FBI Resurfaces in Portland

This statement was released today, via facebook, by an activist with Portland Rising Tide:

“The FBI came to my parents house last week, asking questions they knew the answers to like ‘were does he live?’ (they know were we all live).

My atty was not able to find out what or why they were bothering my sweet folks, but I will tell you why.

Its [sic] because Portland Rising Tide is outreaching, training, and organizing hundreds of Pacific NWers of all age groups to engage in a level of civil disobedience not seen in decades.

We are going to do it to save our neighborhoods, our communities, our salmon, and our climate.

And that scares the shit out of the powers that be.”

We at the EF!J have been reporting tirelessly for the past two years now about the heightened FBI security state in the Pacific Northwest. It was around this time last year that police and FBI officials raided several houses in North Portland and subpoenaed activists for information regarding an action that occurred in Seattle on May Day.

Earlier this year, several climate justice activists were approached by the FBI and briefly questioned. They did not give a reason, but it is likely related to Rising Tide’s increasing presence in Seattle. Due to tomorrow’s Summer Heat action slated for tomorrow in Vancouver, Washington, the FBI is clearly using intimidation tactics to mitigate activist presence regarding coal shipments.

We’ll keep you updated as much as possible. Stay safe and don’t talk to the FBI.*

Solidarity,

Cascadia Field Office

*Note: the FBI is part of the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Portland, which also incorporates the local police, so if a local police officer comes to your door asking about something sketchy, they just might be on a JTTF mission. You don’t have to give the cops your identity info (as long as you don’t give them a fake one, you’re in the clear), and you don’t have to answer questions without a lawyer present. Check out Cop Watch for more…