Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Jen Rettig, a member of the Chicago Terrorism Task Force, recently contacted a DePaul student, asking the student to infiltrate “animal rights groups” and report on their activities to the FBI. The Student stated that after her parents told her it would be akin to snitching, she declined. Rettig’s sister is a professor at DePaul.
The FBI has declared all out war on animal rights and environmental groups, declaring such non-violent groups as the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front, “the number one domestic terrorist threat to the United States.” Recently informants helped the FBI raid several progressive spaces and arrest suspected ELF activists.
This also comes as President Bush is forced to admit that he had the National Security Administration illegally spy on American citizens without obtaining warrants.
We would like to remind everyone of their rights. If you are approached by an FBI agent, you do not have to talk to them. You can simply say, “I have nothing to say to you and would like to speak to a lawyer.” Get their contact information if you can, but do not give them yours.
Remember, snitching is never acceptable. The FBI has murdered scores of innocent people and gotten away with it, among them members of the Black Panther Party and American Indian Movement.
The Activist Student Union is a collection of progressive and radical students at DePaul University. We are members of various other clubs including DePaul Students Against the War and we try to change the world to reflect values of solidarity, mutual aid and social justice.
You can e-mail us at asu_depaul@yahoo.com. Or come to our meetings every Tuesday at 5:00 in the Cultural Center (First floor of the student center). You can sign up for our e-mail list and get updates on our campaigns by sending an e-mail to asu_depaul-subscribe@yahoogroups.com