FBI agents raid Occupy associated Portland houses

I have noticed, during the last few weeks, that the police and other law enforcement/military members in the USA have been targeting streamers during protests. Dept of Homeland Security is being called in to join police, military with increasing frequency. One streamer was viciously attacked in NYC, sustaining a broken back, police destroyed his media equipment, blocking out the sound, so his cries of pain could not be heard. Another person, luckily, was able to capture his screams. All of his equipment was confiscated and destroyed and he was jailed.

Also, in NYC, I witnessed a police officer literally run into a group of protestors after an officer behind him shouted "Arrest that guy for wearing an Anonymous mask!" The Anon, was grabbed by the police officer and dragged away. I subsequently was informed that there is a law still on the books from 1845 stating that it is illegal to wear masks in public!!

In addition, at the very end of the Anaheim, CA, USA Protest, which was not organized by Occupy, but rather the community, police were seen firing randomly on citizens who were exiting the nearby grocery store. They also fired upon TimCast, a Ustream citizen journalist!! Both Tim and his fellow journalist, a woman whose name I cannot remember at this time (sorry), were forced to seek refuge behind trash dumpsters. Tim was audibly distressed and was heard saying nervously "omg! I felt that rubber bullet whiz right by my head!" On his Ustream, Tim showed several of these 'bullets', which are very, very large. This is a new and very disturbing, developing story in the US and appears to be occurring more frequently.

All members of Occupy, including streamers, need to be aware of this nefarious trend and need to take extreme security measures at any and all upcoming events/protests!! Please also, surround our friends from Anonymous and keep them surrounded and protected, as well as everybody else participating. Numbers are paramount! Our safety is paramount!!

One man at the Anaheim protest, not an Occupy member, was shot at point-blank range in the stomach with a "totally harmless, completely safe" rubber bullet! He was simply trying to get his bicycle in order to leave the area. Yes, right, tell Scott Olsen about the 'safety' of these rubber bullets! Scott is permanently paralyzed, after being shot in the head with a 'harmless' rubber bullet and he knows first hand just how 'safe' these rubber bullets are!!!

I am writing this in order to make Occupy and Occupy streamers in the USA aware of this, in order to advise them of the extent to which police/military, etc are now willing to go to intimidate people into NOT participating in important protests/events.

PLEASE STAY SAFE EVERYONE!! BE VERY AWARE AT ALL TIMES OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND DO NOT SPLIT OFF FROM THE GROUP!!!

Peace, solidarity and love from Phoenix, Arizona, USA <3

http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2012/07/27/breaking-interview-and-documents-from-fbi-raid-show-feds-are-targeting-anarchists

The first interview with any of the Portlanders who were served grand jury subpoenas as FBI agents searched their homes on Wednesday, July 25, shines some light on what authorities may be hoping to achieve with the raids.

Dennison Williams was in bed at his house on NE 8th Avenue on Wednesday morning when he heard a bang and someone shout, "FBI!" Then came a loud crash, which turned out to be agents breaking down his front door, and Williams heard a bang and a saw a flash of light—the agents throwing flash grenades. Williams started yelling from his bed that he was upstairs and unarmed.

"I was scared," he said. "The police in this town have a history of shooting people, I was worried they would accidentally shoot me."

According to Williams, FBI officers entered his room with assault rifles and kept them aimed at him while they handcuffed him. They put him in a chair for about 30 minutes while they searched his house. Williams says there were about 15 FBI officers in the house, plus one Portland police officer on the street outside. According to the property receipt Williams received from the officers, the feds seized several items, including his computer, phone, hard-drive, two thumb drives, and various clothes (including black jeans, black t-shirt, and a black bandana). They then served him a subpoena to appear at a grand jury in Seattle next Thursday, August 2nd.

Williams is not sure exactly what the grand jury is meeting about, but that likely they want to ask him about other people. The FBI has said only that the raids are part of an ongoing "violent crime" investigation.

"It's related to political opposition, it's related to political dissent," says Williams. "They're trying to create a wedge within people who are resistors... They're specifically pursuing anarchists."

The FBI search warrant states that they are looking to seize items which may be evidence regarding the crimes of conspiracy to destroy government property, interstate travel with intent to riot, and conspiracy to travel interstate with intent to riot. Those items include: Clothing and related items work during commission of offenses; paint; sticks and flags similar to those used or carried during the commission of the offenses, and material for making flags; anti-government or anarchist literature, documentation or communications related to the offenses, flares, computers or electronic storage media of any kind.

On July 10th, Seattle police officers staged a similar raid on the house of some Occupy Mayday protesters in Seattle. On the day Williams' house and two other houses in Portland were searched, the FBI served grand jury subpoenas to people in Olympia and Seattle, as well. Williams was not sure how many people were served subpoenas, but thinks it is somewhere around seven people, and says he "will not cooperate" with the grand jury. Anyone who refuses to testify when subpoenaed can potentially face jail time.

Political supporters calling themselves the "Committee Against Political Repression" have already set up a website to post information about the case and take donations to the legal fund: NoPoliticalRepression.wordpress.com. There, they've posted a "solidarity statement" from numerous activist groups condemning the "series of coordinated raids."