Three Nato protesters, arrested in a late night raid on Wednesday, have been charged on terrorism-related offences.
Police claim the charges of conspiracy to commit terrorism, providing material support for terrorism and possession of an explosive or incendiary device, are the result of a month-long investigation into a group they believe was making Molotov cocktails. They had already been pulled over by police last week and asked about their protest plans in a stop they posted on YouTube.
Attorneys representing the men say the charges are fabricated and aimed at intimidating activists. "We cannot say enough that we believe that these charges are absolutely … very trumped up charges," said Sarah Gelsomino of the Peoples Law Office. "Clearly in an attempt to continue this intimidation campaign on activists. Charging these people who are here to peacefully protest against Nato for terrorism, when in reality the police have been terrorising activists in Chicago, is absolutely outrageous.
"All three of these guys, interestingly, were in the car about a week ago that was stopped and harassed by the Chicago police department," Gelsomino said. "They then posted that video online in an attempt to expose that police misconduct. Each of those three are now being charged with these crimes. That's as much as we know."
The three men are all in their twenties. Two come from Florida and one from New Hampshire. They were arrested in the Bridgeport area of the City after 11pm on Wednesday. Chicago police dressed in black and armed with battering rams broke down doors in an apartment building, searched the units and then arrested nine protesters for allegedly making or possessing Molotov cocktails. Lawyers say it was just beer-making equipment.
"The city has so far failed to produce any evidence or the search warrant affidavit used in the raid," said Kris Hermes of the National Lawyers Guild.
When police detained the people, they also seized parts of a beer-making kit, including bottles and caps, and a cellphone, Gelsomino said.
"This is the playbook," said Gelsomino. "Shoddy police work. It's a fear campaign."
Indeed it is.
One protester said he had been handcuffed for 18 hours in an "interrogation room" before being released. Others say they were held without being told what they were going to be charged with.
Those of you out there still unconvinced that Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel and the rest of the so-called Democrats are as dangerous to democracy and humanity as George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld, please take note of these arrests, along with all the drone killings across the world in the name of "freedom," the slaughtered Afghan children who show up in a little paragraph on A6 of the Times every week, the treatment of Bradley Manning, the harassment of whistleblowers by the feds, and all the spying and surveillance Obama is having his people do in order to keep us "safe from terrorism."
You could be the next one arrested for "terrorism" with your beer-making kit and your You Tube videos that expose the police for fascist goons.
Because we all just want to be safe, don't why?
Remember, the lesser of two evils is still evil.
Just recall the 1968 Grant Park police violence against anti war demonstrators. This occurred during the DEMOCRATIC Party's convention under a mayor who was a member of the DEMOCRATIC Party, Mayor Richard Daley Sr. More and more we see politicians who are members of the Democrats, but are really DINO. Governor Cuomo right here in NY State is a prime example of a Democrat who is not a democrat and does not promote democracy. We live in interesting times, don't we?
ReplyDeleteAs dangerous as Bush? Try Putin or Kazhakistan. Would it shock us to see opposition political voices locked up on trumped up charges within the next decade or less?
ReplyDeleteWe sure do, Ms. Tsouris. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. The cliches become cliche because they are...true!
ReplyDeleteNorm, I agree with you on that. I simply like to point out over and over that the same people who were screaming about torture, war crimes, Gitmo, extraordinary rendition, warrantless wiretapping and all the other horrors under Bush prefer to remain silent when they're guy is doing it. Or worse, acknowledge the problems but excuse it as the lesser of two evils compared to Romney or some other GOPer.