http://www.anarchistblackcross.org/ http://www.abcf.net/
"The Anarchist Red Cross was started in Tsarist Russia to organize aid for political prisoners captured by the police, and to organize self-defense against political raids by the Cossack Army. During the Russian civil war, they changed the name to the Black Cross in order to avoid confusion with the Red Cross who were organizing relief in the country. After the Bolsheviks seized power the Anarchist movement moved the ABC offices to Berlin and continued to aid prisoners of the new regime, as well as victims of Italian fascism and others. The Black Cross fell apart during the 1930s depression due to the incredible demand for its services and a decline in financial aid. But in the late 1960s the organization resurfaced in Britain, where it first worked to aid prisoners of the Spanish resistance, which had not in fact died after the civil war and were fighting the dictator Franco's police. Now it has expanded and works in several areas, with contacts and other Black Cross groups in many countries around the world. The North American section started in the early 1980s."
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [greatplainsanarchistnetwork] Denver raids Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:58:07 -0500 From: Ruether, Brett William (UMC-Student) <bwrfz6 at mizzou.edu> Reply-To: greatplainsanarchistnetwork at yahoogroups.com To: <greatplainsanarchistnetwork at yahoogroups.com>
GPAN,
A friend of mine recieved this email from some kids involved with the incident in Denver....I figured i should pass it on given our current situation and all. Brett
Hey an email ( a statement) about the FBI visiting the kids houses in Denver.
I was one of the people who the FBI visited at my home in Denver, Co. I arrived at my home to find the FBI questioning my friends and roomates in the frontyard. Upon arrival I was grabbed by the arm then pulled from off the street onto the sidewalk where they searched my person with out any cause. When I asked what this was about, an FBI agent stated that he was looking for guns. They then had me stand still while they finished harassing my friends and roomates and during this time they ran my ID and took my pocket knife. They then asked me if, and where, I worked, if I go to school, and if I owned the house I lived in or if I rented it. Then another agent came over where I informed him to leave if they didn't have a warrant at which point the agent lied and said that my roomate had said it was ok for them to stay. Obviously, he didn't. Then I tried to get them to leave, but they insisted that I answer questions before they tell me w hy they were there. ; Figuring th
at they already have my ID, I answered their questions. They asked about my relationship with the Anarchist Black Cross; if I knew anyone in the group or if I had ever been in the group. He asked if they had a meeting at our house. He asked if I was planning anything illegal for the DNC, RNC, and/or election day. He asked if I knew anyone who was going out to Boston or New York. Of course I told the truth and answered NO to all his questions. By this point they had ran my friends ID's and two of them had bench warrants for previous charges that were not related to this inccident. The FBI and the two DPD(SWAT) officers then called a local DPD squad car to take the two people with bench warrants away. They were bailed out that night and released early the following morning. Both of them seem to be doing alright. We were then informed that the house down the street was also being harrassed but that they were less a ggressive at the other h ome in finding out informati
on. I collected some of the agents name who were present. One agent who refused to give his name is suspected of being neither with the FBI nor the DPD, but another government agency. They left shortly after the names were collected. After informing all my neighbors what had just happened (they were obiously curious why 4-6 FBI agents and two DPD officers armed to the teeth were in our hood) my roomates informed me that they went into the house when they got there in order to follow persons (who lived at my house) getting their ID's, because they said that they might be getting weapons. My roomates also said that when they came to the door they had a stack of papers and some of them had pictures on them, but neither the info nor the pictures on the papers were seen clear enough to tell what they were.
As I said both friends are out of Jail. Our statements and info that we collected were given to the local ACLU and we've been in contact with others around the country who have been experiencing the same thing.
I made a mistake in giving them my ID and answering their questions and not being persistent in telling them that they were not welcome. My roomates also made the same mistake as well as the mistake of not making it loud and clear that at no point the FBI could not come into our home with out a warrant. By no means was their very presense on our block consentual, but we didn't make that clear enough. Please learn from our mistakes, know your rights, refuse to give ID, and refuse entrance of police and FBI to not only your home but of all your legal "property."
We are working with the ACLU who got an article in the Rocky Mountain News today (7-24-04).
If this happens to you make sure you contact the ACLU, your local Indymedia, as well as your friends and comrades who will support you.
To me this was a scare tactic. A show of force to intimidate us, and to silence us. Although dealing with the feds can be scary and intimidating don't let them get to you-don't let them scare you into not going out to the DNC and RNC and fighting for freedom.
Plan your work. Work your plan.
In Love and Struggle -Denver
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