----- Original Message -----
From: Asheville Global Report
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2000 7:01 AM
Subject: [a16-international-planning] FBI "Anti Terrorist" arrests of
activists: charges dismissed
Activist's charges dismissed in DC after preemptive "Anti Terrorist" arrest
By Eamon Martin
Washington, DC, July 20- Seven people arrested on April 12, on charges of
"possession of implements of crime" and "conspiracy to commit possession of
implements of crime," during events leading up to the IMF/World Bank protest
in DC, went to trial today.
The judge ruled that the statute in question was ambiguous, and because the
most obvious reading of the statute applied only to tools and implements for
picking locks and pockets, the cases were dismissed. Although the
prosecution can appeal that ruling, defense lawyers expressed confidence
that any such appeal would be ruled in favor of the defense.
The objects found on the accused -among them, Asheville, NC resident Kent
Richards - consisted of chicken wire, duct tape, lengths of PVC pipe, tools,
and -according to the police - completed lockboxes. Lockboxes are devices
often made from common variety items found at any hardware store. They are
typically used in acts of civil disobedience to reinforce the immobility of
the person wearing the device. However, the materials in the possession of
the accused are also often used in puppet-making.
Though most of the "criminal evidence" were objects that wouldn't normally
invite suspicion, the context of the arrests - a mass demonstration against
the IMF and World Bank in a city which had declared a 75 block radius "no
protest zone" - has revealed what many alarmed citizens are seeing as a
growing Constitutional hypocrisy in which rights to freedom of association,
to assemble and to speak freely are being strictly compromised to
accommodate special interests. Sentiments such as these have been
underscored by increasing incidents of police and federal agents spying on
activists and coordinating preemptive, sting operations against them.
Richards and others were arrested by an "Anti-terrorism Task Force," made up
of DC metro police and FBI special agents, after their van and another were
stopped near the corner of 14th and U streets.
"We were under surveillance. I watched videotapes that they'd filmed of us.
They had tapes of us at the warehouse and of people going in and out of the
plumbing supply store," said Richards. "According to the police report, they
were tipped off by employees of the plumbing supply store (where the
articles in question had been purchased). The police knew well in advance,
because they had footage from early in the morning, long before we met at
the warehouse. They also had a detective in one of the blockade trainings
that were held at the convergence space."
Source: Asheville Global Report: www.agrnews.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
To Post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
<A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
<A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
