Cleveland Anarchist Bomb Plot, Instigated/Entrapment by the FBI

[anarchoskin69]

So at the Occupy the Midwest I met a bunch of people who failed to impress me, a few anarchists who as soon as they caught wind I was anarchist insisted on exchanging phones numbers and emails. Then there was the Cleveland bunch, which stood out. Pushing the line at protests, I was relieved to see some actual fierce rebel rousing. Later on underneath one of the pavilions in Tower Grove Park, though, we were discussing politics of the state to crush our movement, and everyone was worried about leadership being co-opted by the state to lessen their activities. I was the only one to bring up the idea of agent provocateurs, and also to bring up the cases of Eric McDavid and Marie Mason, but that guy from Cleveland, Brandon, asked me, "Who are those people?" I explained to them and others at the discussion how the FBI had set them up, by providing the means, know-how and plans to blow shit up/destroy things. A week ago, I hear about five anarchists in Cleveland arrested on some bomb plot set up by the FBI. I smack my forehead, "Can all Cleveland folk be so clueless?" So today I looked up regular news articles, to see photos and names, and lo' and behold, the one being focused on is Brandon Baxter, with a photo that is unmistakably the Brandon I spoke to in St Louis at Occupy the Midwest. Dammit, "I told you so" just doesn't do any damn justice here. I really wish he would've taken my advice some though, but apparently the FBI informant was filling him up with so much booze all the time that he never bothered to think too much about it. So I'm writing a song about it, when I get back from the NATO summit I'll try putting something together on my acoustic guitar for you all.

~~~~~~~~~

I heard him shout,
"who's that fucking cop taking pictures?"
I heard him shout,
"Who the fuck's that taking pictures?"

But back in Tower Grove Park,
Words were being exchanged,
Where hopeful radical ideas would start,
And demonstrations were arranged,

We knew there were fucking undercover cops,
That we had all discussed,
I brought up McDavid and Mason,
But Brandon didn't understand the fuss,

I explained to him that if people bring up bombs,
Think about who's giving them to you,
I explained to him that if people bring up bombs,
Think about who they're getting it from, too,

I heard him shout,
"Who's that fucking cop taking pictures?",
I heard him shout,
"Who the fuck's that taking pictures?",

But Brandon he went back home,
Where him and four others had met Shaquille,
Shaquille had the know-how and C-4,
They didn't even know it wasn't real,

So he led them along a road with ideas,
That he would constantly propose,
The others all wondered if they should trust,
This guy but they still went along though,

And again bombs were blamed on anarchists,
So our ideas can be quickly dismissed,
You know that none of them had the means,
But became terrorist propaganda for media blitz

I heard him shout,
"Who's that fucking cop taking pictures?",
I heard him shout,
"Who the fuck's that taking pictures?",

~~~~~

Anyways, much more to come, I'll work on it alot more when I get time. I told my sister about it, and she was like "See, watch who you hang out with." I felt bad, because I really identified with Brandon. He had tried suicide in February just like I did last year. To be honest, when I was younger I seriously contemplated blowing up a cell phone tower with a few others, we were just never as unlucky enough to run into a "Shaq", too. In the song it's about how Brandon was so worried about this fucktard in a suit taking pictures of all of us, but he never challenged the guy who could pull C-4, a military grade explosive, out of thin air for some anarchists....

Anyways, here's some links from anarchistnews.org and then a bunch of mainstream news

http://anarchistnews.org/content/5-arre ... rea-bridge

http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x12665 ... -Cleveland

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nati ... 9364.story

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/0 ... 67431.html

[punkmar77]

Fucking hell....

[Bentheanarchist]

I am a militant and I disagree that all people who break the law are police agents. Most aren't. But I f you break the law do it with someone you truly know and trust and be careful.

[anarchoskin69]

I am a militant and I disagree that all people who break the law are police agents. Most aren't. But I f you break the law do it with someone you truly know and trust and be careful.

uhhhh, duh. if you would've read my post you would've understood what I was saying is, I had those same ideas when I was young, but we never had the means or know-how. almost always when someone comes along with the means and know-how, they're an agent provocateur. there are exceptions, alot of examples OUTSIDE the U.S., though. one inside the U.S. was Ted Kacyznski, but while I don't agree with his poltiics all his bombs were homemade. but also, that motherfucker was smart as hell.

Since you obviously missed the point of the story, the point of the story was, if someone is able to pull military grade C-4 out of their ass, you better start asking yourself "how" they were able to do that. I'll be fucking frank with you right now, Ben, I was telling Brandon Baxter the same thing at Occupy the Midwest and he said basically the same thing you're saying. then a couple months later him and four others got arrested by the FBI, possibly facing life imprisonment. Six years ago similar shit happened to Eric McDavid, he actually met the agent provocateur in my home state of Indiana at Bloomington. Be fucking smart is all I'm saying.

[Bentheanarchist]

It's not because I am young. I am influenced by Errico Malatesta, Luigi Galleani, Johann Most, Emile Henry, Giuseppe Cianceppela, and Alfredo M. Bonnano.

[Caps]

I am a militant and I disagree that all people who break the law are police agents. Most aren't. But I f you break the law do it with someone you truly know and trust and be careful.

Ben, even then, be careful. There was a lot of stuff in British radical circles about two years ago about long-term police infiltrations; not least of all an informant who was involved for many years - he had relationships with some women in the movement, them having no idea who he really was. And there was another years back that had kids with activists; this too, only came out in the last few years.

Anyway, Anarchoskin69 is not saying it's because you're young. He's talking about activities he considered when HE was younger. He also didn't say that anyone involved in law-breaking is an undercover cop. However, IF they're bringing out suspicious material then, well, be suspicious. I think it's sound advice to take...

[Bentheanarchist]

I am familiar with the stories of police agents and infiltration.

[Bentheanarchist]

You cant build anarchist institutions without the police and army knocking you down. There's the FBI, CIA, National Guard, Police, guards, military, Navy, air force, and many other private organizations to smash dissent. Forming institutions of anarchy while millions of other people are enslaved by capitalism is selfish also. We need to fight the state. It cannot be avoided.

[Lobotomy3yes]

hu, bored kiddies in the park, radical circles in the london fog... sounds like disneyland, i agree.

Errico Malatesta, Luigi Galleani, Johann Most, Emile Henry, Giuseppe Cianceppela, and Alfredo M. Bonnano

good choice - but sadly still faaar beyond the mental horizon of the kiddies still found of fireworks.
doing the cops a favour before the right time has come is an idiocy not bound on any age or place & getting caught and crucified is simply the consequence.
for fucks sake get real and start building up the structures necessary for a change - and if there are any doubts or need for a how-to:

Errico Malatesta, Luigi Galleani, Johann Most, Emile Henry, Giuseppe Cianceppela, and Alfredo M. Bonnano.

This. Strong communities ALWAYS come before revolutions. Who the fuck is going to revolt otherwise?

As for agent provocateurs, treat anyone who encourages you to do illegal shit like they are a cop. Even if they turn out to be okay, they are likely stupid anyway and not worth your time. And if you are going to do illegal shit with other people, for God's sake check them out first. The narc who fucked these Cleveland guys had a myspace that listed his heroes as a bunch of Rockefeller types. I mean, that's so obvious it's not even a red flag- that's just bullshit. My heart goes out to these guys, but Jesus Christ have some common sense...


EDIT: Here's an article about the informant.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/ ... zir-756123

"Describing himself as a single “Proud Parent,” Azir listed Donald Trump, Bill Gates, and Russell Simmons as the people he would like to meet"

Rofl, I am SURE every anarchist out there would love to meet Donald Trump...

[butcher]

The FBI/State instigating then solving its own terror plots seems to be current US policy.

see also:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/may20 ... -m03.shtml

[anarchoskin69]

The FBI/State instigating then solving its own terror plots seems to be current US policy.

see also:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/may20 ... -m03.shtml

9/11 was an inside joke and everyone knows it, just like the rest of the terrorist plots.

[butcher]

The FBI/State instigating then solving its own terror plots seems to be current US policy.

see also:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/may20 ... -m03.shtml

9/11 was an inside joke and everyone knows it, just like the rest of the terrorist plots.

That's certainly not what I'm saying. Rather I'm noting the number of instances of police informants/undercovers acting to plan and provide the resources needed to undertake such terrorist plots. In this instance it is reported that this group was initially planning to set off some smoke bombs outside a bank or something. From such plans to blowing up a bridge, I think, has to be seen as heavily influenced by the informant, especially as it was only the informant who was able to obtain the 'C4' necessary to undertake such an act.

[Bentheanarchist]

The FBI/State instigating then solving its own terror plots seems to be current US policy.

see also:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/may20 ... -m03.shtml

9/11 was an inside joke and everyone knows it, just like the rest of the terrorist plots.

Oh, all invidual acts of revolt and propaganda by anarchists is terrorism to you?
911 was not an inside job. It was caused by US imperialism in afghanistan and the middle east and propaganda of the deed isnt terrorism. It is attacks against the state or the bourgeoisie not really innocent people.

[Caps]

The FBI/State instigating then solving its own terror plots seems to be current US policy.

see also:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/may20 ... -m03.shtml

9/11 was an inside joke and everyone knows it, just like the rest of the terrorist plots.

Oh, all invidual acts of revolt and propaganda by anarchists is terrorism to you?
911 was not an inside job. It was caused by US imperialism in afghanistan and the middle east and propaganda of the deed isnt terrorism. It is attacks against the state or the bourgeoisie not really innocent people.

Ben, define terrorism, please. Also, be careful with sentences like your last one. It's sounds dangerously like you're saying the 9/11 attack was okay and that the people deserved to die. Again, Anarchoskin69 said terrorist plots are often state engineered (I don't agree), not that all actions are terrorism. You're misinterpreting/reinterpreting people's points.

[butcher]

Just to be exactly clear, 9/11 wasn't an 'inside job'. However, there has been a number of 'foiled terror plots' in the US which were primarily 'plots' concocted by the police or their informants in order to entrap people. This case seems, by my way of thinking, a clear instance of this entrapment technique.

I use the term 'terrorism' as what it lacks in clarity, including antagonistic practises, it makes up for in shorthand, saves me having to write definitions constantly, etc.

[crustybeckham]

The FBI/State instigating then solving its own terror plots seems to be current US policy.

see also:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/may20 ... -m03.shtml

9/11 was an inside joke and everyone knows it, just like the rest of the terrorist plots.

Oh, all invidual acts of revolt and propaganda by anarchists is terrorism to you?
911 was not an inside job. It was caused by US imperialism in afghanistan and the middle east and propaganda of the deed isnt terrorism. It is attacks against the state or the bourgeoisie not really innocent people.

Are you "really innocent" Ben?
The enemy of your enemy is not necessarily your friend. I know, I'm very wise.

[anarchoskin69]

Just to be exactly clear, 9/11 wasn't an 'inside job'. However, there has been a number of 'foiled terror plots' in the US which were primarily 'plots' concocted by the police or their informants in order to entrap people. This case seems, by my way of thinking, a clear instance of this entrapment technique.

I use the term 'terrorism' as what it lacks in clarity, including antagonistic practises, it makes up for in shorthand, saves me having to write definitions constantly, etc.

I said joke, and I meant joke. I don't think it was an inside job in that case, but it was definitely a consequence of our foreign policy in the Middle East. I could see how this case could be viewed by the State as a terrorist plot similar to something orchestrated in Saudi Arabia, but again, it is definitely entrapment as I left the title of this topic.

But to counter your argument, I have still not heard of an explicit anarchist bomb plot, in the USA, mind you, that was anarchist and not set up by the State themselves. There have been a growing number in the USA, but seriously, smoke bombs and demolished billboards is about as serious as aspirations are here so far.

Meanwhile, in Mexico I have read of numerous articles where bombings have not occurred only against the state, but against liberals for extreme concessions they have made, even Greenpeace activists in Mexico being sent mail bombs by anarchists there.

But dude, it just isn't happening here right now. And I don't think I'd be for it anymore, either, personally. I won't condone or condemn it,, though, as long as no life is taken, at which time I would condemn it. Who knows though, in the coming years the politics of the state could become severely more draconian and my politics may swing in a completely different direction. At this time, that is where I stand, though.

[Bentheanarchist]

I was talking about 2 different topics:
1. The 911 terrorist attack which killed many innocent people.
And 2. Propaganda of the deed, acts against state by anarchists for propaganda purposes.

[Bentheanarchist]

The galleansti is an example anarchoskin69.

[anarchoskin69]

The galleansti is an example anarchoskin69.

The Galleanists are an example of what?