RNC arrestee Jesse James Forrey has been released.

Scott DeMuth, grand jury resistor now being charged under the AETA, is out.

Carrie Feldman, subpoenaed along with DeMuth, remains in an Iowa jail on contempt charges.

I’ve been on the road and haven’t had much of a chance to type up any updates on the ongoing Iowa grand jury resistance (mentioned earlier here), much less any reflections on this targeted repression of activist communities. Frankly, time constraints and internet availability aside, I haven’t much had the stomach for it. It would be reasonable to assume that watching friends ushered off to jail for no damn reason at all would unleash a torrent of rants; in this case, I just felt exhausted. Angry, for sure, but tired. And sad for those loved ones nearby who felt all of this even more acutely, I’m sure.

Instead of some long thing, I’m just posting links for further info below. Stay tuned to TC Indymedia in general for updates. Send Carrie books (per their support site, she wants math and sci-fi especially). Write letters — to Carrie and Scott, to those with the power to call this bullshit off, and to those who have that power but almost certainly won’t. Make phone calls. Talk about grand juries with everyone you know. They thrive on secrecy and the fact that most of us are clueless about just how Kafka-esque they truly are. The Grand Jury Resistance Project is a good start.

Resist. Organize. Fight back.

1. Will Potter, Green is the new red, on Scott’s AETA charge and support efforts for both resistors
2. Quad City Times on Carrie and Scott being taken into custody
3. Quad City Times’ quite confused editorial on Scott and Carrie
4. Quad City Times LTE
5. Quad City Times on Scott’s AETA charge
6. Quad City Times article on Scott pleading “not guilty” to the AETA charge
7. Infoshop on Scott & AETA
8. Anarchist News
9. MN Daily article about Scott
10. Green is the new red: “Scott Demuth Free Despite Emergency Government Motion Labeling Him an ‘Anarchist’
11. Stephanie Ernst @ Change.org

I’ll update and add to the links on this post when appropriate.

My favorite action in recent memory: An anti-racist activist infiltrates an anti-immmigration group, gets added to the list of speakers, and stages an elaborate put-on worthy of the Yes Men. TCindymedia’s reportback has much more.

“Robert Erickson’s” message for the rally-goers? Deport all “the illegals” back to … Europe. After all, European immigrants have brought with them waves of crime, crippling disease, and stole Native land and jobs, claiming they are entitled to such things simply because they can lie and deceive their way around the law and customs. They have undermined Native sovereignty and have viewed with scorn the traditional practices and mores of those who were here first. And they do all with this — from genocide to ongoing land and resource theft — with impunity.

Video and the text of the speech after the jump.

“Columbus Go Home!”: Prepared transcript of “Robert Erickson’s” speech:

Hi, my name is Robert Erickson and I’m really excited to be here.  Its people like all of you, and events like this that make our country great!  Give yourselves a round of applause!

I just want to talk about a couple themes this afternoon because I love this country and I want to see America be the best place it can be.

Mr. Gutierrez is getting ready to propose an immigration bill in just a few short days, and we have to make sure he knows that we want a bill that’s tough on immigration.  Now is the time for us to stand up and make our voices heard!

In Minneapolis, where I’m from, we have a huge immigrant population that’s been causing a number of problems.  With the economy in recession, and so many people getting laid off, and unable to find work, immigrants should not be competing for the few jobs that are out there.  Its just not fair to the folks who have a claim to this land and the right to be here.  All across America, they are contributing to the flooding of our job markets making it hard for American’s to find jobs.  Well I’m fed up and its time to let our politicians know that enough is enough, and we’re not gonna take it any more!

We need to secure our borders to protect our country.  We need to restore order and put an end to the anarchy that’s sweeping the nation.  We need tougher immigration laws to make sure that we send these people back where they came from.  We need to protect the sovereignty of the real Americans.  We need to hold our politicians accountable.

Its no secret that with an invasion of immigrants, comes waves of crime.  We see them involved in massive theft, in murder, and bringing diseases like smallpox, which is responsible for the death of millions of Americans.  These aren’t new problems though, they have been going on for hundreds of years, and continue to this day.

I say its time for us to say enough is enough!  Are you with me?  Are you with me?  Lets send these European immigrants back where they came from!  I don’t care if they are Polish, Irish, English, Italian, or Norwegian!  European immigrants are responsible for the most violent and heinus crimes in the history of the world, including genocide and slavery!  Its time to restore the sovereignty of people native to this land!  I want more workplace raids, starting with the big banks downtown.  There are thousands of illegals working in those buildings, hiding in their offices, and taking Dakota jobs.  Let’s round them up and ship them out.  Then we need to hit them at home where they sleep, I don’t care if we separate families, they should have known better when they came here illegally!

If we aren’t able to stand up to these European immigrants, who can we stand up to?  We need to send every one of them back home, right now.
Thank you very much, and we’ll see you in the streets!

Columbus go home!  Columbus go home!  Columbus go home!

More anarchist hip-hop here. Go listen.

Carrie and Scott, the two Twin Cities activists subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in Davenport, Iowa, and their supporters are asking for calls to the Attorney’s Office on Monday demanding that the baseless harassment cease.

Monday, November 16, 9 am to 4 pm Central Standard Time

US Attorney’s Office
Cliff Cronk: (563)449-5432

Please call: it’s probably the simplest form of solidarity that exists, but it’s also crucial.

When Carrie first appeared before the grand jury last month and refused to testify (her statement is here), me and two other allies accompanied her. Our silent presence visibly weirded the authorities out, despite the fact that we did nothing but sit in the lobby reading shitty magazines.

Grand juries are supposed to operate in secret; this is their power. Please let them know that scores of friends, comrades, and allies are paying very close attention.

The two best hip-hop response tracks of the decade:

Testament calls out Jay-Z and Kanye:

Cocorosie calls out Akon and Snoop:

Local accounts indicate that the federal grand jury out of Davenport, Iowa targeting local Minneapolis activist Carrie Feldman has widened its scope and subpoened another member of the local community. I’ll report more, maybe comment on more, when I know more.

In the mean time (and always): Fuck grand juries. Every time. Every question.

Resist. Resist. Resist.

Update: The indymedia story is here.

My goodness, this is wonderful. Insurrectionist blather at your fingertips, modified slightly with every click of “Refresh.”

We live in amazing times.

I remember when this aired, if you can believe it. (Surely no one was alive back then!) I lived in a two-bedroom apartment above, respectively, a shop that sold first communion dresses and pinatas and an untrustworthy Chinese restaurant called “O’Tasty!” 

I remember watching it on this little, stupid television I’d acquired, in my bedroom. I almost certainly was intoxicated. I’d just started listening to Bright Eyes, so it was this huge deal, I guess. It was also my introduction to M. Ward.

All of which is to say, kids are dumb. Good song, though.

Fuck, I remember this, too. I’m old.

To cleanse your palate,

It has a blog.