seattle SWAT raid occupyseattle/redsparkcollective organisers

[Sasha]

they where looking for "anarchist materials" and specific clothing related to 1st of may disturbances; http://kasamaproject.org/2012/07/10/swat-raid-organizers-of-occupy-seattle-and-e4e/

[Art Vandelay]

What the fuck are "anarchist materials" and why exactly would they be able to confiscate them? I mean obviously they can do whatever the fuck they want without justification, but how are there not people questioning this?

[The Douche]

Many states still have statutes against criminal communism and criminal anarchism. I mean, the reality of the situation is that we advocate for ideas which really are illegal. Poor revolutionaries don't have the funds to fight this kind of stuff, and after we have emptied our pockets to defend these comrades, and they get off with minor or no charges we will have exhausted our resources. The state is at war with us and this is another skirmish they will ultimately win.

[Art Vandelay]

Many states still have statutes against criminal communism and criminal anarchism. I mean, the reality of the situation is that we advocate for ideas which really are illegal. Poor revolutionaries don't have the funds to fight this kind of stuff, and after we have emptied our pockets to defend these comrades, and they get off with minor or no charges we will have exhausted our resources. The state is at war with us and this is another skirmish they will ultimately win.

Lose the battle, but win the war.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Many states still have statutes against criminal communism and criminal anarchism.

Lolwhut?

What's the substance of the actual crime? Holding certain opinions? Possessing certain books or pamphlets? I'm wondering how laws like that haven't been overruled due to violating the First Amendment.

[Le Socialiste]

As the article notes, this was more of an intimidation technique than anything else. Fucking pigs...did they actually take anything though? I think the article said they just ransacked the place then left.

[Le Socialiste]

Lolwhut?

What's the substance of the actual crime? Holding certain opinions? Possessing certain books or pamphlets? I'm wondering how laws like that haven't been overruled due to violating the First Amendment.

I think the ruling-class has proven beyond a doubt that the First Amendment is worth shit.

This kind of stuff has been going on for years, but you don't really hear about it as often. Has there been a rise in the amount of raids conducted on leftist's/activist's homes in recent years, or has this been occurring this whole time and I'm only now beginning to notice? Seems that with Occupy the police have really stepped up in that area.

[The Douche]

Lolwhut?

What's the substance of the actual crime? Holding certain opinions? Possessing certain books or pamphlets? I'm wondering how laws like that haven't been overruled due to violating the First Amendment.

They mostly relate to conspiracy and treason, stuff about the intent to overthrow the government and such. You might remember poster Chegitz Guevara? A person who was kicked out of the party in his state tried to get the state to arrest him and illegalize the socialist party in Florida under the obscure criminal communism law. Many civil service jobs include questions on the application about membership in communist organizations, which would prevent employment, I lied and said "no" to this question when I enlisted in the army.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

I think the ruling-class has proven beyond a doubt that the First Amendment is worth shit.

I know that they make the rules, but that fact makes it all the more important for them to justify the bending/breaking thereof. If the ruling class is too blatantly cavalier about making things up as they go along, then they risk losing legitimacy, which I think has been happening for a while now.


They mostly relate to conspiracy and treason, stuff about the intent to overthrow the government and such. You might remember poster Chegitz Guevara? A person who was kicked out of the party in his state tried to get the state to arrest him and illegalize the socialist party in Florida under the obscure criminal communism law.

Which is obviously bollocks, as people on both sides of the political spectrum have advocated overthrowing the government. I dunno, I'm not a lawyer but it just seems it would be too easy to point out that such laws contradict federal statutes which presumably take precedence.


Many civil service jobs include questions on the application about membership in communist organizations, which would prevent employment, I lied and said "no" to this question when I enlisted in the army.

Which is another reason why such laws are absurd. It can be ludicrously easy to conceal one's politics, especially if one is not affiliated with any organisation.

[Sea]

Lolwhut?

What's the substance of the actual crime? Holding certain opinions? Possessing certain books or pamphlets? I'm wondering how laws like that haven't been overruled due to violating the First Amendment.
There's a federal law on it too.
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/polsciwb/brianl/docs/1954CommunistControlAct.pdf

[Sasha]

some more info coming through the stranger; http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/07/10/this-morning-police-raid-a-house-in-the-central-district-looking-for-a-black-hoodie-a-pink-scarf-and-paperworkanarchists

[citizen of industry]

There's a federal law on it too.
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/polsciwb/brianl/docs/1954CommunistControlAct.pdf

No administration has tried to enforce the law, and some states ruled it unconstitutional. The law claims communist parties are tools of foreign governments, but it's harder to make that case now than in 1954. Many parties are on the ballo, despite the law.

[Lobotomy]

A march is planned tonight downtown in response to this raid.

[DasFapital]

seattle pd seems to hate on anyone they can list under the punk/anarchist/dirty hippy category.

[KurtFF8]

A march is planned tonight downtown in response to this raid.

I hope there is a good turnout. It's quite important for all Leftists to express solidarity against this kind of bs

[Ele'ill]

Relevant link to flier

http://pugetsoundanarchists.org/node/1861


Early in the morning of July 10th, police broke down the doors of a home of activists involved with Decolonize/Occupy Seattle.
To some, this was a sudden, surprising occurrence of brute repression. But this event is not so exceptional.The City through its police force is an agent of social control, attempting to manage all forms of dissent into unthreatening gestures of reform.
Appeals to law, “rights” or constitutionality or any other fabricated social fiction will avail to nothing; other than an affirmation of the very logic that keeps this system in
place.We should expect nothing less from the forces of order who only crave our apathy and submission.
We can not let fear of repression hasten our project of revolt. If we desire lives unregulated by coercive control, we must come together with others whose eyes shine too, that
glisten with stars of rebellion and joy.
Towards a wilderness untamed, collectivized into a force of social revolt!
~ anarchists


and

http://pugetsoundanarchists.org/node/1860


CAN'T RAID THIS RAGE! Solidarity Demonstration Against Police Repression in Seattle
Wed, 07/11/2012 - 3:11pm — Anonymous
Converge at WESTLAKE 7PM and SEATTLE CENTRAL 7:30PM
SEATTLE CENTRAL GROUP WILL WAIT FOR THE GROUP FROM WESTLAKE AND CONTINUE FROM THERE.
This demonstration is a show of collective rage and disgust at the cops and their naked attempts at intimidation. Their actions are meant to spread fear; may they spread strength instead.
Early morning, June 10, SWAT police forced their way into the Seattle apartment of several organizers from the Occupy movement. The sleeping individuals, two residents and two visitors, scrambled to put on clothes as they were confronted by officers holding drawn tactical rifles.
The neighbor, Natalio Perez heard the attack from downstairs: “Suddenly we heard a loud crash which was, I guess, them breaking down the door, and then right after I heard what must have been the flash bang grenade and a lot of yelling over a loudspeaker. I heard them go up the stairs and then there was just a lot of crashing and stomping as they tore the place apart.”
After the raid, the residents examined the papers handed them by a detective. One explained: “This warrant notes that they were specifically looking for ‘anarchist materials’—this says to me that it’s an explicitly political thing. That we are not being raided for connection to any crime, but to some political ideology that the police think we have. I was just doing research on the old Pinkerton strikebreaking paramilitaries, so it’s kind of funny, you know, to have that old red scare history burst through my front door at six AM.”
This action targets well known activists from Occupy Seattle who have recently been involved with anti-police brutality organizing, actions against the juvenile detention center and the weekly Food for Everyone free barbecue in the Central District.
“They took basic stuff,” another resident said. “A zip-up sweater, one glove, a blue beanie, a pink scarf. They took a few flyers we had, one from a book release party for a book on Occupy.
This is stuff that would be in the house of any activist or even people who just come to events now and then.”
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/166899386767934/
Event Date:
Friday, July 13, 2012 - 7:00pm

[Ele'ill]

Listening to the police and fire scanners on some of those legal and free websites while this is going on is pretty interesting

[Sasha]

Listening to the police and fire scanners on some of those legal and free websites while this is going on is pretty interesting

I miss listining to the cop scanners so much, a few years ago they all went encrypted digital, made a serious dent in our tactical possibilities.

[agnixie]

they where looking for "anarchist materials" and specific clothing related to 1st of may disturbances; http://kasamaproject.org/2012/07/10/swat-raid-organizers-of-occupy-seattle-and-e4e/


Lolwhut?

What's the substance of the actual crime? Holding certain opinions? Possessing certain books or pamphlets? I'm wondering how laws like that haven't been overruled due to violating the First Amendment.

"The first amendment doesn't apply to traitors".

[A Marxist Historian]

I know that they make the rules, but that fact makes it all the more important for them to justify the bending/breaking thereof. If the ruling class is too blatantly cavalier about making things up as they go along, then they risk losing legitimacy, which I think has been happening for a while now.

Which is obviously bollocks, as people on both sides of the political spectrum have advocated overthrowing the government. I dunno, I'm not a lawyer but it just seems it would be too easy to point out that such laws contradict federal statutes which presumably take precedence.

Which is another reason why such laws are absurd. It can be ludicrously easy to conceal one's politics, especially if one is not affiliated with any organisation.

The US Supreme Court has already ruled on the basic issues involved, with respect to Al Quaida. First Amendment protections do not apply to anyone who in any way associates with "terrorists," even to the point of agreeing with their ideas without doing anything about it.

And now, the precedent has been established that the President of the USA can kill any American citizen he likes with drone strikes if he in his wisdom deems such a citizen to be a threat to America. The ACLU is suing over that, but it looks almost certain that they will lose.

And the folk in Seattle are accused of being "terrorists," so it is altogether legally possible that all this will stand up in court all the way up to the Supremes.

Remember, it was only after WWI that modern interpretations of the First Amendment even applied. Absolutely nobody in high places thought during WWI that there was any legal problem with jailing Eugene Debs for speaking out against the war. The Debs case is the actual origin of the famous phrase about how nobody has the right to "shout fire in a crowded theater."

The reason why the First Amendment was extended to its current theoretical broadness is that you had mass movements back then demanding freedom of speech, packing the jails, and getting mass support. Starting with the Wobbly "free speech" mobilizations. And they finally pressed the Supremes hard enough that the ruling class made some concessions.

Now there are no real mass movements with mass support fighting for civil liberties, OWS we can now say in retrospect now that it's almost dead was not really a mass movement of the "99%." It looked that way because in a country as huge as America, even small isolated minorities look big if they're all together out in the streets occupying public squares in every city big and small here. For a while it was very popular with angry Americans in a passive kind of way, but it lost its popularity quickly as your average American got more familiar with it.

So civil liberties are going away in America.

-M.H.-

[A Marxist Historian]

No administration has tried to enforce the law, and some states ruled it unconstitutional. The law claims communist parties are tools of foreign governments, but it's harder to make that case now than in 1954. Many parties are on the ballo, despite the law.

The Sixties made those laws a dead letter, and here and there they were taken off the books, but not everywhere.

But this ain't the Sixties any more.

-M.H.-