Last year, May Day saw violence as well, with demonstrators engaging in property damage. An independent review found that officers had been confused about who was in charge and “when they could use force to stop violence.”

This year it appears the opposite occurred. The police were authorized to fire off flash bangs or pepper spray at their discretion and they were not restrained in their use of either. They did not want a repeat of what happened on May Day in 2012.

“My convictions are unwavering and will not be shaken by their harassment. Today is October 10th, 2012 and I am ready to go to prison,” declared Leah Plante, in a statement issued before going to jail.

Plante was imprisoned at the SeaTac Federal Detention Center in Seattle on October 11 for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury. She entered a jail cell knowing she could be imprisoned until March 2014. But, she was resolute and chose to resist because talking to the grand jury would mean succumbing to fear and isolation. It would mean enabling the targeting of people in society for their political beliefs.

Right now, members of Occupy Wall Street are preparing to mark the one year anniversary of the occupation of Zuccotti Park on September 17 with an event halfway between a celebration and a protest. Meanwhile, Occupy’s energy and influence can be seen in a range of activism and dissent that stretches from coast to coast in America and beyond, from anarchist grand jury resisters in the Pacific Northwest to the solidarity networks supporting the forthcoming teachers’ strike in Chicago.

A security bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security and FBI garnered wide media attention over the past twenty-four to forty-eight hours, raising the specter of possible “anarchist” violence or “terrorism.” The bulletin was largely state propaganda designed to whip up fear ahead of the convention. Given that there has been no preemptive raid against activists there to protest, the publicizing of this bulletin could be aimed at giving agencies cover if something happens.

I appeared on RT America on Friday night to discuss the bulletin, the possibility that drones will be used to police the RNC and what I predict could happen with protesters and security forces during the convention.

State-sponsored propaganda fills corporate and establishment news reports ahead of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Tampa, Florida. The word is that “improvised explosive devices” (IEDs) could be used by “domestic terrorists” at the RNC. There also will likely be individuals who engage in “black bloc” tactics, cover their face with a mask or bandanna to “conceal their identity” and throw “Molotov cocktails, flaming torches or acid-filled eggs at law enforcement,” according to a joint bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation. And the “anarchists” could come by sea, the Coast Guard reports.

Leah-Lynn Plante refused to share any other information besides her name at a federal grand jury in Seattle on August 2. Plante had been subpoenaed in July at the same time the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) raided three homes in Portland. She was issued a new subpoena to appear at the grand jury again on August 30.

A series of paramilitary-style raids were conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) against activists in Portland, Oregon, on July 25. Author and writer for GreenIstheNewRed.com, Will Potter, has been following this as it develops as well. His latest post highlights the search warrants that indicate the FBI was looking for “anti-government or anarchist literature.” Will and I had a discussion about the recent raids, grand juries, the FBI’s institutional drive to suppress radical groups, along with documents he uncovered through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Here’s that interview.

The FBI appears to be targeting people on the basis of their beliefs. The fact that a special grand jury has been empaneled sends a signal that law enforcement has embarked on a fishing expedition. They are going after anarchists who are likely connected to the Occupy movement.

Factions within Occupy LA are calling for the removal of “property” from the Occupy Statement of Principles of Non-Violence or to have the statement non-violence be modified to precisely define and codify what property damage is allowable. The matter is due to be voted on tonight, 12/23 in the General Assembly, the Friday night before a major holiday when many people are unable to attend.

Thursda,y in two separate actions, several hundred people participated in a march organized by Good Jobs LA, with folks from Occupy LA, SEIU and citizens joining in as part of a general day of action to protest police actions in New York and elsewhere; planned arrests went off without a hitch. Later in the afternoon, a large group from Occupy LA marched back to the Bank of America branch and some folks were arrested. There was no violence in either action.