Michigan: Continued FBI Door Knocks & Harassment

People in Michigan remain strong in the face of continued FBI harassment.

Around 4:45 pm on Sept. 18th, two FBI agents knocked on the activist’s door in Westland, MI. the activist and thier spouse were home at the time of the knock. The agents were dressed casually: jeans and button-up shirts. Both were male. One agent identified himself as Agent Christopher Cole and showed the activist his badge.

The Activist asked if the agents had a warrant.

The agent said no.

The activist closed the door.

Within a couple of minutes, the activist received a call on their cell phone from a number they didn’t recognize and a voicemail was left. The activist listened to the voicemail and the caller identified themselves as Agent Cole, saying that they just needed to talk and that they would leave their card at the door.

Almost immediately after the call, Agent Cole knocked on the door again.

The activists spouse answered the door with the activist listening close by. The agents told the spouse that if the activist didn’t talk to them, they would be required to follow up with friends, neighbors, and places of employment. The FBI agents then produced the business card.

The activist stepped into the door and took the business card. They again told the agents that they would not speak to them. They told the agents that they would be calling the NLG, and closed the door.

The agents then left.

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The Michigan Anti-Repression Committee remains committed to supporting and being in solidarity with all targets of state repression. If you or someone you know/love is contacted by the FBI or another law enforcement agency, please contact us immediately at [email protected]. If you are in Michigan, also contact the Detroit and Michigan Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild at (313) 925-2626, ex #4.

Remember, asserting your right to remain silent is always the safest thing to do. It is crucial to recall that saying anything other than “I am going to remain silent” to the FBI is dangerous, and even seemingly innocuous statements may be held against you. Also remember that lying to an agent is a federal offense. In order to avoid potentially endangering yourself or your friends and others, the safest response is to say nothing.

If you, or anyone you know, is ever visited by the FBI or other law enforcement agents:

• Say only, “I am going to remain silent. Give me your card and a lawyer may contact you.”
• Contact your nearest National Lawyers Guild chapter to let them know about the encounter. If you are in Michigan, contact the Detroit and Michigan Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild at (313) 925-2626, ex #4.
• We encourage you to broadly spread word of your experience, which will alert other activists.

We are releasing this update to keep everyone who may be contacted by the FBI in regard to this or any other struggles for liberation apprised of this tactic. Keep in mind that the FBI will always lie to you, your family members, your coworkers, your landlords, and so on, to try to get information that serves their purposes—and thus that is designed to demolish your movements. It doesn’t matter how nicely worded the communication is or how harmless it may seem. Complete noncooperation is our safest strategy.

As a reminder, here are some additional links on resisting political repression:

If an Agents Knocks Booklet – https://ccrjustice.org/if-agent-knocks-booklet

Know Your Rights Booklet – https://www.nlg.org/know-your-rights-english/

When the Police Knock on Your Door – https://crimethinc.com/2017/08/24/when-the-police-knock-on-your-door-your-rights-and-options-a-legal-guide-and-poster

Resisting Grand Juries – http://grandjuryresistance.org

Grand Jury Resistance – http://resistgrandjuries.net

And for more information on encrypted communications:

Security Self Defense – https://ssd.eff.org/en

Signal, encrypted messaging – https://signal.org

Protonmail, encrypted email communication – https://protonmail.com

In solidarity,

The Michigan Anti-Repression Committee