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<font face="garamond" size=3><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br><br>
November 27, 2009<br><br>
MEDIA ADVISORY<br>
Contact: Earth Warriors are OK! (EWOK!) hotline</b> (Natalia Shulkin)
612-293-9657,
<a href="mailto:ewok@riseup.net">ewok@riseup.net</a><br><br>
Federal Prosecutor Tries to Keep Minneapolis Activists Jailed for Their
Political Beliefs<br><br>
Federal court hearing scheduled Monday for Scott DeMuth charged under the
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act<br><br>
<b>Davenport, IA</b> -- Using sensational and inflammatory language, the
federal government accused recently indicted activist Scott DeMuth on
Wednesday of being a “domestic terrorist” in an effort to keep him
imprisoned until trial. DeMuth, a Dakota activist from Minneapolis who
has worked for many years to support political prisoners, was indicted
November 18th for conspiracy to “commit animal enterprise terrorism and
cause economic damage to the animal enterprise in an amount exceeding
$10,000.” The indictment is related to an Animal Liberation Front (ALF)
action at the University of Iowa in 2004, in which research equipment was
damaged and hundreds of animals were set free. The indictment came a day
before the statute of limitations on the 2004 action was to expire.
DeMuth will be tried under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, widely
criticized by groups such as the Center for Constitutional Rights as
unconstitutional.<br><br>
<b>What:</b> Ruling on the release of federal defendant Scott DeMuth<br>
<b>When:</b> By 4pm on Monday, November 30th, 2009<br>
<b>Where:</b> U.S. District Court, 131 E. Fourth St., Davenport,
Iowa<br><br>
Prosecutor Cliff Cronk argued that DeMuth's association with anarchist
movements makes him a domestic terrorist, illuminating the larger issue
of "terrorism" being redefined in order to suppress
dissent. Anarchism is a political ideology whose adherents believe in
cooperation rather than coercion.<br><br>
“Political beliefs are not a legitimate reason to detain a defendant
awaiting trial,” said Thomas Addo of Earth Warriors are OK! “By
sensationalizing DeMuth’s political work and beliefs, the federal
government attempts to divert attention from the fact that they have
little to no evidence with which to prosecute him,” continued Addo. “As a
graduate student in the Sociology Department, as well as a Dakota
language student at the University of Minnesota, DeMuth is well
integrated in the Minneapolis community and should be released in order
to continue his studies.”<br><br>
DeMuth was jailed on November 17th along with Carrie Feldman, another
activist from the Twin Cities, after both of them refused to cooperate
with what they called a politically motivated grand jury. Feldman, who
was found to be in civil contempt, may be forced to remain in jail for
the life of the grand jury, up to 11 more months. In a statement made to
the grand jury before she was found in contempt, Feldman denounced the
use of grand juries as a coercive “tool of the prosecution,” and asserted
that they are used to “investigate and intimidate those who would express
dissent.” Supporters have organized a call-in campaign on Monday to
demand that U.S. Attorney Nicholas Klinefeldt dismiss the subpoena issued
for Feldman and secure her release.<br><br>
After a psychological evaluation concluded that DeMuth was emotionally
healthy and at no risk of flight, U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas J. Shields
ruled that DeMuth did not have to remain in jail until trial, and on
Tuesday issued an order for his release. Federal prosecutor Cliff Cronk
responded by filing a motion to keep him in custody on Wednesday,
claiming DeMuth is a danger to the community and a flight risk. So far,
the only evidence Cronk has supplied has been a journal of DeMuth’s
children’s stories and a lock-picking device found in the common foyer of
his home. Both items were seized by police four years after the incident
in a raid prior to the 2008 Republican National Convention that targeted
activists. <br><br>
Supporters claim that DeMuth has become yet another target of the “Green
Scare,” a term used to refer to the Federal government's campaign to
intimidate animal and earth liberation activists. The Green Scare is just
one campaign among many that the Federal government uses to repress
social movements. Other recent targets of grand juries have included the
San Francisco 8 case against former Black Panthers, and the Puerto Rican
Independence movement following the FBI assassination of movement leader
Filiberto Ojeda Rios in 2005.<br><br>
<b>Further Information:<br>
</b>·DeMuth’s indictment:
<a href="http://davenportgrandjury.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/scottindictmentredacted.pdf">
http://davenportgrandjury.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/scottindictmentredacted.pdf</a>
<br>
·Magistrate’s order for DeMuth’s release:
<a href="http://voiceofthevoiceless.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/demuth-order-on-detention.pdf">
http://davenportgrandjury.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/scottbondreleaseorder.pdf</a><br>
·Justice Department’s motion to revoke DeMuth’s release order:
<a href="http://voiceofthevoiceless.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/government-motion-for-demuth1.pdf">
http://davenportgrandjury.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/govtmot4miscreliefreleaseorder.pdf</a><br>
·More info on Scott DeMuth and Carrie Feldman:
<a href="http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com/">
http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com/</a><br><br>
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