author: Civil Rights Outreach Committee

Tacoma, WA - A federal jury was unable to reach a decision on conspiracy and transportation of a destructive device but convicted Briana Waters, a 32-year-old mother and violin teacher and former resident of Olympia of arson. The government charged her with being a lookout in connection with the May, 2001 arson of the Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington in Seattle. If convicted on all counts, Waters would have faced a sentence of 35 years. The two informants who testified against her in the case, who admitted to participating in the arson, face between three and seven years. Ms. Waters' sentencing is set for May 30.

Without any physical evidence linking Ms. Waters directly to the arson, the government built its case on the testimony of the two informants, and a number of pieces of circumstantial evidence. The defense argued that the informants falsely accused Waters in order to avoid 35-year prison sentences themselves, and that their testimony was demonstrably false.

Among the pieces of circumstantial evidence introduced by the government was a folder with a note on the cover from Waters to one of the informants, Jennifer Kolar, containing various radical pamphlets and publications. Prosecutors highlighted the most sensationalist passages in the articles, and sought to ascribe these views to Ms. Waters. Waters testified that she did not write the materials, did not agree with them, and did not pass them to Kolar. The defense argued that the informant must have substituted other articles for the ones that Waters actually put in the folder. While Waters' fingerprints were on the folder, they were not on any of the articles. The government countered that Waters' boyfriend's fingerprints were on the articles, and that he is a "fugitive" suspected of one or more arsons. The defense pointed out that the boyfriend is not on trial.

The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the remaining counts of possession and use of a destructive destructive device. It is the destructive device charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of thirty years.

For each count of arson, Briana faces a maximum sentence of five years. There is no mandatory minimum. Details will be posted as they emerge on Portland Indymedia and Olycivlib.Org.

Thank you to everyone who is supporting Briana through this difficult time.

Joyanna Zacher, Nathan Block, Daniel McGowan and Jonathan Paul appeared in federal court this morning before U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken to enter pleas related to acts of property destruction and arson. Zacher and Block each plead to one count of conspiracy, attempted arson, and two separate incidents of arson. McGowan plead to conspiracy and to two separate incidents of arson. The government is recommending they be sentenced to 96 months in federal prison. Paul plead to one count of arson and one count of conspiracy. The government is recommending Paul be sentenced to 60 months in prison. All four defendants are free to argue for a lesser sentence. The next status hearing will be on December 14 to determine when sentencing will occur.

Outdoors (Stage 1):

12:30 - Crash 1:30 - Hypnogogue 2:30 - Hornet Leg 3:30 - Ghost Bear 4:30 - Motorcycle Blues 5:30 - Meru 6:30 - Midwife 7:30 - Vaudeville 8:15 - Joey Casio 9:15 - Scream Club 10:15 - Sugar in the Gourd (a quiet down outside set)

Indoors (Stage 2)

3:00 - Monty Cantsin 4:00 - Acre 5:00 - Onyx 6:00 - The Moms 7:00 - Calvin Johnson 10:15 - DANCE PARTY/DJ SETS

After 10 pm we will move indoors for live djs spinning into the morning.

Support direct action. Support community media. Support Free Radio Olympia!

FRO is online at Frolympia.Org

Friday, August 25th, 8pm
Capitol Theater, 206 5th Ave SE Olympia, WA
Cost: $5-15. Tickets available at box office night of show

Derrick Jensen is the author of The Culture of Make Believe, A Language Older Than Words, Listening to the Land: Conversations about Nature, Culture, and Eros, a USA Today Critics' Choice for on the best nature books of 1995, and Railroads and Clearcuts. He writes for the New York Times Magazine, Audubon, and The Sun magazine, among many others.

He has recently written two new books, Endgame: Volumes I and II (Seven Stories Press). Accepting the increasingly widespread belief that industrialized culture inevitably erodes the natural world, Endgame sets out to explore how this relationship impels us towards a revolutionary and as-yet undiscovered shift in strategy. Building on a series of simple but increasingly provocative premises, Jensen leaves us hoping for what may be inevitable: a return to agrarian communal life via the disintegration of civilization itself.

"Derrick Jensen is a rare and original voice of sanity in a chaotic world. He has wisdom and wit, grace and style, and is a wonderful guide to a good life beautifully lived."
-Howard Zinn

With a welcomed return to Olympia, where last year he packed a raucous crowd at the Capitol Theater, Jensen will discuss his new books and take questions.

The event is a benefit for Olympia Civil Liberties Resource, a local group attempting to address local Grand Juries, and support those who may be questioned and prosecuted by them. Suspects in these "eco-terrorism" cases are facing extreme punishment of 35-400 years, despite no human being killed in the arsons. Olympia Civil Liberties hopes to show the injustice of federal selective persecution and other illegal investigation activities.

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Hello, all. I am posting this here as an explanation to the folks who think that protesting the "Green Scare" is the same as protesting for the right to commit arson and destroy property!! The issue is not that simple, and if you want to understand why people are opposed to the "Green Scare" and "Operation Backfire" as a civil liberties issue, please read this.

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citizen of earth , 10.06.2006 22:07

an independent account of the Roving Street Party and Rally for Civil Liberties...

About forty Olympia residents took to the streets June 9, 2006 to kick off the Weekend of Resistance Against the "Green Scare" with a street party and rally for civil liberties. After a rousing public address by Kassey Shoemaker of Olympia Civil Liberties Resource, we made our way into the streets accompanied by a mobile sound system on a bike cart and live deejays keeping the party jams fresh. At the front of our column of revelry, two demonstrators carried a banner that read "Reclaim Our Rights! Stop the Green Scare!". Another marcher carried a sign that read "We will not be silenced by fear!" and "Free Nathan and Joyanna! Free Jeff Luers!".