Police create crimes in Occupy Movement

Police infiltrators in Occupy Movement 'bag and tag,' identify and imprison, activists

Austin police infiltrators supplied the lock boxes for
the Occupy Houston protest in December.

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Texas police officers not only appeared as members of the Occupy Movement in Houston, but Austin undercover police officers created the crimes that Occupiers in Houston are now charged with.

It is an alarming trend. In England, undercover police officers not only posed as social justice activists, but engaged in crimes and had sex with fellow activists, resulting in at least two children.

Now, in Austin and Houston, police infiltrators are exposed in a new trend, with multiple police officers posing as activists within the Occupy Movement. Earlier, among the first police officers exposed, in video, in the Occupy Movement was Oakland police officer Fred Shavies.

Democracy Now reported on the undercover officers in Texas.

"As Occupy Wall Street prepares to mark its first anniversary, members of Occupy Austin have discovered that their arrests on felony charges after a protest last December are directly linked to equipment provided by a police detective who infiltrated their group. The activists locked arms inside tubes made of PVC pipe that the police had designed, constructed and dropped off for the protest."
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/9/10/infiltrating_occupy_austin_activists_face_charges

State District Judge Joan Campbell told prosecutors she was “floored” that the Austin police officer’s role in the protest wasn’t disclosed until now. http://digitaltexan.net/2012/austin-local-news/undercoveraustin-police-officers-under-fire-for-aiding-occupy-houston-protesters/article39560/

The Houston Chronicle reports, 'The bushy-haired, bearded protester called 'Butch' didn't say much during the Occupy Austin planning sessions. Instead, he took members aside and pressed them to turn to more aggressive tactics, not a surprising strategy for a national grass-roots movement that has spawned hundreds of arrests. It turns out that Butch, however, wasn't some wild-eyed activist intent on bringing down the top '1 percent.' He was actually Austin police detective Shannon Dowell, working undercover with two other officers who had infiltrated the Austin branch of the protest movement." http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Undercover-Austin-police-officers-aided-Houston-3841846.php

Earlier, Oakland police officer Fred Shavies was caught in uniform on video, after posing as an Occupy activist. After his exposure, the infiltrator did the back step, claiming he supports the Occupy Movement and was just doing his job. The video has had over 180,000 views: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrvMzqopHH0

The Guardian reports how police officer Mark Kennedy
posed as an activist for years and had multiple sexual
relationships while he was a poilce infiltrator.

Police infiltrators often snare the young, idealistic and naive in social justice movements, who are unaware of police tactics to identify and imprison activists.

Provocateurs often seem trustworthy and sincere, take charge, have cash to spread around, and often engage in intimate relationships with other activists. The result is that the activists who are snared into crimes -- of violence, destruction or obstruction -- by police infiltrators often serve lengthy prison sentences.

This point was made by the Guardian newspaper in its coverage of police infiltrators posing as activists.

"Two undercover police officers secretly fathered children with political campaigners they had been sent to spy on and later disappeared completely from the lives of their offspring, the Guardian can reveal."

"Last month eight women who say they were duped into forming long-term intimate relationships of up to nine years with five undercover policemen started unprecedented legal action. They say they have suffered immense emotional trauma and pain over the relationships, which spanned the period from 1987 to 2010."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jan/20/undercover-police-children-activists


 

Terrance Nelson: Israel, US and Canada's closing of Iran Embassy

Terrance Nelson, former chief of Roseau River First Nation in Manitoba, heads to Iran in October with two Dakota chiefs. Today, Nelson writes to Harper concerning, Israel, Iran and Canada's closing of the Iran Embassy.

Terrance Nelson on Canada's closing of Iran Embassy: "We both know that the accusation that the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa was recruiting Iranians in Canada was a smokescreen, the real reason for the closure is APTN reporting our scheduled trip to Tehran on October 8 to 20. Dakota Chief Frank Brown, Dakota Chief Orvile Smoke, myself and possibly Lubicon Lake Chief Bernard Ominayak were scheduled to travel to Iran. The implications of this trip are that the Americans would go ballistic with your government when Chief FrankBrown does his power point presentation in front of the Iranian Parliament showing pictures of the mass graves from the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre."

By Terrance Nelson
Posted at Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Dear Prime Minister Harper
A year or so before the 2008 economic meltdown in the United States I told Bob Rae that the United States economy was going to implode. He said "I have heard that from a number of people, I don't believe it,
the United States economy is stronger than people know."
Poor old Bob, he never did have much of a grasp on economics. I am going to appeal
to your sense of economics regarding the issue of Iran.
A war against Iran is economic suicide for the United States and
therefore economic suicide for Canada because we are so dependent upon
the United States economy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blinders on, he only
sees the narrow vision of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. When Israel
bombs Iran, it will cause a wider war. Israel receives billions of
dollars a year in foreign aid from the United States and Canada.
Israel is the only country that Americans can contribute to and get a
tax credit under American law. How much does Canada contribute to
Israel every year both public and private dollars?
Nazanin Afshin-Jam, Peter McKay's Iranian wife talks about the human
rights violations in Iran but never mentions that Israel has 100
nuclear bombs targeting Iranian cities and people. I wonder what she
would have to say when the Iranians get bombed and millions of her
people get fried. Has your government ever talked about regime change
in Saudi Arabia? Why is human rights mentioned only if the country is
not cooperating with the west. Didn't fifteen of the nineteen
terrorists who attacked the United States in 911 come from Saudi
Arabia?
The most dangerous situation for Israel is not Iran, it is in the
United States. I traveled in New Mexico and Arizona last spring. I was
shocked at the level of anger amongst Americans against Obama. Civil
war is possible in the United States if Obama is re-elected and there
is no change in the economy. If Romney is elected, a confrontation
with Russia is very likely. Iran has non western support as evidenced
by the Non Aligned meeting in Tehran. This is not going to be a cake
walk.
In today's Globe and Mail, there is an article on the closing of the
embassies in Tehran and Ottawa stating "It is unclear what triggered
Canada's decision..."
We both know that the accusation that the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa
was recruiting Iranians in Canada was a smokescreen, the real reason
for the closure is APTN reporting our scheduled trip to Tehran on
October 8 to 20.  Dakota Chief Frank Brown, Dakota Chief Orvile Smoke,
myself and possibly Lubicon Lake Chief Bernard Ominayak were scheduled
to travel to Iran. The implications of this trip are that the
Americans would go ballistic with your government when Chief Frank
Brown does his power point presentation in front of the Iranian
Parliament showing pictures of the mass graves from the 1890 Wounded
Knee massacre. The Iranian Embassy meeting with us was of concern to
your government but for First Nations Chiefs and especially Oil Sands
Chiefs going to an OPEC nation for help is cause for the Iranian
Embassy to be closed.
Americans are like the Greeks, they do not want reality, they want
quick and easy solutions to the economy. The fact that the world is
sending $2.7 trillion a year to oil producing countries and Americans
being held hostage to $4 a gallon for gasoline is unsustainable. Our
trip to Tehran will take place, we are not deterred by the closing of
the Iranian Embassy. Iranians are now really angry at your government.
The recent announcements of over 80% cuts to Chiefs organizations like
the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs can only lessen your government's
ability to influence First Nation politics. Chief Brown's community
and Chief Smoke's community both have over 90% unemployment and I
never blamed you for the Canadian Indian Act system, that was never
legislated by your government but without hope there can only be
confrontation between First Nations and your government. We are not
hiding in some cave 5000 miles away, we are here in the heart of the
North American economy. First Nations sit on all aspects of the
Canadian economy, including all the oil pipelines to the United
States. Of course you do not want Iranians recruiting indigenous
people in Canada but what are you prepared to do to stop this?
The Treaty 1 to 11 Gathering in Brandon Manitoba this week will
determine First Nations direction for the foreseeable future. Treaty
1-11 is a non government funded organization. They are independent of
your government's financing. You have no financial influence over the
Treaty 1-11 association and you will get much less cooperation from
the Chiefs as the government funding cuts hit the communities. All the
oil produced by Canada that is being sent to the United States is in
the Treaty 1-11 territory.
I have a two year contract to work for the Lubicons and as you are
aware Chief Bernard Ominayak send a letter to the Chinese. You can
expect a lot of action coming from the Oil Sands First Nations as I
will be asking in Tehran for OPEC nations financial help in getting
First Nations a share of our own natural resource wealth.Oil is the
issue and always has been. As I represent the Lubicons as a liaison, I
will be presenting their situation to the Iranians, their financial
exclusion from their oil wealth. They own the Oil Sands but receive
nothing from their resource wealth. OPEC was formed because of the
theft of Persian and Arab oil.
The Americans and Canadians have been taking oil from First Nations
and not paying anything to the rightful owners.
You might be another Bob Rae, I don't know, but I will make you a
prediction. World oil consumption will be 45 million barrels a day
within six to ten years and oil will be $40 a barrel within four
years. The American investors will flee the Alberta oil production
economy in droves.
As I said in my speech when I ran in Toronto in July for National
Chief, "Steven Harper is not the problem, we are...." There is no
stopping us from going outside Canada. The Americans never once
condemned Canada, much less even commented on the human rights
violations in Canada. The Germans, French, English, Italians etc,
don't give a damn about indigenous people in Canada. Yes, Iran has its
reasons for meeting with us, but so do we. We would like to work with
the Conservatives but like it or not, we the indigenous people are the
real owners of the natural resource wealth in Canada. We will not
peacefully stay at 60 to 95% unemployment.
What happens at the Treaty 1-11 Gathering this week, I don't know. The
Chiefs will be angry but are they ready to support a trip to Iran.
We'll see. By way of explanation to the Iranians, the reason APTN has
information on the trip was that they were being invited to go to Iran
with us, not as a part of the delegation but as reporters. That is the
reason they knew of the planning of the trip.

Also see Terrance Nelson: Not 911, Iran is not Iraq
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/p/terrance-nelson-not-911-iran-is-not-iraq.html

Federal agents and police target Native Americans in three states

By Brenda Norrell
Photo credit S.P.I.R.I.T/Peace and Dignity Journeys 2012     
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com



Update Monday, Sept. 10, 2012
Native Americans in Arizona, Nevada and Oklahoma have been targeted by federal agents, police and Sheriff’s offices in three different incidents. In Nevada, the ACLU is demanding all reports from the FBI on harassments and intimidation of American Indian Movement and No Bear Hunt activists opposing bear hunts in northern Nevada.
In Tempe, Arizona, Native Americans and anarchists say a typical tactic was carried out by Tempe police and anti-terrorism agents to halt a benefit show for Protect the Peaks. Protect the Peaks seeks to halt Arizona Snowbowl in Flagstaff, Ariz,, from transporting sewage water for snowmaking for tourists on sacred San Francisco Peaks. Already old growth pines have been cut down in the path of the pipeline. News coverage of the issue has been distorted due to local biased news reports. The Peaks are sacred to 13 area Indian Nations, including Navajos, Hopi, Havasupai and Hualapai.
In Oklahoma, a member of the Peace and Dignity Run was attacked by police this week and the sacred Eagle Staff desecrated.
In breaking news from Canada on Monday, Terrance Nelson, former chief of Roseau River First Nation in Manitoba, said the real reason that Canada closed the Iranian Embassy is because Nelson and two Dakota chiefs are heading to Iran in October.
Terrance Nelson is former chief of Roseau River First Nation in Manitoba. In a letter to Prime Minister Harper, Nelson said, "We both know that the accusation that the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa was recruiting Iranians in Canada was a smokescreen, the real reason for the closure is APTN reporting our scheduled trip to Tehran on October 8 to 20. Dakota Chief Frank Brown, Dakota Chief Orvile Smoke, myself and possibly Lubicon Lake Chief Bernard Ominayak were scheduled to travel to Iran. The implications of this trip are that the Americans would go ballistic with your government when Chief Frank Brown does his power point presentation in front of the Iranian Parliament showing pictures of the mass graves from the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre."
Read letter http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/09/terrance-nelson-israel-us-and-canadas.html
 
Nevada activists harassed and jailed, oppose bear hunt on spiritual teachings
In Nevada, the ACLU has filed a Freedom of Information request to find out what the FBI has reported on the Northern Nevada Chapter of the American Indian Movement and the group No Bear Hunt. AIM is opposing the hunting of bears, based on the spiritual teachings of the Paiute, Washoe and Shoshone.
Raquela Arthur, Pyramid Lake Paiute and AIM member, said, “We requested help from the ACLU because our rights have been violated, including our right to the First Amendment, freedom of speech.”
“We want the harassments, racial profiling, false incarcerations and intimidation tactics to stop. We are Native Americans that promote a peaceful fight in our fight to save our sacred bears. Its a sad day that Native Americans still have to fight for our basic rights.”
Read more: http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/09/aclu-intervenes-in-targeting-of-aim-and.html

Tempe police and anti-terror agents shut down Protect the Peaks benefit show
In Tempe, Arizona, Fires Never Extinguished tells the story of how Tempe police and anti-terror agents halted a benefit show scheduled for Friday night.
"A campaign of political repression is under way against anarchist and indigenous project in Arizona, spearheaded by the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center and the Tempe Police Department Homeland Defense Unit."
"The Tempe police department’s anti-terror division preemptively shut down the Protect the Peaks solidarity benefit show that was planned for Friday night, using the threat of a fire code violation to ensure that the venue would have to cancel the event. The Homeland Defense Unit acted on an alert they received from Arizona's main counter terrorism information gathering hub, also known as a fusion center, that a benefit show to raise money for the struggle to save the San Francisco Peaks was scheduled to take place in Tempe on Friday night. “
Read more http://firesneverextinguished.blogspot.com/2012/09/tempe-police-and-arizona-anti-terror.html
or http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/09/tempe-police-and-arizona-anti-terror.html

Oklahoma Racism: Peace and Dignity runners targed by police
In Oklahoma, Brenda Golden, Muscogee Creek, reports “on the ridiculous treatment of our indigenous people in Oklahoma and the red-neck mentality toward our esteemed guest.“
“A sacred Eagle Staff desecrated and a runner handcuffed by local police near White Eagle! Yesterday evening our Peace and Dignity Journeys Guests were accosted by the local police in Kay County according to Hector Cerda, the PDJ coordinator."
“Cerda said the runners were coming into White Eagle, they were about three miles away. He was in the van picking up runners to take into the host site. This particular runner, a citizen of the Mohawk Nation, had been running by himself on Highway 177."
Read more http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/09/oklahoma-racism-police-desecrate-peace.html

To repost this article in full: brendanorrell@gmail.com or feel free to share the link!



 

ACLU intervenes in targeting of AIM and 'No Bear Hunt'

　

Photo Mark Smith

ACLU intervenes after AIM and 'No Bear Hunt' activists are tracked, harassed and jailed by law enforcement after speaking out


By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

The ACLU has filed a Freedom of Information request to find out what the FBI has reported on the Northern Nevada Chapter of the American Indian Movement and the group No Bear Hunt. AIM is opposing the hunting of bears, based on the spiritual teachings of the Paiute, Washoe and Shoshone.

Raquela Arthur, Pyramid Lake Paiute and AIM member, told Censored News, “We requested help from the ACLU because our rights have been violated, including our right to the First Amendment, freedom of speech.”

“We want the harassments, racial profiling, false incarcerations and intimidation tactics to stop. We are Native Americans that promote a peaceful fight in our fight to save our sacred bears. Its a sad day that Native Americans still have to fight for our basic rights.”

Bear hunt opponents said they were watched at home and harassed by federal agents after speaking out. Among those targeted by law enforcement was Lisa Bonta.

Lisa Bonta and her husband, Johnny Bonta, a Reno Sparks Indian Colony member, were the victims of a hate crime and beaten by skinheads in Fenley, Nev., on May 24, 2011. This case is proceeding to federal court.

Then,  after speaking out against the bear hunt in 2012, Bonta was arrested and jailed, without any charges being filed.

Bonta said, “I was arrested without a warrant and held in jail for four days. They released me with no charges. I was drugged in the infirmary and told I was going to be put on suicide watch! Then I was released and driven home by Washoe County sheriff. I had no charges."

"My paperwork says default at booking. I am an activist for our Native people! I spoke using my first amendment rights and they labeled me as a terrorist!” said Bonta. She added that she is not a member of Northern Nevada AIM as stated in some news reports.

At public meetings, several Native Americans from various Paiute Tribes were present and spoke on the record in opposition to the Bear Hunt for religious reasons, stating that the black bear was a sacred animal to them, and that to kill one for sport was the same as burning a Bible would be to a Christian, Northern Nevada AIM said in a statement.

Shortly thereafter, during the period April 2-4, FBI agents visited and questioned two of the Native Americans who spoke at the open public meetings, by arriving at their homes and places of work.

Native American Daniel Thayer was visited by federal agents at his place of work on April 3, and was told that the Nevada Department of Wildlife had requested an investigation because the “audience felt threatened” by his presence, and was similarly questioned. On April 4, another Native American, Raquela Arthur, saw federal agents watching and carrying out surveillance on her private residence, AIM said.

Arthur told Censored News that the bear is sacred to Indian people in northern Nevada.

“The bears has always been sacred to us Natives in Nevada. We are the Paiutes, Washoes, who reside along the Tahoe Basin, and Shoshone. We all honor bears with bear dances. We see the bear as our healers, and to see a bear is a blessing and we would sing to them. Bears have a significant place in our ceremonies. It is like the eagle being the prominent winged animal, well the bear has the status as the four legged animal. The bear carries many medicines that are being taken away from us with these hunts,” Arthur said.

"The hunts are open to hunting in the south of Tahoe, the pine nut hills where many Indians families take their family to pick pine nuts. This can be a disaster since the hunters are angry at us American Indians for joining the fight.”

The ACLU filed a Freedom of Information request on Aug. 22 to find our what federal agents have reported about AIM of Northern Nevada and the group “No Bear Hunt,” said ACLU legal chief Staci Pratt. The ACLU wants to know what information the FBI has collected about people who spoke out against the bear hunts in public meetings.

The Associated Press also reported the story this week: http://www.northjersey.com/news/crime_courts/168983756_ACLU_wants_FBI_records_about_Nevada_bear_hunt_foes.html?c=y&page=2

The ACLU said in a statement, “One of the most cherished values we have as a nation is that those who engage in peaceful political speech, in public forums, are deserving of the fullest protections afforded by the First Amendment to the Constitution. Verbally opposing the hunting of bears should never lead to harassment by law enforcement officials,” stated Staci Pratt, Legal Director of the ACLU of Nevada. “We aim to discover the full extent of the FBI’s efforts and ensure that there is accountability for investigatory behaviors that do not accord with the Constitution.”

The FOIA requests any records related to surveillance of expressive activity during public meetings of the Nevada Wildlife Commission on March 23-24, 2012, and the public meeting of the Washoe County Wildlife Advisory Board on March 15, 2012.

The ACLU seeks any records related to contact with and investigation of Native Americans or AIM members during the period of April 2 -- 4, 2012.

The ACLU also seeks any records related to the arrest, incarceration, and questioning of Lisa Bonta, and the related effort to force her to sign documentation about alleged “terrorist” activity or membership in targeted organizations.

"The FOIA request also seeks any records since January 2005 related to the FBI conducting assessments, training, legal opinions, policies, final memoranda, and other material related to individual Native Americans in Nevada; the American Indian Movement, No Bear Hunt Nevada, and other Native American organizations in Nevada; and environmental organizations in Nevada, especially but not only under the FBI’s Domestic Investigative Operations Guidelines," the ACLU said.

"Some events that prompted this FOIA request were previously reported on by various news media, in the following stories: “FBI Probes Native Americans Opposed Nevada Bear Hunt,” Indian Voices, April 2012; “American Indians Questioned About Nevada Bear Hunt by FBI,” Reno Gazette-Journal, April 11, 2012; and “Native Americans Join Fight vs. Nevada Bear Hunt,” Associated Press, March 23, 2012. Versions of the Associated Press article were published or posted in the Las Vegas Sun, Censored News, and YubaNet.com, among other media outlets."

“It is extremely disturbing that the FBI has apparently chosen to treat peaceful Native Americans who have legitimate issues with various hunting practices and environmental policies as if they are, or are potential, domestic terrorists,” said Dane S. Claussen, Executive Director of the ACLU of Nevada. “Surely the FBI in northern Nevada has better things to do with its time and taxpayer dollars," the ACLU said.

AIM of northern Nevada released this statement on April 11, 2012:

Following their appearance at the March Wildlife Commission meeting, where they stated their opposition to the bear hunt on religious grounds, Native Americans from various Paiute Tribes the Pyramid Lake Paiute Band we were recently questioned by FBI and U.S. Marshalls.

FBI Agent, George Chillito, an FBI agent with the Task Force on Counter-Terrorism in Reno, reportedly stated that he was investigating the Native Americans at the request of Nevada Department of Wildlife game wardens because the “game wardens” and the “audience felt threatened” by the presence of the Native Americans at the March Wildlife Commission meeting.

Several Native Americans appeared at the Wildlife Commission meeting held on March 23 and March 24 (“meetings”), and at the Washoe County Advisory Board Meeting held on March 15, to oppose the bear hunt, adopted in December 2010. Shortly after the Commission meeting, FBI agents and U.S. Federal Marshals began appearing at the homes and places of work of the Native Americans, and questioning them about why they opposed the bear hunt, and what were they going to do if the bear hunt continued, etc.

At the meetings, several Native Americans from various Paiute Tribes were present and spoke on the record in opposition to the Bear Hunt for religious reasons, stating that the black bear was a sacred animal to them, and that to kill one for sport was the same as burning a Bible would be to a Christian.

Shortly thereafter, during the period April 2-4, FBI agents visited and questioned two of the Native Americans who spoke at the open public meetings, by arriving at their homes and places of work.

 Native American  Daniel Thayer was visited by federal agents at his place of work on April 3, and was told that the Nevada Department of Wildlife had requested an investigation because the “audience felt threatened” by his presence, and was similarly questioned. On April 4, another Native American, Raquela Arthur, saw federal agents watching and carrying out surveillance on her private residence.

When independently contacted, one Nevada Department of Wildlife staff member stated that he had no knowledge of any request by the Nevada Department of Wildlife for the FBI to investigate Native American opponents of the Bear hunt.

Mr. Chilito is reported to have said that he was also investigating members of www.NoBearHuntNV.org who were present at the meetings, and who have been peacefully and professionally opposing the bear hunt since December 2010 by working within the NDOW public process without incident. Many members of the press from TV and newspapers were also present at the meetings, and were interviewing both Native Americans and members of NoBearHuntNV.org throughout the day. A video of the Commission meeting, and the testimony of the Native Americans, is posted on the Nevada Department of Wildlife website.

This FBI intimidation comes on the heels of alleged racial slurs directed at the Native Americans when they spoke at the Washoe County Advisory Board held on March 15th.

The  Native Americans questioned are members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) of Northern Nevada, a recently registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. AIM members call for NDOW to conduct an internal investigation and to make public who made the request to the FBI, on what grounds it was made, and why the Director of Nevada Department of Wildlife supported such a request.