Activists Arrested « VeganThis

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FBI Makes Arrest in A.L.F “Lone Wolf” Arsons

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

walter-bond

Informant used in arrest of Walter Bond for “A.L.F. Lone Wolf” arsons

News is emerging, but the FBI has arrested a man in connection with the A.L.F. arson at Sheepskin Factory in Denver, Colorado. Walter Bond, 34, was arrested by federal agents Thursday.

The FBI alleges Bond admitted to an informant to setting two additional fires – one at Tandy Leather Factory, the other at Tiburon (foie gras restaurant), both in Utah. In anonymous communiques, “A.L.F. Lone Wolf” took credit.

The criminal complaint outlines the case against Walter Bond, and alleges the following:

*On July 1st, investigators received a call from a confidential informant wishing to provide information on the Sheepskin Factory and Tandy Leather Factory arsons. The informant stated Bond had told him/her in a telephone call from the Salt Lake City library to refer to Voice of the Voiceless and scroll down to an article on the Sheepskin Factory arson to learn what he’d “been up to lately”.

*On July 22nd, the confidential informant arranged a monitored conversation with Walter Bond in a Ramada Inn in Denver, Colorado. Investigators allege Bond was heard admitting to three arsons: Sheepskin Factory, Leather Factory, and Tiburon. Bond was arrested subsequent to the conversation.

The arrest follows three months of A.L.F. activity in which three businesses (in UT and CO) were targeted by arson. “A.L.F. Lone Wolf” took credit for all three arsons in two communiques. Coverage of the arsons can be read at:

Sheepskin Factory arson story

Tandy Leather Factory arson story

Tiburon restaurant arson story

To date, Bond is charged only with the Sheepskin Factory arson. The crime carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years in federal prison. Additional charges for the two Utah arsons are possible.

The suspect also served prison time in 1997 for an arson at a meth lab in Iowa. Bond received notoriety when the vegan straight edge band Earth Crisis wrote a song about Bond and the arson titled “To Ashes” for their 2009 album “To The Death”.

The criminal complaint makes note of the term “Go Vegan” used in one of the Long Wolf communiques, and Bond’s “Vegan” neck tattoo.

The timeline of events leading to Walter Bond’s arrest, as outlined in the criminal complaint, are as follows:

April 30th, 2010

Fire destroys Sheepskin Factory store in Denver, Colorado. The uninsured building is destroyed, causing $500,000 damages.

Investigators review security camera footage showing an individual wearing a hooded sweatshirt and backpack near the building around the time of the fire.

June 5th, 2010

The Tandy Leather Factory in Salt Lake City, Utah is broken into and a fire is set causing extensive damage.

July 1st, 2010

The FBI receives a call from a confidential informant, stating Walter Bond had admitted to him/her he was responsible for two fires: the Sheepskin Factory arson, and a second fire at Tandy Leather Factory in Salt Lake City, Utah. The informant stated he/she believed Bond contacted him/her from a payphone at the Salt Lake City Library. When asked what he had been up to lately, Bond reportedly told the informant to visit www.voiceofthevoiceless.org, and that that’s what he’d “been up to”.

July 3rd, 2010

Tiburon, a restaurant serving foie gras in Sandy, Utah, is set on fire. Damages estimated at $10,000.

July 22nd, 2010

The informant arranges a meeting with Walter Bond at a Ramada Inn in Denver, Colorado. The meeting is recorded and monitored by the ATF. Agents state they hear Bond admit to setting the fires at Sheepskin Factory, Leather Factory, and Tiburon. Bond reportedly stated it angered him the business made a profit from animals. Agents also report he stated he intended to burn Sheepskin Factory down again “in a couple of years”.

Subsequent to the monitored conversation, agents arrest Walter Bond. On his person they allegedly find a copy of “Declaration of War – Killing People to Save Animals and the Environment“.

Bond remains held in a Denver jail.

More news on the arrest will be made available as it emerges.

-Peter Young”

Posted in Activists Arrested, Animal Liberation, Animal Liberation Front, Animal Rights, Anti Fur, Direct Action, Prisoner Support, Vegan Outreach | 3 Comments »

Death Trade: Solidarity With Isaac & Michael!

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

deathh222

Isaac & Michael have been holding down a consistent and dedicated campaign against Ribnick Furs, which is the last fur store in Minneapolis. The desperate fur store owner calling the police out became a frequent occurrence during the protests. Since the activists were in their legal right to be protesting, they were able to continue to do so. On March 4th, 2010 they were arrested for ‘Disorderly Conduct’. Both, expecting to get the case thrown out on the grounds of the charge violating their free speech were very surprised that a misdemeanor charge would turn into such a legal battle.

The charge was fought in court, but they were eventually convicted of disorderly conduct. The punishment for the defendants was minor, but the legal implications — that free speech can be curbed and prosecuted if found to be annoying – holds eerie legal ramifications for anyone who protests.

“So far, our lawyer, Jordan Kushner, has been working without pay and we are very thankful to have found him. To appeal this very important First Amendment case, there are numerous costs that inevitable will be incurred so we need to raise a few thousand dollars. Any leftover money will given to the Support Carrie and Scott Support Committee (http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com)”.

We have two ways setup for you to donate. You can mail in a donation or pay with Paypal.

The most preferred method is to mail a check or money order to:

Death Trade
c/o Coldsnap Legal Collective
P.O. Box 50514
Minneapolis, MN 55405

Donate by Paypal

Posted in Activists Arrested, Animal Rights, Anti Fur, Vegan Outreach | No Comments »

AETA 4 Case Dismissed! Re-Indictment Possible

Monday, July 12th, 2010

I took this from Green Is The New Red because, as usual, it couldn’t have been worded any better.

aeta_4-300x238

A U.S. District Court has thrown out the indictment of four animal rights activists who were charged with violating the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, because the government did not clearly explain what, exactly, the protesters did.

When Joseph Buddenberg, Maryam Khajavi, Nathan Pope and Adriana Stumpo were arrested in 2009, prosecutors said little other than that the group allegedly chalked slogans on the sidewalk, distributed fliers and attended protests. Later, when they were officially indicted, the government was still tight-lipped about how their non-violent, above-ground protests amounted to “terrorism.”

In response, the Center for Constitutional Rights and attorney Matthew Strugar led an effort to have the indictments dismissed. In short, they argued that the charges should be dropped because they seem to involve only protected First Amendment speech, but that in order to make that argument the defendants’ speech must be clearly identified.

Here’s an excerpt from Judge Ronald M. Whyte’s ruling:

In order for an indictment to fulfill its constitutional purposes, it must allege facts that sufficiently inform each defendant of what it is that he or she is alleged to have done that constitutes a crime. This is particularly important where the species of behavior in question spans a wide spectrum from criminal conduct to constitutionally protected political protest. While “true threats” enjoy no First Amendment protection, picketing and political protest are at the very core of what is protected by the First Amendment. Where the defendants’ conduct falls on this spectrum in this case will very likely ultimately be decided by a jury. Before this case proceeds to a jury, however, the defendants are entitled to a more specific indictment setting forth their conduct alleged to be criminal. [emphasis added]

OHSU Primate Research Center Lockdown

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

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Click HERE for video!

On Monday, June 28th at 8:30 AM, five activists held a road block lockdown at the entrance of Oregon Health & Science University’s National Primate Research Center. Thirty protesters showed up in support shortly after the lockdown. Workers at the center were delayed for well over an hour as the activists held their ground. The Primate Center is notorious for their torture of primates in the use of pointless experimentation that have proved nothing in over 40 years of research.

The center has had on going construction on their main access road, and scrambled to construct a makeshift roadway where one was previous torn out. Their efforts didn’t lessen the blockade though, as the newly fashioned dirt road was fast sinking during use. Four long hours later, at 12:45 p.m., the police cautiously cut them out and eventually had to use a reciprocating saw borrowed from the fire department. The supporter rally stayed with them throughout, with persistent chanting, through police threats of arrest and K-9 unit scare tactics.

It definitely was a burden for OHSU, as costs for a construction crew to provide a dirt roadway, just to tear it all back up again put a serious kink in their day’s work. Not to mention how employee work and productivity was definitely disrupted. As the paddywagon, containing the five arrested activists, doors where closing as they were still chanting along with their team of supporters.

For more information on the animal experimentation going on at the ONPRC, please visit: OHSU Kills Primates.Com

Tags: lockdown, ohsu kills animals, ohsu protest
Posted in Activists Arrested, Animal Liberation, Animal Rights, Civil Disobedience, Vegan Outreach | No Comments »

Representation of Activists

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Speaking panel “Representation of Activists” at the “Animal Law: Working with the Grassroots” conference May 16, 2008. The event was sponsored by the University of WA Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Pt. 1 Will Potter of Green is the New Red.Com

Pt. 2 Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties Defense Center

Pt. 3 Shannon Keith ( Film maker and Activist Lawyer )

Posted in Activists Arrested, Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, Animal Liberation Front, Animal Rights, Benefit, Civil Disobedience, Direct Action, Grand Jury, Prisoner Support, Vegan Outreach | No Comments »

Fellow Activists in Austria Need Us!

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Fellow Activists in Austria need us! They are facing 5 years in jail for legal protest activity! All it takes is a minute!

“On 21 May 2008, special units of the Austrian police arrested 10 leading campaigners from the country’s successful animal protection movement. The activists, among them a former research assistant at the University of Cambridge, were put on remand. The Ministry of the Interior boasted they had hunted down a criminal gang responsible for numerous cases of arson, gas attacks and bomb threats.

However, the imprisoned people insisted that the prosecution files they were eventually given access to contained absolutely no evidence of any criminal offence but rather a description of their campaigning for changing laws and business policies. One of the prisoners went on hunger strike and stayed without food for 39 days. Fierce criticism came from many well-known personalities and organisations, including Amnesty International and the Green Party.

After more than three months, a senior state prosecutor ordered release of the activists, saying the time spent in custody must be in proportion to the expected sentence. This drove away most of the public attention, but the case wasn’t over. In February 2010, the state prosecution announced that enough evidence had been found to put 13 animal protection activists, including the ten who had spent three months in custody, on trial.

Four of the activists have released their charge sheets on the internet. The worst fears have been fulfilled. There is nothing in the charge sheets that could be seen as evidence of criminal behaviour. Rather, the activists’ supposed membership in a criminal organisation is deduced from an extensive list of expressed opinions and political activities, such as organising demonstrations and public conferences.

The trial is expected to last 6 months. The activists are facing up to 5 years imprisonment and will have to pay over €35,000 each for defence lawyers, which will not be reimbursed even if the trial results in acquittal.

This cannot be tolerated. Austria must not be allowed to terrorise its citizens with financial ruin and imprisonment because of their political activities.”

They have made a web site about political persecution on activists in Austria. Please read up and learn about their case.

Please sign and send the email here! It only takes a minute!

Posted in Activists Arrested, Animal Rights, Prisoner Support, Vegan Outreach | No Comments »

Carrie Feldman Released From Jail.

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

After 4 months in jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury, Carrie Feldman was released today. We would like to thank everyone for making her time in jail a little more pleasant by writing her!

Article about her release

Davenport Grand Jury

Tags: ALF, Carrie Feldman, Grand Jury, IOWA Raid 2004
Posted in Activists Arrested, Animal Liberation Front, Animal Rights, Direct Action, Prisoner Support | No Comments »

Animal Rights Activist in Danbury, CT area in need!

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

lauren

Lauren Gazzola is an animal rights activist who has spent the last 3 1/2 years in prison in Danbury because of her involvement in a campaign to close down animal testing laboratory Huntingdon Life Sciences.

Lauren has served her sentence with dignity and has spent most of her time inside pursuing a Masters degree in the First Amendment, and applying to law school. She has continued to speak out for animals through her writings, interviews and studies.

Lauren will be released to a halfway house in Hartford on March 17th. More than ever she needs our help! She is being dropped into a new environment and a new city, with limited money, knowledge of the city and with a whole lot of rules from the Halfway House.

What she needs now (aside from a job) is folks in and around Hartford who might be willing to help her out. People to show her around the city, bring food to the HWH, give her a ride to the grocery store…

Lauren has not gotten much information about what the rules and regulations are for the HWH so this all might change, but if you are at all interesting in helping her out (however you can) please contact Lance at LMorosini@earthlink.net

for more information on Lauren and the SHAC7, please visit

www.shac7.com

www.supportlauren.com

Posted in Activists Arrested, Prisoner Support, Uncategorized | No Comments »

No olympics on stolen native land

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Here is some video taken from the Friendly Fire Collective about the resistance going on in Vancouver, BC against the 2010 Olympics. ‘No olympics on stolen native land‘

Tags: anarchist, native land, no olympics on stolen native land
Posted in Activists Arrested, Civil Disobedience, Direct Action | No Comments »

Steve Murphy pleads guilty in california arson attempt

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

P1070772

Steven ‘Steve’ James Murphy, 44, pleaded guilty this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles to one count of conspiracy to commit arson. The attempt was an incendiary device set up with a lit cigarette used as a delayed timer. Since this was just an attempt, this means the cigarette failed to detonate the device.

The attempted arson was at the construction site of the multi-million dollar historic condominium project known as the ‘Vista Del Arroyo Bugalows’.

This action was most likely taken in defense of our earth. Destroying the construction of the condo’s inflicting economic damage to corporations and the entities to blame for the earths pollution and destruction.

Steve also allegedly admitted to disabling the ignition of a tractor that was being used on the job site and writing”ANOTHER TRACTOR DECOMMISSIONED BY THE E.L.F”

We will bring you news on Steve, as it becomes available.

Tags: Direct Action, Earth Liberation Front, elf, Prisoner Support, steven murphy, vegan
Posted in Activists Arrested, Direct Action, Earth Liberation Front, Prisoner Support, Uncategorized | No Comments »