[van-announce] RCMP anti-terrorism team faces hearing in BC Supreme Court

[David]

[Note: Vancouver and area activists are encouraged to attend this hearing
to show support for freedom of political dissent and to watch Canada's
political police defend themselves in court.]


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Barbarash, 250-703-6312

September 23, 2002

RCMP's newest anti-terrorism team faces hearing in BC Supreme Court

On Tuesday Sept. 24 at 10am a hearing will take place at BC Supreme Court
in Vancouver. Longtime political activist David Barbarash, through his
lawyer Michael Klein, will be putting forward a motion to quash an RCMP
search warrant recently executed on his Vancouver Island home, and to seek
the return of items seized in the raid.

Acting on behalf of a three-year-old U.S. law enforcement request, the
RCMP seized two computers, dozens of computer disks, over 100 videotapes,
photos, miscellaneous papers and other files related to animal rights,
environmental issues, and alternative media.

Canada's newest anti-terrorist task force, the Integrated National
Security Enforcement Team (INSET) carried out the July 30th raid.
Established in June 2002, this post-Sept. 11 RCMP unit "will help ensure
early detection and prevention of any potential threats to national
security," according to an RCMP press release.

What are the "national security" threats the RCMP raided Barbarash's
residence about? In 1999 in the state of Maine the Animal Liberation Front
(A.L.F.) carried out a series of raids on hunting clubs. Items were
stolen, walls were spray-painted, and property damage occurred. Total
damages totaled $8700, and this was three years ago.

Barbarash is the spokesperson for the underground A.L.F., and has spoken
hundreds of times to the media across North America about the A.L.F., it's
tactics and philosophy. This occurred in Oct. 1999 with media outlets in
Maine following the actions taken by the A.L.F.. What was the sole
document INSET's Cpl. Derrick Ross presented to the court to obtain the
search warrant? It was a newspaper clipping dated Oct. 1999 in which
Barbarash is interviewed.

As media spokesperson, Barbarash only receives anonymous communications
from A.L.F. activists, after they have taken action. This was also stated
in the Maine newspaper clipping.

This raid can only be seen in the context of the RCMP's long history of
harassment against political activists, and against David Barbarash in
particular. The RCMP has been targeting Barbarash for harassment and
disruption of his political activities since Aug. 1995. Indeed, most of
the items seized in this most recent raid have nothing to do with the
A.L.F. in the state of Maine or anywhere else, contrary to the search
warrant parameters.

This new RCMP tool - INSET - is reminiscent of the notorious FBI
counter-intelligence program (COINTELPRO) which sought to disrupt the
activities of the Black Panthers, the American Indian Movement, and many
others. Indeed, the mandate of INSET is "to work with their partners
nationally and internationally towards the common goal of detection and
disruption of potential terrorist threats." (RCMP press release, June
18th, 2002)

Barbarash is still wondering how speaking with the media is a "potential
terrorist threat."

"It is outrageous that a search and seizure can take place against a
spokesperson, the messenger, who has nothing at all to do with any illegal
actions," comments Barbarash. "In my role as media liaison I am neither
aware of any action prior to its occurrence, nor am I aware of the
identities of any A.L.F. activist. The type of communication I receive
from activists is anonymous and one-way."

"It further boggles the mind that the crimes warranting this type of
harassment are nothing more than minor property destruction offences. And
it is an abuse of power that a solitary newspaper article can stand alone
as the sole supporting document giving a judge enough of a basis to issue
a search warrant."

Indeed, the apparent crimes in Maine are of a political nature and are
more appropriately classified as economic sabotage, a political strategy
used by social justice activists for centuries. In this era of "smoking
out the terrorists," economic sabotage, or non-violent property damage
done for political reasons, is now egregiously labeled "terrorism."

B.C. Civil Liberties Association spokesperson Murray Mollard commented,
"It raises the question what is terrorism? This would not be the kind of
action we consider terrorism. (The raid) appears to be using a criminal
matter to permit the United States to come into Canada. Its an expansion
of authority on what is essentially a criminal issue." (Comox Valley Echo,
Aug. 09, 2002)

For a more complete description of the raid, it's meaning and
implications, read Barbarash's Aug. 18 article which can be found
published online at:
http://resist.ca/pipermail/van-announce/2002-August/000046.html

The BC Supreme Court hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday Sept.
24 at 10am, 800 Hornby St., Vancouver.