Philadelphia Police Crack Down on Anti-ICE Marches Twice in One Week

  • June 18, 2025 1:16 am

from Unicorn Riot

Philadelphia, PA — The increasing tempo of pro-immigrant, anti-ICE protests hit Philadelphia last week, and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) has decided to crack down.

On Tuesday, June 10, and Saturday, June 14, autonomous protests were called outside of the Federal Detention Center (FDC), where up to 125 immigrant detainees can be held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Tuesday protest included 80-100 protesters, while the Saturday demonstration brought an estimated 300. Both marches were met with intense police response which resulted in injuries and arrests.

Unlike other cities, where police shot tear gas and rubber bullets into crowds, the Philadelphia Police Department dispersed marches with tools on hand: battering protesters with batons, corralling the crowd with bicycles and nearly running activists and journalists over with motorized dirt bikes.

In October 2020, following protests against the killings of George Floyd and Walter Wallace Jr., the Philadelphia City Council passed a ban on the use of tear gas and rubber bullets on protesters. Additionally, a 2023 lawsuit resulted in a $9 million settlement awarded to activists, organizers and West Philly residents who were harmed by police use of tear gas.

This report covers how police repressed the June 10 and 14 demonstrations that roamed the northeast side of Center City — video from June 14 below.

June 10 Autonomous Demonstration: Philadelphia Police Arrest 15 Anti-ICE Protesters, Strike with Batons

Nationwide protests had taken off in solidarity against the recent militarized crackdowns and immigration sweeps in Los Angeles, as well as in objection to local ICE detentions. On the morning of June 10, ICE arrested at least one individual in South Philadelphia. Local activists also witnessed three detained in Kensington earlier that week.

In response to these detentions, an autonomous protest was called that morning to mobilize that afternoon. At 4 p.m., approximately 80-100 people congregated near the FDC at 7th and Arch Street and began chanting. A megaphone was passed among the crowd, and participants gave speeches about the Trump administration’s “fascist” immigration policies, as well as the interrelated struggle between domestic colonialism and the genocide in Gaza. (Local protesters also have been rallying weekly against one of Israel’s arms suppliers, Day & Zimmermann, on Spring Garden Street.)

Philadelphia police officers film protesters outside of the Federal Detention Center. Officers with cameras followed the entire march.

A march then began, trekking past the ICE field office and then down Market Street, taking the prominent throughway. At the end of the second lap, police began pressuring the protest and at 6:44 p.m., issued a order to disperse. The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) then flanked the crowd in an attempted kettle, struck several people with batons and arrested 15.

Immigrants rights protesters march in Philadelphia on June 10, 2025.

Activists marched around the block to the ICE field office, looped back to the FDC, and then took another lap onto Market Street.

Several protesters used bikes to define the march’s perimeter, acting in sync during the protest. On the second return to FDC Philadelphia, tensions escalated between Philly PD bike patrol and the bike brigade activists. They faced off closely and argued for some time.

One protester from the bike brigade explained:

“From my perspective, the bikers present maintained control and effectively managed the situation, preventing a rush. This strategic positioning, I believe, was not favored by the police, leading to their attempt to accelerate matters. I also heard from someone that there was communication over the scanner indicating an intent to arrest the bikers, and myself. Our actions were entirely within legal bounds; we were simply employing strategic measures to maintain a safe distance and manage the situation effectively.”

Bike patrol officers stand close to marchers on June 10, 2025.

After the protest returned to the FDC, two bike cops were isolated by the crowd in front of the detention center. While activists and police exchanged verbal insults, at least one person in the crowd advised others to make sure that police could retreat from the cornered situation.

Protesters congregate outside the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia on June 10, 2025.

By this time, tensions were high. While there was no evidence of spray painted graffiti or significant property damage on the facility, a message was written onto one of the windows appearing to say “FUCK ICE.”

The Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia on June 10, 2025, with “FUCK ICE” written on a window.

At approximately 6:44 p.m., the police issued an initial dispersal order, declaring the march “unlawful.”

The PPD then pressured protesters to keep moving, issuing a third dispersal order by 6:51 p.m. However, these declarations were not easily audible — our contributor could not hear them on site. An increased presence of officers, prepared with batons and riot gear, began following the protesters from behind.

Police officers with bicycles follow the march in Philadelphia on June 10, 2025, after it was declared an “unlawful assembly.”
Philadelphia Police officers, including some in riot gear, tail the anti-ICE march behind the bike cops on June 10, 2025.

At around 7 p.m., police announced via their radios that they were planning arrests.

When the march reached Market St., police began to clash with protesters.

A police captain gives commands to protesters while flanked by officers on June 10, 2025.
Officers use batons to shove the crowd, with the Philadelphia Police captain giving commands, on June 10, 2025.

“They held the line when we got to Market Street. And they scared people. And, what do scared people do? They run. But then [the cops] started beating people,” one protester recounts. “There was no way out, so you had to run through or cower and hope they didn’t hurt you. If you ran, they tried to beat you.”

A Philadelphia Police officer chases a protester while brandishing his baton on June 10, 2025.
Philadelphia Police officers clash with, strike and arrest protesters on Market Street on June 10, 2025.
A Philadelphia Police officer uses baton to slam a pro-immigrant activist against a police car on June 10, 2025.
Philadelphia Police officers hold a protester on the ground on June 10, 2025, using batons to push into the protester’s neck.
Philadelphia Police surround a photographer and command him to move on June 10, 2025.
Philadelphia Police officers congregate after arresting protesters on June 10, 2025. Several detainees were lined up along the wall.

Fifteen people were arrested. Fourteen were hit with disorderly conduct, which is a ticketed offense called a CVN in Philadelphia. (There were press reports of another charge of aggravated assault but this has not been confirmed as of press time.)

In at least one documented instance, a Philadelphia officer kneeled on a protester’s neck. Two arrested protesters and two police officers received medical attention after.

As of 10 p.m. on June 11, additional barricades were placed around the FDC and its large window facade was boarded up.

June 14 Autonomous Demonstration: Protesters Flee Attacking Bike Cops via Holiday Inn Express

Liberal groups returned to Philly to host the “No Kings” national flagship rally on June 14 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; messages against ICE policy were a major theme. Facing light rain at 2 p.m., much of the 80,000 person crowd began drifting back towards City Hall from the art museum.

Shortly after, an autonomous demonstration against ICE gathered again near the FDC around 6 p.m. with a message in solidarity with the revolt by ICE detainees in Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, which is operated by the GEO Group. Last Friday, the Department of Homeland Security claimed four people escaped by knocking over an outer wall after an uprising among ICE detainees Thursday evening was spurred by a lack of food.

Philadelphia Police Department officers lined up outside the Federal Detention Center on June 14, 2025, some with riot gear.
Two masked federal police officers near the William Green Federal Building in Philadelphia on June 14, 2025.

Police scanners noted that the Philly PD shadowed some roaming protest groups earlier in the afternoon, as some “No Kings” protest participants joined into the autonomous gathering. Before the 6 p.m. protest began, dozens of cops stationed in groups around the FDC. Dirt bike police staged nearby on Broad Street, and sanitation trucks blocked street traffic around the FDC.

“Ice An Agent” message stitched on a cloth banner.

Shortly after the march began, over 100 Philly Police quickly corralled the protest to stop it from heading down 7th Street towards the highway. The group instead marched into Center City towards the Fashion District as bike cops followed.

Philadelphia bike police navigate around a plastic jersey barrier on the sidewalk.

The anti-ICE march snaked around northeast Center City. At 12th and Walnut there was a scuffle, after protesters repurposed plastic jersey barriers to obstructed bike police following the march. Officers had to push these out of way. Then, officers began to grab march participants with masks and umbrellas. Unicorn Riot saw what appeared to be several successful de-arrests.

A Philadelphia Police officer yells at protesters as he’s held back by his superior on June 14, 2025.

At 13th and Walnut, at about 7 p.m., after the conflict over barricades, police attacked the crowd and kettled it at the intersection. Some protesters then ran through the Holiday Inn Express garage. Police with bicycles lined up to cut off garage access, splitting the crowd. PPD ordered people to leave while they had everyone surrounded, and eventually let some march away while issuing dispersal orders.

This time around, the police had added dirt bike-type motorcycles to their arsenal. Philly Police on motorbikes nearly ran over people’s feet repeatedly, repeatedly zooming across a block to come within an inch or so of striking our reporter as well as a small handful of protesters leaving the area.

Once again there were arrests and injuries — legal observers tell us there were approximately seven arrests. One person was released immediately, two the following evening. By Sunday evening, June 15th, everyone was known to be released by 6 p.m.

Future ICE Activity Expected in Philadelphia

Philadelphia may see more militarized ICE actions soon. Detentions of immigrants have continued regularly around Philadelphia and its suburbs.

“The World is Watching” written with sidewalk chalk on the street in front of the FDC.

A report by NBC News said that Special Response Team (SRT) tactical units are expected in the city, as well as in Chicago, Seattle, Northern Virginia and New York. These may be similar to the SRT deployments that spurred major protests in Los Angeles and Minneapolis last week.

Unicorn Riot leaked the SRT ICE Homeland Security Investigations “team handbook” back in 2019.

ICE Special Response Team (SRT) “MRAP” style vehicle. Source: YouTube
Sidewalk chalk notes “Philly ❤️s immigrants.”

A clash during an anti-ICE protest in Center City led to 15 arrests, 2 injured police officers, and 2 hurt demonstrators

  • June 11, 2025 1:30 am

from Mainstream Media

Videos showed a large confrontation at the intersection of 11th and Market Streets around 7 p.m.

Philadelphia police clash with activists at 11th and Markets Streets during a protest over rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests within the city and in solidarity with protesters in Los Angeles.
Philadelphia police clash with activists at 11th and Markets Streets during a protest over rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests within the city and in solidarity with protesters in Los Angeles.

Two Philadelphia police officers suffered minor injuries and 15 protesters were arrested after a physical confrontation erupted during a march denouncing deportations Tuesday evening in Center City, police said.

Two protesters also reported minor injuries and received medical treatment, police said.

Video showed a confrontation at the intersection of 11th and Market Streets with police arresting at least one masked man, who was held down on the ground with the officer’s knee, while other officers used bicycles to push protesters away.

Another video showed at least three officers struggle to pull down another man they apparently were trying to arrest. One officer with a bullhorn struck the man several times in the legs with a baton and the man fell to the ground.

Sam Melamed
Philadelphia police clash with activists at 11th and Market Streets during a protest over rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests within the city and around the country.

“Several officers employed force while making arrests. Consistent with Philadelphia Police Department policy, every use of force has been documented and will undergo a review to ensure compliance with departmental guidelines,” the department said in a statement late Tuesday night.

“The Philadelphia Police Department supports the public’s right to lawful, peaceful protest. We remain committed to facilitating First Amendment activity while protecting public safety and maintaining order on city streets,” the department said.

Around 4 p.m., about 50 people gathered for an “emergency action” at the Federal Detention Center at Seventh and Arch Streets after rumors about multiple arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the city spread online. ICE did not immediately return requests for comment.

Immigrant rights group Juntos confirmed one ICE arrest in South Philadelphia at about 7 a.m. Tuesday, adding the group had connected the person to the Mexican Consulate for legal support.

The crowd drew honks and cheers from evening commuters, and after growing in size began marching.

Police said at some point there were 150 demonstrators.

The group marched to the offices of ICE at Eighth and Cherry Street, then returned to the Federal Detention Center, police said.

Then, according to police, there was a second march that began disrupting traffic and allegedly endangered public safety.

Police said they issued orders to disperse three times. The protesters allegedly ignored the orders and continued blocking traffic while confronting officers.

Around 7 p.m., police attempted to make arrests and the “crowd’s behavior escalated, becoming violent and extremely disorderly.”

Besides the 15 arrests, including one for alleged felony aggravated assault on an officer, police said one of their vehicles was vandalized with spray paint.

One immigration advocate, who declined to give his name, said those arrested were unclear on what they did wrong.

“Police pushed them for six or seven blocks,” he said. “They declared it an illegal assembly.”

President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown led to violent clashes in the Los Angeles area after large numbers of heavily geared officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement descended on several locations to detain people.

In response to the protests around Los Angeles, Trump sent the National Guard and Marines despite the objections of Democratic leaders in California.

Protester Marie Conti, 80, right, talks with another protester at Seventh and Arch Streets, in Philadelphia, June 10, 2025.
Protester Marie Conti, 80, right, talks with another protester at Seventh and Arch Streets, in Philadelphia, June 10, 2025.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

“It was a peaceful protest and then they started throwing people to the ground,” said Dresden Diaz, of Center City. “The attacks were vicious.”

One woman, who declined to give her name citing fear of police reprisal, said she joined the protesters after work because she thinks the immigration enforcement in Los Angeles and the Trump administration’s subsequent use of the National Guard to quell peaceful protests is “disgusting.”

“Immigrants make up this country, our families are immigrants,” said another woman.

Around 8:30 p.m., a small group of protesters returned to the Federal Detention Center. No other incidents were reported.

Around Pennsylvania, immigration advocates and ICE reported increased enforcement sweeps.

More than 20 people in Norristown have been taken into custody by ICE since the start of the month.

Cherry Hill, NJ Police Collaborating With ICE at Home Depot Location

  • June 6, 2025 1:23 am

from Jersey Counter Info

As of the week of June 2, 2025, Cherry Hill police remote camera centers have been spotted at the Cherry Hill Home Depot located at 2160 Route 70 West.

The police camera set up is positioned in the middle of the parking lot in front of the store.

 

The Cherry Hill Police remote camera center.

So far there have been no reports from the Cherry Hill Police, Home Depot, or mainstream media about the supposed purpose of the remote camera center. This new development however comes directly after talk from the federal government for ICE and local police departments to begin crack downs on suspected undocumented immigrants at Home Depot and 7 Eleven locations.

Any explanation from the police, state, corporate entities, or the mainstream media about the camera system should be assessed with extreme caution as it is likely dubious. Community members in the area have expressed concern about the camera’s purpose as it doesn’t match the store or police’s response for “loss prevention”. Home Depot store policy dictates they do not actively pursue potential shoplifters and instead utilize their own in-store cameras and the police to catch people after the fact.

The Cherry Hill police have a long history of collaboration with ICE, with ICE even having a former field office located in Cherry Hill, NJ. Currently ICE operates 25 official field offices across the United States, two of which are in driving distance located in Newark, NJ and Philadelphia, PA. ICE also operates several sub-field offices across the state of NJ including one in Mt. Laurel which is located near Cherry Hill.

Any police camera centers, especially around places the federal government has deemed as heavily trafficked by undocumented immigrants, should be treated with caution and reported to area antifascists.

Crowd Control: What police tactics teach us about the state

  • April 15, 2025 1:14 am

from O.R.C.A.

If you were bummed to miss a talk on police tactics, there’s another chance! Join us again for a brief lecture and a collective discussion about how police relate to and suppress protest movements. By looking at police tactics to street action and civil disorder, how can we better develop our own priorities and anticipate police response to movements for liberation?

Our aim will be to understand the logics behind how cops roll up on protests. Using authorities’ own playbooks as a starting point, we will build a top level picture of how states operate, and we will look at how that manifests to police tactics on the ground. Expect some discussion of state violence and police brutality.

“Abolish ICE” Pasteup

  • March 8, 2025 1:17 am

from Mastodon

“Abolish ICE”
Pasteup spotted in Philadelphia

Caught: Stories About Criminalization and Repression

  • February 23, 2025 1:32 am

from Making Worlds Books

This panel event and discussion brings together several anarchists and other individuals who’ve caught charges in Philadelphia and beyond from 2017 to the present. We’ll go over the charges, legal process, and outcomes of each case; discuss how local support for the defendants worked; and reflect on the trauma and hardships incurred by repression and how we can continue to build a broader culture of anti-repression in Philadelphia.

Registration is appreciated.

  • Sunday, March 2, 2025
  • 4:00 PM 6:00 PM
  • Making Worlds Bookstore & Social Center 210 South 45th Street Philadelphia, PA, 19104 United States (map)

Super Bowl Celebration – Philadelphia, PA

  • February 22, 2025 1:59 am

from Unravel

February 9, 2025

There were 10 arrests and 29 summons for disorderly conduct issued by Philadelphia Police during the raucous celebration of the Eagles’ Super Bowl win Sunday night, police said.

Six people were arrested for six assaults on police officers, said department spokesperson Sgt. Eric Gripp. There were four other arrests: one for reckless endangerment, two for aggravated assault, and one for misdemeanor disorderly conduct, he said.

There were also eight reports of vandalism, said Gripp.

Despite calls from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker to not climb poles or anything else and to celebrate safely, some of the massive crowds of people that took to the streets after the Eagles won their second Super Bowl, caused mayhem.

Multiple people climbed light poles along Broad Street. Crowds tried to flip a police vehicle at Broad and Chestnut Streets. More than a dozen people danced on top of a medic vehicle. A group of people took towels out from a truck at 12th and Market Streets and started setting them on fire.

Found on Mainstream Media

[Unmentioned in the article: graffiti in support of Palestine, against police, and for political prisoners.]

In Contempt #49: Interview with IWOC Prisoner Organizer Comrade Z

  • February 5, 2025 1:32 am

from It’s Going Down

[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire article follow the above link.]

In this column, we present our monthly roundup of political prisoner, prison rebel, and repression news, happenings, announcements, action and analysis. Packed in as always are updates, fundraisers, and birthdays.

There’s a lot happening, so let’s dive right in!

Political Prisoner News

Long-term Black Liberation prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal recently recorded a special message in support of the “Merrimack 4,” who were convicted for an action against a company supplying weapons to Israel.

General Prison News and Abolitionist Media Updates

The ACLU of Delaware has filed a lawsuit against the Delaware prison system and Vaughn Correctional Center after a brutal raid in late 2024. Vaughn, the prison at the centre of the lawsuit, saw a historic uprising at the start of Trump’s first term in 2017.

Uprising Defendants

See Uprising Support for more info, and check out the Antirepression PDX site for updates from Portland cases. You can also check With Whatever Weapons for regularly-updated zines listing current prisoners. To the best of our knowledge they currently include:

David Elmakayes 77782-066
FCI McKean
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 8000
Bradford, PA 16701

Khalif Miller #70042-066
USP Big Sandy
U.S. Penitentiary
P.O. Box 2068
Inez, KY 41224

Upcoming Birthdays

Luis Sierra (Abdul-Haqq El-Qadeer)

A former Vaughn 17 defendant. While the state has now dropped its attempts to criminalize Luis in relation to the uprising, Vaughn defendants continue to face retaliation. Luis is also a contributor to “Live from the Trenches,” the Vaughn 17 zine.

Delaware appears not to have an inmate email system.

Birthday: February 19

Address:

Luis Sierra
Delaware DOC – 1101
PO Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV 89193

 

Sports Riot and Unrest Chronicle – Philadelphia, PA

  • February 2, 2025 1:09 am

from Unravel

January 26, 2025

With the Eagles headed to their second Super Bowl in three years, crowds of fans swarmed across the city, many marching up Broad Street, blasting music, waving flags, and — as part of tradition — climbing light poles. And in some cases, the crowd’s enthusiasm took a dangerous turn.

Earlier Sunday, at 6:20 p.m., an officer working the NFC championship detail at 700 Pattison Ave. was attacked by 32-year-old [name], of Soquel, Calif. [name] was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and related crimes.

Less than two hours earlier, at 4:40 p.m., another officer also working the football championship detail at 1100 Pattison Ave. was assaulted during a disturbance, police said. The assailant, [name], 44, of Media, was also charged with aggravated assault and related crimes, police said.

The incident was among at least four reports of assaults on police officers, authorities said.

The violence and vandalism reverberated throughout the city, even as celebrations wound down.

As officers tried to disperse a large crowd at 100 South Broad St., the crowd became verbally hostile and an officer was hit in the head by a full water bottle, police said. No arrests were made.

And around 4:10 a.m. Monday, police responded to a report of vandalism at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where the glass front door was shattered and two large windows were cracked. Police continue to investigate.

Police are also investigating a video circulating on social media of a man firing his gun multiple times into the air in the middle of a crowd gathered at Frankford and Cottman Avenues.

Police said they issued 31 citations for disorderly conduct or failure to disperse to 30 adults and one juvenile across the city as they tried to manage the large crowds that traveled after the Eagles’ victory on Sunday night.

Found on Mainstream Media

How to defend yourself during a police interrogation

  • November 22, 2024 1:41 am

from Projet Evasions

PDF
“An interrogation is not a harmonious exchange between two individuals. It’s a conflict.
And in this conflict, our ignorance is our strength. Ignorance of the meaning of police work, ignorance of the manipulative techniques used, ignorance of the legal framework and, last but not least, ignorance of our means of defence.
In response to this observation, this book is intended as a tool for self-defense against police interrogation practices of interrogation.”

Preface to the English version

In summer 2022, 2000 copies of this book were printed in French and 2000 in German. The french version is now sold out, and the Publisher «Éditions du Commun» had now reissued the book.

The book was written with the intention of serving as a tool of self-defense against the manipulative interrogation strategies employed by the police. As stated in the introduction, “It addresses readers in various countries in which legislation may differ“. And indeed, we soon received feedback that the content conveyed by the book is equally applicable to countries such as Turkey, Morocco, Serbia, Italy, Denmark, and many more. And soon a number of supportive people were offering to translate the book into other languages. This is what happened with the English version, and we’d like to take this opportunity to warmly thank our translator and proofreader for their fine work.

As a consequence of imperialism and colonization, English is spoken today in contexts as diverse as Kenya, Australia and, of course UK and the USA. So many different places from which you may be reading these words, and where the contexts of repression are very different. Most of what is conveyed in the book applies to all these contexts, but, in case of doubts, it makes sense to keep an eye out for certain elements that differ and check them with your local legal team.

Our network lacks relays in the English-speaking world, so let us take this opportunity to pass on the message that we are looking for a publishing house or a collective that would be interested in printing and distributing the book in its geographical regions.

With these words, we wish you a pleasant reading.

Project-evasions – network of anarchist friendships

To the International Anarchist Movement: Three Security Proposals

  • November 17, 2024 1:32 am

from No Trace Project

This text is addressed to the international anarchist movement, which we’ll define as the sum of individuals fighting for anarchist ideas around the world. This movement is in conflict with its natural enemies — the State, fascist groups, and so on — and must protect itself if it is to survive in this conflict. In this text, we make three proposals for the international anarchist movement to consider in the coming years in order to allow anarchists to continue attacking while limiting their chances of getting caught.

1. Share knowledge internationally

Our enemies organize internationally through cooperation between police and intelligence agencies and new developments in science and technology — the increasing precision of DNA forensics and the proliferation of drones being just two examples. This means that a repressive technique used in one country may soon appear in another where it is not yet being used. It also means that an effective countermeasure used by anarchists in one country may be effective in another. We should therefore share knowledge of repressive techniques and countermeasures on an international level.

Ideally, any experience of repression or experimentation with countermeasures that might be of interest to other anarchists should be written up, translated into several languages, and made public. When anarchists are arrested and brought to trial, we can often obtain court documents that reveal how they were caught: we should exploit this and publish analyses of such documents, bearing in mind that information obtained in this way may be partial or distorted. We should experiment with new countermeasures and write and publish reports on these experiments (except in cases where the State might adapt and weaken the countermeasure by reading the report). We should try to collect information at the source: read police training manuals, steal police files, analyze data leaks from police servers.

A specific feature of the international anarchist movement is its decentralization. We see this not as a weakness but as a strength: in addition to preventing the hierarchies inherent in centralized organizations, it makes it harder for our enemies to target us because they cannot topple the whole movement by disrupting one part of it. However, this decentralization also makes it harder for us to share knowledge across borders. To overcome this, we see two options: developing informal bonds with other anarchists by meeting at international book fairs and other events, and using the Internet. We propose using the No Trace Project as an international platform to share the knowledge that is suited for sharing on the Internet, not as a replacement for informal bonds but as a useful supplement to spread information beyond existing informal networks.

2. Establish a security baseline

Anarchists who carry out direct actions should analyze the risks associated with their actions and take appropriate precautions: dress anonymously, be mindful of video surveillance and DNA traces, and so on. However, this is not enough. If only those who carry out actions take precautions, it is easier for our enemies to target these individuals. This is, firstly, because they stand out: if only a handful of comrades always leave their phones at home, for example, this could be an obvious starting point for an investigation with no other specific leads. And secondly, because our enemies can get information about them through their friends who do not carry out actions: if someone doesn’t use social media but is mentioned on their friends’ social media, for example, an investigation could query their friends’ social media to get information about them. We should therefore establish a security baseline that everyone in anarchist networks agrees to follow, including those who have never carried out direct actions and have no intention of doing so.

We can’t say what this baseline should be, as it will depend on each local context, but we can give some ideas. As a bare minimum, everyone should help hide information from our enemies by not speculating about who is involved in an action, not bragging about one’s own participation in an action, not talking to the police, and encrypting any computer or phone used for conversations with other anarchists using a strong password. Discuss sensitive matters exclusively outdoors and without electronic devices, and don’t make it obvious to your social environment who you are having sensitive conversations with (e.g. don’t ask someone to “go for a walk” in front of people who aren’t involved in the project being discussed). In addition, we think everyone should stop using social media (and definitely stop posting photos of other anarchists, even with their consent, because this helps the State map anarchist networks) and leave their phones at home at all times (not just during actions). Carrying your phone with you has security implications for everyone you interact with.

It can be difficult to convince people to follow such a security baseline, especially if they think they have no personal interest in following it. If someone is reluctant, we should remind them that it’s not just their security that’s at stake, but also the security of other anarchists around them who may be carrying out or planning to carry out direct actions. Everyone who wants actions to happen has an interest in making anarchist networks as difficult as possible for the authorities to repress.

3. Explore new horizons

Our enemies evolve over time as they refine their strategies and techniques. We should prepare not for the battles that already took place, but for those yet to come. We should therefore go beyond our current security practices, anticipate the evolution of our enemies, and develop new countermeasures.

Here are three issues we think the international anarchist movement should explore in the coming years.

Drones

Aerial surveillance is rapidly becoming cheaper and more efficient. How should we react to the presence of police drones at riots, anarchist events, and so on? How can we detect or take down drones? Should we prepare for the risk of drones being used for routine aerial patrols, and if so, how?

Facial recognition technologies

In 2023, a journalist tracked down German left-wing militant Daniela Klette, who had been in clandestinity for decades, by using facial recognition technology to match a decades-old photo of her with a recent photo from Facebook taken during a dance class. What can we do against this threat? How can we prepare for the increasing integration of facial recognition technology into public video surveillance systems?

Lack of insight into police activity

Until a few years ago, radio scanners were used by anarchists to monitor police frequencies, for example to learn about nearby police activity while carrying out a direct action. In most contexts, this is now impossible because police communications are encrypted. Can we develop new techniques to functionally replace radio scanners or, more generally, to gain insight into police activity in a given area?

About the authors

We’re the No Trace Project. For the past three years, we’ve been building tools to help anarchists understand the capabilities of their enemies, undermine surveillance efforts, and ultimately act without getting caught. We plan to continue in the years to come. We welcome feedback. You can visit our website at notrace.how, and contact us at notrace@autistici.org.

This text is available as a zine (in Letter and A4 dimensions).

Let’s prepare ourselves, and may luck be on our side.

In Contempt #46: Heritage Foundation Pushes for Repression of Anti-War Movement, Arrests Follow Raids on Fur Farm

  • November 5, 2024 1:47 am

from It’s Going Down

Mink releasers were connected to anarchist communes: FBI

  • October 30, 2024 1:58 am

from Mainstream Media

Sunbury, Pa. — Two Massachusetts suspects who released more than 600 mink earlier this month from a Northumberland County fur farm are involved in anarchist groups, according to FBI officials.

One of the suspects also was allegedly promised $50,000 to come to Pennsylvania to release the mink, according to police. More than 60 of the mink are still missing according to the farm owner.

According to an amended criminal complaint filed by PSP Stonington, police found that Christopher Jacob Legere (also known as Celeste) 25, and Cara Ashley Mitrano, 23, are part of the “Firehouse” and “Collective A Go Go” communes in Worcester, Massachusetts. The two suspects were charged for allegedly releasing 683 mink from Robert H. Stahl Sons in Rockefeller Township early the morning of Oct. 19.

Amended charges were filed to add one felony count each of eco-terrorism, corrupt organizations, burglary, and misdemeanors of theft and related charges. Both Legere and Mitrano had already been charged with felony counts of agricultural vandalism and misdemeanor cruelty to animals.

Police were called to the farm around 1 a.m. Oct. 19 after a camera sensor there was activated and alerted the owners of the break-in. Video footage showed Legere and Stahl inside the farm dressed in dark-colored clothing with head lamps. They appeared to be carrying bags and had their hoods up, according to the amended affidavit. The two suspects used bolt cutters to cut a lock off the fence and then released the mink. They also destroyed records on the pens.

The farm owners told police they saw Legere and Mitrano take off in a Subaru Crosstrek. The Stahls followed in their vehicle and attempted to block the road to intercept them, but instead the Subaru accelerated and hit their car. One of the family members got a picture of the Subaru and noted it had a Massachusetts registration plate. The Subaru continued south on Airport Road, and the Stahls followed them for a distance onto Seven Points and Captain Bloom roads. The Stahls told police they saw the suspects toss a backpack, work glove, and dark colored sweatshirt out of the vehicle.

Both Legere and Mitrano were pulled over a short time later by police in Ralpho Township. Legere and Mitrano were arrested and taken to Northumberland County Jail and their car was impounded. Police searched the two suspects and found a hand-drawn map in Mitrano’s pants pocket with directions to the farm.

Trooper Jacob Hook applied for search warrants for the evidence that was tossed on the road, a purse that was found in the car, and the Subaru. He also applied for and was granted a search warrant for the clothes Legere and Mitrano were wearing at the time they were taken into custody, which police described as having a “strong musky odor.”

During the search, police found cutting tools, work gloves, crowbars, a lock-picking kit, and anarchist propaganda literature. There also were directions on how to navigate out of Pennsylvania to the state of Vermont and a map with an “X” on Airport Road where the suspects were to park. Arrows illustrated where the two were to walk through the woods to the farm. Hook also found stickers that said “officer down” with a smiling star giving a thumbs up, and some that said “policy proposal” and depicted a police car on fire, according to the affidavit.

Police intercepted a phone call Legere made from jail on Oct. 20 in which he spoke with an unidentified individual about $50,000 payment he was promised, according to the affidavit.

As of Sunday, 619 mink had been recovered and 64 were still missing, according to Hook. Three of the minks died post-recovery. Farm owner Mark Stahl told police that each mink costs $50 and that approximately 25% of the minks recovered will die of a disease, while the others will be left to die of starvation or be killed on roadways or by wild animals, according to court documents.

A similar incident occurred Sept. 17, 2023 in which unknown suspects broke into the fur farm and released hundreds of minks. No suspect has been charged for that incident as of yet. Police could not say if this most recent incident was connected to last year’s event.

Legere and Mitrano remain in Northumberland County Jail in lieu of $150,000 cash bail each. Both will have a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning Oct. 29 at the office of District Judge Rachel Wiest-Benner.

 

graffiti and wheatpastes

  • October 29, 2024 1:16 am

from Mastodon

Some excellent graffiti and wheatpastes I ran into

Grafitti saying burn the prisons
Poster saying anti-fascist anti-zionist stop cop city everywhere
Poster saying your taxes are funding genocide and you choose to look away?

Penn sent officers to raid a pro-Palestinian activist house off campus. They said it was in connection with a vandalism investigation.

  • October 26, 2024 1:31 am

from Mainstream Media

Residents of the house said a cell phone was taken and that the search warrant was issued in connection to a recent vandalism.

University of Pennsylvania police officers raided the off-campus home of several Penn community activists last week in connection to an alleged act of vandalism — a move that has deepened scrutiny into the Ivy League institution’s handling of dissent over the war in Gaza.

Around 6 a.m. on Oct. 18, residents said a dozen armed campus officers stormed their West Philadelphia home in tactical gear, corralling the pajama-clad residents at gunpoint. People who live in the house said police brought one resident, whom they did not identify, to the station for questioning and that their “personal device was seized on suspicion of vandalism.”

While no one has been charged or arrested, the group described the search as an unprecedented and “traumatic” show of force against pro-Palestinian activists on campus.

“This is a disgusting escalation from the University, and comes after a year of disciplining, arresting, and brutalizing their own students who organize for Palestinian liberation, and they made the deliberately traumatizing and threatening decision to invade our home,” the house residents said in a joint statement. The group provided written answers to The Inquirer, but declined to be individually identified as they have not been charged and feared further reprisal.

Penn police confirmed that officers executed a search warrant on Friday in connection with a vandalism incident, but did not specify details about the case or the underlying vandalism. Penn police defended the action by saying that, in the last four months, the university has experienced about a quarter million dollars in damages from vandalism, including broken glass and graffiti.

“Any legal action taken by the UPPD is based on the violation of laws in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, not the policies of the university,” said Kathleen Shields Anderson, vice president of Penn’s division of public safety.

While Penn did not elaborate on the alleged vandalism, the search warrant nonetheless marks an escalation in the school’s handling of the fallout from the war overseas. It also comes at the time when the university faces pressure to crack down on antisemitic speech as well as activity critical of Israel on campus. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian student protests over the war continue to roil the campus and administers over what activists describe as biased and uneven treatment.

Penn police did not provide a copy of the warrant and the record has yet to be filed with the courts as of Thursday, meaning details of the investigation may remain unclear unless or until charges are filed.

A spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner confirmed that the prosecutor’s office approved the search warrant based on an ongoing investigation led by Penn police. If the search leads the university to pursue criminal charges, the district attorney “will carefully review the evidence submitted by the appropriate law enforcement authorities and make a fair and just determination,” said spokesperson Dustin Slaughter.

It was not clear where the off-campus house was located nor how many people live there. The group described themselves as “members of the Penn community,” of varying ages.

Last week, Penn police and Philadelphia police officer entered the home, awoke the residents and moved the group into the living room “at gunpoint,” the group said in a statement. The Philadelphia Police Department declined comment and deferred questions to Penn police.

Residents described the early-morning sting as “the most severe act of university repression of pro-Palestine activism since last October” as well as “a staggering show of force unheard of at any other university.” The group said it has consulted with lawyers.

Anderson maintained that throughout the execution of the warrant, officers “took care to explain to all involved what was occurring and to treat them with respect.”

As with other campuses, vandalism has been a routine flashpoint at Penn since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, with messages calling for “Ceasefire” or “Free Gaza” scrawled on campus buildings across the region. Penn has been the site of a concentrated — and controversial — series of defacements, including several incidents within the last month alone, according to the student-run Daily Pennsylvanian.

More vandalism occurred this week, including one that said “Kill Zios” and another that said, “KILL YOUR LOCAL ZIO NAZI,” the student newspaper reported Thursday.

In July, doors and windows were damaged at the Pennovation Center, which houses the company Ghost Robotics, which is involved in the production of equipment used by the military and which critics have targeted in the wake of Israel-Hamas war.

But on a large, urbanized campus, few vandalism cases result in exhaustive police investigations, let alone warrant executions.

Yalile Suriel, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota who studies higher education and the militarization of campus police forces, said such departments only began conducting search warrants in recent decades, as universities dramatically expanded their law enforcement footprint. Many university departments now serve as supplemental extensions of the local police department — but often with less accountability.

“Unlike state institutions, where at least there is a sense of transparency and public record, private institutions and their police operate largely away from public view,” she said.

Suriel said that most high-profile raids that make the news involve narcotics on campus, though she could not recall another case like this focused solely on vandalism.

Public outcry over the raid has grown in recent days — with some describing the raid as a gratuitous show of force considering the nature of the alleged crime.

State Rep. Rick Krajewski, who represents parts of West Philadelphia, called it “completely unacceptable and disturbing that a dozen officers armed with tactical gear and assault rifles threatened the safety of unarmed young people who are not only students, but our neighbors.”