Yesterday 8 Cop City protesters were denied bond, and may be forced to sit in jail until trial. No actual evidence was presented against any of the defendants. The judge's decision was based on innuendo and unsupported claims from the prosecutor. What's going on here? [thread]
Prosecutors are using a two-pronged repression strategy: The first is extreme charges. Just simply accusing someone of domestic terrorism is enough to make a judge inclined to deny them bail. This gets them results even if the case is ultimately thrown out for lack of evidence.
The second is RICO or conspiracy. This allows them to attack protesters who didn't commit crimes, or who are seen as organizers, just due to alleged affiliation with the movement. They're going so far as to claim that we are a criminal group, simply for providing legal aid!
Combined, these strategies give police and prosecutors the tools to 1) target anyone who they believe is a supporter of the movement against Cop City regardless of whether they committed a crime, and 2) keep them locked up indefinitely without having to present evidence.
It's a brazen abuse of the judicial process, intended to terrify activists into silence. Anyone in the US watching this unfold should be very concerned. They are testing a new strategy for repressing protest movements here. If we don't challenge it, it will be in your town next.
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