(Break The Chains received the following message from Matt Lamont aka
Rampage in late November.) Dear Break The Chains:
I heard you wanted a run down on what's cracking on my case, so here it is.
Also with this is part of my police report to give you an idea on what went
down. Maybe it would be better to start at the beginning:
The beginning of this year (2002) was pretty much the beginning of the end.
While I was chilling in Oregon at their info-shop in Eugene waiting for the
Anti-Patriarchy Conference I got word that Sherman Austin, website author
of Raise-the-fist (www.raisethefist.com) had been raided by several
agencies. Not too long after this Sherman left to the World Economic Forum
in NYC and was arrested. To make a long story short, he was charged with
several federal charges including hacking. The pig cops weren't cool with
all of the stuff going on in LA. His charges were later dropped. It was
around this time that some filthy pigs gunned down a mentally impaired old
lady in our hood, Long Beach. You guessed it, she was Black. A flier was
distributed depicting a man shooting a pig calling for protest. The media
jumped on it, and so did the Justice Department who sent a federal mediator
to the local community center currently being run by some anarchist
including myself. He was there to keep the city from going up in flames.
The local newspaper did an interview with me as well. The basically painted
a bulls-eye on my head. After interviewing me they asked to take a picture
of me. I declined, but their people are persistent, and so I figured, fuck
it. Next day the Long Beach police are running my face up on the "put this
man in jail" list. I'll tell you about this later in the story. The protest
goes on, peaceful, and relatively successful. Now the bee's nest is rattled
and everything starts balling up. Police start harassing us. Towing cars,
surveillance, shutting down shows, stupid shit basically. One day two
individuals hang a "Off the Pigs" banner from the community center which
ended up with pigs surrounding the place and shining their floodlights in
the window while standing in the streets trying to video tape the people in
the shop. They eventually left. However, with a grudge.
On April 20th four pigs followed me and another dude named Maxwell Lucas.
We were pulled over around 9 pm in Whittier by La Habra police. Apparently
Long Beach pigs called LAPD while following us and had them check the car
for weapons. They ended up pulling us over in the city of Whittier. After
finding gasoline, a sponge, and candles the police arrested us on
possession of a destructive device and attempted use of a destructive
device. Later charges of transportation of a destructive device and
ingredients to make a destructive device, a long with hate crime
enhancements were added. The authorities claim I was intending to use the
gasoline on a Hitler's birthday party, because of the vicinity of my
arrest. The car I was traveling in however had not only passed the "Hitler
Birthday Party", but was in another city traveling the opposite direction
when I was detained. Further, Hitler's birthday party was cancelled (sorry
Adolph) a few days earlier.
Their only evidence has been that I detest Nazis (doesn't practically
everyone?) and that I am an anarchist with gasoline. At my first court
hearing my bail was set at $100,000 and as I was going back a friend yelled
"thug life!". He got arrested for contempt. Not too long after this Sherman
was recharged on federal charges of incendiary device possession and some
other garbage, fortunately they left him on the streets instead of in
custody. Maxwell Lucas took a plea deal that offered no jail time. After a
May Day protest went to the facility I was at, authorities put me in the
administrative segregation unit on total separation status. My preliminary
hearing was a big joke. The judge fucked off and upped my bail to $200,000.
I've been bound over for trial; the new judge lowered my bail to $100,000
again. The District Attorney isn't offering anything. We have filed three
motions. Dismissal, suppression, and a puncheons (not sure if I spelled
that right). Pre-trial hearing for this is December 20th. I hope to beat
the case, as I've already got the hate crime dropped. Even if I was alleged
of trying to attack Nazis how could you hate crime a hater? Three of the
felony charges are specified under a penal code outlawing having a
breakable container filled with flammable substances, with a wick attached.
I didn't have this at all. The container isn't even breakable. Not
surprising, in the police report was a newspaper article that I spoke of
earlier about the police brutality protest with a picture of my face ready
to be pinned up. This kind of case happens all the time (minus the
explosives charges) in the hood. In my cellblock I watch homeboys get
shipped off like cattle to prison. For me it was gasoline. Someone else it
could have been police framing them with crack, or heat or whatever. Bottom
line is we go to prison and they get away with it. Why? Because nobody
gives a fuck about young people. Especially young poor people. And even
more young poor people of color. Activists don't even care about political
prisoners unless they can buy their bumper sticker (how long did it take
Mumia to get mass support?). But we are still here. Boiling in anger.
Getting stronger and smarter to come back at their punk system.
If anyone wants to donate money, I strongly need it. Daryl Cherney, where
are you? You just won some millions from these Feds on that Earth First!
Lawsuit. Kick me some bread and I guarantee you'll make the pigs hate you
more. I'm young I can cause hell for a longtime consider it an investment.
Bail me out and I'll get 187 FBI tattooed on my ass. For donations send
checks, money orders, and well-concealed cash to:
Shannon Rice
VCSC, College Ten, #0303
600 McLaughlin Dr.
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
If you have any questions or just want to send support I'm at:
Matthew Lamont
#2057034
IRC, 550 N. Flower St.,
Santa Ana, CA 92703
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=02/12/11/4653540
