First paragraph (Teaser):

The FBI has actively been harassing activists in the past two days in Denver, Lawrence, Kirksville, Columbia, and Topeka.

Rest of the text:

Midwest anarchists questioned about RNC, DNC

For Immediate Release
Statement from Kansas Mutual Aid Legal Collective July 22, 2004

Today we received news from friends and activists in Denver, Colorado pertaining to incidents involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and possibly local law enforcement agencies.

It was communicated to us, that two houses in Denver had been raided by the FBI and that at least two people had been arrested. Their charges and situations are not at this time known to us. We do know that they were asked questions about the upcoming election events including the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, as well as questions about "ABC".

According to the person that contacted us, it is not thought that anything of value had been taken from the houses, but multiple checks of identification occurred. Agents were reported to have made threatening statements to individuals who were attempting to record names and badge numbers of those agents that were present.

This comes on the heels of repeated harrasment at the hands of state agencies of activists in New York and Boston, as well as more locally in Kirksville, Missouri, where activists were questioned by FBI and local agencies about upcoming events surrounding the DNC and RNC.

We here at the Kansas Mutual Aid Legal Collective, denounce these strong arm tactics by the state's law enforcement agencies. This crackdown on those planning dissent comes right after the 900th U.S. soldier was killed in Iraq, and support for the state's wars abroad and at home wanes.

We call on all activists, dissidents, radicals... all progressive peoples to join in a solid response to this encroachment on our rights as human beings.

We cannot, and will not be intimidated, nor scared into submission. There has never been a more crucial moment in our history to speak out and show opposition and defiance to those that exploit and dominate us and the rest of the world.

Kansas Mutual Aid will continue to monitor these events and find lawyers, raise legal funds, and provide assistance in whatever way we can.

Fear may be their weapon of choice... solidarity will be ours.

In solidarity, forever.

Kansas Mutual Aid Legal Collective 913-775-1399 kans...@hotmail.com

Please send any financial contributions to: KMA c/o Solidarity Center 13 W. 14th Street Lawrence, KS 66044

******

Update: 11:53 am central time

At least 20 anarchists in Lawrence have been in some way harrassed by the
FBI. Only one at this point has been directly found and questioned.
The FBI has tried through calling homes, visiting workplaces and
residences, and visiting and calling parents, to harrass and find local
anarchists.

So far, word has come that this is all linked to the Democratic and
Republican National Convention protests during the end of this summer.

If you live in Lawrence, we ask that you please come to the Solidarity!
Center as soon as you read this, as we are sure that this space will come
under pressure soon, and we'd like many witnesses.

Also, if you live in any region and have been harrassed, questioned, or
detained by the FBI or other local officials, please call:
913-775-1399

We are coordinating reports of everything happening and trying to maintain
updating the world about this.

Although things are tense, we will not back down, and will not be pushed
into submission through fear.

Now is the time for all of us to fight their fear with our greatest weapon,
our solidarity.

We are accepting legal funds for the anarchists arrested in Denver, as well
as for any future legal needs at:

Kansas Mutual Aid Legal Collective
c/o Solidarity Center
13 W. 14th Street
Lawrence, KS 66044

Thank you for all your support.

In love and solidarity,
Dave, Kansas Mutual Aid

******

Latest Update: 11:50 AM central time:

At this point the FBI has tried to contact at least 20 local anarchists here in Lawrence by phone calls, visiting workplaces, visiting parents, or their own residences.

Things are heating up here.

Kansas Mutual Aid.

* * * *

Friday July 23 2004 @ 07:10AM PDT:

IMMEDIATE UPDATE:
The FBI has made made contact with the parents of at least one person living in Lawrence, and now word has gotten to us that the FBI has visited at least one anarchist home in Columbia, Missouri!

Please spread this information far and wide... this is a far reaching coordinated effort... being conducted by the join terrorism task forces from various states.

Thanks, Kansas Mutual Aid.

* * * *

An update on our comrades arrested:

At this point, as a point of pure intimidation, our comrades in Denver that
were arrested by the FBI are being charged with failure to pay bike
tickets, and one is being charged with failure to appear in court from a
previous arrest.

The raids on their houses, and the subsequent questioning of comrades in
Denver has been followed by FBI visits to anarchists or relatives of
anarchists in Lawrence and Columbia. This also comes after the FBI made
visits to at least one comrade in Kirksville, Missouri.

This intimidation is happening right before major mobilizations against the
ruling elite in Boston and New York and the Democratic and Republican
National Conventions. We must not be allowed to be intimidated!

We will continue to mobilize, continue to organize, continue to agitate for
a new way of living... and against this culture of exploitation, war,
poverty, prisons, and oppression.

We will continue to update all as we get more news.

If the FBI or any other agenices try to contact you in anyway, please get
in touch with a lawyer first... next, please try to clal us, so we can keep
coordinating this information.

Thanks,
Kansas Mutual Aid Legal Collective
913-775-1399
kansasmutualaid (at) hotmail.com

Send any donations for legal defense to:
Kansas Mutual Aid
c/o Solidarity Center
13 W 14th Street
Lawrence, KS 66044

* * * *

Friday July 23 2004 @ 08:05AM PDT

UPDATE Two un-uniformed people carrying sidearms driving a dark SUV having been spotted knocking on the door and searching the mailbox of a Lawrence anarchist.

We have heard from Denver that the two detained have been transferred out of federal custody and are being held on failure to be appear in court and unpaid parking tickets, respectively.