Feds Win Right to War Protesters' Records

[chookie]

"In what may be the first subpoena of its kind in decades, a federal judge has ordered a university to turn over records about a gathering of anti-war activists.

In addition to the subpoena of Drake University, subpoenas were served this past week on four of the activists who attended a Nov. 15 forum at the school, ordering them to appear before a grand jury Tuesday, the protesters said.
-snip-
Those served subpoenas include the leader of the Catholic Peace Ministry, the former coordinator of the Iowa Peace Network, a member of the Catholic Worker House, and an anti-war activist who visited Iraq (news - web sites) in 2002.
-snip-
The forum, titled "Stop the Occupation! Bring the Iowa Guard Home!" came the day before 12 protesters were arrested at an anti-war rally at Iowa National Guard headquarters in Johnston. Organizers say the forum included nonviolence training for people planning to demonstrate.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=2&u=/ap/20040207/ap_on_re_us/activist_investigation

So THIS is what Ashcroft is focusing on (besides hookers and med marijuana) that is tying up FBI resources so that the anthrax assassin has not been caught.

[mbperrin]

1. First Amendment? We don't need no stinkin' First

Amendment??!!

[chookie]

3. Yeah, we're lucky they don't shoot us

Thank God we live in FreedomTM, where we are only harassed by Justice Department Goons and GOP Brownshirts, and not yet tortured! Thank GOD they just shoot us with rubber bullets and tear gas! Thank GOD we live in a country where protestors are just herded into First Amendment Zones hidden from His Chimperial Highness disdainful, and not mowed down by bullets there.

Thank GOD we have men dedicated to Democracy like Bush and Ashcroft with their steady hands on the helm of state!

Um -- I thought we were making Iraq over in America's images -- not re-making America over in the image of totalitarian Iraq! Maybe Bush just mispoke again. I guess he'll be turning up on CNN one of these days saying "I never said I would allow a Republic to continue in the United States!"

Um -- I think the way to read this is that the smirkistas are getting more and more desperate -- if they are treating American citizens who oppose the war in the same manner as they do suspected terrierists.

Trouble is, desperate people can get pretty nasty.

But -- Bring It On!

[Just Me]

24. The War Against Political Dissent plan has already been executed.

Provisions of unPatriot Act II (Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003) were covertly snuck through other pieces of legislation. Although there are provisions of Act I which authorize this kind of intrusion, Act II actually characterizes civil disobedience as a terrorist act, and, we all know what that means (suspension of constitutional protections. I hope this is appealed all the way to the Supremes. If those who are in power aim to suppress dissent, a clear anti-democracy and anti-constitutional act, and they are not reined-in,...face it folks, totalitarianism is the new form of our government.

[indepat]

38. And has not the Chief Justice already signaled that the Court will not

interfere with whatever this Administration does?

[Just Me]

39. A couple of decisions have put the reins on despotism,...

,...for example the decision which struck down characterizing U.S. citizens as "unlawful enemy combatants" and the decision concerning the unlawful detention of those at Guatanamo Bay (I'll have to look through my records for links).

[Eric J in MN]

2. Shhh!, the judge said no talking about the case is allowed (nt)

nt

[stevedeshazer]

28. shhh! Dick Cheney might hear!

Judges can sometimes order records to be turned over.

Unless you are Invisible Dick. Then your records can be locked away indefinitely.

Plus Reagan, Poppy, and every other fascist crook.

[revcarol]

4. Only ONE candidate wants repeal of the Patriot Act...

Dennis Kucinich.TOTAL REPEAL, TOTAL REPEAL. Who can say, "We didn't know it would come to this, where anti-war activists would be targeted, not just Arab-Americans, legal resident aliens and Muslims?"

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee."

(Whoops, need to check on Sharpton.)

[IndianaGreen]

7. Kerry wants to sugar coat PATRIOT

Which Democratic candidates refuse to repeal PATRIOT and delude themselves (or us) into thinking this travesty can be fixed with band-aids?

[Mairead]

9. Yes, Kucinich is the leading (or only) candidate who will GET RID OF that

fascist (it even has a fascist-style NAME!) 'patriot' act.

In the '30s, there were people in Germany who tried to speak out against the rise of the Nazis, and were ignored. Don't say 'it can't happen here', because it IS happening here.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

5. Yah. COINTELPRO was too subtle. Now they just do what they want. n/t

[tigereye]

6. read about this on Yahoo

it was really disturbing, reminds me of the 50s, the 60's, the anti-Sandinista stuff, anti- Soviet stuff in the 80's, etc. Shudder. I hate when people try to disguise fascist behavior as patriotism.

[Mike Niendorff]

8. further details :

from the same article :

-----

In addition to records about who attended the forum, the subpoena orders the university to divulge all records relating to the local chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, a New York-based legal activist organization that sponsored the forum.

The group, once targeted for alleged ties to communism in the 1950s, announced Friday it will ask a federal court to quash the subpoena on Monday.

...

According to a copy obtained by The Associated Press, the Drake subpoena asks for records of the request for a meeting room, "all documents indicating the purpose and intended participants in the meeting, and all documents or recordings which would identify persons that actually attended the meeting."

It also asks for campus security records "reflecting any observations made of the Nov. 15, 2003, meeting, including any records of persons in charge or control of the meeting, and any records of attendees of the meeting."

...

A source with knowledge of the investigation said a judge had issued a gag order forbidding school officials from discussing the subpoena.

-----

It's gonna be a rough ride, folks. Count on it.


MDN

[indepat]

10. Achtung!

[Terwilliger]

11. Well, I guess it's time to build a record

so they have something to do when they're lookin' me up!

Damn, folks....I don't have a country anymore.

[Gman]

12. This is exactly what happened in the 60's

I heard Bush the other day pretending like he was tough and saying how terrible it is that the CIA and the FBI can't trade information. Nixon used the CIA to spy on anti-war protestors. That is why they don't communicate and shouldn't communicate.

[suegeo]

13. Here's the DMR link

Here is another link to the story, as told by the Des Moines Register.

http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4788993/23473647.html

I wish one of these articles would say who the 4 activists are.

Frank Cordaro, a former catholic priest who works at the Catholic Worker house, seems to be a good guy. I even went to a talk of his, on how to end racism. He didn't seem deranged to me.

He served some time in jail for something, I think crossing a line at an air base in Omaha. If Herr Dictator Bush decides to end all life on planet earth via nukes, Omaha will be the place where it all starts. Oh, and Mr Cordaro is described in an excellent book "Prophets without Honor" by a Sheldon, Iowa boy named Mark Palecek and an excellent journalist educated at the fine journalism school at the University of Iowa, William Strabala.

John Ashcroft and this entire Bush junta scare the shit out of me.

Sieg Heil to the Fatherland, the USSA!

[gitchel]

34. Here are the Four Activists

These are some tiny bits I can find on the four who've been tagged by the FBI Task Force:

Wendy Vasquez - Member of Des Moines Valley Monthly Meeting, Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) - On June 2, 2002, an American Quaker delegation arrived in Baghdad, traveling to Iraq in violation of the US laws which threaten prison and/or fines for such activities. ...."As Quakers, we respect the sanctity of every human being, and we reject the US government's sanctions policy." notes Wendy Vasquez, a member of the Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends. "Our delegation traveled to Iraq to break the profound isolation resulting from the sanctions. We brought medical books to address the fact that journals are denied under sanctions; and we have previously sent water purifiers to relieve, in some small way, the humanitarian crisis. All of these actions are illegal under the present system." Source: American Friends Service Committee report

Brian Terrell - is the director of the Catholic Peace Ministry in Des Moines. One of his many ventures in peace and justice includes a trip to Iraq in 1998 to deliver $4 million worth of medicine to Iraqi hospitals. During this trip they also documented effects of the US/UN sanctions imposed after Operation Desert Storm prevailed. Source: Tack Online

Patti McKee is Coordinator of the Iowa Peace Network (IPN). IPN is supported by the United Methodist Church, Iowa Annual Conference; Church of the Brethren, Northern Plains District; Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends, Conservative; Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends United Meeting; and Mennonite Church, Central Plains District. Source: About the Iowa Peace Network

Reverend Elton Davis - Catholic Worker House - One of sixteen arrested at the Iowa National Guard Headquarters protest on 22 March 2003.

[IndianaGreen]

40. Reverend Elton Davis, Brian Terrell, and the Camp Dodge 13

Camp Dodge 13 Found Guilty of Trespass

Thirteen of the sixteen persons arrested at Camp Dodge STARC Armory (Pentagon Iowa) at a March 22nd anti war protest took their case to a jury trial in the Polk County Court House in Des Moines IA July 7th. After an eight day trial in which we heard a lot of great testimony and life sharing by the defendants, intersperse with a lot more judicial rambling and mumbo jumbo on the part of the court, a totally miss lead jury reached an unsurprsing verdict of guilty for all thirteen peacemakers.

This verdict was reached despite the fact that the defendants could clearly demonstrate that they were actually arrested in the public right of way on NW 78th Ave. Officers from the Iowa National Guard testified that they "owned the road", and could arrested any or all of the persons assembled along NW 78th Ave. at any time of their choosing. A point the peacemakers were not contesting. However, the defendants maintain, the charge was tress pass and despite our best intentions to reach STARC Armory property, we were 2 1/2 feet short of the Armory property when we were arrested.

Those to be sentenced Aug 13th:

Marion Solomon, Ames IA

Jane Majors, Des Moines IA

Jim Johnson, Des Moines IA

Jeanne Firth, KC MO

Carla Dawson, Des Moines Catholic Worker

Elton Davis, Des Moines Catholic Worker

Frank Cordaro, Des Moines Catholic Worker

Carolyn Uhlenhake Walker, Des Moines IA

Bill Basinger, Des Moines IA

Gil Dawes, Des Moines IA

Fran Fuller, Des Moines Catholic Worker

Michael Schorsch, MN

Brian Terrell, Malloy IA Catholic Worker

http://www.decorahpeaceworks.org/archives/000174.html

[Mairead]

14. Start supporting Kucinich NOW if you want to live! And yes, it could be

exactly that simple, because fascism can happen here and is happening here.

Don't let 'Oh, it will never get that bad' become your epitaph.

[kiahzero]

15. What about the NB<someone> crowd

That insists that if <someone> doesn't get nominated, then people deserve Bush for another four years, to see how bad it gets.

Perhaps I am mistaken, but that was the theme of Naderites last election, and seems to be the mantra of a bunch of people this election,

[revcarol]

37. Who's suggesting Naderitism?

We just know who butters our bread of freedom and liberty and support him.

Maybe you could send him a few bucks or make a contribution to the ACLU to help.

[Faygo Kid]

16. Here it comes, fellow Traitorous Maggots

That's what they are calling these activists over on FR, where most posters are beside themselves with joy at the prospect of lockin' em up (they found the article, too). Ever further we travel down the road to a full-blown dictatorship, with the assent of the American people. Please: ABB.

[IndianaGreen]

25. Does ABB include voting for those that voted for PATRIOT Act?

Not in my book, it doesn't!

[Just Me]

42. "Traiterous Maggotts"??? Do they realize that only despotic-types,...

,...demonize in such form? What is the matter with these people? They appear to be enemies of democracy and freedom!!!!

[abracadabra]

17. it will get worse

United States Constitution

Amendment I

Religion, Speech, Assembly, and Politics

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.



Nazi Herman Goering on Military Recruitng

"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."

- Hermann Goering

[suegeo]

18. Here's a link to the conference in November

http://www.no-nukes.org/viapacis/nov15-16action.html

This is the conference (I think) that the feds want all the information on.

Jesus Mary and Joesph, it doesn't look like anything threatening there. It seems as though the new American fascists are now taking away our right to peacefully assemble...

BTW, Drake University is the same school where the young republicans and brownshirts (blackshirts? I get my terms confused) stormed into a meeting and shoved around some democrats (peacefully) meeting at the school.

[chookie]

30. Any info about the incident you mention?

Hmmm -- some Brownshirts disrupt a meeting at a university.

Some time later, the Feds investigate a peace organization at same university, with intimations it is capable of terror.

Sounds like one of the Brownshirts has a buddy in the legislature, and managed to agitate to get Ashcroft to Patriot-Act the peacenik's asses.

What do you know about the original incident? Anyone in government there who might be suspect of trying to turn this group into a federal case?

[suegeo]

41. The brawl happened at a Howard Dean rally

There were a few threads here at DemoUground about the incident, during the Iowa caucus (sp?).

A group of young republicans had a conference that day (at Drake?), and a bunch of them seemed to be angry that Dean supporters were meeting at Drake, that evening. The Dean meeting was a "get out the vote" event, trying to get young people to register to vote, or something.

I don't think any of the peace activists that the Feds are harassing now had anything to do with the Dean really.

Anyway, the republicans stormed into the Dean rally waving signs and shouting. Rumor has it that one of the big boys shoved tiny Joan Jett (at the rally performing).

I did a little web searching, and the son of an ex-governor (Branstad, republican) of Iowa was involved with the young republican group, although I DO NOT NOT NOT know if the ex-gov's son was one of the people who stormed the meeting.

To me, it's just interesting that Drake U. seems to be an epicenter of squashing dissent. Or even worse, the ability of people to simply peacefully assemble. I used to live in Des Moines, and it hardly seemed like a wild-eyed radical kind of place. We're farmers and sons and daughters of farmers, we keep our noses to the books, and go to church, and walk beans, milk the cows, and, and everything! Too busy working to do much rabble rousing. I thought it was bland beyond belief, but I was young and stupid then.

And perhaps there was a strong "democracy undercurrent" in that town that I never picked up on. I will have to do more reading on Drake University's history, particulary the McCarthy thing mentioned in this thread somewhere.

[suegeo]

19. And here is an article that mentions who the activists are

Des Moines Activists Ordered to Testify in US Court
by Jeff Eckhoff and Mark Seibert

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0205-03.htm

SNIP
But activists say the subpoenas were delivered by Jeff Warford, a Polk County sheriff's detective who reports on a day-to-day basis to the federal terror task force.

"We're just speculating on what this may be," Terrell, a member of the Catholic Peace Ministry and frequent war protester, said Wednesday.

"I think it's just part of the fact that more and more authorities are seeing dissent as criminal."

AND SNIP

Sally Frank, a Drake University law professor who several times has defended war protesters in court, said that "one can only assume that (the grand jury) is an attempt to put a chill on the peace movement in Iowa."

[MilesColtrane]

20. The Subpoena says,

According to a copy obtained by The Associated Press, the Drake subpoena asks for records of the request for a meeting room, "all
documents indicating the purpose and intended participants in the
meeting, and all documents or recordings which would identify persons
that actually attended the meeting."

It also asks for campus security records "reflecting any observations
made of the Nov. 15, 2003, meeting, including any records of persons in charge or control of the meeting, and any records of attendees of the meeting."

If only we could apply this subpoena to Dick Cheney's Energy Policy Task Force Meetings.

Seriously though folks, you might want to start planning your escape routes now. I really don't think there will be anything resembling a fair election in November.

[Dover]

21. Those who received subpoenas should do what the White House does

IGNORE THEM! In fact citizens should ignore all laws that might incriminate them.
If asked questions, they should be silent.

And, if they have stolen something that isn't theres, as many corporations have done, they should be given the option to simply pay it back without jail time.

These are the laws under Bush.

[0rganism]

22. On the plus side, it's going to be harder to hate us for our freedoms now

And with mortgage foreclosures on the way up, it'll be harder for them to hate us for owning our own homes.

See? We really are safer with bush and aschkroft in charge! Pretty soon, all that misplaced hatred will be replaced with lukewarm apathy, and apathetic terrorists sure aren't going to kamikaze us.

[Dover]

23. Anyone know which federal judge issued the subpoenas?

Curious.

[Just Me]

27. Good question,...bet we will not be surprised *eom*

[HereSince1628]

26. These are times that try men's souls

No words can comfort the death of liberty.

[hang a left]

36. love your sig line...tee hee

[wellst0nev0ter]

29. To Use A Phrase Worn Thin By This ORWELLIAN Administration

I'll stop calling them ORWELLIAN when they stop using "1984" as a user's manual.

[NYC]

31. Everyone needs to read all these articles related to this subject.

Since when is dissent civil disobedience?

Patriot I and Patriot II are as unAmerican as can be.

[scottxyz]

32. National Lawyer's Guild was the group McCarthy targeted

Here's a comment I found over at atrios.blogspot.com:

Good God. The National Lawyer's Guild was the group that McCarthy smeared a lawyer with belonging to at the Army-McCarthy hearings, leading directly to the "Have you no decency, sir?" moment and McCarthy's downfall.

See http://rpuchalsky.home.att.net/mccarthy.html

[Festivito]

33. Assault on a peace officer pled innocent: went limp

Sounds like the streach is far enough that the prosecutors and even the judge should be admonished, and possibly resign from their jobs.

[lebkuchen]

35. Mike Malloy (a la Buzzflash) had this 'Fascism Anyone?' link on webpage

It's probably been posted here, but it was my first time to see it. I've cut/pasted the pertinent parallels to what is happening at Drake U. in Iowa.

http://secularhumanism.org/library/fi/britt_23_2.htm

3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause. The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.” Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.

11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts. Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.

12. Obsession with crime and punishment. Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. “Normal” and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or “traitors” was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.

[Zhade]

43. KICK

:dem:

[NeoConsSuck]

44. Nip it in the bud..

Donate to the National Lawyers Guild, BY CHECK, not by PayPal:

http://www.nlg.org/

Then with the cancelled check, make a photostat and mail it along with a letter to your local fbi office:

http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm

Inform them that the more they try to stifle dissent, the more money you will contribute. I also photostat the letter and check and mail it to my local paper.