From the Department of Your-Taxes-At-Play:
Punk band The Suicide Pilots catches eye of anti-terror cops
The Canadian PressOTTAWA — All it takes to get noticed by Canada’s top anti-terrorism team is a shocking band name and a provocative logo.
At least, that’s the contention of The Suicide Pilots, a self-described “no-name punk band” based in Ottawa that promotes itself with a cartoon image of an anthropomorphic plane swooping toward the Parliament Buildings.
Access to Information documents released by the band’s lawyer Tuesday show that the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team took a look at the group last year.
It started just after the band popped to brief national notoriety courtesy of its outspoken and politically active drummer, Jeffrey Monaghan.
“If you want an example of bloated police powers, this is it,” lawyer Yavar Hameed said in a news release.
Monaghan was alleged last spring to have leaked the environmental plan of the Conservative government, and was marched in handcuffs by the RCMP out of his contract job at Environment Canada.
He was never charged with anything, but his musical tastes – including a song titled “Harper Youth” – quickly attracted state scrutiny.
“Subject is a self-described anarchist and drummer in a punk band that compares (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper to Hitler,” says an RCMP occurrence report dated two days after Monaghan’s May 9, 2007 arrest.
The band’s myspace page depicts a “9/11 type drawing showing an airplane crashing into the Parliament; there is also anti-Harper songs from the band,” says an assistance request from the national security team to the Tech Crime unit.
The documents show that the force’s integrated cyber analysis team, the commercial crime unit and national security team were all involved.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service was apprised. “Advise CSIS of our findings,” states a timeline for May 29.
The last entry is dated Sept. 8 and is marked “NFAR, CH” – RCMP jargon for No Further Action Required, Cancelled Here.
The band, in a statement, said the investigation is indicative of “Harper’s ‘War on Terror’ gone mad.”
The RCMP declined to comment.
The link to Jeffrey Monaghan is 404’d; you can use the one herewith instead.
Um…?
Translation:
The link in this sentence:
‘It started just after the band popped to brief national notoriety courtesy of its outspoken and politically active drummer, Jeffrey Monaghan.’
is dead. But what they’ve put down as their website would be a suitable alternative link if you wished to edit the post.
Yes. But the link krishna provided herewith:
http://www.exilebooks.org/en/2007/05/14/statement-of-solidarity-with-bones-aka-jeff-monaghan/
is also 404’ed.
Whatever…
http://www.exilebooks.org
Oops.