Brandon Darby, who is now acting as one of Andrew Breitbart's little "prankster/investigatory journalist" pets these days, made an appearance at Occupy Wall Street recently. He has a Twitter account @BrandonDarby and has mentioned he'd love to go to Oakland next, and is actively fundraising to make the trip.
Always remember SnitchWire's motto: If only Brandon Darby could be force fed the grill of a Mack truck!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Snitch Sack of Shit Brandon Darby in Florida to Talk to Tea Party Assholes
Hat Tip Earth First!:
That’s right, government informant Brandon Darby and border-loving sheriff Joe Arpaio are scheduled to speak side by side at the Choose Liberty 2012 conference hosted by the Eastern Orlando Tea Party, a group based in central Florida. This event will take place on Saturday, November 12, 2011 from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, at the Orlando Airport Marriott, 7499 Augusta National Drive, Orlando.
Darby, who is being promoted as a “Former Black Panther turned FBI Informant,” is also featured on the Earth First! Newswire’s Informant Tracking page. He had been providing information to the government since at least 2007. His efforts resulted in the arrest of two activists during the 2008 Republican National Convention who were allegedly planning to attack police cars in response to preemptive repression against the protesters in Minneapolis.
And Arpaio, famous for his pro-border anecdotes and civil liberties violations, will apparently be available for pictures and signing his “famous pink Merchandise” (a reference to his stupid efforts to humiliate prisoners and detained immigrants by making them where pink underwear.)
As repulsive and pathetic as that conference sounds, it isn’t the worse of what’s to come in Florida. If you want to test out your gag reflex, or see how much your blood can boil, take a look at the list of participants for GAIM USA 2012 in Boca Raton, January 22-25. This conference includes 200 of the most influential institutional allocators of capital and investors who have discretion over $215 bn and over $8 tn under advisement (those are shorthand for billion and trillion, folks!! bet you didn’t even know trillion had a shorthand.) If you can imagine an industrial evil, it will have a representative there.
That’s right, government informant Brandon Darby and border-loving sheriff Joe Arpaio are scheduled to speak side by side at the Choose Liberty 2012 conference hosted by the Eastern Orlando Tea Party, a group based in central Florida. This event will take place on Saturday, November 12, 2011 from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, at the Orlando Airport Marriott, 7499 Augusta National Drive, Orlando.
Darby, who is being promoted as a “Former Black Panther turned FBI Informant,” is also featured on the Earth First! Newswire’s Informant Tracking page. He had been providing information to the government since at least 2007. His efforts resulted in the arrest of two activists during the 2008 Republican National Convention who were allegedly planning to attack police cars in response to preemptive repression against the protesters in Minneapolis.
And Arpaio, famous for his pro-border anecdotes and civil liberties violations, will apparently be available for pictures and signing his “famous pink Merchandise” (a reference to his stupid efforts to humiliate prisoners and detained immigrants by making them where pink underwear.)As repulsive and pathetic as that conference sounds, it isn’t the worse of what’s to come in Florida. If you want to test out your gag reflex, or see how much your blood can boil, take a look at the list of participants for GAIM USA 2012 in Boca Raton, January 22-25. This conference includes 200 of the most influential institutional allocators of capital and investors who have discretion over $215 bn and over $8 tn under advisement (those are shorthand for billion and trillion, folks!! bet you didn’t even know trillion had a shorthand.) If you can imagine an industrial evil, it will have a representative there.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Earth First! Journal Publishes Giant List of Informants
Many of the following listed by EF! have been profiled on SnitchWire before. Many are cooperating informants we have not previously listed. Much kudos towards EF! for putting this out, hopefully the resource is consistantly updated.
--------------------------------------
This is a new feature on the EF! Newswire to keep you abreast on the whereabouts and status of informants and ‘snitches’ who are cooperating with, or working for, the state in effort to monitor and/or repress ecological resistance movements, as well as other liberation struggles. Sadly, the names on this list are people who can never be trusted again to work in activist circles or resistance movements. The page is currently very centered on North American informants. We appreciate any assistance in broadening this to cover a more international scope.
This is by no means a complete list. Please get in touch with possible updates or corrections. We only post information on this page that can be verified to the greatest extent possible through public documents—in most cases, their plea agreements. We have aimed to present short summaries of the individuals below, so that they would be consolidated in a single location. There is very likely more information, including photos, to be found for each individual through online search engines and resources designed to gather personal information on people (some of which cost money). We hope that this page will serve as a useful starting point for those seeking to take their research further. Posted 9/5/11
farms in October 1997. Samuel was an electrical engineering student at the
University of Washington in Seattle before dropping out in 1997. Samuel
was sentenced to two years in federal prison plus a year supervised
release and ordered to pay $364,106 in restitution in exchange for his
cooperation.
He was released on 11-28-2001, and has gone into the computer security field, working for Firefox as of 2010. He is currently a PhD student at UC Berkeley.
Height: 6’ 0″. Weight: ~165 lbs. Place of birth: California. Hair: brown.
Eyes: hazel. Race: white.
His school department profile:
www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~jsamuel
And twitter:
twitter.com/#!/jstnsml
—————————————
*Angela “Angie” Marie Cesario (DOB ~1979): took a cooperating plea deal, pointing the finger at Tre Arrow to reduce her sentence. This was a departure from earlier testimonies, when both Cesario and Rosenbloom did not name Arrow as the instigator, but Jake Sherman. All three named Arrow in exchange for sentences of 41 months. She was released on 12-22-2006.
—————————————
*Jeremy David Rosenbloom (DOB ~1977): took a cooperating plea deal, pointing the finger at Tre Arrow to reduce the sentence. This was a departure from earlier testimonies, when both Cesario and Rosenbloom did not name Arrow as the instigator, but Jake Sherman. All three named Arrow in exchange for sentences of 41 months. He was released on 12-22-2006.
—————————————–
*Jacob “Jake” David Bardwell Sherman (DOB ~1982) of Portland, OR: convicted of arson of logging trucks and a front-end loader near Eagle Creek in 2001. Sherman “immediately began to cooperate” with investigators after his arrest, according to court documents. Sherman was boastful and told several girlfriends (two of whom also provided information to the government), in detail, his version of the events that took place that night. Sherman had also not been an especially careful saboteur. His mother’s vehicle smelled of gasoline and he dumped his clothes in the trash bin when he returned that night at 2:00 am, asking his brother to tell his parents that he had returned home at 10:30 pm. Sherman’s father, contacted the FBI telling them he believed his son
was involved in the arson. During FBI questioning, Sherman pegged Arrow as the ringleader in exchange for a sentence of 41 months.
—————————————
*Darren Todd Thurston (DOB: ~1970), aka “Goat,” of Canada, took a cooperating plea agreement, charged with conspiracy to commit arson and destruction of an energy facility east of Bend, OR in 1999. Thurston was given a sentence of 37 months in prison
after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and arson in the 2001 fire at the Litchfield, Calif., U.S. Bureau of Land Management wild horse corrals. He was released on 8-14-2008. As of summer 2010, he was running his own computer security firm (http://www.hard-mac.com/blog/) out of Canada. He goes by “rad_boy” and “hard_mac”.
—————————————
*Zachary Jensen (DOB: ~1986) of Monroe, WA, Zach Jenson was arrested on January 13, 2006, along with Eric McDavid and Lauren Weiner. He was charged with a single count of conspiracy to destroy by arson or explosives public and private property. His arrest was the direct result of a paid FBI informant, known as “Anna,” who spent over a year and half befriending and entrapping the trio. Zach plead guilty to a lesser charge on July 18, 2006 and was released on bail later that month. The terms of his plea agreement required full cooperation with the government against Eric McDavid at trial, as well as in any and all other investigations in which the government deemed him useful. Zach received time served (which amounted to about 6 months) at his sentencing on December 4, 2008. His supervised release is set to expire in December 2011.
Zach has a medium build, with brown hair and brown eyes. He stands at about 5’5’’. His last known place of residence was Seattle, Washington. He fancies himself a writer and claimed to have been working on a book about his experiences (and warning others against following a similar path) during the time of his sentencing hearing. He has also claimed an interest in Buddhism, yoga and other “spiritual” pursuits. He is normally withdrawn and quiet and eager to please whatever company he might be keeping.
—————————————-
*Lauren Weiner (DOB: ~1986) of Pound Ridge, NY, was arrested on January 13, 2006, along with Eric McDavid and Zachary Jenson. She was charged with a single count of conspiracy to destroy by arson or explosives public and private property. Her arrest was the direct result of a paid FBI informant, known as “Anna,” who spent over a year and half befriending and entrapping the trio. Lauren was released on bond in early February 2006 and later plead guilty to a lesser charge on May 30, 2006. However, there is evidence that Lauren was cooperating with the government months before the plea agreement was signed. The terms of her plea agreement required full cooperation with the government against Eric McDavid at trial, as well as in any and all other investigations in which the government deemed her useful. Lauren received time served (which amounted to about 3 weeks) at her sentencing on December 11, 2008. Her supervised release is set to expire in December 2011.
Lauren has a heavy build, with brown hair and brown eyes. She stands at
about 5’1’’. Her last known place of residence was Pound Ridge, New York
(Westchester County). Lauren attended art school and is quite skilled in
pottery and various other art forms. She is outspoken and often lies or
engages in hyperbolic speech to impress those around her. Stories have
surfaced about her attempting to attend fundraisers for Green Scare
defendants after her release on bond.
—————————————–
*Lacey Phillabaum (DOB: ~1975) from Spokane, WA: Phillabaum took a cooperating agreement, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, arson, and use of a destructive device at the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Horticulture in 2001. The university spent $7.2 million to rebuild the center. She is very intelligent, calculated and manipulative. Phillabaum is a former Earth First! Journal editor, known for her role as the narrator of the underground documentary film Breaking the Spell, which advocates property damage and examines the 1999 Seattle WTO riots from the perspective of anarchists in Eugene, OR. In 2005 she moved to Charlottesville, VA, to take reporting position at C-Ville Weekly. She turned herself in to federal agents sometime around early 2006. In 2008, Phillabaum was sentenced to three years in federal prison and three years’ probation.
She was released on 4-21-2010 and is currently out after transitioning via a halfway house in Spokane, WA. She is thought to be living at her parents’ house in Pheonix, AZ and reportedly seeking work as a para-legal.
—————————————
*Sarah “Kendall” Harvey Tankersley (DOB: ~1977), originally from Ohio, the daughter of two attorneys, was arrested while living in Flagstaff, AZ; Charged with arson and attempted arson of U.S. Forest Industries in Medford. Kendall received a 3-year, 10-month sentence. Judge Ann Aiken sentenced Tankersley to five months less than she agreed to when she pleaded guilty to arson at the U.S. Forest Industry’s office in Medford in 1998 because she cooperated with the state and left the conspiracy immediately after the arson. Tankersley, then 28 and preparing for medical school, pled guilty in 2006 to charges including conspiracy to commit arson from 1996 through 2001. Left Eugene around 1999, attended Humboldt State and graduated with molecular biology degree in 2004.
She was released on 9-17-2010.
————————————–
*Suzanne Nicole Savoie (DOB: ~1977), aka “India,” of Applegate, OR: charged with arson at Superior Lumber Co., in Glendale, OR. She was sentenced to more than 51 months in prison for her role in two arsons. She turned self in to FBI agents in mid-January 2006. Savoie made statements against Nathan Block and Joyanna Zacher and was given a sentence only 8 months less than expected because of her cooperation with investigators. She has been in a Seattle halfway house with a projected release date of 3-24-2011. [UPDATES NEEDED]
--------------------------------------
This is a new feature on the EF! Newswire to keep you abreast on the whereabouts and status of informants and ‘snitches’ who are cooperating with, or working for, the state in effort to monitor and/or repress ecological resistance movements, as well as other liberation struggles. Sadly, the names on this list are people who can never be trusted again to work in activist circles or resistance movements. The page is currently very centered on North American informants. We appreciate any assistance in broadening this to cover a more international scope.
This is by no means a complete list. Please get in touch with possible updates or corrections. We only post information on this page that can be verified to the greatest extent possible through public documents—in most cases, their plea agreements. We have aimed to present short summaries of the individuals below, so that they would be consolidated in a single location. There is very likely more information, including photos, to be found for each individual through online search engines and resources designed to gather personal information on people (some of which cost money). We hope that this page will serve as a useful starting point for those seeking to take their research further. Posted 9/5/11
Currently walking free
*Justin Clayton Samuel (DOB: Dec. 31, 1978) from Snohomish, WA. Cooperated with government by testifying against Peter Young. Both were charged with cutting fences and liberating mink from a series of furfarms in October 1997. Samuel was an electrical engineering student at the
University of Washington in Seattle before dropping out in 1997. Samuel
was sentenced to two years in federal prison plus a year supervised
release and ordered to pay $364,106 in restitution in exchange for his
cooperation.
He was released on 11-28-2001, and has gone into the computer security field, working for Firefox as of 2010. He is currently a PhD student at UC Berkeley.
Height: 6’ 0″. Weight: ~165 lbs. Place of birth: California. Hair: brown.
Eyes: hazel. Race: white.
His school department profile:
www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~jsamuel
And twitter:
twitter.com/#!/jstnsml
—————————————
*Angela “Angie” Marie Cesario (DOB ~1979): took a cooperating plea deal, pointing the finger at Tre Arrow to reduce her sentence. This was a departure from earlier testimonies, when both Cesario and Rosenbloom did not name Arrow as the instigator, but Jake Sherman. All three named Arrow in exchange for sentences of 41 months. She was released on 12-22-2006.
—————————————
*Jeremy David Rosenbloom (DOB ~1977): took a cooperating plea deal, pointing the finger at Tre Arrow to reduce the sentence. This was a departure from earlier testimonies, when both Cesario and Rosenbloom did not name Arrow as the instigator, but Jake Sherman. All three named Arrow in exchange for sentences of 41 months. He was released on 12-22-2006.
—————————————–
*Jacob “Jake” David Bardwell Sherman (DOB ~1982) of Portland, OR: convicted of arson of logging trucks and a front-end loader near Eagle Creek in 2001. Sherman “immediately began to cooperate” with investigators after his arrest, according to court documents. Sherman was boastful and told several girlfriends (two of whom also provided information to the government), in detail, his version of the events that took place that night. Sherman had also not been an especially careful saboteur. His mother’s vehicle smelled of gasoline and he dumped his clothes in the trash bin when he returned that night at 2:00 am, asking his brother to tell his parents that he had returned home at 10:30 pm. Sherman’s father, contacted the FBI telling them he believed his son
was involved in the arson. During FBI questioning, Sherman pegged Arrow as the ringleader in exchange for a sentence of 41 months.
—————————————
*Darren Todd Thurston (DOB: ~1970), aka “Goat,” of Canada, took a cooperating plea agreement, charged with conspiracy to commit arson and destruction of an energy facility east of Bend, OR in 1999. Thurston was given a sentence of 37 months in prison
after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and arson in the 2001 fire at the Litchfield, Calif., U.S. Bureau of Land Management wild horse corrals. He was released on 8-14-2008. As of summer 2010, he was running his own computer security firm (http://www.hard-mac.com/blog/) out of Canada. He goes by “rad_boy” and “hard_mac”.
—————————————
*Zachary Jensen (DOB: ~1986) of Monroe, WA, Zach Jenson was arrested on January 13, 2006, along with Eric McDavid and Lauren Weiner. He was charged with a single count of conspiracy to destroy by arson or explosives public and private property. His arrest was the direct result of a paid FBI informant, known as “Anna,” who spent over a year and half befriending and entrapping the trio. Zach plead guilty to a lesser charge on July 18, 2006 and was released on bail later that month. The terms of his plea agreement required full cooperation with the government against Eric McDavid at trial, as well as in any and all other investigations in which the government deemed him useful. Zach received time served (which amounted to about 6 months) at his sentencing on December 4, 2008. His supervised release is set to expire in December 2011.
Zach has a medium build, with brown hair and brown eyes. He stands at about 5’5’’. His last known place of residence was Seattle, Washington. He fancies himself a writer and claimed to have been working on a book about his experiences (and warning others against following a similar path) during the time of his sentencing hearing. He has also claimed an interest in Buddhism, yoga and other “spiritual” pursuits. He is normally withdrawn and quiet and eager to please whatever company he might be keeping.
—————————————-
*Lauren Weiner (DOB: ~1986) of Pound Ridge, NY, was arrested on January 13, 2006, along with Eric McDavid and Zachary Jenson. She was charged with a single count of conspiracy to destroy by arson or explosives public and private property. Her arrest was the direct result of a paid FBI informant, known as “Anna,” who spent over a year and half befriending and entrapping the trio. Lauren was released on bond in early February 2006 and later plead guilty to a lesser charge on May 30, 2006. However, there is evidence that Lauren was cooperating with the government months before the plea agreement was signed. The terms of her plea agreement required full cooperation with the government against Eric McDavid at trial, as well as in any and all other investigations in which the government deemed her useful. Lauren received time served (which amounted to about 3 weeks) at her sentencing on December 11, 2008. Her supervised release is set to expire in December 2011.
Lauren has a heavy build, with brown hair and brown eyes. She stands at
about 5’1’’. Her last known place of residence was Pound Ridge, New York
(Westchester County). Lauren attended art school and is quite skilled in
pottery and various other art forms. She is outspoken and often lies or
engages in hyperbolic speech to impress those around her. Stories have
surfaced about her attempting to attend fundraisers for Green Scare
defendants after her release on bond.
—————————————–
*Lacey Phillabaum (DOB: ~1975) from Spokane, WA: Phillabaum took a cooperating agreement, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, arson, and use of a destructive device at the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Horticulture in 2001. The university spent $7.2 million to rebuild the center. She is very intelligent, calculated and manipulative. Phillabaum is a former Earth First! Journal editor, known for her role as the narrator of the underground documentary film Breaking the Spell, which advocates property damage and examines the 1999 Seattle WTO riots from the perspective of anarchists in Eugene, OR. In 2005 she moved to Charlottesville, VA, to take reporting position at C-Ville Weekly. She turned herself in to federal agents sometime around early 2006. In 2008, Phillabaum was sentenced to three years in federal prison and three years’ probation.
She was released on 4-21-2010 and is currently out after transitioning via a halfway house in Spokane, WA. She is thought to be living at her parents’ house in Pheonix, AZ and reportedly seeking work as a para-legal.
—————————————
*Sarah “Kendall” Harvey Tankersley (DOB: ~1977), originally from Ohio, the daughter of two attorneys, was arrested while living in Flagstaff, AZ; Charged with arson and attempted arson of U.S. Forest Industries in Medford. Kendall received a 3-year, 10-month sentence. Judge Ann Aiken sentenced Tankersley to five months less than she agreed to when she pleaded guilty to arson at the U.S. Forest Industry’s office in Medford in 1998 because she cooperated with the state and left the conspiracy immediately after the arson. Tankersley, then 28 and preparing for medical school, pled guilty in 2006 to charges including conspiracy to commit arson from 1996 through 2001. Left Eugene around 1999, attended Humboldt State and graduated with molecular biology degree in 2004.
She was released on 9-17-2010.
————————————–
*Suzanne Nicole Savoie (DOB: ~1977), aka “India,” of Applegate, OR: charged with arson at Superior Lumber Co., in Glendale, OR. She was sentenced to more than 51 months in prison for her role in two arsons. She turned self in to FBI agents in mid-January 2006. Savoie made statements against Nathan Block and Joyanna Zacher and was given a sentence only 8 months less than expected because of her cooperation with investigators. She has been in a Seattle halfway house with a projected release date of 3-24-2011. [UPDATES NEEDED]
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Briana Waters is a Snitch
Briana will knowingly provide the state information on ELF activity and contribute to the same kind of imprisonment she was subject to as a non-cooperating defendant. This makes her a snitch.
More on War On Society:
Her decision comes at a time when anarchists and radical environmentalists across the country and somewhat internationally have shown widespread support and solidarity with Marie Mason and Eric McDavid this past June 11th. Marie Mason and Eric McDavid are both serving 20 plus year sentences. In the wake of Briana Waters decision it is important to remember that there are others with true strength and convictions in their ideas. Let us remember those who continue the struggle inside prison and never flip on their friends or comrades.As heartbreaking as it is to see Briana turn, it is important to remember that Briana is somebody's mother, and she likely did this to stay out of jail to continue to parent her daughter. She was well supported by social movements, and many people will be angry and betrayed by her decision. They are completely correct in that anger, should not blame themselves, and it should be noted that Briana was thinking about herself, her future, and her family. She is selfish and couldn't handle the sacrifices so many others have endured.
Total freedom for NON-COOPERATING Green Scare prisoners!
Solidarity with Sadie, Justin, Marie, Eric, Exile, Grant, Michael, Daniel, Scott, and non-cooperating ALF and anarchist prisoners!
Strength to those still free and on the run!
Once again, the state wins with the same tactics. Many of these cases required informants and cooperating defendants, and the accused likely could've beat the charges due to lack of evidence.
Nobody talks, everybody walks.
Fuck that snitch Briana Waters.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Searching for Snitches: A response to "To take on the Wild Beast"
from Puget Sound Anarchists:
On May 13th, an article called "To take on the Wild Beast" was posted on Portland Indymedia, calling for readers to snitch on a big list of leftists, radicals, and anarchists. Back in January, an article similar to "To take on the Wild Beast" showed up on Portland Indymedia and a bunch of other Indymedia websites around the world. The article insinuated (but did not outright say) that a bunch of different radical (and some not-so-radical) activist-type groups and ideologies were wanted by the police and FBI. The article encouraged readers to call a number of snitch hotlines and report for cash rewards.
At the time, Olympia Rising Tide (one of the groups mentioned) released this statement, originally posted at http://anarchistnews.org/?q=node/13524 and http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2011/01/405571.shtml:
"An article titled 'In the Fight to Make a Better World' recently appeared on several Indymedia websites, including Portland Indymedia. The article began,
'You read indymedia, chances are you know some protesters who are wanted by the police and the FBI. The good news is that now you can receive a big cash reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of crimanals [sic]. It's easy just a quick call. and if you know more that one person you can get multiple REWARDS up to $2000 for each . for information leading to the arrest of known criminals and subversive group activity.'
"The article then listed a wide-ranging and diverse collection of activist groups, movements, and political parties, including Democracy Now!, the Animal Liberation Front, Socialist Labor Party, and 'Anarcist [sic] book fair,' among many others. We were very surprised to see our name on this list, right in between Cascadia Rising Ecodefense and Freedom for Animals. The article finishes by providing contact information for various federal agency snitch lines, including the FBI and Homeland Security.
"Although the implicit premise of this article is that Olympia Rising Tide (and everyone else mentioned) are wanted by the police and FBI for criminal activity, it is important to note that Shayne O'Neill, the supposed author of this fishing expedition article, never actually accuses us of any criminal activity, nor of being wanted by the police or FBI. Olympia Rising Tide is a legal, aboveground community group. We have never carried out any illegal actions in the fight for a just and sustainable world. Some people do perform underground actions to dismantle oppressive power structures, but those are tactics that Olympia Rising Tide chooses not to use. The police and FBI have no grounds on which to accuse us of any illegal activity - that is why they are looking for people who read Indymedia to provide that non-existent information.
"Fishing expeditions (searches for information on groups disliked by the State and Capital but about whom the State has no incriminating information) are a scare tactic used to neutralize groups who are effective at creating change. The police wish to silence us by sowing fear, distrust, and misinformation in our community. We believe we are being targeted because we are vocal, uncompromising, and effective (qualities any social or climate justice group should be proud to claim), not because we have broken any laws.
"It is important to remember that nothing good ever comes from talking to the police. If you don't talk, they won't have any information. The majority of convictions of activists would not be possible were it not for informants, undercover agents, and snitches. Even if you think you are going to 'clear up our name,' it is better to say nothing at all. If questioned by police, remember that the only thing you should say is 'I am going to remain silent. I would like to speak with my lawyer.' Without voluntary snitches, the police would be much less effective at neutralizing activist groups. However much reward money you are offered (and do you really think they'll deliver on that promise?), it is never worth it to betray your friends, comrades, and the movement. And statistically, people who snitch receive sentences that are just as long, if not longer, than those who refuse to talk. If you snitch you're not 'just telling them what they already know,' you're giving them the tools to fabricate charges where they couldn't before, and you're setting back the movement. If you incriminate others, you are also incriminating yourself and making yourself a target of investigation.
"This false insinuation that Olympia Rising Tide is comprised of known criminals and is wanted by the police and FBI is part of the larger crackdown on environmental and animal rights activists known as the Green Scare. Activists who carry out non-violent but illegal activities in furtherance of animal or earth liberation are demonized as violent terrorists. This 'terrorism' rhetoric is used to prevent people from speaking out in the first place, and justify the criminalization of previously free speech. The government is not going after us for breaking the law, they're going after us because we're effective. For more information on the Green Scare, check out www.greenisthenewred.com.
"Anyone who has information on Shayne O'Neill or the source of the original article is asked to please contact Olympia Rising Tide at olympia@risingtidenorthamerica.org. If you believe you have been harassed because of your political beliefs, affiliations, or perceived political beliefs and affiliations, please contact the National Lawyers Guild's Green Scare hotline: 1-888-NLG-ECOL.
"Olympia Rising Tide will not be scared into passivity, nor will we allow ourselves to be neutralized by unfounded allegations of criminal activity. We will continue to remain vocal, uncompromising, and effective in confronting the root causes of climate change."
(To be clear, the article you are reading now was not written by Olympia Rising Tide, just some anarchists who appreciated their previous commentary and found it to still be pertinent.)
The most significant difference between the article that appeared in January and the one that appeared on May 13 is the terrorism rhetoric. In the previous article, the author only insinuated that the people and organizations listed were known criminals and wanted by the police and FBI. In this article, the author goes ones step further and insinuates that the groups and people are domestic terrorists. Whatever government agency wrote this call for snitches can get away with the terrorism rhetoric because they didn't outright say “such-and-such group is a terrorist organization,” although the FBI and police have certainly done so in the past with many of the groups listed here, and could certainly get away with calling every one of these groups terrorists – not because anyone on this list inspires terror, but because the FBI and police can get away with whatever they want, including lying through their teeth.
We (the authors of what you are reading now) are anarchists. We are under no illusions that the State has our best interests at heart. This attempt to gather information on radical and revolutionary groups is not the result of a few “bad apples.” This is how the State functions. We are under no illusions that the State will follow its own rules of conduct. If the State is ever forced to follow its own rules, it simply revises them. So while we are not surprised that it is gathering information on radicals (really, this is nothing new), we are pissed off and sick of this shit.
In their response to the initial snitching article, Olympia Rising Tide wrote of the criminalization of free speech. While we agree that the State is always looking for ways to silence more and more oppositional voices, we would like to shatter the illusion of “free speech.” Under the State and capitalism, speech has never been free for People of Color, poor people, queer and trans people, or any other number of targets of oppression. While it is crucial to support Green Scare prisoners and note how the government has fractured earth and animal liberation movements into “legal” versus “illegal” and “violent” versus “non-violent,” it is just as important to note the ways in which the government has also done so (and continues to do so) in communities of color, poor communities, and queer and trans communities.
To be clear, we are at war. Against the forces that oppress us and keep us miserable in all aspects of our lives, against capitalism and the State. We don't expect the State to play nice, but we expect people to recognize which side they're on and not sell out their comrades. Playing by the State's rules (whether that means avoiding illegality or adhering to Nonviolence) doesn't guarantee you won't be targeted. Debates over violence versus Nonviolence and whether or not property destruction constitutes “violence” are a dead end that serve to further neutralize all forms of resistance and further fracture the movement.
Finally, we would like to note that this snitch search has appeared on Indymedias all over the world. Almost every article is attributed to the name of a different author. We don't believe that the names listed are the actual authors (in all likelihood, whatever agency that wrote this bullshit just gathered a bunch of names from the internet), and we caution against taking action against anyone whose name appears on this article unless it can be verified that they actually had a hand in this.
- Some anarchists
On May 13th, an article called "To take on the Wild Beast" was posted on Portland Indymedia, calling for readers to snitch on a big list of leftists, radicals, and anarchists. Back in January, an article similar to "To take on the Wild Beast" showed up on Portland Indymedia and a bunch of other Indymedia websites around the world. The article insinuated (but did not outright say) that a bunch of different radical (and some not-so-radical) activist-type groups and ideologies were wanted by the police and FBI. The article encouraged readers to call a number of snitch hotlines and report for cash rewards.
At the time, Olympia Rising Tide (one of the groups mentioned) released this statement, originally posted at http://anarchistnews.org/?q=node/13524 and http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2011/01/405571.shtml:
"An article titled 'In the Fight to Make a Better World' recently appeared on several Indymedia websites, including Portland Indymedia. The article began,
'You read indymedia, chances are you know some protesters who are wanted by the police and the FBI. The good news is that now you can receive a big cash reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of crimanals [sic]. It's easy just a quick call. and if you know more that one person you can get multiple REWARDS up to $2000 for each . for information leading to the arrest of known criminals and subversive group activity.'
"The article then listed a wide-ranging and diverse collection of activist groups, movements, and political parties, including Democracy Now!, the Animal Liberation Front, Socialist Labor Party, and 'Anarcist [sic] book fair,' among many others. We were very surprised to see our name on this list, right in between Cascadia Rising Ecodefense and Freedom for Animals. The article finishes by providing contact information for various federal agency snitch lines, including the FBI and Homeland Security.
"Although the implicit premise of this article is that Olympia Rising Tide (and everyone else mentioned) are wanted by the police and FBI for criminal activity, it is important to note that Shayne O'Neill, the supposed author of this fishing expedition article, never actually accuses us of any criminal activity, nor of being wanted by the police or FBI. Olympia Rising Tide is a legal, aboveground community group. We have never carried out any illegal actions in the fight for a just and sustainable world. Some people do perform underground actions to dismantle oppressive power structures, but those are tactics that Olympia Rising Tide chooses not to use. The police and FBI have no grounds on which to accuse us of any illegal activity - that is why they are looking for people who read Indymedia to provide that non-existent information.
"Fishing expeditions (searches for information on groups disliked by the State and Capital but about whom the State has no incriminating information) are a scare tactic used to neutralize groups who are effective at creating change. The police wish to silence us by sowing fear, distrust, and misinformation in our community. We believe we are being targeted because we are vocal, uncompromising, and effective (qualities any social or climate justice group should be proud to claim), not because we have broken any laws.
"It is important to remember that nothing good ever comes from talking to the police. If you don't talk, they won't have any information. The majority of convictions of activists would not be possible were it not for informants, undercover agents, and snitches. Even if you think you are going to 'clear up our name,' it is better to say nothing at all. If questioned by police, remember that the only thing you should say is 'I am going to remain silent. I would like to speak with my lawyer.' Without voluntary snitches, the police would be much less effective at neutralizing activist groups. However much reward money you are offered (and do you really think they'll deliver on that promise?), it is never worth it to betray your friends, comrades, and the movement. And statistically, people who snitch receive sentences that are just as long, if not longer, than those who refuse to talk. If you snitch you're not 'just telling them what they already know,' you're giving them the tools to fabricate charges where they couldn't before, and you're setting back the movement. If you incriminate others, you are also incriminating yourself and making yourself a target of investigation.
"This false insinuation that Olympia Rising Tide is comprised of known criminals and is wanted by the police and FBI is part of the larger crackdown on environmental and animal rights activists known as the Green Scare. Activists who carry out non-violent but illegal activities in furtherance of animal or earth liberation are demonized as violent terrorists. This 'terrorism' rhetoric is used to prevent people from speaking out in the first place, and justify the criminalization of previously free speech. The government is not going after us for breaking the law, they're going after us because we're effective. For more information on the Green Scare, check out www.greenisthenewred.com.
"Anyone who has information on Shayne O'Neill or the source of the original article is asked to please contact Olympia Rising Tide at olympia@risingtidenorthamerica.org. If you believe you have been harassed because of your political beliefs, affiliations, or perceived political beliefs and affiliations, please contact the National Lawyers Guild's Green Scare hotline: 1-888-NLG-ECOL.
"Olympia Rising Tide will not be scared into passivity, nor will we allow ourselves to be neutralized by unfounded allegations of criminal activity. We will continue to remain vocal, uncompromising, and effective in confronting the root causes of climate change."
(To be clear, the article you are reading now was not written by Olympia Rising Tide, just some anarchists who appreciated their previous commentary and found it to still be pertinent.)
The most significant difference between the article that appeared in January and the one that appeared on May 13 is the terrorism rhetoric. In the previous article, the author only insinuated that the people and organizations listed were known criminals and wanted by the police and FBI. In this article, the author goes ones step further and insinuates that the groups and people are domestic terrorists. Whatever government agency wrote this call for snitches can get away with the terrorism rhetoric because they didn't outright say “such-and-such group is a terrorist organization,” although the FBI and police have certainly done so in the past with many of the groups listed here, and could certainly get away with calling every one of these groups terrorists – not because anyone on this list inspires terror, but because the FBI and police can get away with whatever they want, including lying through their teeth.
We (the authors of what you are reading now) are anarchists. We are under no illusions that the State has our best interests at heart. This attempt to gather information on radical and revolutionary groups is not the result of a few “bad apples.” This is how the State functions. We are under no illusions that the State will follow its own rules of conduct. If the State is ever forced to follow its own rules, it simply revises them. So while we are not surprised that it is gathering information on radicals (really, this is nothing new), we are pissed off and sick of this shit.
In their response to the initial snitching article, Olympia Rising Tide wrote of the criminalization of free speech. While we agree that the State is always looking for ways to silence more and more oppositional voices, we would like to shatter the illusion of “free speech.” Under the State and capitalism, speech has never been free for People of Color, poor people, queer and trans people, or any other number of targets of oppression. While it is crucial to support Green Scare prisoners and note how the government has fractured earth and animal liberation movements into “legal” versus “illegal” and “violent” versus “non-violent,” it is just as important to note the ways in which the government has also done so (and continues to do so) in communities of color, poor communities, and queer and trans communities.
To be clear, we are at war. Against the forces that oppress us and keep us miserable in all aspects of our lives, against capitalism and the State. We don't expect the State to play nice, but we expect people to recognize which side they're on and not sell out their comrades. Playing by the State's rules (whether that means avoiding illegality or adhering to Nonviolence) doesn't guarantee you won't be targeted. Debates over violence versus Nonviolence and whether or not property destruction constitutes “violence” are a dead end that serve to further neutralize all forms of resistance and further fracture the movement.
Finally, we would like to note that this snitch search has appeared on Indymedias all over the world. Almost every article is attributed to the name of a different author. We don't believe that the names listed are the actual authors (in all likelihood, whatever agency that wrote this bullshit just gathered a bunch of names from the internet), and we caution against taking action against anyone whose name appears on this article unless it can be verified that they actually had a hand in this.
- Some anarchists
Monday, April 11, 2011
Lead ELF Informant Jake Ferguson Arrested on Drug Charges
The government has repeatedly called Ferguson a “hero.” U.S. Attorney Kirk Engdall has said he was “essential” to the largest investigation of the radical environmental movement in U.S. history.
In exchange for doing the government’s work for them, Ferguson, who was involved in about 18 arsons, was sentenced to no jail time and five years probation. In other words, the most prolific arsonist in the history of so-called “eco-terrorism” got a free pass.
But Ferguson was arrested on April 6, 2011, on drug charges and now faces prison time for violating these conditions. Today will be his first probation violation hearing at the Eugene federal courthouse.
I think this is worth highlighting for a few reasons. Ferguson’s drug history is not new information. In fact, the government used this against him in order to pressure him to become an informant. The FBI was well-aware of his personal history, but chose to ignore this because it was the only lead they had in arresting members of the ELF.
This is yet another example of how far the FBI has been willing to go, and the shady deals that agents are willing to make, in order to secure a victory in the “War on Terrorism.”
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Greenscare Snitch Suzanne Savoie Goes to the Movies
From Ashland FilmsIf a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front is a documentary that features anarchist and environmental activist, Daniel McGowan . It traces a period of time from his initial arrest on December 7th, 2005, in a federal investigation known as “Operation Backfire,” to the day he began his 7-year sentence for two actions claimed in the name of the Earth Liberation Front. Alongside this focus on Daniel, the film also takes a look at how the radical environmental movement began and talks to a variety of people involved in the case, including prosecutors, police officers, and even some of the snitches.
One of the snitches featured in the film, Suzanne Savoie, has already served her 51-month sentence, and plans on attending a screening of the film at the Ashland Independent Film Festival in southern Oregon. Savoie bargained the lives of the non-cooperating defendants, Daniel McGowan, Jonathan Paul, Sadie, and Exile, as well as those who have yet to be apprehended by the government, for what amounted to a slightly lesser sentence. (Daniel McGowan received 84-months.) Savoie's cooperation deal is public knowledge and with her help, the state has locked away comrades who stared down multiple life sentences without betraying themselves, the others who were involved, and all of us who fight in resistance to the state and capitalism.
The film is favorable to Daniel, humanizing someone who the federal government calls an eco-terrorist and has shoved into a secretive prison unit known as a “Communications Management Unit,” and is also relatively sympathetic to the ELF. However, because the filmmakers are the good little liberals that they are, they treat Savoie as just another “voice” in the “conversation” they hoped that this “story” would generate. What's more, they invited this scum to attend a screening at the festival and plan on publicly acknowledging her in the audience during a Q & A.
It is beyond belief that Savoie would even consider going, considering what she's done, but perhaps she feels emboldened by the filmmakers invitation and hopes this can pave the way for her to return to the very movements that she has betrayed. The filmmakers have thus far refused to rescind the invitation, citing the usual liberal bullshit of "everybody having a voice in this story." Well, as revolutionaries, we cannot allow this snitch to try and reintegrate herself, because Suzanne Savoie has sided with our enemies and no longer has anything to say we want to hear. Additionally, our lives, and our movements of resistance are not “stories” that exist to help filmmakers gain accolades and prestige, but the actions of real people making real attempts to destroy all that which destroys us.
If you live in southern Oregon, or can get there, please think about attending or showing up outside of the film screenings to make sure that Suzanne Savoie and her stupid snitch ass do not feel welcome. Showtimes are Saturday, April 9th, @ 9:30am, Sunday, April 10th, @ 6:00pm, and if the film wins a prize, Monday, April 11th, @ 12 & 9pm.
In the meantime, if everyone could clue the filmmakers in to the VERY BIG MISTAKE THEY ARE MAKING by inviting and welcoming this snitch to their screening, that would also be very much appreciated. Here is the contact info for the directors:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/If-A-Tree-Falls-A-Story-of-the-Earth-Liber...
info@marshallcurry.com
info@yellowcakefilms.com
info@ifatreefallsfilm.com
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Anonymous Annihilates Infiltrator: Full Story
It has been an embarrassing week for security firm HBGary and its HBGary Federal offshoot. HBGary Federal CEO Aaron Barr thought he had unmasked the hacker hordes of Anonymous and was preparing to name and shame those responsible for co-ordinating the group's actions, including the denial-of-service attacks that hit MasterCard, Visa, and other perceived enemies of WikiLeaks late last year.
When Barr told one of those he believed to be an Anonymous ringleader about his forthcoming exposé, the Anonymous response was swift and humiliating. HBGary's servers were broken into, its e-mails pillaged and published to the world, its data destroyed, and its website defaced. As an added bonus, a second site owned and operated by Greg Hoglund, owner of HBGary, was taken offline and the user registration database published.
Over the last week, I've talked to some of those who participated in the HBGary hack to learn in detail how they penetrated HBGary's defenses and gave the company such a stunning black eye—and what the HBGary example means for the rest of us mere mortals who use the Internet.
Anonymous: more than kids
HBGary and HBGary Federal position themselves as experts in computer security. The companies offer both software and services to both the public and private sectors. On the software side, HBGary has a range of computer forensics and malware analysis tools to enable the detection, isolation, and analysis of worms, viruses, and trojans. On the services side, it offers expertise in implementing intrusion detection systems and secure networking, and performs vulnerability assessment and penetration testing of systems and software. A variety of three letter agencies, including the NSA, appeared to be in regular contact with the HBGary companies, as did Interpol, and HBGary also worked with well-known security firm McAfee. At one time, even Apple expressed an interest in the company's products or services.Monday, January 17, 2011
Another UK Snitch - Mark "Marco" Jacobs
A third undercover police officer has today been revealed by the Guardian. Mark Jacobs, known as 'Marco', operated in Cardiff for four years, infiltrating the Cardiff Anarchist Network (CAN) and other groups including international anti-globalisation networks, No Borders, and the early Climate Camps.
His former girlfriend is reported as saying "I was doing nothing wrong, I was not breaking the law at all. So for him to come along and lie to us and get that deep into our lives was a colossal, colossal betrayal."
Other activists have claimed that as well as disrupting activities and gathering information, he created and nurtured disagreement and division within the group, turning members of the group against each other.
Other activists have claimed that as well as disrupting activities and gathering information, he created and nurtured disagreement and division within the group, turning members of the group against each other.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Snitch Mark Kennedy Fears For His Life
from The Guardian via Anarchist News:
The former policeman who spent seven years undercover among environmental activists has denied being an agent provocateur, saying that his superiors knew exactly what he was doing at all times and approved his activities.
Mark Kennedy, a Metropolitan police officer who infiltrated green and anarchist groups under the alias Mark Stone and fled to America after his cover was blown, said he fears for his safety following threats from activists. The 41-year-old said he believed that his former police superiors were looking for him too.
"I can't sleep. I have lost weight and am constantly on edge. I barricade the door with chairs at night. I am in genuine fear for my life," said Kennedy, who sold his story to the Mail on Sunday. "People like to think of things in terms of black and white. But the world of undercover policing is grey and murky. There is some bad stuff going on. Really bad stuff."
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Simon Brenner - German Snitch in Antifa Scene
German undercover agent also at NoBorder Camp 2010 in Bruxelles
On Sunday the 12th of December 2010 a undercover agent working for the Landeskriminalamt (LKA) Baden-Württemberg was uncovered in Heidelberg, Germany. His aim was to make contact with the Antifa scene via open left structures and to gather information about individuals as well as group structures to be presented directly to the LKA and the local state security division.
After three days of research and reconstruction the following has emerged:
Legend
The LKA informer had a German national identity card under the name of "Simon Brenner" (Nr.: 6920333978D-8604138-1511088), with the date of birth stated as 13.04.1986, born in the town of Leimen (Germany). Allegedly he formerly lived in Bad Säckingen in the Waldshut (Baden-Württemberg) area, which coheres with the license plate of his silver Nissan estate car (WT-??-???).
He used a mobile with the number 0049 (0) 151 20727114 0049 (0) 151 20727114 and the email addresses simonbrenner@ymail.com and californication@riseup.net, the latter has already been blocked. Under the user name 'californiaction' ha also wrote articles on Indymedia.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Teen Popped for Torching Cop Car in '08
A bummer from Albany:
Loose lips sink ships! Keep your mouth shut!
COLONIE -- Police say they've made an arrest in a two-year investigation into the torching of a Colonie Police Department patrol vehicle.
Jacob Lester, 19, of Cohoes was arrested for allegedly setting fire to the patrol car on Aug. 25, 2008. An off-duty Colonie Police traffic investigator discovered the marked 2005 Ford Crown Victoria on fire in front of his home in the Boght Corners section of town at about 2 a.m., according to Lt. Robert Winn.
A confidential informant told police in November 2008 that Lester was connected to the incident, but it took two years of following up on leads and conducting interviews to corroborate the informant's tip, according to Lt. Winn.
There was no apparent motive in the arson. Lt. Winn said Lester set out to torch the vehicle but was not targeting the officer.
Lester was charged with felony third-degree arson and felony second-degree criminal mischief. He was released from jail on $15,000 bail.
Loose lips sink ships! Keep your mouth shut!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Britain Stop Snitching
A pretty sickening report from the other side of the Atlantic after the November 10th occupation and improvisational demolition of Tory Party Headquarters in London earlier this week has surfaced. The media in the UK is assisting the State in tracking down rioters (that's why you mask up you silly geese! Say what you want about the "black bloc" set of tactics, but if there's a throw down with a bunch of media snapping pictures all over, I'd rather look like a mob of ninjas. ESPECIALLY in the most heavy surveillance state in the world. Fuck.), just as Big Media typically ends up being a perfect engine for repression.
Luckily, some kind of badass legalese underground railroad is forming up to help anyone presently splayed up on a wanted poster or likely waiting patiently to be identified by some software program. Check out the November 10th Defense Campaign, which is a really excellent idea:
Terrific advice!
Luckily, some kind of badass legalese underground railroad is forming up to help anyone presently splayed up on a wanted poster or likely waiting patiently to be identified by some software program. Check out the November 10th Defense Campaign, which is a really excellent idea:
"2. DO NOT say anything to anyone
You have the right to silence and the right not to incriminate yourself. So we recommend you do NOT. SAY NOTHING TO NO-ONE ONLINE OR OFFLINE, ON THE PHONE OR IN PERSON about the events. These are valuable resources for the Police to find you via internet trawling and phone tapping in order to pin a prosecution on you.
DO NOT SAY ANYTHING TO THE POLICE even if they say “it is in your best interests”. The Police are the arm of the State and a bureaucratic military organisation NEVER to be trusted. Even if the Police put your name and photo in the newspaper, arrest you, take your photo request a solicitor (see Christian Khan below) and demand your Solicitor advises you to say nothing. That way you can say the Solicitor advised you to say nothing in the event the State tries to infer guilty from the fact you said nothing!
Even if they have your picture, and say you committed an offence it does not mean you committed THAT offence or any offence at all. A picture of you holding an item that could cause damage to property does not amount to evidence of you causing damage with that item. So on these matters, like everything else, SAY NOTHING!"
Terrific advice!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
CSIS/Counter-Terrorism Spy Unveiled in Fredericton, New Brunswick
UPDATE 11/22/10: Comments from the author of this reveal more information: "Follow up: More research reveals that the man's name is "Stuart Bradshaw". He is on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1036935674&v=info
Spread far and wide.
Saint Schmidt."
Other links of interest
http://atlanticsg.org/
http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/stuart-bradshaw/23/b97/51a
-------------
From Anarchist News:
"I was sitting at a cafe in downtown Fredericton (The Second Cup) and overheard a conversation between two well dressed men. The one man said to the other, "I just moved from the UK. I used to work for counter-terrorism out there and in the United States. My wife wanted me to move here to little Fredericton. Not much work for a person like me here. Now I am working for CSIS. I document anti-capitalist and anarchist groups. There are at least two groups that I am researching lately and we plan to eventually infiltrate these groups. Strax and RAAN, the Red and Anarchist Action Network."
At this point I picked up my laptop spit on his table and said: "You are disgusting, what you are saying is disgusting."
Pictures and Video follow.
While walking away from the cafe, outside, the man yelled out to me and requested that I get my picture taken with him. Instead, I turned on my camera and asked the man a few questions. He changed his tone and denied working for CSIS and denied having a problem with Strax.
I have decided, for the safety of my family and friends, that I will be taking some time away from the Red & Anarchist Action Network. I stay in groundless solidarity with all of my comrades. If members of Strax or RAAN, or any other "group", want to reach me for more information, they know how to do so."
-Saint Schmidt
Spread far and wide.
Saint Schmidt."
Other links of interest
http://atlanticsg.org/
http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/stuart-bradshaw/23/b97/51a
-------------
From Anarchist News:
"I was sitting at a cafe in downtown Fredericton (The Second Cup) and overheard a conversation between two well dressed men. The one man said to the other, "I just moved from the UK. I used to work for counter-terrorism out there and in the United States. My wife wanted me to move here to little Fredericton. Not much work for a person like me here. Now I am working for CSIS. I document anti-capitalist and anarchist groups. There are at least two groups that I am researching lately and we plan to eventually infiltrate these groups. Strax and RAAN, the Red and Anarchist Action Network."
At this point I picked up my laptop spit on his table and said: "You are disgusting, what you are saying is disgusting."
Pictures and Video follow.
While walking away from the cafe, outside, the man yelled out to me and requested that I get my picture taken with him. Instead, I turned on my camera and asked the man a few questions. He changed his tone and denied working for CSIS and denied having a problem with Strax.
I have decided, for the safety of my family and friends, that I will be taking some time away from the Red & Anarchist Action Network. I stay in groundless solidarity with all of my comrades. If members of Strax or RAAN, or any other "group", want to reach me for more information, they know how to do so."
-Saint Schmidt
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Elusive Panda Sighting
Friday, November 5, 2010
Mark Kennedy Super Post
UPDATE: For what it's worth, the Stimulator is reporting this all to be fact according to a "trusted source."Multiple reports have emerged about a Mark Kennedy (AKA: Mark Stone, "Flash"), an informant based out of the UK who had links in the United States. A post on the Denver Anarchist Black Cross's website gives a good summary:
Mark Kennedy AKA Mark Stone, who lived in Nottingham, has been exposed as having worked as an undercover police officer and this has been confirmed by Nottingham Indymedia and endorsed by other activist groups.
From 2000 to at least the end of 2009, Mark Kennedy was a well-known face in the local activist community and was actively involved in various environmental, animal rights, anti-capitalist and anti-fascist groups and campaigns.
Investigations into his identity revealed evidence that he has been a police officer and a face-to-face confession has confirmed this. The people involved in confronting Mark and getting his confession from him make clear that for security reasons no more information can be made public at this stage.
Any american or kanadian who knows that they had contact with him please make known the times and initiatives that he may have attended.
More information will be made public as it’s compiled…
A report from UK Indymedia details more of his activities (another photo here). There are also reports he was working on organizing against the upcoming G8 summit in France. He claims he had a brother in Cincinnati. He had been a trusted member of radical communities and social movements for a decade and his ties were far, including possible relationships with Tarnac folks. There are claims that he has been confronted and admitted this information. Anyone with more information on Mark should email SnitchWire.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Jeffrey Luers Speaks on Cooperator Darren Thurston
On the wonderful program "It's the End of the World as We Know It, and I Feel Fine" hosted by the reliable Stimulator, eco-sabotuer and general badass Jeffrey Luers had some choice words for people like Darren Thurston. The interview starts at about seven minutes into the program and Jeff has a lot of great stuff to say, including the following:
"I would have walked if I just opened my mouth... [Thurston] provided information to get more people convicted... The State is my enemy. Capitalism is my enemy. And someone who cooperates with my enemy, against my community, against this movement, against this resistance is a piece of fucking shit."
Here, here!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Got the Hollow Points for the Snitches (FTTP #4)
Snitch culture: historical examples and current proposals
"Homeboy was talking to the po-po, we had to let everybody that was a no-no, he thought he was on the low low, and was surprised when I hit him with the fou(4)-fou(4)" -Uncle Murda, "Bullet, Bullet"
With the growing wave of repression by the state towards direct action oriented struggles, radicals have been bombarded with the shameful concern of snitches and informants. In a struggle which is purely of choice and individual realization, as opposed to a rich cultural or family heritage, a valor dedication to one's community has been shamefully neglected by some. The following article provides a brief look into how radical communities of the past have approached traitors to the community, while at the same time proposing how more unique struggles can learn from it. It is an excerpt from the zine; "Got the Hollow Points for the Snitches".
To order a copy of this pamphlet, you can contact the email below: thegreenscare@gmail.com (Ed note: defunct as shit, thanks anon)
"Homeboy was talking to the po-po, we had to let everybody that was a no-no, he thought he was on the low low, and was surprised when I hit him with the fou(4)-fou(4)" -Uncle Murda, "Bullet, Bullet"
With the growing wave of repression by the state towards direct action oriented struggles, radicals have been bombarded with the shameful concern of snitches and informants. In a struggle which is purely of choice and individual realization, as opposed to a rich cultural or family heritage, a valor dedication to one's community has been shamefully neglected by some. The following article provides a brief look into how radical communities of the past have approached traitors to the community, while at the same time proposing how more unique struggles can learn from it. It is an excerpt from the zine; "Got the Hollow Points for the Snitches".
To order a copy of this pamphlet, you can contact the email below: thegreenscare@gmail.com (Ed note: defunct as shit, thanks anon)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Green Scare Informant Darren Thurston Runs Computer Security Company
 |
"If people such as members of the resist(dot)ca collective, Under the Volcano organizers and Megan Adam chose to maintain a friendship with Darren Thurston, that’s their own personal problem. Their inability to distinguish between the loyalty to their friend and loyalty to people whose lives have been damaged by their friend, should not stop the rest of us from preventing Thurston and his supporters from participating in activist or resistance activity, or jeopardizing wider resistance movements by allowing him continued access to activist social circles and organization, or to sensitive resources and infrastructure." Yep, couldn't have said it better. No cooperation!
-------
Hackbloc and Voice of the Voiceless offer extensive reports of Green Scare snitch Darren Thurston running his own computer security firm. His twitter feed hasn't updated since August 3rd. He goes by "rad_boy" and "hard_mac". Hackbloc says "Who needs good computer security when one of your friends will sell you down the river anyway?" and Voice of the Voiceless offers further analysis:
A warning to anyone who has received computer security services from someone going by hard_mac, or rad_boy: Your consultant was once working for the FBI, and may still be.
Thurston became an asset for the federal government in the Green Scare case after his arrest on arson charges for the 2001 torching by the Animal Liberation Front of a BLM wild horse holding barn in Susanville, California. In exchange for reduced charges, he implicated several others in serious arsons. Among them was Justin Solondz, who is serving a three year sentence in China on unrelated charges after being arrested there while a fugitive.
There is additional information about Thurston that may be of concern to activists. From Vancouver Anarchist Online Archive:
Friday, August 6, 2010
Walter Bond Speaks: His Brothers a Rat
Informant Revealed: A.L.F. Suspect Set Up By His Brother
In his first written statement from jail, the accused A.L.F. "Lone Wolf" reveals new details about his case
In a new letter (excerpts posted below), the accused A.L.F. "Lone Wolf" Walter Bond addresses several lingering questions surrounding his case. Among them, the circumstances of his arrest, quotes made about him by "friends" to the media, and: the identity of the informant who set him up.
Bond sits in jail on arson and Animal Enterprise Terrorism charges, accused of being the Animal Liberation Front "Lone Wolf", responsible for three arsons at animal abuse targets in Utah and Colorado. To date, Bond has been charged only in the Denver Sheepskin Factory arson. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
The informant
Walter Bond was arrested after what court documents say was a set-up by a friend. The "friend" allegedly enticed Bond into a monitored conversation in which Bond allegedly admitted to three A.L.F. arsons. The entire set-up was orchestrated by the ATF. The informant had been identified to date only as someone Bond had not seen in 12 years. In his letter from jail, Bond reveals the identity of the informant, and other details of his arrest.
Excerpts from Walter Bond's jail statement
The details surrounding his arrest:
"The day of my arrest I was on my way to see my brother. We hadnt' seen each other for 12 years, and he had told me that he was coming to Denver to help our half-brother [name redacted] move. He had told me that he was bringing my nephews I had never met. I left [location redacted] thinking I was going to begin healing the very deep wounds of my shattered family. I was wrong. My brother [name redacted] had been working for the ATF since July 1st.
On my way to the hotel he was at, the police stopped me because I was on a 'bulletin'. They quesioned me mostly about veganism, and my tattoos. I refused to say anything except 'I have nothing to say'. They searched me and let me go. I later realized I was only released so that I could walk down the street and into an ATF set-up."
On statements made to the media by "friends" (referencing negative statements made about Bond to the media):
"I found out from a visitor today that Billy Jo has been spinning fanciful tales about me. First off, I was not at her house. Next, I am vegan as everyone that has ever met or known me can attest. I was not at a BBQ nor was I even at Jim and Billy Jo's house. I was simply arrested on their front lawn. In two years time I have spoken to Billy Jo a grand total of perhaps two-dozen sentences.... My guess is that given her shady nature the ATF scared her into trying to discredit me. Altogether predictable and honestly of little consequence to me. Those who know me know what I stand for."
On vegan food and support:
"I am being fed a vegan diet and of course the food is less than desirable. I have no money on my books and I can really use some for ramen noodles, envelopes, etc. Other than money and letters of support I don't need anything from the outside."
On animal liberation:
"Obviously I can not talk about my ongoing case / cases, but I will say this: the charges I face are serious. Accordingly so is the time that goes along with them. However nothing they can do to me can ever compare with what animals endure at the hands of speciesist human oppressors. Please use any means at your disposal to use whatever [illegigble] surrounding my case to bring awareness to the plight of animals. I am vegan and an animal liberation activist, and shall never relent in the fight for the total freedom of non-human animals."
Support
After being denied bail, Walter Bond will likely remain in Jefferson County Jail (Golden, CO) until his trial. Write Walter Bond a letter of support:
Walter Edmund Bond
PO Box 16700
Golden, CO 80402-6700
- Peter Young
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