Updates on the AETA Arrests and Green Scare Tactics

by Stephanie Ernst

categories: Activism and Actions, Green Scare, Politics and Law

Published March 11, 2009 @ 07:55AM PT

Since I last directed you to the goings-on at GreenIsTheNewRed.com a few weeks ago regarding recent activist arrests (Activists Arrested as "Terrorists" for Exercising Free Speech), Will Potter has supplied numerous additional updates. Following, after the jump, are several that you should check out (indented paragraphs are extracts from the posts). This is highly important stuff.

• 5 Reasons for Activists to Cover Their Faces at Protests

  The FBI argues that activists “wearing bandanas to hide their faces” were intimidating, and that this therefore amounted to a campaign of terror.

  To those not familiar with grassroots activism, that might seem like a pretty reasonable point. Masks are generally associated with bandits, ninjas and Hamburgler, all of which are quite intimidating. So, why would someone want to cover their face at a protest?

• FBI’s 5-Step Process to Criminalize First Amendment Activity as “Terrorism”
• FBI Agent: Video Surveillance Used to Track Activist Leafleting
• Snitch Hunt

Some of you have posted comments that if these activists had actually assaulted someone, or if there was an imminent threat of violence, they would have been arrested long ago. Instead, the FBI spent time and money building a case based on supporting evidence that includes First Amendment activity like chalking, flier distribution, and protests. . . .

The critical step in this process is for law enforcement to use what little evidence they have to scare the living hell out of those arrested. They use threats of outlandish prison sentences and terrorism rhetoric in order to create government informants, or snitches. They then continue that pattern of threats and fear-mongering with each subsequent arrestee, until they have enough to move forward with a case. This snitch-based model of police work (as opposed to gathering evidence, witnesses and leads) is notoriously unreliable and often illegal.

• How Does the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Work?
• Dear Congress: You Lied to Me About the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act

When I testified before the House Judiciary Committee about the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act in 2006, I argued that such sweeping legislation risks criminalizing First Amendment activity as “terrorism” and chilling free speech. Members of the committee, including Rep. Bobby Scott and Rep. James Sensenbrenner, quickly dismissed my concerns and promised that the law would only target property destruction and violence. Lawmakers went so far as to respond to my concerns by including token language in the bill exempting the First Amendment.

The FBI recently used the law, for the first time, and erased any question of whether it will target First Amendment activity.

• Utah Activists Resisting “Animal Enterprise Terrorism” Witch Hunts

The activists subpoenaed weren’t been charged with any crimes. They were hauled before a grand jury and ordered to testify about their political beliefs and political associations, all without being permitted to have an attorney present. In these situations, if activists refuse to cooperate they face jail time. If they agree to cooperate, they aid the government’s fishing expedition and validate witch hunt tactics.

• 10 Easy Ways to Be Labeled a “Terrorist” by the Government (guest post at Planetsave)