This Friday, on the one year anniversary of the raid on raisethefist.com founder, Sherman Austin's home, a small group of anarchists protested in front of the federal building in Westwood. They were joined by peace activists protesting the upcoming war on Iraq.

The January 24, 2002 raid marked one of the first USA Patriot Act injustices on an american citizen. On that day, agents of the FBI, Secret Service, and personnel from the lapd and sherriffs dept raided his home and confiscated all of his computer equipment and much of his literature as well. Their excuse was that bomb making instructions were posted on the site. A case of selective prosecution? Perhaps, since the same information is posted on many other sites who's webmasters have their first ammendment rights respected (for the time being) and remain unmolested by the authorities.

In fact, Austin was targeted because he was an anarchist and his website was gaining popularity and appeal as rtf chapters started forming independently of Austin's immediate circle of friends. RTF also has been and remains a viable anarchist web presence that challenges the authority of the state, capitalism, and the rampant oppression by the police in our communities. The website is closely monitored not only by american law enforcement agencies, but government and intelligence agencies around the globe.

Austin felt that he was forced to accept a plea bargain or face being railroaded into jail for serious time. The terms included one month in jail. After accepting the plea bargain, Judge Wilson threw the plea bargain out and is insisting that Austin be made to serve more than a year in jail. Only six to twelve months is typical for someone with Austin's record. But then again, Sherman Austin is an anarchist.

Austin is set to go to trial in March of 2003. LA indymedia is planning to set up a feature page investigating his situation and will follow this case closely and report the relevent developements.


http://www.raisethefist.com

http://www.raisethefist.com/news.cgi?artical=wire/-----848123t4a.article

http://www.raisethefist.com/news.cgi?artical=wire/-----9916453t4a.article

charles amsellem reports that "a small group of anarchists" rallied to support "raise the fist."

A few weeks ago, around 20,000 people marched and rallied in downtown Los Angeles. They took a stand against the upcoming war with Iraq and their numbers showed how opposed the American people are to such a war.

The "raise the fist" support demonstration attracted only "a small group of anarchists." Just how small was that group? A dozen people? Six? Two?

The size of a demonstration does not point to the justness of it's cause... but it's also significant that the rtf demo only attracted "anarchists."

Where were the civil libertarians? The Labor Unions? The Student organizations? Where were all the left parties from the Greens to Peace and Freedom? Where were the dozens of Immigrants Rights groups of Los Angeles?

"Raise the Fist" and it's supporters are isolated and alone. No one... and I mean NO ONE, outside of the insignificant "small group of anarchists", are willing to support Sherman Austin and his "Raise the Fist" website. RTF posted bomb making instructions on it's pages... an action that some idiots defend as "freedom of speech." It's also contended that the legal assault against RTF is "selective"... since other websites like YAHOO also carry bomb instructions.

I think the point here is entirely lost. We are the Peace and Justice movement. We organize for a better world... a world without hunger, inequality, repression, and militarism. Our ranks must be united and disciplined to WAGE PEACE.

Idiots like Sherman Austin and his "raist the fist" website should not be looked at as victims, nor should they be idolized or praised as heros. Indymedia is going to set up a special page to monitor the court case against Sherman... but I DON'T see any special pages set up to monitor the arrests of THOUSANDS of people by the INS who happen to be of Middle Eastern descent!

Fight the Power? YES!!! Support RTF? NO WAY!!!!!

Only six to twelve months is typical for someone with Austin's record. However, it's likely that a "terrorism enhancement" will apply, in which case if Austin goes to trial he could receive 18-22 years. In response to the comment above, the demonstration was small, it was not expected to be a big demonstration, however there were several civil libertarians there, a few people from the Brown Berets, concerned individuals, and a couple of anarchists. Most of the people there were not even anarchists. So sorry for your disappointment that the demonstration couldn't rally 20,000 people such as your anti-war marches do, who are organized by generally liberal groups who spend all their money on nothing more but holding signs and begging those in power to stop their blood thirsty war. As if ANSWER or any other of those coalitions would focus the large amount of resources they have towards grass-roots community work, instead of consistently going out simply to hold signs and chanting "stop the war". As if your "peace movement" can even compensate the basic fundamentals for social change in today's society with such limited capability within a political arena primarily dependent on interventionalism, liberalism and reform. What has the "peace movement" done in terms of sacrifice compared to the many anarchists and other political activists who today sit in maximum security jail cells the size of your bathroom, on 22-24 lock down. Your lack of solidarity proves how little interest you have in actually changing the society we live in. It's anarchists who go out and feed the homeless and hungry every week. It's anarchists who set up infoshops and community empowerment centers not otherwise readily available to the community. It's anarchists who are running Cop Watch chapters, community clothing co-ops, community gardens, Anti-Racist work, conferences against Patriarchy, and so on. Sorry we don't have the money to spend on big fancy demonstrations so we can go out into the streets with big colorful puppets and signs. So while you go out, chant "stop the war", and value the luxury you have, don't bother to remember those who have put forth the sacrifice to build a better community in which we don't have to be subjected to the continuous systematic wars and repression waged against us by this system. If you were truly against the war you wouldn't be attacking those who who put themselves on the front lines, willing to sacrifice, and take immediate direct action towards building a better world. Instead your attacks are parallel with the state, in cooperation with the same people who persecute us for trying to stand up to a brutal war machine which you are supposedly against. What has your "peace movement" accomplished? You haven't stopped any war. Our communities have been under repression and war for the past 500 years. You chant "stop the war" as if you've acomplished something, meanwhile all around you there is war, all around you people go down as victims, and you could care less. Perhaps this is just a game to you. To see who can get in the streets with the biggest numbers to look valid, as some legitimate "representation" of other peoples interests, to make it look like you have some sort of "justification" in determining who else is "isolated" from the scene. Sounds like the same strategy politicians use. Doesn't sound like a justice movement to me.

you have no concept of what is happening here. your arguments are specious and based upon an unspoken support of state harrasment against the most vocal individuals.

it is disgusting to hear your voice speak out against support for an 18 year old that allegedly posted information on his site that is found a thousand fold throughout the net.

this is clear political harrassment against a young kid that had an audience on the internet, and an attempt for some FBI agent to get a promotion.

your liberalism is disgusting. if you don't understand the significance of this harrassment, you shouldn't even be posting here in indymedia, or supporting indymedia. this is not much different than the FBI's attempt to harass indymedia in Seattle. The only difference is that indymedia has resources to defend itself because of its international network. RTF is one individual, and indymedia supports his right to speak and publish. you should fuck the hell off if you don't understand the similarities.

000

I would think that this applies here as well. 289 Million Americans Avoid Peace Rallies (2003-01-19) -- Police across the nation estimate the crowd that avoided recent anti-war demonstrations at about 289 million. Americans from coast-to-coast voted in absentia against criticizing the Bush administration for Iraq's failure to comply with U.N. resolutions. Anti-anti-war demonstrators gathered in grocery stores, shopping malls and private homes to proclaim their disagreement with protestors marching in the streets of Washington D.C. and San Francisco. "Going about my regular Saturday routine is my way of saying I disagree with the radical left-wing agenda of the anti-Bush crowd," said college student Melanie Sampson, who spent the day preparing a term paper for a literature course. Police reported no unusual problems with the droves that stayed away from the protests. "It was a normal Saturday in America," said one Sheriff's deputy.

..or a mere nuicance, there would be no need for the above troll spam about Sheman being 'dangerous' or the rally not representing the views of a significant number of people. For every person at the rallies, a thousand, maybe a hundred thousand are in agreement but are unable or unwilling to step up to the line.

It's clear that the understanding that Bush is a menace to humanity and a corporate puppet is growing well beyond the radical left. The statement above this one demonstrates how dense many Bush supporters are. No legitimate challenge on the issues so they have to display the sort of myopic stupidity neccessary to take Bush seriously; Including the neo liberal poser who was quick to condemn Sherman. Im seriously skeptical of the commentor's legitimacy. Sherman has got assholes with badges, medals, and uniforms all over the world pissed off and afraid even though he hasnt ever hurt anybody in his life(unlike all of them).

Sherman Austin and his persecution is the subject of this post and the comments from the detractors are consistent with the program to silence legitimate free speech challenges to the tyranny and insanity represented by the power elite and their state-of-the union-addressing uber-mascot.

If they can put Sherman Williams away on the flimsy BS evidence that they apperently found, then we should all be in fear for our right to free speach and our right to freedom (if we are not already, I am). I am an anarchist, but that does not mean I go around blowing things up and trying to harm people. After all, we're all after peace,equality, and freedom. At least anybody who is halfway informed and believes in the freedom of information no matter what it might be. So Sherman Williams, and people like him, have my support anyday.

Arresting Sherman Austin for having bomb making instructions on his website is like arresting a producer/director of a television show or movie that contains violent material... after all, aren't they promoting violence and teaching people how to go about killing others? Using a great resource like television to portray murder is glorifying it, it must be a good thing if we are using such a valuable resource to expose people to these images and ideas...

The young man who ran Raise The Fist is angry at the injustice he sees around him, and the rage is contragious as he caught it from the growing oppression and discontent and injustice (See Vegan SuMer LA, C.E. 1992 & Also Murder Passes For Rich --Spector?--and Jail For Poor, Forte Spitting Truth 2003)

The author of the music (FREE) at the website link on this post was given a $1,000,000 Bail for being asleep in Truck with belongings and 112 days of Incarceration at LA County Jail and Three Years of Formal Probation. (All belongings were legally purchased and allowed under constitution, which is nothing more than poop paper in this primitive year.

We are all pissed off at the injustice. Murder and corruption run rampant in American Governments higher ranks and in many corporate situations.

(All men are sane, all groups of men are insane.--Quote from the book, Lucifer Principle)

The website with the music link was designed by the gentleman, PolKenToe, aka Monkey Finger Toe, from GeNOA. The AutHor of music in deep heat territory USsA.