Torture without Walls: Apartment of Seattle Occupiers Raided

An apartment home to several Seattle Occupiers who are members of local anarchist groups was recently raided in a search for "black hoodies", "anarchist literature" and weapons, says a report by The Dissenter, at FDL. A black hoodie and written materials were taken but no weapons or potential weapons were found. The front door was battered down with a ram and followed by a "flash bang" grenade at about 6:00 am. The occupants of the apartment were ziptied for over an hour while the destructive search went on. Later, to the press, Police explained that the raid was intended to help identify perpetrators of property damage coincident with the international May 1 Occupy demonstrations.

This one is such a perfect replay of "Red Squad" raids of the 20th century, it would be hard to script a better one. We should obviously all be afraid to own black hoodies or anarchist literature, and it continues to appear that your right to bear arms is only preserved if you are a white right winger.

But, more than the political meanings of this dramatic performance, I want to draw attention to the effect it is intended to have on its victims: to terrify, to silence, to discourage and to disturb, physically and mentally. Like the dramatic pepper spraying of kneeling captive Occupiers in California, this raid is a splendid example of summary punishment for dissenting political activity, intended as a control strategy through its impact on the raided and everyone that learns of it. It perfectly represents Torture without Walls.