National Lawyers Guild Decries Terrorism Charges Against Occupy Activists protesting NATO Summit

Preemptive raids, terrorism and conspiracy charges are common characteristics of National Special Security Events

Chicago, IL -- After holding NATO protesters for up to 48 hours, and releasing 6 out of 9 arrestees without any charges, the City of Chicago filed state charges last night against 3 Occupy activists from Florida, including possession of explosives or incendiary devices, material support for terrorism, and conspiracy. On Wednesday night at approximately 11:30pm, police raided a house in the Bridgeport neighborhood, detained several people in multiple apartments, and arrested 9 activists. Police broke down doors with guns drawn and searched residences without a warrant or consent.

"The National Lawyers Guild deplores the charges against Occupy activists in the strongest degree," said Sarah Gelsomino with the NLG and the People's Law Office. "It's outrageous for the city to apply terrorism charges when it's the police who have been terrorizing activists and threatening their right to protest."

NLG attorneys are questioning why it took the city 48 hours, the limit on holding arrestees without a court hearing, to impose such serious charges. Although some accusations of Molotov cocktails have been made by police, they have provided no evidence of criminal intent or wrongdoing on the part of the activists. On Thursday, when asked about the raid at a press conference, Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy knew so little about the alleged terrorism investigation that he said he would have to gather further information before commenting.

The 3 activists charged are Jared Chase, Brent Beterly, and Brian Jacob Church. Last week, all three defendants were surrounded by several police squad cars outside of a CVS, detained for no apparent reason and asked questions about why they were in Chicago and what they planned to do during the NATO summit. One of the defendants recorded the encounter and posted an edited version on YouTube. When Superintendent McCarthy questioned the validity of the footage in the media, the entire video was quickly posted.

More than 20 people have been arrested so far in the lead up to the NATO summit, which begins tomorrow. At least 3 arrestees in addition to the ones charged tonight are still in custody. "Preemptive raids meant to intimidate and stifle dissent are all too common during National Special Security Events, such as the NATO summit," said Gelsomino.

NLG attorneys will be representing the 3 defendants in their criminal cases and will be at their bond hearing tomorrow at 12pm at 2600 South California Ave.

This is just the information I am finding everywhere.Me citroen cars and my friend were arguing about an issue similar to this! Now I know that I was Aston Martin Rapide right.Thanks for the information you post. I just subscribe your blog. This is a nice blog.

This is just the information I am finding everywhere.Me and volvo cars my friend were arguing about an issue similar to this! Now I know BMW X6 that I was right.Thanks for the information you post. I just subscribe your blog. This is a nice blog.

This is just the information I am finding everywhere.Me and used cars my friend were arguing about an issue similar to this! Now I know BMW 7 Series that I was right.Thanks for the information you post. I just subscribe your blog. This is a nice blog.

This is just the information I am finding everywhere.Me and Honda Civic my friend were arguing about an issue similar to this! Now I know that I was right.Thanks BMW X1 for the information you post. I just subscribe your blog. This is a nice blog.

This is just the information I am finding everywhere.Me new cars and my friend were arguing about an issue similar to this! Now I know that I was BMW X3 right.Thanks for the information you post. I just subscribe your blog. This is a nice blog.

The cops will find a loophole...they ALWAYS do...THEY'RE the law!! Make up laws as you go along!!

Believe me, I'd like to be able to have a little faith. But the "No" response contains part of the reason why, realistically, I had to go with that one. To Big Pharma and the prison industry, add many police departments that have been systemically corrupted by the ability to confiscate property (not to mention some indiviual officers who develop their own private shakedowns) and rural communities for whom the local prison has become the main employer.

One more aspect we need to be aware of. If you haven't seen it, I urge anyone interested in this issue--well, I'll expand that, I'd urge anyone--to read Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. Alexander argues cogently that the harsh legal sanctions of the past 30+ years against marijuana and other drugs have their origins as a strategy of political control, and function to keep racial minorities marginalized and disenfranchised.

http://cantontruth.blogspot.com/2008/02/satanic-stars-on-republican-party.html

This is a link to a website with an explanation of why the GOP stars were turned upside down, in 2000, when GW Bush was first elected, who had been a member of the Skull and Bones secret satanic society.

Thom, the avid Texan Republican did it again. You said that the GOP is satanic, and he said that you call HIM a satanist. They hear what they want to hear.

Thom,

I just heard on the AP news that Mitt W. Romney was showing how repair work to an historic bridge was an example of Obama's wasteful stimulus..
They got $150,000. towards the restoration but of course Romney got to call it a 'bridge to nowhere'.. Very clever for the Giant Pander..

Ok, I'm pretty sure that $150,000. is about what some millionaires would be given in the Romney or Ryan tax cuts.

Which $150,000. would create more jobs? I think this might be a really good comparison, on a scale that people can grasp, vs $500 million.. I'd love to see how many real jobs and how much local business came about from that $150,000. Ok, it might not be an interstate bridge, which I'm sure need work too, but I imagine the alternative would have been allowing it to crumble.

Just how many jobs would that 'average' millionaire create with his tax cut, or would they only be clerical jobs in the Cayman Islands?

Rick

face it, freedom is dead, freedom of speech even deader. America the beautiful? Land of the free? Home of the brave? More like the land of coporate cowards and brainwashed minions. I really never thought I'd see a day that America actually moved backwards in time. It is written in the underlying of stuff like the questionares one needs to fill out to get a job these days. Example, I filled out an app for a minimum wage part time grunt minion job on line and there were three quite disturbing questions, all multiple choice and yes an answer is required!, that had to do with,

A. what my mom and dad might think of me now? uh, what if a person has no mom and dad?

B. Do i think poloticians are honest or dishonest. what the hell does this have to do with me being qualified for a grunt job working as a minion? tell mE!

C. what % of people do i think cheat on thier tax returns. The fact that i do tax prep for my real living?ethically? I should not have to answer.

And then the one i love the best that came about back in the 90s, that little clause one needs to read in respects to "employed at will".

Slavery lives well and good folks yes indeed it does!!!! occupy, occupy, occupy!!!

worse yet? all the $$$ the wife wnd i have sitting in the retirement account that i can't pull without penalty. pisser is if i could yank some of it i would. pay off the house and get the kid through college all without strees yet here i sit wondering if the GOP will tank the economy again and we lose another chunk of what little we have to the pigs and crooks of wall street....!!! WOW my head hurts! ARGHHHH.