groups first, see what you get away with. After a norm has been set among protesters, carry it across to the larger groups.
Sort of like a broken window policy, (ie. Crack down on the small stuff to build momentum into tackling the bigger “problem”)
Yes, I know I’m a cynic. I just inherently distrust all means of government.
Pessimist:
Absolutely. Sorry for not being quite explicit about that. I think there should be no doubt that arrests like this (along with the “terrorism enhancement penalties” in Operation Backfire, and legislation like the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, etc.) are testing the waters. If unchallenged, tactics like this will only spread further (and we’re seeing that already). I think one of the reasons animal rights and environmental activists are experiencing this is because those movements have been pushed aside as “fringe” by more mainstream groups, so they’re easier to attack. To use a non-animal rights analogy, these groups are just the canaries in the mine.
I live in Virginia, and just so you know, the mask law is pretty common knowledge. I mean, everyone I know who lives in Virginia knows about it. I understand the need to cover your face at protests, I’m an activist too, but I never wear anything during protests in Virginia. The law has a purpose; it dates back to when the KKK was big in Virginia. It was meant to limit hate crimes. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.
I totally agree that the motives behind his arrest were not honorable, that he had every right to be protesting, in fact, I’m glad he was protesting the circus, but it’s a legit law that he probably knew about before. And I definitely wouldn’t have tried to get away with it at a circus protest. Those are always closely monitored since PETA hosts them frequently and tends to go a little overboard (I once heard that almost every PETA circus protest has at least one naked woman running around to get people’s attention).
And @Elaine Vigneault, no, you can’t wear a mask on Halloween. You probably won’t get arrested, but the police would be well within their rights to if they wanted to. Welcome to Virginia.
I was at all of those GMU circus protests, and none of us, even those who have protested many times in Virginia, were familiar with that law. If one of the protesters hadn’t vaguely remembered something to do with masks after the first weekend of protests, we wouldn’t have looked it up and found out before the second weekend. So I wouldn’t call it common knowledge, and the police didn’t have the decency to tell us, although they had ample opportunity. I don’t really think they knew about the law themselves, because although they were looking for reasons to call the activists “disruptive” and get them away from the doors of the Patriot Center, they let protesters stand there with masks at all of the first weekend’s protests. Their only comment was that they’d received a complaint that the masks were “scaring children.” Nothing about it being illegal.
I was present at the GMU protests and no one knew of the mask law. To say “it’s a legit law that he probably knew about before,” is incredibly presumptuous. I didn’t know about the law and I have been an activist at GMU since 2004.
“No, you can’t wear a mask on Halloween.” You demonstrate that you don’t know what you are talking about. VA’s mask law states “it shall be unlawful for any person over sixteen years of age while wearing any mask…[except] persons wearing traditional holiday costumes. (VIRGINIA Section 18.2-422)”
Think, before you post.
cruelty to animals is a biblical issue. exposing cruelty to animals by buisnesses exposes a corrupt government system that trangresses the laws of God and is an accessory to cruelty. financially these buisnesses contribute to the economy of the nation and are protected by the state. cruelty to animals is a terrible thing. and as a commandment in the bible must thereby incur the wrath or punishment of God. mans inhumanity to the animal species is but a reflection of mans inhumanity to his own species. the next time theres a terrorist attack or a tidal wave or a tornado, ask yourselves, is this the punishment described in the bible that we incurred because we rejected the principles of God and chose greed over being humane.
those who fight for the rights of those who cant speak or fight for themselves are blessed maybe not in this life but somewhere down the road the good that you did will return to you.
im sorry the world is so wicked and persecutes those trying to make it a better place. if your fighting for poor defenceless animals to be treated humanely, then your seving your country and all of humanity, i wish you every success . they shot ghandi and dr king and they beat the freedom riders and they might beat you too, but you will know in your heart you did the right thing,
[...] for his arrest. When he appeared at a protest one week later, he was identified and subsequently tachttp://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/2008/04/27/mask-felon/Chainsaws, Outdoor Power Equipment and Tree Care Supplies from …Bailey&39s is proud to offer this [...]
George Washingtons wife must have said at least once, “Whats that sound George? Has the revolution started yet?”
I was there… and its fucking disgusting. Rather than the people that the citizens are fed up with being charged (with animal cruelty), the citizens get tackled and shackled… welcome to a police state you cannot avoid
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5386487651203625811
this is pocket change compared to the past actions.. this is bigger than anyone knows right now..
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173
[...] the “eco-terrorism” rhetoric, despite the FBI attempting to infiltrate vegan potlucks, despite Joint Terrorism Task Forces arresting activists for wearing masks, and on and on and on, activists aren’t backing down and they aren’t caving in to fear. That, [...]
I am glad that I live in NJ where they do not have this
%$#@! anti-mask law. Virginia’s “strong” anti-mask law
is unfair to people who want to wear masks in public for fun!
The %$#@! who arrested the protestor just for wearing a
mask in public should move to Sweden where he would
feel at home! Even some dictatorships do not have a law like this!
[...] Will Potter, who adds: I spoke with the activist arrested, and I think it’s critical to note that neither he, [...]
No mask in VA? Sounds like the government is using or plans on using face recognition equipment to spot a person in a protesting crowd. It can be done via the equipment or by cameras or by photo taking equipment.
Your right to the privacy of your own face is now lost. What about the women from the middle east who wear a face and head covering? Are they exempt? Could we protest wearing the head dress like them? Maybe so, since the government isn’t suppose to be fingering out on class or race of people over another.