Matthew Kyle Duran #42565-086
FDC SeaTac
P.O. Box 13900
Seattle, WA 98198
Matt refused to testify today at the Grand Jury. In response, the prosecutor threw him into a cage. Leah refused to testify and was released with a new subpoena.
Show your solidarity!
from NoPoliticalRepression:
Around 3:00 PM today, Matt was taken to a contempt of court hearing. The judge decided to make the hearing private instead of public. It is our understanding that this action is unprecedented since the McCarthy Era of political witch hunts. The entire 2nd floor of the Federal Court House in Seattle where the grand jury itself was taking place was closed off to the public as well as the 13th floor where the contempt hearings were taking place. As of this writing, Leah has not been taken to her contempt hearing yet.
We are asking for supporters to call Judge Richard Jones in his chambers at 206-370-8870 and demand that the contempt hearings be made public and that Leah and Matt not be charged with contempt and be released.
Friends and comrades,
Matt Duran, grand jury resister
My name is Matt Duran and I will do everything I can to resist this Grand Jury. I’m releasing this as it’s come to my attention that the strategy my lawyer and I have been working under will more than likely not work; the prosecution wants to grant me immunity before I even have a chance to testify. I want to make it clear that I am in no way ever cooperating with the state now or ever. Anyone who knows me well enough to be a close friend knows that I will fight with my political allies and for them with every fiber of my being. If I ever did cooperate, it would bring an immeasurable amount of shame upon myself, my community, and my family as they have risked more in resistance than I have in my life so far.
This is not the first time that the State has attempted to kidnap me, extort money from me, and take me away from my family, loved ones, and comrades. The last time, the State even went so far as to create lies in order to put me away. Bearing this in mind as well as the institutional racism I face every day, I have long ago accepted that I am going to go to prison at some point in my lifetime. This compounded with the fact that I have such an amazing amount of support, to the degree that I don’t even know what to do with it, allows me to know that I am going to make it no matter what is thrown at me.
People should know that this is more than likely not the end of this, the State will continue this Grand Jury well after my comrades and I locked up. Whatever happens, I want you to know that you are not alone and are more than capable of handling whatever is thrown at you. They would not be doing this if we were not successful in any respect; if we kept to our ivory towers debating what is more revolutionary and not actively creating conflict, we would not be facing this repression. Do not stop the struggle, keep organizing and fighting or they will have won. When the Haymarket massacre took place all those years ago and the martyrs were hung for their desire for a better life, the State attempted to crush all radicals. Clearly, this did not work then and it won’t work now. If this was their desire, they have failed in every aspect of it as I have not seen anything other than flagrant disregard for them across the globe. Keep the struggle in your hearts and minds and do not bend to their will. They will never be able to destroy us no matter how hard they try.
In solidarity,
Matt Duran
from PSA:
The following is a leaflet meant to be distributed far and wide. The ideal format is a half-sheet with both a front and a back side. Solidarity with the silent! See the attachment for the leaflet. (pdf) Text as follows
In late July of this year, anarchists in Portland (Oregon), Seattle and Olympia (Washington) were subpoenaed to testify for a Grand Jury. Some people were served their subpoenas and will be appearing on September 13th, while others avoided being served meaning they are not legally bound to appear, and have chosen lay low for the duration of the grand jury. In conjunction with the wave of subpoenas, the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force raided three known anarchist houses in Portland.
While the reason for and testimony from grand juries are not public, the purpose of this Grand Jury seems to be an investigation of what occurred in downtown Seattle on May Day 2012. The media reports anywhere from 150,000-300,000 dollars worth of damage occurred on that day, so clearly the state is looking for anyone they can punish for these actions. But punishment is not the only reason for this witch-hunt, it is clear the State also wishes to use fear to silence anarchist struggles. The Police, FBI, and JTTF want to make sure another incident like this does not occur anywhere in the Northwest.
It has been one month since the mania has started, although it seems like it could have been last week or even yesterday. In these intense moments time tends to lose it’s meaning. But this experience has not made us weaker but stronger. The State’s intended goal of isolation has only brought more anarchist communities closer together. New friendships and affinities have already been
Grand Jury Resistance in the Pacific Northwest
formed and strengthened, and this is a process that will continue. Despite all the hard moments; the curiosity of who will be indicted, the thought of being led away from the court room in chains, the phone calls to parents explaining why they won’t be seeing their child for the next eighteen months, the friends who are and will be missed, we remain non-cooperating. We remain silent.
We respond to this witch-hunt with silence, but a silence far from the one the state desires. It is the silence of refusal, not the silence of compliance. We use this silence to protect the one’s we care about. We use this silence because some of us were there running amongst the people dressed in all black, listening to the symphony of shattered glass falling to the sidewalk and watching reinforced black flags break through windows of Niketown in an almost synchronized fashion. More importantly, we use this silence because these are some of the moments that actually make us feel alive, and a little more free, and without this silence those moments could not exist. They seek a silence that will make us fear their cages; we seek a silence that will stop them dead in their tracks.
This silence has already inspired action, both near and far. From banks and luxury cars being vandalized in France to banner drops in New York City, and all of the other solidarity actions, it’s apparent that many find this silence inspiring. Whether one is choosing to lay low or face the wrath of the court, with our silence of refusal we make their mission of spreading fear and isolation that much more difficult. In Silence, We Roar!
from VMC:
Early Noise Demo at Anarchist Book Fair (Victoria, BC)
On Saturday August 8th, anarchists left the bookfair to take the streets in solidarity with comrades resisting the State and their grand jury lynch mobs. Handbills were strewn and handed to passerbys (mostly from the near by “Beer Fest”) The text read:
PACIFIC NORTHWEST GRAND JURY DEFIANCE
On Wednesday July 25th, the FBI conducted a series of coordinated raids anarchists in Portland, Olympia, and Seattle. They subpoenaed several people to a federal grand jury, and seized computers, black clothing, and anarchist literature. The people subpoenaed have issued a clear statement about their refusal to collaborate with the grand jury. Refusal to cooperate may mean serving upwards of 18 months. These are just some of the tactics the state uses to try and crush effective social subversion. With solidarity we can break their hold and the states monopoly of power.
Anonymous Quotes From Some Grand Jury Resistors:
“These raids and the grand jury are clearly responses to anarchists acting in revolt, asserting our power.”
“I have no desire to view myself as a victim, or someone whose rights have been violated. Instead, I understand that the state views myself and my comrades as enemies, and they will do whatever they can to stifle our struggle, providing they can get away with it.”
South of the 49th state tactics are attempting to break the strength of anarchists through intimidation and fear. Although we know repression is always possible, its effectiveness falters when we refuse to cow to their tactics and instead express solidarity with those the state targets.
A few degrees north, we are facing a similar enemy with similar tactics. As our struggle against the Pacific Gateway and other projects of resource extraction intensify, so will the states reaction. By creating and expanding an anarchist anti-repression culture we wish to strengthen our comrades around the world and locally.
We’ve been strengthened by anarchists in Montreal and Southern Ontario expanding and deepening their revolt in the face of repression surrounding G20 and student strike conflicts. To our comrades in the mid-west, out east, in the PNW of the US and around the world: Our struggles are one.
Fuck the Grand Jury! (Victoria, BC)
In other news, due to our presence and attraction of the local pig posse, a number of intoxicated attendees from beer fest were able to raid a grocery store and eat their cheering bellies full of expropriated takeout.
For more info on the Grand Jury and the Resistance see: saynothing.noblogs.org
from Facebook:
We have received confirmation that the Asst. US Attorney presiding over this grand jury has already obtained immunity for one, if not both, of the subpeanuts for the 13th. This means that those granted immunity will have their contempt hearings and be taken to jail THAT DAY. While grand juries are closed to the public, contempt hearings aren’t! If you are planning to come to Seattle on the 13th, please be prepared to come inside the courthouse for any contempt hearing(s) that may happen. You’ll need photo ID and court-appropriate clothes. (If you think you might have an arrest warrant don’t try to come in the courthouse!!!) Don’t bring anything you wouldn’t be able to get past metal detectors and security guards.
from PSA:
Last week in solidarity with PNW grand jury resisters a billboard was redecorated with “Solidarity with PNW Grand Jury Resister (A)”.
from Anarchistnews:
Solidarity banner spotted hanging over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Williamsburg on Friday the 31st.
Banner reads:
**SOLIDARITY** with the **SILENT**
NYC QUEERS <3 PNW RESISTORS
check out the photo here
