WEBVTT - Prairieland and Antifa Terrorism 0:00:01.680 --> 0:00:06.160 Alzon Media. 0:00:06.760 --> 0:00:09.480 This is it could happen here I show about things 0:00:09.520 --> 0:00:13.440 falling apart. I'm Garrison Davis. I'm joined by Robert Evans 0:00:13.760 --> 0:00:16.720 to discuss the Prairie Land trial. 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:19.640 Yay. 0:00:19.680 --> 0:00:23.880 This month, the Trump administration got their first conviction in 0:00:23.960 --> 0:00:29.640 an Antifa terrorism case. On Friday, March thirteenth, eight people 0:00:29.680 --> 0:00:32.920 were convicted by a federal jury on charges of riot, 0:00:33.200 --> 0:00:37.400 conspiracy to use and carry an explosive, and providing material 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:41.479 support to terrorists. One of the defendants was convicted of 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:45.400 attempted murder of a police officer, and another person was 0:00:45.400 --> 0:00:49.320 convicted on two counts of concealing documents, bringing the total 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:54.120 number of federal defendants to nine. Originally, this federal case 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:58.240 had way more defendants, but last year seven of them 0:00:58.360 --> 0:01:02.680 pleaded guilty to providing material support terrorists, four of whom 0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:07.000 were later called to testify for the prosecution during the trial. 0:01:07.360 --> 0:01:10.160 Have they gotten sentenced yet the folks who pled. 0:01:09.880 --> 0:01:12.880 Out, No, They are going to be sentenced later this summer, 0:01:12.920 --> 0:01:15.600 along with all of the defendants that were convicted. Gotcha, 0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:20.039 though their sentence will be a maximum of fifteen years, 0:01:20.640 --> 0:01:23.920 which is shorter than the defendants who were convicted. 0:01:24.240 --> 0:01:25.920 Yeah. Yeah. 0:01:26.040 --> 0:01:29.360 The prairieland Defendants Support Committee did ask me to read 0:01:29.480 --> 0:01:35.560 their names. The defendants are Ains Soto, Liz Soto, Savannah Batton, 0:01:35.800 --> 0:01:40.440 Meg and Morris, Autumn Hill, Mari Rueda, Benjamin Song or 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:46.640 B Song, Zachary Evitz, and des Estrata. The prosecution tried 0:01:46.640 --> 0:01:49.120 to argue that this was a coordinated attack on an 0:01:49.160 --> 0:01:52.800 ice facility in Prairie Land, Texas, while the defense argued 0:01:52.920 --> 0:01:56.200 this was a noise demonstration protest outside of this detention 0:01:56.280 --> 0:02:00.360 facility last summer. On the night of July fourth, after 0:02:00.440 --> 0:02:04.880 protesters through fireworks and vandalized property, DJs personnel called a 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:09.079 local police for assistance. One officer arrived, drew his handgun 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:11.200 and yelled stop at a person in all black clothes 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:14.760 who was running away. One of the defendants, b Song, 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:19.240 then yelled get to the rifles before firing toward the 0:02:19.240 --> 0:02:21.600 officer with an Air fifteen, hitting him in the neck. 0:02:22.080 --> 0:02:25.600 Song fired eleven times. The officer returned fire three times. 0:02:26.040 --> 0:02:29.400 Song then fled the scene. Most of the defendants were 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:32.639 arrested in the days after the attacks, some that night 0:02:32.720 --> 0:02:36.360 near the facility, though Song camped out hiding in the 0:02:36.360 --> 0:02:40.160 woods overnight and evaded capture for eleven days with the 0:02:40.160 --> 0:02:43.160 help of others. Many of those who assisted Song ab 0:02:43.200 --> 0:02:47.040 aide capture after the shooting pled guilty to providing material 0:02:47.080 --> 0:02:51.560 support to terrorists. On the first day of this trial, 0:02:51.919 --> 0:02:55.240 the judge declared a mistrial because one of the defense 0:02:55.280 --> 0:02:59.519 attorneys wore a shirt featuring civil rights leaders. A week 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:04.120 into the trial, US District Court Judge Mark Pittman ruled 0:03:04.120 --> 0:03:07.520 that defense attorneys could not argue that the defendants, including 0:03:07.560 --> 0:03:11.000 the accused shooter, were acting in self defense or the 0:03:11.000 --> 0:03:15.120 defense of others against unlawful force just because the officer 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:19.120 had already drawn his handgun before Song fired. The prosecutors 0:03:19.520 --> 0:03:24.160 compared this to Waco, and Judge Pittman ruled that the 0:03:24.200 --> 0:03:27.680 officer drawing and pointing his handgun at a fleeing suspect 0:03:28.040 --> 0:03:31.160 does not qualify as quote excessive as a matter of 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:35.280 law because the officer did not actually use deadly force 0:03:35.440 --> 0:03:36.320 or shoot first. 0:03:37.080 --> 0:03:40.720 Yeah, that makes sense. Like if this were a civilian 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:44.920 on civilian situation, the fact that he had drawn his gun, 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:48.600 especially in Texas, would have been enough to at least 0:03:48.800 --> 0:03:53.160 argue self defense. But absolutely police officers have the right 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:55.480 to pull guns on whoever they want, whenever they want 0:03:55.520 --> 0:03:58.200 pretty much, so yeah, yep cool. 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:03.080 In court, the government argued that, based on the situation 0:04:03.360 --> 0:04:07.000 at the protest, that it was reasonable for the officer 0:04:07.080 --> 0:04:10.920 to decide to draw his handgun because there was crimes 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:14.000 being committed to property damage the fireworks, even if he 0:04:14.040 --> 0:04:18.040 did not witness fireworks as he pulled up to the scene. 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:24.120 Now headlines have framed this story as protesters being convicted 0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:29.160 of terrorism for wearing black clothes or possessing radical political 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:33.279 writing also known as zines. There is like a kernel 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:36.560 of truth to these statements, but they're designed to serve 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:41.040 primarily as clickbait rather than useful information. So let's take 0:04:41.080 --> 0:04:45.400 a closer look at these claims. Sure, but let's start 0:04:45.600 --> 0:04:49.800 by getting into the action planning. This action was originally 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:54.159 planned on the encrypted messaging app Signal, primarily in a 0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:58.560 group chat called Fourth of July Party Okay. The plan 0:04:58.680 --> 0:05:02.040 was also discussed an in person meeting the day before 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:05.040 the action, referred to during the trial as a gear 0:05:05.240 --> 0:05:09.679 check preticipense in the planning chat agreed to where black 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:13.240 block and bring armor and rifles. Song advertised the action 0:05:13.360 --> 0:05:15.840 in a larger group chat of dozens of quote unquote 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:19.760 trusted individuals. The event was characterized in this chat as 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:24.359 a low risk noise demonstration involving fireworks. A flyer was 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:28.040 sent to this larger chat, reading share with trusted folks only, 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:32.560 do not post mask up be loud quote. According to 0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:36.640 cooperating witness Susan Kent, in the fourth of July Party 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:40.520 Signal chat, when asked about bringing guns, Song stated, I'm 0:05:40.560 --> 0:05:43.599 not going back to prison. I'm not going to jail. 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:45.680 I'm bringing guns unquote. 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:49.440 Okay, that's a terrible thing to have in writing. Boy, 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:51.039 Okay great. 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:55.359 This sentiment was also expressed at the gear Check meeting 0:05:55.400 --> 0:05:58.960 on July third, where the fundan's discuss bringing guns and 0:05:59.120 --> 0:06:02.279 Song repeatedly stated that they would be bringing guns because 0:06:02.320 --> 0:06:06.880 he would not be quote unquote going to jail. They 0:06:07.240 --> 0:06:09.240 talked about guns as a deterrent. 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:09.560 Yeah. 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:13.960 They talked about how in previous instances the presence of 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:19.200 guns deterred police from engaging with protesters. And this is 0:06:19.600 --> 0:06:22.479 how the presence of guns at the protest was largely 0:06:22.480 --> 0:06:26.600 framed in these meetings and chats. It does not look 0:06:26.680 --> 0:06:28.839 good in writing in a court case, though. 0:06:29.200 --> 0:06:31.520 Yeah, And this is what the ELM Fork John Brown 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:34.160 Gun Club had done like sweep defenses and stuff where 0:06:34.160 --> 0:06:35.160 they'd shown up armed. 0:06:35.160 --> 0:06:38.000 That incident was brought up. Yeah, that was specifically referenced. 0:06:38.120 --> 0:06:40.360 It had in fact worked that way more or less. 0:06:40.360 --> 0:06:43.880 I mean, there's a number of things to drill into here, 0:06:43.920 --> 0:06:46.520 but one of the issues is just while that's a 0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:49.800 thing people have used firearms for and have done so 0:06:49.920 --> 0:06:52.719 in a way that worked in the past obviously, which 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:55.680 is what they were referencing, the problem is that you 0:06:55.720 --> 0:06:58.200 can't ever lose sight of the fact that, like, a 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:00.560 gun is a gun, and if you're bringing a gun 0:07:00.720 --> 0:07:02.599 into a situation. 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:03.840 There's potential for that gun to be used. 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:06.320 There's a potential for that gun to be used. And 0:07:07.040 --> 0:07:09.560 if you're bringing that gun into a situation around a 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:12.320 police station, the odds that you will use that gun 0:07:12.360 --> 0:07:15.720 in a way that is not going to cause a 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:18.800 life ruining legal nightmare for you and everyone else, Yeah, 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:22.560 are are a lot lower. That's a real issue. Yeah. 0:07:22.880 --> 0:07:26.240 Also at this gear Check on the third song proposed 0:07:26.320 --> 0:07:30.080 to free detainees using quote unquote suppressive fire. 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:31.000 Oh my god. 0:07:31.800 --> 0:07:34.880 This idea was shut down by other attendees. According to 0:07:34.960 --> 0:07:39.160 Susan Kent, who testified after entering a guilty plea. Kent 0:07:39.360 --> 0:07:43.480 testified that after looking over photos of the facility, Song said, quote, 0:07:43.760 --> 0:07:46.360 this is as easy as it's going to get. We 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:49.440 can take the place and free the people inside. Oh 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:54.280 quote using quote unquote suppressive fire. This idea was meant 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:58.239 with quote unquote general disagreement, according to Kent, yeah, of course, 0:07:58.640 --> 0:08:01.520 also saying that it was not curiously planned for or 0:08:01.600 --> 0:08:05.960 discussed the support committee rights that. Kent also testified that 0:08:06.040 --> 0:08:10.640 the group quote discussed stealing U hauls to move free detainees, 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:15.680 but this did not have popular support. Defendant Autumn Hill 0:08:15.840 --> 0:08:20.360 asked do we bring our guns? Song replied yes, I'm 0:08:20.400 --> 0:08:21.600 not getting arrested. 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:25.040 Unquote yeah, just a lot of really horrible things to 0:08:25.080 --> 0:08:30.080 have read out in a courtroom. Just yep, cool okay. 0:08:30.920 --> 0:08:34.959 On signal, Song shared a YouTube short about suppressive fire. 0:08:36.000 --> 0:08:39.520 Another defendant, Rueda, wrote that she didn't want to quote 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:43.280 unquote fed post Yeah. Someone else wrote that rifles that 0:08:43.360 --> 0:08:47.880 the action may increase risk. Defendant Evitts sent a timeline 0:08:47.880 --> 0:08:51.920 for the actions that day, writing things heat up after sunset. 0:08:52.640 --> 0:08:56.520 Roeda wrote quote if people inside get rowdy, people in 0:08:56.559 --> 0:09:00.800 this chat would be charged for conspiracy. Question Mark, and 0:09:00.840 --> 0:09:04.559 then after the fourth of July shooting, someone messaged, quote, 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:08.800 please delete signal chats. Chats still on phone even if 0:09:08.880 --> 0:09:13.880 removed from groups unquote Yeah. According to Support committee notes, 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:18.080 some signal messages were recovered from phones using Apple's internal 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:21.360 notification system, though even though signal had been removed YEA, 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:25.920 incoming messages were preserved in the internal memory on the phone. 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:29.520 Outgoing messages were not preserved because there's no notification system 0:09:29.600 --> 0:09:33.520 for outgoing messages. You can set your settings on signal 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:36.280 to not display the message in notifications, and it seems 0:09:36.320 --> 0:09:39.000 like that was not the case for these messages that 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:41.240 were taken from defendants phones. 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:43.760 Yeah, and this is a known I mean, the just 0:09:43.840 --> 0:09:47.800 the fact that having notifications on with signal as a 0:09:48.000 --> 0:09:50.480 privacy issue has been known for a while. 0:09:50.600 --> 0:09:56.080 But yeah, two defendants, Liz Sojo and Savannah Batton, were 0:09:56.559 --> 0:10:01.640 neither in planning chats nor attended the gear check. But 0:10:01.760 --> 0:10:05.040 all the defendants who attended the protest did carpool together 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:08.480 in two vehicles and brought a total of eleven firearms, 0:10:09.080 --> 0:10:12.400 body armor, individual first aid kits, and all these were 0:10:12.400 --> 0:10:16.000 presented as government exhibits. I'm going to quote the Department 0:10:16.040 --> 0:10:19.520 of Justice right up about this case. Quote. Evidence at 0:10:19.600 --> 0:10:23.360 trial revealed most of the ANTIFA cell involved in the 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:27.160 Prairie Line attack looked to Song as a leader. Song 0:10:27.200 --> 0:10:31.240 acquired firearms that were distributed to co defendants and recruited 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:35.680 members that gun ranges and combat sessions they conducted unquote yep. 0:10:37.040 --> 0:10:41.360 Just as a general rule, like because the potential consequences 0:10:41.360 --> 0:10:45.960 of having firearms in a protest are so high. If 0:10:46.000 --> 0:10:49.680 you are showing up at a protest or organizing one 0:10:49.800 --> 0:10:53.400 and people are talking about bringing them, it behooves you 0:10:53.480 --> 0:10:56.960 to pay close attention to how they talk about them. 0:10:57.160 --> 0:11:00.560 And if someone is talking about, for example, suppressed fire, 0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:05.679 that's not something that is really relevant to a defensive 0:11:05.760 --> 0:11:09.280 shooting in a legal situation. That's like a combat thing. 0:11:09.480 --> 0:11:13.600 Like very rarely do self defense shootings involve suppressing fire. 0:11:14.280 --> 0:11:17.280 I I just you have to be very very careful. Yeah, 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:19.080 And this is like a judgment thing, Like if you 0:11:19.160 --> 0:11:22.240 hear people talking about guns who are going to be 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:25.520 bringing firearms to a protest or another event, and they 0:11:25.520 --> 0:11:27.400 are talking in a way that sounds as if they 0:11:27.400 --> 0:11:30.280 are like planning or eager to shoot it out with 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:35.520 the police or right wing count with anyone. That's a 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:41.200 thing to be very wary of. That's a real warning sign. Yeah, 0:11:41.200 --> 0:11:42.280 that's a real red flag. 0:11:42.440 --> 0:11:46.800 Yeah, that's a real red flag. The defense argued that 0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:51.679 when Songs shot at the officer, Song was using suppressive fire, 0:11:51.760 --> 0:11:54.920 claiming that Song aimed for the ground and the officer 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:57.920 was perhaps struck by a ricochet. We don't know if 0:11:58.000 --> 0:12:02.400 that is true now, And there really is no legal 0:12:02.440 --> 0:12:06.520 precedent no arguing suppressive fire in this way. 0:12:06.400 --> 0:12:07.800 In a self defense shooting. 0:12:07.840 --> 0:12:10.320 No, if you're shooting the direction of someone, yeah, they 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:14.160 absolutely can start shooting back, even if that absolute fire 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:17.440 is intended as being quote unquote suppressive. Right, Like, there's 0:12:17.600 --> 0:12:21.800 there's really no legal precedent for arguing in this way. 0:12:21.920 --> 0:12:24.240 And from a legal standpoint, if you were saying I 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:27.680 had to shoot at someone in immediate self defense, and 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:29.960 then you said, but I wasn't actually aiming at them. 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:32.720 I was just trying to suppress them that immediately. Like, 0:12:33.040 --> 0:12:34.520 I mean, I don't think they were ever going to 0:12:34.520 --> 0:12:36.839 be able to argue self defense because this was a cop. 0:12:36.920 --> 0:12:39.280 But if this had not been, if this had been like, 0:12:39.440 --> 0:12:42.400 you know, a right wing counter protester or something, the 0:12:42.440 --> 0:12:45.680 fact that you're saying that you were like shooting to 0:12:45.800 --> 0:12:48.400 try not to hit them is something that can get 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:51.040 you in trouble. That's an extremely dangerous thing from a 0:12:51.080 --> 0:12:52.839 legal standpoint to talk about. 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:54.760 Especially if you're the one like initiating the use of 0:12:54.800 --> 0:12:55.320 deadly force. 0:12:55.440 --> 0:12:58.240 Yes, if you have Now if they if a group 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:00.560 of people start shooting at you and you are firing 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:02.280 and you're just trying to keep it whatever that you're 0:13:02.320 --> 0:13:04.600 in a say, because they've started shooting at you, but 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:08.479 like this person started shooting, Like just from a legal standpoint, 0:13:08.760 --> 0:13:11.960 this is a nightmare for the defense. Yeah, from the jump. 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:16.080 Yeah, some of the defendants attended a daytime protest outside 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:19.920 of this facility earlier on July fourth, and after which 0:13:20.120 --> 0:13:23.240 they then reported back to fellow defendants details regarding the 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:28.120 facility security prior to this nighttime action. I think it's 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:31.160 time for a quick break and then we'll return to 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:36.199 discuss the Antifa terrorism cell aspect of this case. 0:13:36.480 --> 0:13:38.920 Great, well, I hate all of this so far, Garrison, 0:13:39.200 --> 0:13:40.000 here's some ads. 0:13:50.960 --> 0:13:54.559 I guess we're back, So let's talk about quote unquote Antifa. 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.080 Yeah, let's talk about quote end quote Antifa. 0:13:57.760 --> 0:14:00.800 The government argued that the defendants remembers of a quote 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:08.040 unquote North Texas Antifa cell. The indictment describes ANTIFA as 0:14:08.080 --> 0:14:11.280 a quote militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals 0:14:11.280 --> 0:14:14.800 and small groups, primarily ascribing to a revolutionary, anarchist or 0:14:14.840 --> 0:14:18.560 autonomous Marxist ideology which explicitly calls for the overthrow of 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:21.800 the United States government, law enforcement authorities, and the system 0:14:21.840 --> 0:14:26.000 of law unquote. So basically they view ANTIFA as left 0:14:26.040 --> 0:14:28.240 wing anti authoritarians, right, That's how we can kind of 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:32.240 collapse the use of this term down into like a 0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:36.360 single sentence, it's left wing anti authoritarianism. Though the defendants 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:42.360 never actually organized altogether under the Antifa name, the prosecution 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:46.520 argued that they were lanked through a triple ven diagram 0:14:46.600 --> 0:14:50.640 of the Socialist Rifle Association, the John Brown Gun Club, 0:14:50.960 --> 0:14:54.600 and the Emma Goldman book Club, and this all converged 0:14:54.840 --> 0:14:59.000 on quote unquote direct militant action. I'm assuming people are 0:14:59.320 --> 0:15:02.640 familiar with the SRA or the John Brown Gun Club 0:15:02.680 --> 0:15:06.040 in some way. The Emma Goldman Book Club was a 0:15:06.160 --> 0:15:12.080 local Zene distributor and publisher that also put on community 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:17.440 events from a radical, anti capitalist, usually anarchist friendly perspective 0:15:17.640 --> 0:15:20.280 and mc goldwyn obviously being an anarchist yep. 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:23.840 And like the fact that obviously these three organizations aren't 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:27.360 actually tied together in any sort of like like they're 0:15:27.360 --> 0:15:29.680 trying to frame it as like, you know, an al 0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:32.800 Qaeda and an all Kainda affiliate type deal, right, which 0:15:32.840 --> 0:15:36.600 is not sure accurate to how these organizations work or 0:15:36.680 --> 0:15:39.760 what's going on here. But I'm not surprised that they 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:40.920 went with this line of argument. 0:15:41.160 --> 0:15:45.200 I mean, yeah, the defendants had connections to these groups, right, Yeah, 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:49.800 And because these groups have an ideological underpinning that can 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:52.960 be seen as being quite similar in some ways, they're 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:56.400 viewing that as as part of the connection that connects 0:15:56.400 --> 0:15:59.600 the individuals who were involved in these sorts of like 0:15:59.720 --> 0:16:01.880 organizations or community events. 0:16:02.120 --> 0:16:05.000 Yeah, and I'm not surprised that's how they tried to argue. Sure. 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:09.880 A sticky notepad found at the Soto residence contained passwords 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:13.880 for the Emma Goldman book Club Twitter account and an 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:18.360 Antifa Dallas fort Worth Twitter account, which prosecution used his 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:22.360 evidence linking defendants to quote unquote Antifa. The government also 0:16:22.520 --> 0:16:27.000 called on David Kyle Shittler as an expert weitness to 0:16:27.080 --> 0:16:28.760 testify about Antifa. 0:16:29.400 --> 0:16:29.720 Yeah. 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:32.960 Shittler is a member of the Center for Security Policy 0:16:33.000 --> 0:16:36.760 and SBLC designateed hate group. He also helped draft the 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:40.960 definition of Antifa given in this case, and used that 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:43.800 definition while testifying in front of the Senate last year. 0:16:44.640 --> 0:16:50.160 The defense missed a deadline to challenge the prosecutions antifa 0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:54.080 expert qualifications, which would have needed to be filed as 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:57.520 a pre trial motion as opposed to an objection. During 0:16:57.520 --> 0:17:03.280 the trial, prosecutors also cited Trump's Antifa Executive Order, despite 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:07.840 disorder being signed months after the Prairie Land incident, and 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:13.240 the prosecutors also claimed that the International Antifa Defense Fund 0:17:13.400 --> 0:17:17.200 contributed over five thousand dollars to the Prairie Land defendants 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:22.280 give Send Go crowd funding page. So much of this 0:17:22.400 --> 0:17:26.040 case was spent arguing over whether the defendants were in 0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:30.359 fact Antifa and what that even means, like what does 0:17:30.400 --> 0:17:33.520 it mean to be Antifa and if that's actually relevant 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:36.720 to the charges that they were facing. And by the 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:39.000 end of the trial it became more clear that the 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:44.960 defendants weren't exactly being prosecuted for being members of Antifa. Rather, 0:17:45.040 --> 0:17:48.719 the government asserted that their proximity to this idea of 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:54.760 Antifa provided evidence to their motive and preferred tactics. Quoting 0:17:54.800 --> 0:17:58.680 the Support Committee courtroom notes, quote, the government's strategy was 0:17:58.720 --> 0:18:03.760 to display zines, stickers, pamphlets, flags, and other political materials anarchist, 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:07.560 anti fascist, anti ice, animal liberation, and argued that this 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:13.359 shared ideology proves conspiracy and motive. FBI case agent Casey 0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:17.359 Bennett testified that the materials quote show a group of 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:21.680 people sharing an ideology and that this quote might lead 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:27.399 us to intent behind the attack and shows a conspiracy unquote. 0:18:28.760 --> 0:18:33.120 Towards the end of the trial, Judge Pittman asked the prosecution, quote, 0:18:33.720 --> 0:18:37.960 is it necessary to prove this stuff about Antifa? The 0:18:38.000 --> 0:18:43.040 Support Committee courtroom notes say that the prosecution responded by 0:18:43.080 --> 0:18:47.359 saying that Antifa ideology, particularly black block, was how the 0:18:47.400 --> 0:18:51.520 group operated. The judge pressed, quote, whether it's Antifa or 0:18:51.520 --> 0:18:54.879 the Methodist Women's Auxiliary, why does it matter? 0:18:55.160 --> 0:18:55.400 Yep. 0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:58.720 The prosecution argued that they took quote unquote direct action 0:18:59.000 --> 0:19:02.800 against the ICE facility and argued black block and Antifa 0:19:02.880 --> 0:19:06.720 ideology were central to how the alleged attack was carried out. 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:11.160 Quote well, that's yeah, that's positive. At least I guess. 0:19:11.760 --> 0:19:13.600 The government described Black Block for the purpose of this 0:19:13.640 --> 0:19:16.520 case as quote dark clothing with head and face coverings 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:19.760 that concealed their identities, designed to hide each individual's identity, 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:23.600 but also to aid and those members engaged in illegal 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:26.360 acts by making members indistinguishable from one another to law 0:19:26.400 --> 0:19:29.639 enforcement unquote. The jury was shown clothing from all the 0:19:29.680 --> 0:19:32.119 defendants as evidence, as well as body armour and a 0:19:32.160 --> 0:19:36.640 quote unquote resist fascism flag. Now, all this does raise 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:39.879 the question about whether this prosecution is against the defendant's 0:19:39.920 --> 0:19:44.480 political ideology or the specific criminal acts of throwing fireworks 0:19:44.600 --> 0:19:48.080 or shooting at a police officer, rather than being convicted 0:19:48.080 --> 0:19:51.600 of being members of Antifa, the terrorist group, something that 0:19:51.600 --> 0:19:55.560 still doesn't really have legal precedent. The prosecutors argued that 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:59.520 the Antifa ideology, left wing anti authoritarianism played a role 0:19:59.560 --> 0:20:02.119 in in spe firing the defendants formed the basis of 0:20:02.200 --> 0:20:06.159 political affinity that brought this collection of individuals together and 0:20:06.359 --> 0:20:10.320 relate to a collection of security practices, subcultural practices, and 0:20:10.359 --> 0:20:14.320 associated tactics which were employed before, during, and after the 0:20:14.359 --> 0:20:18.760 criminal acts related to the noise demo quote unquote opsec 0:20:18.880 --> 0:20:22.080 practices like you know, Black Block are using signal were 0:20:22.359 --> 0:20:25.800 used as evidence, Yeah, that there was some sort of 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:27.200 conspiracy at foot. 0:20:28.040 --> 0:20:30.959 Sure, yeah, I mean, yeah, that makes sense from a 0:20:31.000 --> 0:20:34.520 prosecutorial standpoint, Right, these people are talking about like just 0:20:34.560 --> 0:20:37.160 the fact that there are zines talking about the purpose 0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:40.960 of black block and people are having a planning meeting 0:20:41.000 --> 0:20:43.119 ahead of time where they're like checking their gear and 0:20:43.160 --> 0:20:44.840 talking about how they're going to come in and block. 0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:48.800 Like yeah, yeah, that's that's that's unfortunate. Yeah, I can 0:20:48.840 --> 0:20:51.399 see why the prosecution went with that line of argument. 0:20:51.880 --> 0:20:54.160 But how does this relate to like terrorism, right, because right, 0:20:54.240 --> 0:20:57.400 conspiracy and terrorism are different things. Yes, So to get 0:20:57.440 --> 0:21:02.359 an idea of the government's own preferred language regarding Antifa 0:21:02.480 --> 0:21:06.280 terrorism all quote from the guilty plea drafted by the 0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:10.720 government for a former defendant turned government witness. Quote the 0:21:10.880 --> 0:21:15.040 terrorism was calculated to influence and affect the conduct of 0:21:15.160 --> 0:21:19.840 government by intimidation or coercion. Co conspirators adhered to an 0:21:19.840 --> 0:21:25.360 antifa anarchist ideology and organized cells or affinity groups. Co 0:21:25.359 --> 0:21:29.600 conspirators began planning direct action at prairieland co conspirators agreed 0:21:29.640 --> 0:21:32.120 to address in black bloc to provide cover for each 0:21:32.160 --> 0:21:35.920 other to commit crimes, including concealing the escape of those 0:21:35.960 --> 0:21:40.080 who committed destruction of government property unquote. So this is 0:21:40.119 --> 0:21:42.760 how it relates to like the actual legal definition of terrorism, right, 0:21:42.760 --> 0:21:47.400 which is certain criminal acts intending to change or influence 0:21:47.400 --> 0:21:50.840 government policy by intimidation or coercion. Right. That's how the 0:21:50.880 --> 0:21:55.520 government uses the term terrorism. And this this section of 0:21:55.560 --> 0:21:58.080 the plea written by the government shows how the government 0:21:58.119 --> 0:22:01.600 is self asserting the terrorists and that happened at Prairie Land. 0:22:02.359 --> 0:22:02.600 Right. 0:22:03.880 --> 0:22:06.400 There's been a lot of headlines talking about the role 0:22:06.440 --> 0:22:10.879 of zines at this trial, and zines did play a 0:22:10.880 --> 0:22:13.919 two part role. Prosecution did argue that the presence of 0:22:14.080 --> 0:22:20.080 insurrectionary zines is indicative of some alignment with Antifa, even 0:22:20.119 --> 0:22:23.040 if the possession of these zines itself is not a crime. 0:22:23.640 --> 0:22:28.000 The government's Antifa expert testified that owning political text does 0:22:28.040 --> 0:22:34.120 not necessarily indicate group membership or personal allegiance to an ideology. Quote. 0:22:34.640 --> 0:22:37.560 Just because I own a copy of mind komf does 0:22:37.600 --> 0:22:40.760 that make me a Nazi? If I own the Capital, 0:22:41.040 --> 0:22:43.120 does that make me a Marxist? Unquote? 0:22:43.840 --> 0:22:44.040 Sure? 0:22:44.280 --> 0:22:47.480 Stunning? Stunning A first example given here. 0:22:47.840 --> 0:22:51.800 Yeah, interesting call, but base, I mean, but also like 0:22:51.840 --> 0:22:52.639 a valid argument. 0:22:52.720 --> 0:22:55.040 Yeah, but this is true, right, Yes, And this is. 0:22:55.040 --> 0:23:00.840 I've seen people framing the verdict as having zene or whatever, 0:23:01.200 --> 0:23:03.600 like it's an act of terrorism, and that's not what 0:23:04.000 --> 0:23:05.280 it was decided here. 0:23:05.600 --> 0:23:07.800 No, what's happening here is a bit more complicated and 0:23:08.160 --> 0:23:09.080 harder to explain. 0:23:09.440 --> 0:23:09.640 Yes. 0:23:10.280 --> 0:23:13.040 The other relevancy of zines to this case relate to 0:23:13.119 --> 0:23:17.800 the concealing documents charges against des Estrata and his wife, 0:23:17.840 --> 0:23:21.440 Mari Rayuda, based on transporting a box of political zines 0:23:21.440 --> 0:23:24.240 from his wife's house to a friend's house in Denton, Texas. 0:23:24.880 --> 0:23:28.240 The government claims that Roeda called Dez from jail on 0:23:28.400 --> 0:23:32.760 July sixth, instructing him to conceal evidence. Now, we don't 0:23:32.800 --> 0:23:36.920 have access to a full transcript of this call. The 0:23:37.000 --> 0:23:40.520 full call was given to the jury, but sections of 0:23:40.560 --> 0:23:44.360 it were read or listened to in court. The most 0:23:44.359 --> 0:23:47.280 detailed account of the call segments played in court come 0:23:47.320 --> 0:23:51.480 from notes taken by the prairieland Defense Support Committee. The 0:23:51.520 --> 0:23:54.920 actual evidence exhibit is not yet available to be purchased 0:23:54.960 --> 0:23:57.960 on PACER. Not sure if it will be or if 0:23:57.960 --> 0:24:00.399 that'll just be after sentencing. But I tried to actually 0:24:00.400 --> 0:24:03.320 get the transcript of the call, and it was not available. 0:24:04.160 --> 0:24:08.080 Des told his wife that he already talked with her mom, 0:24:08.320 --> 0:24:12.320 who she had previously called the day before. Rida talked 0:24:12.359 --> 0:24:17.080 about fed's confiscating property. FBI Special Agent Whitworth said in 0:24:17.080 --> 0:24:21.400 his opinion, Raeda was concerned about the evidence. Rieda then 0:24:21.480 --> 0:24:24.320 voiced concern for her car parked at the twenty four 0:24:24.400 --> 0:24:27.760