FBI tailed Portland anarchists headed to Seattle
Oct 19, 2012, 6:45 AM | Updated: 9:10 am
While May 1 is a day of peaceful protests in support of workers’ rights for many, it has become known as a day of rioting, destruction and increased police presence in Seattle as anarchists take over during the night. (AP)
(AP)
An FBI agent tells a federal judge that agents followed six suspected anarchists traveling north from Portland the day before Seattle’s May Day riots.
In just unsealed court documents, the agent assigned to the FBI’s terrorism task force in Seattle says evidence links five of the six to vandalism at Seattle’s Nakamura Courthouse. The agent says the out-of-state anarchists were among 50 people who smashed windows and battled police.
SeattlePI.com reports the FBI claims to have seized clothing and text messages linking the anarchists to the riots. None of the six has been charged in connection with the violence and vandalism in Seattle last May first.
The FBI agent describes the vandalism as coordinated and says that in one text message, an anarchist described the day as “awesome.”
