Who is Leah-Lynn Plante and why is she so important
[Update Oct 19 – Leah-Lynn has been released since Oct 17th, she is recovering from it. She read the many comments on the myriad posts about her and is righteously pissed about the endless misogyny and sexism which was rampant in them.
And both Matt and KteeO are in general population and in need of support. Please read this post with that in mind.]
On July 25 of this year 40 riot gear clad FBI agents and Joint Terrorism Task Force officers from the Seattle/Portland region broke down the door of this dangerous criminal. They handcuffed her and her housemates and held her at gunpoint.
Leah-Lynn Plante is imprisoned without charge*
Their warrant was for computers, black clothes and anarchist literature. There was no warrant for her arrest. There still is not one. But those imprisoned as part of the same set of raids are in solitary confinement, without direct access to their lawyers, unable to get visitor request forms and with no access to sunlight or fresh air. She could be there for 18 months.
When asked why she was being imprisoned, the FBI would only say she was suspected of being involved in “violent crimes”. However, the reason she is being imprisoned is that she is refusing to cooperate with this grand jury. You maintain your right not to self incriminate at a grand jury, but if you don’t answer their questions they can throw you in jail for contempt.
So while there is lots of digital ink being spilled over the presidential election, there is a need for people who care about the right to protest to pay attention to things which will be problematic under both Obama and Romney, and this is a clear example of one. So instead of spending hours fretting and arguing over who to vote for or if you should vote, I would ask you to do something for this prisoner and the other two being held similarly.
For some of the better articles on this case see the Sparrow Project, Her video statement, and Pakalert Press.
Things you can do if you have very little money:
“Like” the Facebook groups for both of the prisoners who remain in jail.
If you don’t have experience writing to prisoners please read this.
You can also send these prisoners paperback (only) books. I would suggest political fiction, Le Guin, Piercy and Starhawk jump to mind – apparently they need to be new books but any of these authors’ works is likely inspiring for prisoners.
There is also now a new benefit album, appropriately entitled “Say Nothing,” you can purchase, the proceeds of which go to the defense fund.
- Grand Jury Resister Benefit Album
If you are good with wiki’s you can continue editing the wikipedia entry I started on Leah-Lynn. A public domain picture, or one with permission to repost given would be a good addition.
All three of these activists are in solitary confinement, their only crime is silence.
| Send Letters to Matt at: Matthew Kyle Duran #42565-086 FDC SeaTac P.O. Box 13900 Seattle, WA 98198 Send books to Matt of his book wishlist! Send Letters to KteeO at: Katherine Olejnik #42592-086 FDC SeaTac, P.O. Box 13900 Seattle, WA 98198 Please write to KteeO!! She is specifically interested in news and information about the Basque region, and reading material related to linguistics and social anthropology. |
If you have some money, even a small amount (for all three resisters) please donate
If you are into t-shirts or pins
*Plante was not charged with any crime when they broke down her door, she is being imprisoned for failing to cooperate with a grand jury three times.
[Edited by Judy Youngquest]
19 responses to “Who is Leah-Lynn Plante and why is she so important”
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- - October 23, 2012
your passport to complaining 
Well, why did she refuse to testify before the grand jury? What kind of grand jury case was it? What might she know that she is refusing to tell?
Obviously, there is more to this than your blog post or wikipedia state…
Ed, you can get more information on her case here: http://www.freeleah.org/
Why don’t you click on the sources cited in the Wikipedia article or use the Google? TL;DR – authorities have said/implied that this Grand Jury is in connection with Seattle May Day protests, but it was convened in March before the protests happened, none of these folks were in Seattle, and the search warrant specified “anarchist literature” in addition to things (computers, black clothing) that could be found in nearly any home. So as far as anyone can tell, the jury is just fishing for political information, and in that light, is it any wonder that folks are scared and don’t want to talk?
Having read the free leah web site, and the wikipedia article, I note that neither has any primary source documents that might shed actual light on what this case is about. It would be easy enough for someone to link to public information such as an indictment, sentencing, or summons.
Based on what little I did read, I’ll hazard a guess as to what this is about:
This girl doesn’t want to testify against her thug friends, so she didn’t testify at all and goes to prison herself to save their butts.
OR,
She has gradiose visions that she is the Rosa Parks of her era and that she’ll someday be recognized as starting some kind of social movement.
From the comments here, I’d say it is a little of both. Poor, stupid girl. Perhaps a year and a half in the slammer will give her some time to reflect on her idiot behavior and change her ways. I know, I’m probably overly optimistic. But there’s hope for everyone…
There hope for everyone, Ed? I hope that means you’ll stop spewing reactionary drivel on the internet. I’m not optimistic. Are you part of the elite or just one of their pawns?
So in your article when you encouraged people to send books, you suggested they go to a used bookstore. But on the Amazon book recommendation page on the side it said only new books would be accepted. I have concerns that people’s books will not get through.
Thanks for pointing this out, i will change the page.
i changed this in the post, thanks for this correction
Paxus in Rome
16 Falling Leaves 2012
@Ed
Hope for everyone, except perhaps you Ed.
You seem convinced that the arm of the state is being used appropriately here. Do you really think this gal, or even her buddies would classify as terrorists? Which is the task force which busted down her door? You seem to think that it is fine to arrest people for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury, when there are no charges against her (except refusing to cooperate with the grand jury).
My guess is that your comfortable privileged life is such that you have no fear of police state tactics ever rubbing you the wrong way. The cops are working for you, protecting your wealth, therefore everyone else should be cooperating with them, because that works best for you. Do you have any friends who have trouble with the police, not because they are doing anything wrong, but because they happen to be the wrong skin color or sexual orientation?
How very lucky there is nothing you wish to protest and have such great faith that the system is functioning just fine.
My cousin works as a public defender. he spends his days getting petty criminals off on technicalities, because he is convinced it is far more important that the police be forced to stay inside the restrictions which are put on them to avoid a police state than it is to let minor criminals run free. I suppose you thing we should lock them all up to protect your car stereo, even if this means some innocent people go to jail or the police use completely inappropriate force.
i worry about the world you seem quickly comfortable to embrace.
I get that you think she is a poor stupid girl, i think you a rich ignorant guy. To me she is a hero and you are a hazard. especially because you are so sure you are right and so righteous about it.
Paxus in Rome
16 Falling Leaves 2012
I don’t speak for anyone but myself, but I consider this narrative of innocence pandering. Yeah, the liberal state violates its pretensions to justice by the minute and it’s valuable to point out the hypocrisy. But we anarchists had better pose a genuine threat to the bosses or we’re wasting our time. I would much have revolutionary solidarity than liberal moral outrage or pity.
Free Leah and smash the prisons!
“You seem convinced that the arm of the state is being used appropriately here. Do you really think this gal, or even her buddies would classify as terrorists? Which is the task force which busted down her door? You seem to think that it is fine to arrest people for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury, when there are no charges against her (except refusing to cooperate with the grand jury).”
However quoting:http://rt.com/usa/news/refusing-grand-jury-plante-196/
“I cannot and will not say something that could greatly harm a person’s life, and providing information that could lead to long term incarceration would be doing that,” Olejnik wrote before being booked.
Suggests that they actually have information on a crime, that will produce a long sentence. And thus the “arm of the state” is being used as the law intended, or well close at least. Maybe the anti-terror squad is over the top. But I wouldn’t jump to conclusions when we don’t know the crimes they are being charged for.
I’m all for civil disobedience and standing up for your rights. But in this case we lack too many details to even be sure if this can fall under that category(at least my definition).
-Greetings from Sweden.
Reblogged this on Kvarkur and commented:
WTF…?
This action is directly related to the NDAA program that Obama and Congress signed into a few short months ago, Everyone who cares about these people or their own freedom needs to contact http://revolutiontruth.org/contact
and tell them about their plight.
They will likely add them to the lawsuit and thus will have counsel. To learn more about what is being done to try and stop the widespread misuse of the NDAA legislation check out https://www.stopndaa.org/aboutUs
You could be the next one they go after, so could I just for writing this!
A friend of mine posted on FB that Leah was freed the 17th and is spending time recovering, and more info will be forthcoming.
Maybe that is why I just received a notice from Amazon stating that the book I sent her was undeliverable and I would be issued a refund.
THanks for trying, please remember there are other prisoners in the same case
http://funologist.org/2012/10/23/who-are-matt-duran-and-kteeo-and-why-are-they-so-important/
Why is there so much support for Leah now? She is cooperating with the FBI!!!!! This is why she was released. WTF people!! Let’s have some updates here.