Long Haul Raided
Longstanding Berkeley Community Center Raided by FBI
Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 | Long Haul Raided | 17 Comments
More than a dozen computers seized in questionable search
*Berkeley, CA* — At 10:30 am on Wednesday, August 27th, the UC Berkeley police, plainclothes FBI agents, and an Alameda County sheriff raided at gunpoint the Long Haul, a long-standing community library and info shop. Police spent at least an hour and a half searching the premises without allowing Long Haul members entry to their building. More than a dozen computers and other equipment were seized in the morning raid. Having made no attempt to contact Long Haul members, agents forced their way into the building by entering a neighboring non-profit office with guns drawn. Police refused to provide a search warrant until after the raid was over and property was seized.
“This is an outrageous abuse of authority by the federal government,” said TKTK, a member of the Long Haul. “What cause could the police have to come into a community center like the Long Haul and seize information belonging to the people of Berkeley? They must return our property immediately.” The police went through every room, both public and locked - cutting or unscrewing the locks - and removed every computer from the building. Most of the computers taken were removed from an un-monitored public space where people come to use the computers just as they would at a public library. The remaining computers were taken from closed offices where they are needed for the day-to-day operation of the work done by members. Offices were rifled through, and a list of people who had borrowed books from the library was checked, as was the sales log. The warrant, which was produced after the raid, had little relevant information (claiming the officers were searching for 1 - Property or things used as a means of committing a felony; 2 - Property or things that are evidence that tends to show a felony has been committed, or tends to show that a particular person has committed a felony).
The Long Haul has been a community resource for 25 years, offering accessible meeting space to radical groups, access to alternative magazines and journals, a lending library and a historical archive of independent media. Long Haul also produces the well-known slingshot organizer pocket calendar. Multiple groups have met and continue to meet there as one of the few remaining inexpensive radical venues in the increasingly gentrified bay area. The same pattern of abuse was experienced recently when the convergence space for protesters against the Democratic National Convention in Denver was raided and supplies seized. Since the Long Haul raid occurred, lawyers have been working to seek the immediate return of the seized property, though the Long Haul continues to welcome legal support. The Long Haul is also in urgent need of computers to replace what was taken, while the fight continues to get the hard drives returned.
Long Haul members have vowed to protest this latest act of political repression. Check the Long Haul website (www.thelonghaul.org <http://www.thelonghaul.org/>) for more information as it becomes available.
Pictures and video of the Long Haul and of the officers involved are online at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/08/27/18530389.php <http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/08/27/18530389.php>
keep this info handy
Sunday, September 7th, 2008 | Long Haul Raided | No Comments
re: know your rights
one: don’t talk to the police without a lawyer present. while it’s easy to say that to ourselves, it’s much more challenging to keep in mind when you are confronted by imposing (or apparently charming) officers who are trained extensively to get you to think you have to talk.
for more info - there is a surprisingly good video at this link. (both parts of this video are useful.)
two: if you are subpoened for anything to do with the long haul it is important to contact the National Lawyer’s Guild hotline (415-285-1041) and speak to someone or leave a message. also encourage anyone you know who has been subpoened to do the same. even if you don’t want the NLG’s help, they need to know as much about what is going on in the case as possible.
Things you can do to help the Long Haul
Sunday, August 31st, 2008 | Long Haul Raided | 2 Comments
1) Donate Money
We will need money for legal expenses at the very least. Please consider donating to the Long Haul either by PayPal (to info@thelonghaul.org) or send a check to 3124 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley Ca. Phone 94705. Make checks
payable to Long
Haul. We are a 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax deductible. Any amount will help.
2) Donate Time
The Long Haul needs people to help out with a variety of tasks. We need new people to help staff the Infoshop (we could be open many more hours than we are now). We need help with legal work, keeping the Infoshop open, attending meetings, maintaining the technology of the computer lab, etc, etc. Please email help@thelonghaul.org if you have time to give to Berkeley’s community Infoshop
3) Donate Stuff
We have had lots of donations of computers, thanks! So, unless you can give us something better than what we have now, we really don’t need more computers. A new coffee maker would be nice, though. And radical/anarchist/awesome books, zines and pamphlets for our library would make us smile. Please swing by the Long Haul during our open Infoshop hours (3-9 weekends, 6-9pm M-T) and talk to the staffer.
Thank You to everyone who donated anything!