FBI

DeMuth Charged with "Animal Enterprise Terrorism," But Could Possibly Be Released Next Week

Thursday morning, Minneapolis grand jury resister Scott DeMuth was charged with conspiracy to commit animal enterprise terrorism in Davenport, Iowa federal court.  He is currently being held in the disciplinary block at the Muscatine County Jail after he was found to be in civil contempt of court for refusing to cooperate with the grand jury that convened in Davenport on Tuesday.  Because the civil contempt charge was later dropped, on Friday he attended a hearing to decide on his possible release on unsecured bond; a final decision has not yet been made by the court.  

Late Friday, Iowa corporate media reported that DeMuth also pleaded not guilty at the hearing.  The article also reported that Assistant U.S. Attorney Cliff Cronk cited items seized from DeMuth during a raid before the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Since the passage of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA, an expansion on a previous act) in 2006, the law has only been used twice before yesterday: once in California and once in Utah.  The act criminalizes and brands as "terrorism" actions which injure no one - such as like leafletting and sidewalk chalking - and are routinely undertaken by non-radical activists and ordinary citizens.  The only criteria is whether the act "damag[es] or interfer[es] with the operations of an animal enterprise," such as by affecting profits.  In the California case, one of the alleged crimes, reads the indictment there, was "us[ing] the Internet to find information on bio-medical researchers at the University of California."

Davenport Grand Jury support site | AbolishTheAETA.org | Listen to EWOK! on KFAI's Catalyst: Politics and Culture | Previously @ TCIMC: Feldman and DeMuth Jailed for Contempt |  New Support Info | Press Release from EWOK!, Statements from Carrie and Scott | Video: Feldman on Grand Juries & Luce Guillen-Givens on the Green Scare

EVIDENCE THAT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS WELCOMES FBI INTEL OPERATIONS AGAINST WHISTLEBLOWER

The universities across the nation (and AG) do more for the fbi/cia than assist in the search for foreign terrorists; today our colleges and universities directly encourage their campus police and civilian employees to engage in unlawful intel operations against whistleblower
GERAL SOSBEE.

 

 

 

New Support Info for Carrie and Scott!

We've heard from Scott and Carrie! They are in good spirits and send thanks and love to everyone. We've also got new information as to how to support them. Please help them out as much as you can, and encourage your loved ones and communities to do the same!

Grand Jury Resisters Scott and Carrie Taken Hostage by the State!

Today, Minneapolis-based activists Carrie Feldman and Scott DeMuth refused to testify in front of a grand jury in Davenport, Iowa, and were found to be in contempt of court. They were immediately handcuffed and hauled off by U.S. Marshalls. According to District Judge John Jarvey, who presided over the contempt hearings, both will remain incarcerated until they agree to testify. The state can lock them up for the duration of the grand jury--another 11 months.

Second Subpoena Issued for Iowa Grand Jury

Almost a month after Twin Cities activist Carrie Feldman was subpoenaed to an Iowa grand jury, another activist was served a subpoena on the same street corner at the same time and same day of the week.  Late Monday afternoon, Scott DeMuth's car was surrounded by a gaggle of local and federal unmarked vehicles on 31st Street near Powderhorn Park.  Several men got out, nervously walked to the car, and handed DeMuth the subpoena requesting his fingerprints.

Both activists have been asked to appear next Tuesday before the Davenport, Iowa grand jury that appears to be investigating a 2004 Animal Liberation Front action targeting vivisection at the University of Iowa.  At the time, Feldman was a 15-year-old high school sophomore in Minneapolis.

Related: Subpoena PDF | Statement from DeMuth/Support Info | Thursday: Grand-Jury Send-off Potluck and Hip-hop Show @ Seward Cafe | 10-14: Local Activist Subpoenaed to Grand Jury in Iowa | Solidarity Rally Also: Bogus Subpoena Against US Indymedia | Video: Carrie Feldman on Grand Juries & Luce Guillen-Givens on the Green Scare

Update on Davenport Grand Jury: Another Subpoenaed, Support Info

A second person, Scott DeMuth of Minneapolis, has been subpoenaed to the federal grand jury in Davenport, Iowa. Scott, along with previously subpoenaed anarchist Carrie Feldman, plans to resist the grand jury. His statement, as well as support info, is below.

Update From Local Grand Jury Resister Carrie Feldman

Update from Carrie, who was subpoenaed to a federal grand jury in Iowa on October 15th:

Local Activist Subpoenaed to Federal Grand Jury in Iowa

UPDATE: After reading a statement to the grand jury, Feldman returned to the Twin Cities Thursday night with a subpoena to appear again one month from now. More, including the text of the statement, here.

Early Tuesday evening, Twin Cities activist Carrie Feldman was pulled over by Cedar Rapids, Iowa FBI agents and served a subpoena (PDF) to appear in Davenport, Iowa federal court. The subpoena, dated October 6, originally asked her to appear on Wednesday morning; that date has been pushed back to Thursday at 1pm. No other activists are known to have been subpoenaed. Feldman was also informed that her high school attendance records from 2004 were under investigation. (Read her personal statement below.)

Grand juries have been a leading tool of the Green Scare--the demonization and repression of both legal and illegal activities carried out by environmentalist and animal rights/animal liberation activists. The hearings are particularly troublesome for their secrecy; even the witnesses called to testify are often left wondering what the investigation is about. In this case, too, the nature of the investigation is at present completely unknown and left to the speculation of observers. However, a check of the Omaha, Nebraska FBI Field Office website (the office serves all of Iowa) shows that the FBI is prioritizing its investigation into a November, 2004 Animal Liberation Front action at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

Related: Grand Juries 101 PDF zine | EWOK!/MidwestGreenScare.org

Followup: Monday's G20 Police Brutality & Journalist Abuse Press Conference - more PDFs & primary sources for all!

Followup: Monday's G20 Police Brutality & Journalist Abuse Press Conference - more PDFs & primary sources for all!
By Dan Feidt for Twin Cities Indymedia
[[OK to forward or repost as necessary]]
Hey everyone,
I put together some excerpts of various primary source PDFs related to new methods of intelligence-related policing, the RNC, the G20, NORTHCOM and National Security Special Events for the press packet that was distributed at Monday's press conference at the Thomas Merton Center.

Leonard Peltier Denied Parole

 1. American Indian activist Leonard Peltier, convicted in FBI agent deaths, denied parole

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