Activists call FBI arrest of Samuel Tunick evidence of protestor repression

Samuel Tunick was arrested and charged with destruction of evidence after being detained at the U S demarcation earlier this year Photo courtesy of the Let Sam Go Assistance Committee Local activist and musician Samuel Tunick was arrested by the Department of Homeland Shield DHS and FBI as part of what advocates call a wave of repression against political dissent across the U S On Dec Tunick was arrested after being pulled over in Atlanta and petitioned to step out of the car to observe an issue with a taillight on his car According to advocates for Tunick he was then suddenly handcuffed and surrounded by the FBI and DHS Tunick was detained by U S Customs and Margin Protection at an airport while returning from an international trip earlier this year and federal agents attempted to coerce him into providing full access to his phone Information has not been shared publicly or with Rough Draft as to the specific airport in which Tunick was detained updates will come as they are available During his first court appearance on Dec after one night in jail Tunick was indicted by a grand jury for one count of destruction of evidence for allegedly destroying evidence on his phone though the prosecution allegedly did not clarify what evidence they were looking for Tunick was a protestor with the Stop Cop City movement against the construction of the Atlanta Populace Safety Training Center a million -acre police training facility in the South River Forest Kamau Franklin the director of Society Movement Builders called the arrest totally baseless and evidence of the Trump administration s scapegoating of legitimate protestors The Trump administration is using political prosecution to distract from the growing unpopularity in the polls defections within the GOP and a persistent high cost of living he reported The ongoing harassment of local activists reflects the state s struggle to convict Stop Cop City protestors local activist Evan Grace reported in a declaration Tunick s situation reveals the apparent desperation and technical inadequacy of the FBI perceived by countless as a tool of the far-right agenda This prosecution poses a major threat not just to Tunick but to the broader rights of individuals to use digital prevention tools essential for safeguarding democratic freedoms In September Stop Cop City activists were charged with coordination of violence intimidation and property destruction These Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations RICO charges were dismissed in September of this year by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kevin Farmer who revealed they could not proceed because the proper authorization strategies were not followed Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr s office called the protestors in a message domestic terrorists and violent criminals The development has been referred to by experts as the largest racketeering prosecution ever brought against protestors in U S history Atlanta s police training center opened earlier this year after years of protests delays and the death of a protestor by police As a condition of his bond Tunick will be subjected to random visits from a parole officer and regular drug tests A GiveSendGo account has been set up to help Tunick pay legal bills Related stories Society calls for police accountability after fatal shooting of Linton Blackwell Trans woman still waiting for answers in DeKalb County library police happening The post Activists call FBI arrest of Samuel Tunick evidence of protestor repression appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta