Daniel McGowan was one of 12 indicted activists accused of involvement with a string of arsons in the West attributed to the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). McGowan denies any involvement with the actions. After his family put up a number of different properties for bail (set at $1.6 million), he was released into his sister's custody and should be returning to New York City in the coming week. Read the report on NYC Indymedia: Daniel McGowan Released Into Custody of His Sister.
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Jed Brandt writes:
I first met Daniel McGowan in the build-up to the Republican National Convention in New York. Puckish in his good humor, Daniel became the most prominent spokesperson of the direct action and anarchist forces organizing to give our commander-in-chief a proper welcome through his involvement with RNC Not Welcome. As a reporter for the Indypendent, I spoke with many of the organizers from the whole spectrum of groups working to make those protests happen, and talking with Daniel was always a pleasure, if only because he broke from the activist lingo that often obscured more than it explained. He spoke his mind, and had none of the "lesser evil" illusions being peddled by the Democratic Party. Daniel sees social change coming from the actions of everyday people. That's why he worked at a women's legal referral service, studied acupuncture and became a political activist. It's why he looked out for friends. It's why he's earned the loyalty of his friends, family and comrades.
Self-effacing, committed and not at all the wild-eyed crazy the government's "eco-terrorist" rhetoric tries to paint. It's great news he's been released on bail. Daniel's family has been amazing, with everyone pooling together to meet the government's insane bail demand.
Welcome home, Daniel. Let's all try and make sure you stay at liberty.
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It was a real shock when he was arrested as part of nation-wide round-up of activists associated with ecological defense and animal rights. Daniel maintains his total innocence on the arson charges he's been saddled with and denies any membership in the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). From the look of it, the government was unable to crack the underground ELF and targeted activists who've given support to prisoners. Daniel had spread the word about the 20+ year sentence Jeff "Free" Leurs got for burning an SUV. If recognizing manifest injustice makes someone a threat, then Daniel is hardly the only person out there in their sights.
His New York attorney noted before his extradition to Eugene for arraignment that the years which have passed between the arsons he's charged with and the arrests mean that in lieu of physical evidence, prosecutors are relying on informers. By threatening non-violent activists with decades behind bars, they lean on them to compel testimony. This is a recipe for the innocent being persecuted. It's political repression in raw form.
According to press reports, at least one of the 12 indictmented activists has flipped. Stanislas "Jack" Meyerhoff is a reported informant. According to the Associated Press, Meyerhoff is a "seriel arsonist" who, in his own words, prays "the court is merciful with those who have renounced these crimes and have moved on to be students and professionals." The way informants prove their "renunciation" is by shifting their crimes onto the innocent in exchange for personal liberty. In other words, some guy facing life is prison will tell any lie to save his own skin, including sending an innocent man to jail in his place. GNN has a running thread on the issue of snitches.
And they still call it a Justice system.
I'd like to personally say that whatever your beliefs about tactics and strategy, however you identify your philosophy or allegiance -- an attack on activists like Daniel are an attack on all of us. I am a real critic of the ELF and I think that's a losing strategy. I don't think anarchism makes any sense at all. But I know a committed and decent man when I meet one -- and if he's facing 30 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, then he needs all the support that can be mustered.
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Additional coverage: Bombs and Shields || Ideas for Action
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