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NYC anarchist Gerald "Jerry" Koch was taken into federal custody yesterday after a civil contempt hearing where he again refused to answer questions in front of a grand jury investigating a 2008 crime. The whole story can be found at http://jerryresists.net/ but in a nutshell, Jerry was called in front of the grand jury in 2009 and refused to speak to them at that time. Prosecutors told his lawyers they believed he had overheard something in a bar related to the 2008 attack on the army recruitment center in Times Square, which broke a window but injured no one. Jerry says he has no information about the 2008 incident and does not recall any bar situation prosecutors seem to be referring to. Nothing came of it until he was subpoenaed again this year. This situation is similar to the one in the pacific northwest where anarchists were hounded and jailed at the end of last year (http://nopoliticalrepression.wordpress.com/). The grand jury is ostensibly investigating a 2008 case but this has the hallmarks of a vindictive and politically motivated prosecution. Jerry has become something of a public face for NYC anarchists through his extensive legal work on behalf of people arrested during demonstrations or otherwise targeted by the state, particularly during the recent OWS-related events in New York. We believe his imprisonment is simultaneously a scare tactic meant to intimidate radicals and a fishing expedition for prosecutors to glean information on his family, friends, and political associates. It is important to note that Jerry is not a target of the investigation and is not charged with any crime. Nonetheless he is in prison for as long as the grand jury continues, which could be more than a year from now. He can get out by agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors but he is refusing to be made an accomplice to red scares and witch hunts. There is plenty more on the case and a list of ways to support Jerry on the website listed above. Those of us supporting him are eager to spread the word about this so please feel free to be in touch and thank you for listening. Andy Battle ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu Set your options at: http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
