Please read this open letter on #Occupy and #Cle4 if you haven't already. The support network's love and commitment continue to inspire me.
I hope people will visit theCleveland 4 Solidarity website to learn more about these four Occupy Cleveland activists, Brandon, Connor, Doug and Joshua "Skelly.” They were arrested on April 30th, 2012, accused of plotting a series of bombings, including an area bridge. However, the real story is that the FBI, working with an informant, created the scheme, produced the explosives, and coerced these four into participating.
On October 7, 2013, Joshua (‘Skelly’) Stafford was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison.
From Solidarity with Skelly
For the Cleveland 4 Support Committee and for all those who support political prisoners an important question remains: What are WE going to do? It is time to shine a very bright light on the methods used by FBI agents and prosecutors in an attempt to justify continued funding and personal advancement by entrapping the most vulnerable members of our society. We will continue to expose the use of paid informants with extensive criminal rap sheets as they are routinely misrepresented as accidental witnesses rather than amoral leaders highly motivated to create simulated crimes.
We will continue to support those incarcerated simply for others’ political and personal gain.
It's true that FBI entrapment and manufactured terrorism is a real problem in the United States, and I applaud Cleveland 4 Solidarity for their relentless work. I received a wonderful letter from Skelly this month, and I was so happy to hear from him. Letters really mean a lot to them, so please write!
There hasn't been much media attention given to the courtroom appearances of the Cleveland 4, but I did Storify tweets from Josh (Skelly's) trial on June 13. The inconsistencies in the evidence and informant's testimony alarm me.
When Cleveland 4 Solidarity puts out a call for support, please respond! Please write to the Cleveland 4. Their addresses as well as information about their cases are on the Cleveland 4 Solidarity DOT ORG website.
Until they are all free!
small_affair
"Our love transcends 20-Foot high walls of cement, the memories we share outweigh 10,000 slamming metal doors, And I am not afraid"
- Connor Stevens