SWAT Raid on Organizers of Occupy Seattle & E4E
Posted 12 years ago on July 10, 2012, 6:58 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
via Kasama, who will continue to cover events and statements as they emerge:
Door beaten in by SWAT police raid.
Early morning, July 10, SWAT police forced their way into the Seattle apartment of organizers from the Occupy movement. The sleeping residents scrambled to put on clothes as they were confronted with automatic weapons.
The neighbor Natalio Perez heard the attack from downstairs: “Suddenly we heard the bang of their grenade, and the crashing as police entered the apartment. The crashing and stomping continued for a long time as they tore the place apart.”
After the raid, the residents pored over the papers handed them by a detective. One explained: “This warrant says that they were specifically looking for ‘anarchist materials’ — which lays out the political police state nature of this right there. In addition they were looking for specific pieces of clothing supposedly connected with a May First incident.
When the police finally left, they did not arrest anyone.
This action targets well known activists from Occupy Seattle and the Red Spark Collective (part of the national Kasama network). This apartment has been a hub for organizing the Everything 4 Everyone festival in August – to bring together West Coast forces for a cultural and political event building on the year of Occupy.
The raid is a heavy-handed threat delivered by armed police aimed at intimidating specific people – but also st suppressing the work to continue the Occupy movement in Seattle, and create E4E as a space for radical gathering.
The E4E site will update this with more as we receive it, including hopefully statement from those involved. http://www.everythingforeveryone.org/
Contact: Liam Wright, Red Spark Collective, redsparkcollective@gmail.com
Room ransacked by police searching for “anarchist materials” and specific clothing.
is anarchist material illegal ?
maybe the policemen were eager to find and read "Anarcho-Syndicalism: Theory and practice" or "Chomsky on Anarchism" fex. Really good stuff, you know :)
Makes sense - they probably are starved ( jonesing ) for good food for thought. {:-])
When USA shall shatter and disintegrate then only the Occupy People shall save save USA or the people of USA-Occupy Movement is the true savior of the whole of the Humanity. Threatening them is endangering USA.USA should respect Occupy People to gain respect for itself.
magic truth, man, your heart is in the right place!
Thank You.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/07/11/sources-dna-links-ows-subway-protest-to-2004-murder-of-sarah-fox/
Occupy Wall Street linked to 2004 murder of Sarah Fox.
Those who support OWS support the killing of Sarah FoX!
You are murderers!!
That's the stupidest thing I've heard all day and that's an amazing feat because that includes Mitt Romney speaking at the NAACP.
Your reply made me laugh. Thank you, I was needing that!!!
Please thats been discredited already. The criminals (banksters) responsible for the crashing of the world economy identify with the repub party. Same thing with the people responsible for the murders from the illegal oil wars.
Peace
all wars are illegal
Ok. Thx
do not vote for democrats that won't stop war
Yeah!. I'm with you!
No more war.! End the drone attacks!. Eliminate all nuclear weapons. cut the defense budget by 50%. We will still be more powerful than all our adversaries combined.
Are you ok with republicans who won't stop wars? You didn't mention them. Are you just anti dem partisan? I never got that from you.
Peace
vote out the bomb
Ok. Show me how. You got my vote.
it's under executive powers Mr president
I'm not the President.
neither is obama.
Oh! Riiiiight.
Well then she's doin a great job.
Valerie Jarret for president!
both she and her puppet stink. but what's worse is that hate america.
Oh no? Who is the President in your world?
barry fronts for valerie jarrett
And in your world you speak for them?
nonsense! there is clear intent of a fascist plot to name call OWS and you are one of those stooged. you have not shown our common intent to murder anyone. you on the other hand reveal a common intent manipulating you to spout such hateful garbage. go and wash your mouth out! you are a war criminal supporting the police violence on peaceful protestors their paramilitary operations against civilians. you are on the wrong side! thank you for identifying yourself as a corporate stooge!
A serious injustice. A profound violation of civil rights.
Stand with these brave young people risking their freedom for all the 99%.
Peace & solidarity
Who signed the search warrant?
Tweeted. Users need to get this story all over the web, ASAP.
A typical police state intimidation tactic. As they say in China, "Kill a few chickens to scare the monkeys." There is absolutely nothing wrong with anarchist beliefs, ethics, attitudes or literature. Any more than there is anything wrong with an existential approach to life. In fact, toe to toe the anarchist attitude may be much more laudable than corporationist beliefs, ethics or literature. These multinational-corporation inspired and government-backed guerrilla raids on dissidents accomplishes nothing but expose the coercive, of not corrosive, violent and brutal aspects of monopoly capitalism, as Carroll Quigley labeled it. It's a sad, sad day for our republic when corporations are given free rein to pay for our elections, get their nominees elected, and thus arrogate the "privilege" to use government force on those who disagree with the entire setup. God save the republic!
Unfortunately, this is history repeating itself. I was just reading some material authored by (and about) Emma Goldman -- and the tactics used by law enforcement and the establishment during that period (including the media btw), to suppress the anarchist movement, were very similar to what we're experiencing today (and what we will probably continue to experience in the coming years). Indeed, considering all the technological developments & instrumentalities of power that have accumulated since that period, we probably face a much more daunting challenge compared to our early 20th century counterparts.
Thus, we have to ask ourselves, how do we avoid this trap (and avoid becoming marginalized in the same way as early 20th century anarchists)?
Many would say we should just avoid defining ourselves as anarchists. However, Errico Malatesta wrote an excellent piece about the historical usage of the term anarchism, and the underlying assumption that a government (or more generally, a master) was a necessary condition of life (an assumption ingrained into us by the conditions we were born into). Without getting too deep into Malatesta's arguments (if anyone is interested, the title of the book is "Anarchy" ... you can get a Kindle version for like 99 cents), the point is, the word we use to describe our perspective probably isn't very relevant.
Interestingly, Julian Assange (during an interview with occupiers from New York & Europe) postulated a [perhaps] more relevant thing to focus on ... technique.
Better, stronger doors, fenced yards w/pit bulls, surveillance cameras & alarms, taller fences & locked gates, neighborhood watch captains to alert targets, automated tear gas/bear mace for brute force assaults on doors/entrances, automated spray paint & other repellents including sticky/slippery substances for brute force assaults. Better security awareness that identifiable articles of clothing are a bust (think of the 'glove' in the O.J. Simpson case). Stop being stupid about PR politics. Frightening the population (Fatwahs against photojournalists, destruction of private property) all provides popular support for draconian/Fascist responses. Assaulting/injuring photojournalists is monumentally idiotic. Far more effective, constructive methods of resisting the power exist--but not for the lame--you actually have to engage in sophisticated critical reasoning and creativity...something too often lacking in the recent childish displays of rebellion.
So the "Patriot Act"is being played out.In Australia,some states have returned to draconian"consorting laws"to further control the populace.We even had a Parliamentarian suggest that groups comprising more than three people would be looked at as subversives.Meanwhile Spanish austerity is now tipping over as those left disenfranchised protest against the crocked capitalist system.Solidarity.
You mean with the anti-biker laws? Those are gonna tie the courts up indefinitely.
On the austerity measures, Iceland should be held up as a shining example of what happens when you tell the IMF to go root their boot.
Well Builder,they just used those laws in Inverell and jailed an intellectually disabled man for consorting.No bikers involved there in this case.Don
t worry m8,many more will tell Merkel and crew to go root their boot soon enough.It
s the US Fed that has to be stopped,that`s the breeding house multiplying the vermin fraudster bankers.But do the Americans have the will to vote in politicians who will actually bring about an end to this corruption by mainly international bankers that have stolen their right to print their own money and collect their own taxes.Yes these same bankers collect Americas taxes as well.Con job of the millenium.Yes, the more I read into it, the nastier it gets. Didn't hear about the bloke from Inverell, Doesn't surprise me though, with the sold-out media we have here.
I'm going to start up a business called "Police State Door Repair & Painting". Should be quite lucrative.
Franchise opportunity globally.
I just registered your concept. You can buy it back off me when you have the reddies.
Get used to it. And don't hold. It comes with calling for the overthrow of the government. You are freaking them out.
a freak out never hurt anybody what damages the spirit is always having someone on your back. we are fighting a tyranny and freaking them out is all we have got!! a freak out is the breakdown of the group think. we must be uncontrollable children. conformity is their instrument of destruction of the spirit. the truth is they are trying to freak out society by branding us as "domestic terrorists" so we must give them an even bigger freak out! we will win by numbers and random acts!! let us have fun! please some irreverence is always necessary.
"domestic terrorists" Now where would they get an idea like that? Unless they read the links in the OP. Or maybe the OWS Pledge.
this is a tyranny! they have known from the beginning that it is either them or us! that is why these random acts of violence will spread globally trying to physically destroy this beautiful OWS movement. all we can do is expose the violence, crimes and corruption of this regime. in every way we can! so let us join in this great democratic election and disrupt it with truth, with humanity. so this evil tyranny's crimes against humanity in our own local communities is the real issue of the election. debts and foreclosures and stop and frisk. end the prohibition of marijuana now!
Hang tough stick together.
This may mean nothing to you but I hope that it will strike a cord of solidarity.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/of-the-people-by-the-people-for-the-people-an-open/
In fact the Government is extremely afraid of the popularity of the Occupy Movement and is very nervous about the same.
A typical police state intimidation tactic. As they say in China, "Kill a few chickens to scare the monkeys." There is absolutely nothing wrong with anarchist beliefs, ethics, attitudes or literature. Any more than there is anything wrong with an existential approach to life. In fact, toe to toe the anarchist attitude may be much more laudable than corporationist beliefs, ethics or literature. These multinational-corporation inspired and government-backed guerrilla raids on dissidents accomplish nothing but expose the coercive, of not corrosive, violent and brutal aspects of monopoly capitalism, as Carroll Quigley labeled it. It's a sad, sad day for our republic when corporations are given free rein to pay for our elections, get their nominees elected, and thus arrogate the "privilege" to use government force on those who disagree with the entire setup. God save the republic!
So they didn't take your computer? (Upper right.) Either they were amazingly, unbelievably incompetent in not having an order in the warrant to seize it (and other electronic devices like whatever you used to take the photos) or you're a typical lying sack of shit libtard. I strongly suspect the latter.
insults=weak arguments.
You support the 1%? And not your own class.? These brave young people are protesting to improve your life.
You should show them a little more respect!
Peace.
Please refrain from the childish schoolyard bully tactics of your candidate Romney.
Isn't it kind of strange to brag about getting raided?
[Removed]
[Removed]
That room looks like a typical room that any person of the younger genration would be living in. I don't see anything unusual about it.
What the hell was the grenade for?
Probably a flash bang - to stun.
so knocking in the door was what - a mild surprise.
LOL - no it gets the attention though - probably freezes reaction a bit too as you say WTF?
In the old days, they used to just yell, 'freeze!'.
Yeah generally just prior to opening fire.
Or after putting 41 bullets into your back then thanking you for your compliance.
One generally is pretty compliant by that point. Though not likely to follow any more direction.
Only if you don't freeze....hopefully.
Uh-huh.... Officer did you give the suspect warning?......Oh you bet your honor that was why I was able to get such a goo---um---I thought he had a gun!
The dead tell no tales.
Unless of course you are watching some silly CSI program.
A lot of people believe things happen in real life the same way they do on those CSI type shows.
Silly peoples.
I doubt if there is a lab like that anywhere for 1.
For 2 it is not likely to be in a city or state budget.
For 3 crime scenes just are not clean there is all kinds of DNA and other trace evidence of daily life to confuse any scene.
People like closure, in real life that seldom happens. TV provides us nice closure where everything fits together and wraps up nicely with no loose ends. If TV was like real life, who would want to watch it, I can get no closure and unresolved questions in my life everyday for free.
Good night JC.
Yep - it is addicting to see a happy ending or justice prevail every time.
No wonder so many people have a tough time dealing with reality.
I like horror movies myself, I'm not sure what that says about how I deal with reality. I'll sleep on it. Have a good night DKA
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/07/11/sources-dna-links-ows-subway-protest-to-2004-murder-of-sarah-fox/ Occupy Wall Street linked to 2004 murder of Sarah Fox. Those who support OWS support the killing of Sarah FoX! You are murderers!!
group mind! they are playing soldiers fighting domestic terrorists! the LIBERTY LOVERS or hippies or psychelics! the non-psychedelic can never enlighten the psychedelic! BEWARE OF THE NON-PSYCHEDELIC. the meek shall inherit the earth! we are sssembling to reclaim our birthright. our democratic homeland. our freedom of mind with a society for the good of the community and mankind. and no security forces playing soldiers and use real violence on civilians. this is a war crime. this shows the psychopathic nature of the police. this shows the tyranny that is living on our backs!
Nothing spells tyranny better than excessive force.
they are totally paranoid of losing control. typical bullies! provoke them to anger then film their psychopathic breakdown when they will start fighting each other!
I would rather provoke them to reason, but I don't know if it is possible.
they do not respect OWS as living human beings expressing our free speech peacefully. they are told not to listen, not to reason with us. they are told that we are domestic terrorists, a murderous threat to the state, the enemy within so they use unreasonable force and blatant violence to oppress and suppress us. when their violence is unsuccessful and their tactics are thwarted then they will get angry. that is when they will have the breakdown and start fighting and blaming each other. that is what we must push for! to outwit them and livestream their farcical attempts to regain order. ridicule them! just remember they are psychopathic bullies and cannot cope with public exposure.
They looked pretty silly (and excessive) to me, using grenades and busting in doors like gangbusters to raid....."anarchist" materials. On the local news where I live, about a week ago, they had an incident where a swat team busted into a grandmother's house (had the wrong location). They got ridiculed pretty good by the local news stations.
the police are an army of occupation! they have no sympathy with the locals! they are freemason thugs at the bottom of the fascist hierarchy. they do the dirty jobs. treating decent human beings as domestic terrorists. committing war crimes against civilians in the good old usa!
To threaten somebody thousands of miles away.
To threaten somebody thousands of miles away.
I didn't even know police carried grenades. What is next? bazookas.
With all that swat force, you'd think they would be able to more damage to a door than that pussy-ass little dent.
Who pays for fixing the door? What clothing are they talking about?
Let's see...a right-wing authoritarian government with strong corporate ties, and a militarized police force to quell dissent....sounds like fascism to me.
To all of you talking about fascism. I understand your point of course, and there are similarities, but let's not get overboard here. Fascism is one thing; a country whose economy is overwhelmingly run by the financial elite and multinational corporations, having lots of politicians in their back pocket is a little bit different.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suVPWNo4rcM&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYxGkFxb7f4&feature=plcp
It has some similarities but it's not the same. America is what you could call plutocracy, or a kleptocracy etc.
Maybe a fascist, plutocracy?
Yes, you're right, but with the militarized police force that proliferate every level of government, I am concerned.
You absolutley should be concerned. The financial elite will do anything they can to try to keep their enormous power - that includes police violence; and we must convince more and more people to join the struggle to take the power back from these non-elected 1%ers and create a real functioning democracy.
I work on convincing people to join this struggle as much as I can, and we should all be doing that on a daily basis when possible. For the past six months, or so i have been part of an OWS affinity group called Occupy Town Square which has events at parks or churches throughout NYC, and the main purpose of these is to educate people on the corupt dynamics that have been in place for the past thirty years, or more.
I really admire what you're doing. Don't ever stop your activism, it's very important.
Solidarity. Andy.
Thanks, I try to practice what I preach, although i have not done as much in the last six weeks while visiting family in AK. Also please know that my contributions to this group are limited (a once a week basis) as i live 65 miles from NYC. I do different things from home too...linking my area with the movement...sending out invitations to events, etc., but my contributions are miniscule to what they do. The amount of collaboration, and work being done in NYC between the different groups is amazing to me. These mostly young people are very bright, and dedicated to seeing this through. And no one is above taking part in direct actions, and being arrested for them. I admire them so much. Solidarity. John
Every individual must contribute with what he feels is right for him. It is the total sum of all contributions that will, eventually, tear down this unjust system we have today. The revolution has begun ;)
Yes it has begun, and we all must "contribute" whatever we can including direct actions, time, energy, reaching out, and we must support those bearing the burden of this revolution This must be a place of resistance, collaboration, and education, and it should not be involved with elections. That has to be kept separate at this point if we are going to succeed, as the corrupt status quo transcends political parties. We will persevere.
Sounds like llife under OBAMA!!!!
FOUR MORE YEARS of hope and change!
So Pres Obama is responsible for every local warrant/police action.
Are you uninformed or just an anti Obama partisan republican.?
Peace
[Removed]
BS this is not political. it is a social and spiritual revolution from the ground up. a true democratic movement from within our community. so you are spouting divisive political BS. so you do not feel our community in your heart. we have had enough of your "just fight among yourselves" BS for generations!
It started long before Obama, and it would be no better with a republican president.
And no worse
Short memory. The NeoCons had the Patriot Act on the shelf for years hoping for 9/11. They knew the people would never give up those liberties unless they were scared shitless. Preemptive wars on the credit card. Economic disaster. I don't want to do that again.
Much worse!
Possibly
[Removed]
it is fascism! it is the same royal/freemason elite that spawned and financed and guided fascism! america financed hitler, built his war machine, started WW2 and guided hitler into attacking russia!!
I'm am unaware of any of this.
lolol thanks for the laugh I won't even bother discrediting you it's more fun just letting your absurdities stand on their own right
you are misinformed! my post was the established facts! at least you betray yourself as being an interloper in our community and a fascist stooge! who is laughing now!!!!!!!
You are incorrect sir. Prior to WW2 the usa was an established neutral nation, even though they had strong social and financial ties to england. It was not until after ww2 we became the interloping fucktards we are now.
read the new Loftus book on nazi usa links. google prescott bush and george herbert walker who arranged the finance for hitler and built his war machine. there was no german economic miracle under hitler without american money. so they deliberately started WW2! their grandson george herbert walker bush started the war on terror with a FAKE terrorist attack on 911! only a dumbass would believe a raghead goat herder living in a mountain cave could order american air defences to stand down so they could fly two planes freely in american air space and using superpowers to bring down three towers which clearly are controlled demolitions to honest men.
pssst just out stalin financed the hoover dam, FDR didn't have the money
face the truth! 911 TRUTH