Early Saturday morning, three of the Occupy protesters from the “nonviolent” F*** the Police march were charged with “possession of an incendiary or explosive device, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and providing material support for terrorism.” The arrests stemmed from allegations they were planning to create molotov cocktails.
The three, Bryan Church, Jarred Chase, and Brent Betterly, were part of a larger group of nine taken into custody during an apartment raid on the south side of Chicago.
“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.”
Late last night, Occupy protesters camped outside of the police station had lengthy discussions about how to make a noise protest that the men inside could hear. They are now referring to the three men as the #NATO3 on twitter.
It appears that some Occupiers are claiming the equipment seized as part of the raid was for beer-brewing. Some also are stating that the arrests are in retaliation for the men’s participation in both the F*** the Police march and for recording a video of police pulling them over earlier in the week, which had been passed around the Occupy circle.
While in custody, those detained apparently were fed White Castle, McDonald’s, and bologna sandwiches. The three will be arraigned Saturday at noon in bond court.
The following livestream channels are recording today’s NATO protest action as-it-happens, which includes a protest outside Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s house:
*Update: Footage has been released of the three charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism
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Lessee…
Tiny Dancer’s police are accused of taking political prisoners.
Revolting Eloi of “FLUCK the police” are accused of making stuff to FLUCK the police with fire.
Radical chic Collectivist lawyers do what they do, embracing and defending terrorists (putative terrorists in this case, but see Mumia Abu-Jamal).
Only one thing to say here…
POPCORN…!!!
I don’t think the “It was home brew equipment” defense is going to fly. Years ago people wouldn’t know what went into Homebrewing, now it’s popular enough people like me do it.
Unless they’re going to claim it was the propane tank for the turkery fryer I can’t think of anything that would even look suspicious in a standard homebrew set. (I guess the hops might be confused for another green leafy plant? Maybe?) The grain looks either like cereal (whole) or pancake batter mix (extract) and if you’re buying Liquid extract it’s in cans/jars clearly marked and tamper proof. (Like most food products). So if that were the case they’d be ready with the lawyers and the unlawful arrest suit. But they’re not, which means it’s bogus.
“(I guess the hops might be confused for another green leafy plant? Maybe?)”
Nah, not a chance. Even if weed is dried, crumbled up and in baggies, it’s got a distinctive smell and texture, and cops deal with it on a daily basis. I can’t imagine how you’d confuse hops with weed, unless you had never seen either.
Glass bottles.
The genius of a Molotov Cocktail is all it takes, really, is a frangible container, something for wicking, and flammable liquid.
And you never see anyone with all the ingredients. A few people bring glass bottles, a few bring wicks, a few bring jerry cans, thus no one ever brings, by himself, enough stuff to be clearly guilty.
So for the police, the issue is can they get one of these guys to screw up and lead them to more equipment.
I realized that after I wrote that. However, my experience with homebrewers is that they either have glass bottles way to expensive to be the kind used in a molotov (i.e. nice, tinted fliptops) or a bottle capper (since they’re reusing old beer bottles.)
Molotovs tend to be in bigger bottles (I can’t imagine a 12 oz molotov is really what these people were building.) Plus Homebrew has to be in bottles already tempered for carbonation. So if they’ve got tons of vodka and wine bottles sitting around, they’re obviously lying.
At some point Occam’s razor sets in. Did they have the other equipment for beer brewing? (My guess is no) then they’re lying. I really just expected a better excuse.
Glass bottles.
The genius of a Molotov Cocktail is all it takes, really, is a frangible container, something for wicking, and flammable liquid.
Don’t you need 93 octane to make stout?
No need to speculate now…
The suspects have been identified as Brian Church, 20, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Jared Chase, 24, of Keene, New Hampshire; and Brent Vincent Betterly, 24, of Oakland Park, Massachusetts.
They are each being held on $1.5million bail. The trio is facing charges of conspiracy to commit terrorism, possession of an explosive or incendiary device and providing material support.
During the Wednesday night raid, police seized four completed Molotov cocktails in beer bottles and weapons, including a mortar gun, swords, a hunting bow, throwing stars and knives with brass knuckle handles, according to law-enforcement records cited by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The suspects also had protective gear such as pre-positioned shields, assault vests and gas masks to help hide their identity during the planned attacks, prosecutors said.
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That’s VERY serious bail.
So, some scenarios:
1. The police screwed up, these guys had some beer brewing equipment that just looks menacing.
2. The police were right, these guys had some stuff that really could be used for some makeshift explosives.
3. The police decided to get retribution on three particular guys by forcing them to sleep on a bed in a cell, giving them three square meals a day, etc. instead of letting them sleep in a tent outdoors.
4. The police decided they would silence or intimidate the movement by locking up three of its members, and then giving them a bed in a cell, three square meals, etc.
I can see how the cops might be bothered by “F*** the Police”, but #3 still doesn’t seem likely to me, somehow.
Hmmmm…..perhaps they shouldn’t have f***ed with the police…..
Everything you need to know about the National Lawyers Guild Communist organization, an organization which took Justice in America and turned it into a totalitarian nightmare where the lawless are legally protected by the Collectivist tyrants.
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6162
How is it that a Nation overflowing with too many Lawyers, why is there no Justice in America?
I always advise people NEVER to use the term “justice” in connection with our legal system.
“Justice” is something to hope for from God. You will not find it here.
Our system is good, but it is a harsh reality that only on a good day is it really even a “legal system” in the best sense. On many days, it is just people, replete with the many foibles and failings we all are subject to.
Reading that first article:
Then later in the article:
If this website is going to defend these people without the full facts, they could have at least tried to be consistent about when this guy arrived.
If you keep reading that same article, you will see this quote: “What is important to note is that all the activists arrested were part of the “Fuck the Police” or anti-police march that took place on the south side of Chicago on Tuesday night. They marched on the streets of Bridgeport and wound up making some of the residents angry. They also taunted and messed around with police that were trying to control them with bicycles and keep them off the streets.”
They were probably upset that the police didn’t arrest them then, and decided it was time to step it up a notch.
if anyone’s on twitter, follow iowahawk’s coverage of occupy. it’s hysterical.
[…] Via Legal Insurrection: Early Saturday morning, three of the Occupy protesters from the “nonviolent” F*** the Police march were charged with “possession of an incendiary or explosive device, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and providing material support for terrorism.” The arrests stemmed from allegations they were planning to create molotov cocktails. […]
I have to think if Obama’s hitman Rahm Emauel, who is mayor of Chicago, thought these guys were a threat, then there’s probably a lot of proof and there was a real threat.
After all, why would he go after his own paramilitaries? Unless what they planned to do would hurt the overall image of the Dems/Occupy even more.
Serious charges, but why would anarchists target the mayor of Chicago and the Obama campaign HQ?
Finally something Janet Napolitano has been thirsting for, these men and their targets would put them unambiguously in the homegrown White Domestic Terrorist category.
None of the Muslim living legally in the USA dressed up by Homeland Security as a domestic terrorist for Chicago thank you.
Will they survive the weekend in a Chicago lockup.
PS. They had better watch out if Obama thinks by targeting his campaign HQ they disrespected him.
the thing that troubles me a lil about OWS is that…
I’m starting to get the feeling they were created by the Democrats for some other agenda… like to incite violence at the end of the november 2012 election to get the results changed or bring the country to it’s knee’s.
0bama is mostly likely to use them after 2012 – especially if he loses… he doesn’t look like a person who could take a humiliating defeat very easily.