FBI RAIDS ACTIVISTS' HOMES IN PORTLAND, OREGON American Earth Liberation Front Urgent News Advisory April 5, 2001 FBI, BATF, & OSP RAID ELF SPOKESPERSON'S HOME, VEHICLES, AND BUSINESS; ROSEBRAUGH SUBPOEANED TO TESTIFY BEFORE A FEDERAL GRAND JURY IN EUGENE, OR PORTLAND, OR - Agents from the F.B.I., B.A.T.F., and Oregon State Police conducted a six-hour raid of the home, business, and vehicles of the spokespersons for the North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office today, Thursday, April 5, 2001. In addition to seizing hundreds of items of property from the above locations, Craig Rosebraugh was served a subpoena to testify before a federal grand jury on April 18, 2001 that has convened in Eugene, Oregon to investigate specifically the fire which destroyed over 30 new SUV's at the Joe Romania dealership in Eugene recently. This is Rosebraugh's seventh grand jury subpoena issued to him since 1997 in relation to the Earth Liberation Front and radical environmentalism. At approximately 6:00am, Rosebraugh was pulled over in his vehicle by a Portland Police Officer claiming the stop was due to a broken taillight. After 30 minutes FBI agents approached the car and delivered copies of the search warrants to Rosebraugh. The warrants were specifically for the search of Craig Rosebraugh, LeslieJames Pickering, Elaine Close, the residence which all three live at, two vehicles belonging to Pickering and Close, and the Calendula Baking Company that Rosebraugh owns. Simultaneously as Rosebraugh was pulled over, agents began the raid on the personal residence in North Portland where both Pickering and Close were present. After Rosebraugh and the vehicle he was driving were searched, Rosebraugh was taken to the Calendula Baking Company where the F.B.I. proceeded to break through a window to gain access. A four hour search and seizure was conducted at this site while at the same time a six hour search was occurring at the residence. Upon leaving the bakery and the home, agents seized hundreds of items of property including computer equipment, phone books, videos, literature, and other items. "This is nothing more than another attempt by the thugs of the state and federal government to stop the legal work of the North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office" stated Rosebraugh. He added that items such as computer monitors were taken which cannot constitute any evidence since they do not store data. "These random items which were seized have no connection to any crimes and this is quite obviously just another form of harassment dealt by the state." Pickering added, "This by no way will have any negative impact on the work we do at the ELF Press Office. In fact it has made us more determined than ever to promote and release information on the ideology of the Earth Liberation Front." For more information, contact: North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office 503.478.0902 << http://www.earthliberationfront.com>> This is just another level of the repression the police in Portland are heaping on activists. Three people were arrested at a after party for a punk show and charged with felony charges, and are awaiting trial. They are all known activists. A Latino man was shot and killed in a mental hospital right outside of Portland because he was having an epileptic seizure but the police couldn't understand either Spanish or Mayan. The repression suffered by the radical community is just a reflection of the repression suffered by oppressed communities since this country's inception. We have to support those who are being targeted, and we have to end the police terror that attacks communities of color nationwide. __________________________________________________________________
