Today, EWOK! members Carrie Feldman and Scott DeMuth refused to testify in front of a grand jury in Davenport, Iowa, and were found to be in contempt of court. They were immediately handcuffed and hauled off by U.S. Marshalls. According to District Judge John Jarvey, who presided over the contempt hearings, both will remain incarcerated until they agree to testify. The state can lock them up for the duration of the grand jury–another 11 months.

For reasons all too familiar and valid to anyone who has followed the escalation of Green Scare repression, both Carrie and Scott refused to cooperate with the grand jury by providing information about themselves and their comrades. We stand in solidarity with them for refusing to be complicit in their own persecution. We will stand with them every day until they are free.

While the law does not compel the U.S. Attorney’s Office to disclose the subject of the grand jury investigation, supporters believe that it is likely related to an unsolved Animal Liberation Front action in 2004 at the University of Iowa. At the time, Carrie was only 15 years old and Scott was only 17 years old; both were residents of the Twin Cities.

However, both have more recently been involved in supporting political prisoners, specifically those incarcerated as a result of the government’s targeting of animal-rights and environmental activists. Carrie, Scott, and their communities feel that this support work has now made them targets as well.

Prior to their grand jury appearances today and the contempt hearings that followed, between 30 and 40 supporters rallied outside the Federal Courthouse in Davenport. The support rally was characterized by a disproportionate law enforcement presence, and the proceedings themselves by a sense in the courtroom that the state’s actions were perfunctory at best. District Judge Jarvey dismissed out of hand arguments offered by both Carrie and Scott’s counsel regarding the need for them to remain free. For instance, Carrie is her ailing grandmother’s caretaker and Scott is currently a graduate student whose intellectual and professional integrity would be irreparably damaged by participating in a sealed investigation. In response, the judge simply read verbatim the legal language about contempt charges and then ordered the two taken into custody immediately.

For his part, U.S. Attorney Cliff Cronk not only ignored the calls that flooded his office on Monday demanding that the subpoenas be quashed, allowing Carrie and Scott to continue on with their lives, but went substantially further down the rabbit hole. In Carrie’s case, in particular, his arguments and implications were egregiously over-the-top. Cross-examining Carrie’s father, for instance, Cronk cynically implied that the elderly grandmother she cares for was a sort of pawn in an elaborate ruse to avoid incarceration. He suggested that a shirt Carrie had been photographed wearing, in which the letters “L” and “F” were visible, was evidence of “membership” in either the ALF or ELF. And he even cited the fact that she has a white rat companion animal as evidence of … something or other. It would all be a rather inspired piece of satire if he were kidding.

With both Carrie and Scott currently incarcerated, it’s unfortunately clear he’s not.

But the community members who attended the morning’s rally – as well as those who publicly gathered in support from Minneapolis to Dallas, TX – aren’t laughing, either. They have vowed to mount pressure on Cronk’s office, demanding Carrie and Scott’s immediate release. Since the grand jury process gleans much of its power from its secrecy, they intend to increase the attention currently being cast on these Orwellian proceedings.

Prior to appearing before the grand jury, Carrie and Scott prepared statements regarding the repression they are facing:

Carrie Feldman

Today I have my second appearance before a federal grand jury that is investigating animal rights actions that occurred at the University of Iowa in 2004. Last month, after being subpoenaed in Minneapolis with one day’s notice, I appeared before this grand jury and plead my Fifth
Amendment right to remain silent. Today, that right will be sidestepped with technical legal “protections” that have little or no substantive value.  I will once again be put in front of a grand jury with no lawyer present in the room, and once again they will attempt to coerce me to testify.

The prosecutor has filed to grant me immunity. I do not need immunity from prosecution for a crime that I was not involved in and have no relation to.  This will not change my decision to refuse to cooperate with the grand jury.  I stand here today in solidarity with everyone who has stood up to resist the exploitation of the environment and animals, the repression of the state, and the abuses of the justice system.

In anticipation of my refusal to cooperate, the court has scheduled a contempt hearing for today at ten o’clock. And they’re right. I do feel contempt for a justice system that prosecutes people for property damage that is done in defense of life, while real violence is committed at the hands of vivisectors, the police, and the military on a daily basis. I feel contempt for the federal agents that would use these prosecutions as a pretext to investigate above ground movements and activists like me, with no apparent grounds other than my political beliefs and legal activities.  I will not help them to do this, and I will not let them violate my rights and privacy.

Today, I may be taken to jail for up to eleven months, solely for taking a moral stand against an institution that I believe to be corrupt and obsolete.  I have not been accused of any crime. So let me ask you this, Clifford Cronk. Is it worth it to you? Is it worth it to you when my friend’s eight year old sobs, wondering if her mother could be going to jail next? Is it worth it, Tom Reinwart? Is it worth it to you when my elderly grandma is without a caretaker? Is this what you work for, Melissa Hendrickson? Is it worth it to tear an innocent 20-year-old woman away from everyone that she loves and cares for? Is this justice?

Thank you for your support.

Scott DeMuth

Hau Mitakuyapi. Cante wasteya nape ciyuzapi do. Iyuskinyan waciyankapi do. Dakota ia Hepan emakiyapi do. Wasicu ia Scott DeMuth emakiyapi do. Damakota do. Oyate mitawa kin hena Bdewakantunwan ewicakiyapi do. Bdote heciya tanhan wahi do. Wanna nina cante mawaste do.

Hello all my relatives. With a good heart, I greet you all with a handshake. It is good to see all of you here today. My name is Scott. My place name is Dakota is Hepan. I am from Bdote, the confluence of the Mnisota and Mississippi Rivers, where the creation of the Bdewakantunwan took place.

Before anything else, I wanted to address you all in the Dakota language. State repression isn’t anything new to this country, or even to this city. One hundred and forty-six years ago, only a few
miles from this courthouse, over 300 Dakota prisoners of war were held in a concentration camp. Over a third of them died in their captivity. Whatever happens to me today, whatever I face, it will be easy in
light of the hardships those men faced. Right now, my heart is really good. I am glad to see so many people from so many of the communities I am a part of here to support me today. Being part of a community means we help each other. We support each other. We strengthen each other. And sometimes, we must make sacrifices for each other.

Grand juries started as an important part of our justice system to prevent over-reaching prosecuting powers. However, this process has been used historically against political movements. In the context of
this history, most recently in the Green Scare, when investigative techniques of law enforcement have been halted by the silence of political movements, grand juries have been used as a tactic to intimidate our communities and as an attempt to coerce testimony from movement members. This is an abuse of a constitutionally mandated process by using it as an investigative tool rather than its intended purpose.

Grand juries can be very disempowering for us all, and especially for those targeted by them. We face questioning without legal counsel present or a right to remain silent. We can be threatened, coerced,
and jailed. However, no punishment could be worse than surrendering our values. And this decision, whether we cooperate or resist, is the one thing we, as individuals, have control of in this process.
Luckily, this is the choice that allows these grand juries to succeed or to fail.

Our willingness to cooperate and to be complacent, our willingness to be intimidated and to be scared, not only serves to legitimize these proceedings, but it also empowers the tactics of state repression.
However, when we as individuals, with the strength and backing of our communities, are no longer afraid of their punishment, choose to resist this process and refuse to cooperate, we dis-empower this
tactic and give strength to our communities. We return the strength that is given to us.

So thank you all for giving me that strength. And I only hope to give back as much as has been given to me.

***
Supporters are still determining where Scott and Carrie are being held. Watch for more information about where to send them mail, as well as other ways to help. Meanwhile, legal funds are needed.

To donate, and for more information about Carrie and Scott, please visit http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com.

***********Davenport Grand Jury Update***********

A second person, Scott DeMuth of Minneapolis, has been subpoenaed to the federal grand jury in Davenport, Iowa. Scott, along with previously subpoenaed anarchist Carrie Feldman, plans to resist the grand jury. His statement, as well as support info, is below.

November 9, 2009
After leaving my house at 5:50 PM, I was pulled over by several unmarked black sedans. I was approached by Steven Molesky, Special Agent of the Minneapolis Division of the FBI, and served a subpoena for a grand jury in Davenport. The grand jury is scheduled for November 17, 2009, at 9:00 AM at the Davenport Courthouse. Given the recent subpoena of Twin Cities activist Carrie Feldman for the same date and time, I believe these subpoenas are related. While the subject of the investigation has not been disclosed, it seems likely that the grand jury is investigating a 2004 Animal Liberation Front action at the University of Iowa.
Grand juries have been used as an integral tactic in the Green Scare, which is the ongoing repression of both legal and illegal activities of the environmentalist and animal rights/animal liberation movements. During the proceeding, no judge or defense counsel may be present. People subpoenaed to testify may be threatened with up to 18 months imprisonment if they fail to comply. As such, grand juries have often been used as fishing expeditions against activists, accused of breaking no laws, in an attempt to mine for information about others.
A scan of the subpoena will be up on http://tc.indymedia.org. If you have any information about this grand jury or have been subpoenaed as well, please contact Earth Warriors are OK! at 612-29-EWOKS (612-293-9657) or e-mail ewok@riseup.net. For further information about the grand jury in Davenport, visit:
http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com

Down With Grand Juries! Up the Midwest! Fight the Green Scare!
Yours, Scott
EWOK!
Anpao Duta Okodakciye

***********Solidarity and Events***********

Solidarity rallies are planned in Davenport and Minneapolis on November 17th. We are encouraging people to hold solidarity rallies in their own cities if they can’t make the trip.

Davenport, IA Rally: 8:15am outside the federal courthouse, 131 E. 4th St
Minneapolis Rally: 9am outside the federal courthouse, 300 S 4th St.

If you don’t live in Minneapolis, where will yours be? PDFs of fliers to use are at http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com, and we’re asking people to let us know about other planned solidarity events.

* Also, if you are in Minneapolis, please come to this event on Thursday, November 12th!

Potluck and Discussion about Grand Jury Resistance
November 12, 6:00 P.M. at the Seward Cafe, 2129 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN

Come support Carrie and Scott and show that our community will stand together to fight state repression!

At 8:00 there will be a hip-hop show with Testament and Guante.

Some info about Testament:

Testament is an Anarchist hip-hop artist based in ‘Kanada’, and has become well-known in radical communities for spitting revolutionary rhymes at major demonstrations, festivals, anarchist bookfairs, conferences, radical convergences, as well as in the underground hip-hop scene. Here to change hip-hop and steal its soul back from the glorified violence, materialism, sexism, and racism that the music industry creates promotes and markets for their own capitalist purposes, Testament never pulls punches or shies away from spreading confrontational dissent through powerful, thought-provoking rhymes.

Get the flyer at http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com

***********General Support Info***********

There are a number of additional ways you can help and support Carrie and Scott in resisting the grand jury.

* Fundraise!

While fundraising isn’t a huge priority right now, Carrie and Scott are still considering options for their representation, and could require funds to hire a lawyer with grand jury resistance experience. Also, it would be awesome to have money ready to go for commissary if they are taken in to jail.

You can donate via Paypal at http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com.

* Spread the word!

Prosecutors love it when grand juries function in their shadowy secretive lairs and no one knows about it except their quivering targets. Fatchance! Much like vampires shriveling up in the light of day, grand juries have been canceled in the past when the harsh light of public outcry has been cast upon them. Any time you hear about grand juries happening, tell people about it! And even if one isn’t happening, tell people about what they are and what they do. Most people have no idea about how they work, and they ways in which they are used to violate our rights and freedoms.

On that note, if anyone is interested in making posters/fliers/pamphlets about it that would be awesome.

* Resist grand juries!

As Carrie said, grand juries only work when we are frightened, complicit, and divided. So don’t be! When the subpoena shows up at your door, put a sabot in the cogs of their repressive system and stand up for what you believe. Don’t let them frighten you, you have an amazing community of support and resistance at your back.

* Organize!

One of the most meaningful ways to support Carrie and Scott is to continue organizing and fighting exploitation and oppression.

Thanks to everyone for your support! We will post updates at http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com as they come.

And as always–stay safe, stay strong and fuck grand juries!

Update from Carrie, who was subpoenaed to a federal grand jury in Iowa on October 15th:

Today I had my first appearance before the federal grand jury in Davenport, Iowa. I was represented by a federal public defender (although he could not be present in the grand jury with me). After reading a brief statement expressing that I would not testify, I was released with a subpoena to reappear before the grand jury again on the 17th of November at 9:00 A.M. It is likely that at this time I will be held in contempt of court for continuing to remain silent, and could face jail time up to the length of the grand jury (it convenes for 12 months total, which leaves 11 remaining after my November appearance). We are still looking into legal questions regarding how long they could hold me.

Although the prosecutor has still not been forthcoming as to what the are investigating me for, I now feel confident in assuming that they are looking into an ALF action that occurred at the University of Iowa in 2004. Many different signs, including a question from one of the jurors, have indicated this.

Some info about federal grand juries in Iowa:

The federal grand jury in Iowa has sessions for two days at a time, once a month. They are convened for 12 months at a time. There is always a grand jury going on and they hear a variety of cases–they are not convened for any specific thing. They are secret, and even the public defenders working on those cases are kept very much in the dark. The current grand jury convened on October 14th.

Here’s the statement I read to the grand jury:

First of all, I would like to state, unequivocally and most certainly for the record, that I have no intention of testifying before this grand jury. Based on information from the prosecutor indicating that I may be a target of this investigation, I am invoking my Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. But beyond that, I am refusing to cooperate based on a sincere belief that to do so would run counter to my deeply held convictions and values.

Grand juries were originally created to prevent arbitrary indictments, but are now used as a tool of the prosecution to gather information. Grand juries undercut basic rights supposedly granted in the Constitution by denying access to counsel and coercing testimony. They are now, and have been for some time, used to investigate and intimidate those who would express dissent.

This is only effective when we are complicit, when we are frightened, when we are divided. Today my voice may waver, as I stand alone in this room. But I know I speak with the voice of every one of my friends, loved ones, and comrades when I say this: We will not be intimidated. We will not cooperate. I have nothing more to say to you.

Thanks to everyone for how much support I’ve gotten already. It means so
much to me to know you have my back.

If you want to stay updated on my case, visit http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com

And remember–stay safe, stay strong, and fuck grand juries!

This is a statement from an EWOK! member who was subpoenaed to a federal grand jury in Iowa today:

October 13, 2009
Minneapolis, MN

Shortly after leaving my house today at 5:00, I was pulled over by an unmarked black SUV, and approached by two FBI agents from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They served me a subpoena to appear before a federal grand jury in Davenport, Iowa on Thursday, October 15th. They identified themselves as Tom Reinwart and Melissa Henderson, and gave the Cedar Rapids, Iowa FBI office as their contact information (Phone number 319-366-2461). I was also notified recently that a federal agent had contacted my high school with a subpoena for my attendance records from 2004, presumably in relation to the same event. While it is still unclear what the grand jury is investigating, our basic internet research has found that there were some acts of animal rights vandalism in Iowa during the time period in question.

A scan of the subpoena is attached here: http://twincities.indymedia.org/files/GrandJurySubpoena10-13-09_0.pdf

We have no information yet of other activists being subpoenaed. If you have any information about this grand jury or have been subpoenaed as well, please contact Earth Warriors are OK! at 612-29-EWOKS (612-293-9657) or e-mail  ewok@riseup.net.

Stay safe, stay strong, and fuck grand juries!

Yours,

Carrie Feldman
Coldsnap Legal Collective
EWOK!

Political Prisoner Benefit Show for Marie Mason Sunday October 18th
Bedlam Theater
1501 S. 6th St. Mpls
8pm All Ages
with BROADCAST LIVE (NY)
EVAN GREER (MA)
JUNKYARD EMPIRE
E.G. BAILEY
GUANTEBARTON STINK
Suggested $5-10 donation

Marie Mason is a long-time labor and environmental activist, musician, poet, visual artist, and loving mother of two. She is currently in prison in Waseca, MN for her role in two Earth Liberation Front (ELF) acts of economic sabotage in which no one was injured. Marie’s case is part of the Greenscare: the politically-motivated government crackdown on environmental
and animal rights activists.
http://supportmariemason.org/
http://freemarie.org/

The fundraiser will feature the radical hip hop group from New York BROADCAST LIVE and RiotFolk Collective member EVAN GREER from Boston on their cross-country Steel Strings and Break Beats Tour, as well as three local acts launching their Verbal Graffiti Tour. JUNKYARD EMPIRE is a Hip Hop/Jazz/Rock band that
just released their new acclaimed album Rebellion Politik. Tru Ruts artists GUANTE – slam poet and mc extraordinaire- and E.G. BAILEY – a true spoken word master and multi-faceted artist- round out the Verbal Graffiti Tour. Also performing will be the hip hop/electronic/experimental artist BARTON STINK who recently performed at Camp Trans as well as a local show with JD Samson and Johanna Fateman of Le Tigre.

Co-sponsored by EWOK! (Earth Warriors are OK!)
and the Twin Cities Branch of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World

Join EWOK! in Powderhorn Park for our first annual (that means second ever!) Ice Cream Social…

When: Sunday, August 16th, 4:30 pm

Where: Powderhorn Park, by the stage downhill from 10th  Ave. S. and 33rd St.

Cost: Whatever you can give, all proceeds go to support anti-I-69 arrestees facing racketeering charges in Southern Indiana. More info here.

There’ll be ice cream (both vegan and non-), games, music, and tons of fun.

Join us for a potluck and screening of The Camden 28 on Sunday, May 24th.  All proceeds benefit recent anti-NAFTA superhighway arrestees in Indiana.

When: Sunday, May 24, 4:00 pm

Where: Mayday Books, 301 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis

Cost: $5-15 suggested donation (no one turned away for lack of funds)

About the movie: How far would you go to stop a war? The Camden 28 recalls a 1971 raid on a Camden, N.J., draft board office by “Catholic Left” activists protesting the Vietnam War and its effects on urban America. Arrested on site in a clearly planned sting, the protesters included four Catholic priests, a Lutheran minister, and 23 others. The Camden 28 reveals the story behind the arrests — a provocative tale of government intrigue and personal betrayal — and the ensuing legal battle, which Supreme Court Justice William Brennan called “one of the great trials of the 20th century.” Thirty-five years later, the participants take stock of the motives, fears, and costs of their activism — and its relevance to America today.

About the Indiana arrestees: Hugh and Tiga are long-time Bloomington, IN residents and activists who were recently arrested and now face an assortment of misdemeanor and felony charges for the community organizing work they’ve done in resistance to I-69. I-69 is part of the NAFTA superhighway, already constructed from Canada to Indianapolis and in parts of Mexico, Central and South America. This highway is meant to provide multi-national corporations a more cost-effective way to move goods and capital throughout each country, allowing them to cheaply exploit the people and natural resources of Latin America and lessening companies’ accountability in terms of human and environmental rights. Its construction in Indiana requires evicting hundreds of rural families, destroying hundreds of acres of land, and devastating the habitats of countless species of animals, many of them already endangered.

For more info on Hugh and Tiga, see: http://mostlyeverything.net

For more info on I-69 resistance, see: http://stopi69.wordpress.com

Additional details are contained in the statement below but, in short, two anti-I-69 activist were unexpectedly arrested on Friday April 24th, are facing serious charges, and $30,000 is needed to bond them out.  For more info, to download the arrest warrants, and to DONATE, go to http://mostlyeverything.net or email freetigaandhugh(a)mostlyeverything.net.

In what appears to be the culmination of a several year long case the state has been building against I-69 resistance, two Indiana residents, Tiga and Hugh, were arrested this afternoon. Although the charges against the two include individual acts, for the majority they are trumped up charges of conspiracy – fairly explicitly, conspiracy to collectively organize, to challenge environmental and social devastation perpetrated by the state and capital – leveled against any (not easily recuperative) movement against I-69. Although it appears that no other warrants have been issued, that for now no other individuals will be facing the severe penalties these charges carry, it must be noted that this brash move by the state is a most blatant affront to any initiative towards social organization.

Tiga, a long time Indiana resident, was arrested early today as she appeared in Gibson County court on charges stemming from anti-I-69 actions this past summer. The arrest was made by the Indiana State Police, including Officer Brad Chandler, a particularly slimy scumbag whose full time job it is to harass environmental activists. Tiga is being held on $10,000 cash bond by the state police on five charge: 2 counts of intimidation, 2 counts of conversion (all misdemeanors) and 1 count of corrupt business influence (a class C felony). She is currently being held in the Pike County jail (812-354-6024), though it’s possible she’ll be moved around.

A couple hours after Tiga was accosted at the courthouse, Hugh was arrested in northern Indiana by a US marshal driving an unmarked vehicle. Rather than pulling over the vehicle Hugh was traveling in, the cop trailed the car for some unknown duration waiting for it to stop, then arrested Hugh outside of a gas station. He was then taken to join Tiga in the Pike County jail, where he is being held on $20,000 cash bond. His charges are the same as Tiga’s, though many of the details of their warrants differ.

Clearly, lots of help is needed to come up with the $30,000 bond. Whether or not we can get this figure lowered (included in the state’s reasoning about having such a high bond was the fact that Hugh was known to distribute anarchist literature), much financial support will be needed for legal fees, as the two fight charges carrying a maximum of eight years.

These arrests are an obvious continuance and escalation of the harassment of anti-I-69 activities in southern Indiana. People in both Evansville and Bloomington have been systematically targeted by myriad law enforcement agencies from throughout the state as well as by federal agencies. Nearly 20 folks are still held captive by the court system, facing both criminal and civil legal pressures stemming from last summer. As the state tries to squash its opposition by ensnaring individuals in isolating court cases, by monitoring and threatening individuals to try to pinpoint ‘leaders’ or groups responsible, it is important to recognize that every such instance of individual repression is easily and effectively repression of all resistance. To counter such repression with honest reflection on its functioning and on how action might challenge rather than support this repression, is to stand in solidarity with Tiga and Hugh, with the best things they or we might fight for.

CRASS AND EWOK! BENEFIT SHOW
Thursday April 23rd
7:00pm in Kagin Commons
Macalester College
1600 Grand Ave. St. Paul, MN 55105

Join us for a concert by Evan Greer (MA) of Riotfolk! collective and ShugE from Anti-Civ records (and possibly others) for the Community RNC Arresstee
Support Structure and Earth Warriors are OK!

The show is free and open to the public but we will be asking for donations
for both organizations. Please see their websites for more information
about these organizations or to contact them.

CRASS: http://rnc08arrestees.wordpress.com

EWOK!: http://midwestgreenscare.wordpress.com

Equally at home leading singalongs in a union hall or sweating in a basement
punk show, Evan Greer’s lyrically driven and energetic songs speak to rebellious people of all generations. His powerful voice and presence often lead him to leave the microphone and stage and stand facing the crowd with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a whole lot of passion.

Evan is a founding member of the Riot-Folk! Collective, and has toured
internationally, sharing stages with artists like Tom Morello (Rage Against
the Machine), Billy Bragg, Chumbawamba, Pete Seeger, Boots Riley, Immortal Technique, Pamela Means, State Radio, Anne Feeney, Emma’s Revolution, and Mr. Lif. He just released a new cd called Never Surrender.

shugE is a Minnesotan songwriter, travelling musician, and an organizer with Anti-Civ Records and Sisters’ Camelot. He plays original and politically charged punkgrass music and is beloved in both Minnesota folk and punk scenes.

Sponsored by Macalester College Peace and Justice Committee-Students for a
Democratic Society (MPJC-SDS)
contact: mpjcsds@gmail.com

Repression and Resistance, Then and Now
Lecture and Reception with
Ramona Africa of the MOVE Organization

April 19, 2009
2:00 p.m.
Hallie Q Brown/Martin Luther King Community Center
270 N Kent Street, St. Paul

Flyer here.

Ramona Africa is international spokesperson for the MOVE organization, a revolutionary back-to-nature organization whose main belief is in life. This organization has experienced violent repression at the hands of the government, with nine members– known as the MOVE 9– incarcerated for a crime it is obvious they did not commit. In 1985, Philadelphia police dropped a military-grade bomb on MOVE headquarters, killing six adults and five children. Ramona is the only adult survivor of that attack.

Ramona will speak about the nature of political repression and resistance as experienced by members of the MOVE family, including Mumia Abu-Jamal, and how these threads run to the prosecution of the RNC 8 and others. A reception will follow.