Posted in Terrorism Rhetoric on Mar 17th, 2009
American Idol star Carrie Underwood is donating a portion of the proceeds from her new single to the Humane Society of the United States, and getting accused of supporting “animal rights terrorists.” One of my favorite lines so far: “Carrie Underwood may think she is supporting puppies and kittens, but she needs to understand [...]
Posted in Federal Terrorism Laws, Legal Issues, Legislation on Mar 5th, 2009
A mink escaping in an Animal Liberation Front style raid in Sweden. Photo from DirectAction.info.
Two animal rights activists have been arrested under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act in connection to the release of mink from Utah fur farms. The crimes are attributed to the Animal Liberation Front, which the FBI labels the “number one domestic [...]
Posted in Activism & Activists' Response, Activists Arrested, Legal Issues, Opposition on Feb 26th, 2009
Careless talk costs lives.After reading the federal complaint for the arrest of animal rights activists on Animal Enterprise Terrorism charges, which I wrote about yesterday, this case still doesn’t add up. Some of you have posted comments that if these activists had actually assaulted someone, or if there was an imminent threat of violence, they [...]
Posted in Activists Arrested, Legal Issues, Surveillance on Feb 25th, 2009
FBI federal complaint on Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act arrests.When I first reported on the arrest of four animal rights activists in California under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, few details were available. The only information was the FBI press release (which mainstream media outlets have regurgitated nearly verbatim as news articles). I now have a [...]
Posted in Activism & Activists' Response, Federal Terrorism Laws, Legal Issues, Legislation, Opposition, Terrorism Definitions on Feb 24th, 2009
The recent FBI arrests of animal rights activists as “terrorists” for chalking sidewalks, protesting and making fliers marks a drastic turning point in the Green Scare, and in the history of this country. The government and corporations are clearly hoping to set a legal precedent for the sweeping power of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. [...]
Posted in Activism & Activists' Response, Legal Issues, Police Harassment & Abuse, Surveillance, Terrorism Watch Lists on Feb 23rd, 2009
“If activists have nothing to hide, why are they wearing masks?”
I’ve heard that question over and over again. It usually comes in the form of a soundbite from someone affiliated with a corporation, industry or government agency that is attempting to smear lawful activists as “terrorists.”
Their reasoning goes something like this: If you [...]
Posted in Federal Terrorism Laws, Legal Issues, Legislation on Feb 22nd, 2009
The weapons of terrorists?It was only a matter of time. Since the passage of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, a sweeping new law labeling animal rights activists as “terrorists,” corporations and industry groups have been pushing the federal government to use their new powers. For more than two years, the law has sat on the [...]
Posted in Legal Issues, Legislation, Opposition, State Terrorism Laws on Feb 6th, 2009
Tim DeChristopher. Photo by Washington Post Newsweek Interactive.Yesterday’s article on the sentencing of Marie Mason to prison, as a terrorist, for 22 years has made quite a buzz. Nearly everywhere the piece has been posted (news sites, environmental sites, Digg, punk forums) there has been a slew of angry comments (by “green” folks, no less) [...]
Posted in Activism & Activists' Response, Activists Arrested, Legal Issues, Opposition on Feb 5th, 2009
Poster by Just Seeds Collective, justseeds.orgDespite my deep-seated distaste for all things Baltimore (my apologies to folks in Bawlmor, but your town and I don’t seem to get along), I’ve been watching HBO’s The Wire on Netflix. The series—created by David Simon, a 13-year-veteran of the The Baltimore Sun—is structured so that each episode is [...]
Posted in Legislation, Opposition, State Terrorism Laws on Jan 30th, 2009
Good news from South Dakota: a state House committee shot down an “animal rights terrorism” bill proposed by the university.
The bill was nearly identical to new, sweeping “animal enterprise terrorism” legislation in California. Similar laws have been pushed around the country by right-wing groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (you might remember the [...]
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.