SUBPOENAED MISSOURI ACTIVISTS SPEAK OUT ON FBI SURVEILLANCE
Subpoenaed Missouri Activists Speak Out on FBI Surveillance
FBI Prevented Young Activists From Protesting at Democratic Convention
St. Louis, August 30, 2004: On the opening day of the Republican National Convention, three young political activists who were subpoenaed as part of an investigation by the FBI≠s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Kirksville, Missouri revealed their identities today, saying that they can no longer remain silent as the FBI steps up its efforts to spy on and interrogate other political protesters.
Chris Scheets, Ben Garrett and Daniel Coate were among the dozens of political activists in the Midwest who were questioned and trailed by the FBI in the weeks preceding the Democratic National Convention in July. The three young men, who have no history of violent activity, were subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury on July 29, which prevented them from traveling to Boston to protest the convention as they had planned.
"These young men were singled out by the Joint Terrorism Task Force because of their involvement in political protest and social dissent," said Denise Lieberman, Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri, which is representing the men. "It is unconscionable that the FBI is now using its law enforcement powers to prevent Americans from exercising their right to protest the policies of their government."
Scheets, who is 20, first realized he was under investigation when FBI agents visited the home of his parents in Jacksonville, Illinois. According to Scheets, the agents asked his parents about easily accessible information such as his current address, as well as information about his political affiliations. FBI agents also visited or contacted the parents of Coate, 22, and Garrett, 24.
After speaking with their parents, FBI agents then visited Coate and Scheets at their homes, as well as Garrett, who was already staying at a friend≠s home in St. Louis in preparation for the trip to Boston. When Coate and Scheets arrived in St. Louis the next day, the house was under obvious surveillance. For the next four days, at least three unmarked cars were parked in front of the house at any given time and the three men, as well as the house≠s occupants and visitors, all reported being trailed by FBI agents every time they ventured outside.
"We felt trapped in St. Louis because of the FBI≠s obvious intimidation tactics," said Scheets. "We were afraid to talk to anybody or do anything because we didn't want the FBI to subject our friends and family to the same kind of harassment that we were experiencing."
The men said the surveillance ended after they appeared before the grand jury on July 29. However, neither the FBI nor the state Attorney General, who issued the subpoenas, have indicated to the men or the ACLU that the investigation has ended.
"The FBI's actions have had a chilling effect on free speech not only on these young men but on everyone who has heard about these incidents," said the ACLU's Lieberman. "It is one thing to arrest a protester who engages in civil disobedience, but it is quite another to stop or intimidate people from protesting in the first place."
Although the FBI's tactics have caused the men to question their ability to continue being politically active, Scheets said that he will still travel to New York to participate in protests at the Republican National Convention.
"We strongly feel that what happened to us is another example of the government using fear tactics to stifle political and social dissent, which is totally unacceptable in a democratic society," Scheets said.
In a related story, the ACLU and the New York Civil Liberties Union announced today they are representing Calyx Internet Access and administrators of Indymedia.org in a Secret Service investigation regarding the anonymous posting of publicly available information about delegates to the Republican National Convention. The groups said the investigation is but the latest example of government agencies using law enforcement powers to chill free speech and intimidate protesters.
A statement from the three Missouri activists is attached. For more information on the ACLU≠s work to protect protest rights, see http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeSpeechlist.cfm?c=86.