"Anarchists" accused of trying to blow up Ohio bridge

[grandpa]

"The FBI has arrested five people on terrorism charges, accusing them of planning to blow up a bridge near Brecksville.
According to the U.S. attorneys office, the five had targeted the bridge on Route 82 that crosses over the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The FBI says the five were identified as self-proclaimed anarchists with no connection to international terrorism. They’re accused of conspiring to get C-4 explosives that would be detonated remotely."
WKSU News: "Anarchists" accused of trying to blow up Ohio bridge

Given how little I know of these people or events, my comments will be minimal for the time being.

My question right now: What the hell would be their motive here? I'm pretty stumped on that one. The FBI openly admits to setting them up in this (literally -- read the article), but what beyond that?

Grandpa h.

[Dan74]

I try not to be prejudiced based on looks, but really by the looks of those guys I highly doubt they stand for anything other than to disrupt order.

[Angry Citizen]

What the hell would be their motive here?

God only knows what goes on in the mind of an anarchist. The fact that no one supports their positions tends to make them a little loony. First they'll accuse people of being too brainwashed to see their obvious truth, then maybe they decide to blow up a bridge to get people's attention and end the brainwashing.

[Senor Hoint]

God only knows what goes on in the mind of an anarchist. The fact that no one supports their positions tends to make them a little loony. First they'll accuse people of being too brainwashed to see their obvious truth, then maybe they decide to blow up a bridge to get people's attention and end the brainwashing.

I think it has to do with the fact that anarchists perceive the state monopoly on violence to be unfair. Actively undermining that monopoly means committing violent acts.

[Dan74]

God only knows what goes on in the mind of an anarchist. The fact that no one supports their positions tends to make them a little loony. First they'll accuse people of being too brainwashed to see their obvious truth, then maybe they decide to blow up a bridge to get people's attention and end the brainwashing.

No one supports anarchism? How little you know...

[iolo]

I think it has to do with the fact that anarchists perceive the state monopoly on violence to be unfair. Actively undermining that monopoly means committing violent acts.

Not being much known about they are easy to demonise, doubtless. Most anarchists are are about as violent as lambs. and I've known a lot. A tiny minority are mugs for agents provocateurs to work on, which I suppose is the case here. The old Russian, Italian and Spanish anarchists way back when were in love with action and principle, which is why they lost so heavily to those who weren't.

[Dieval]

"The FBI has arrested five people on terrorism charges, accusing them of planning to blow up a bridge near Brecksville.
According to the U.S. attorneys office, the five had targeted the bridge on Route 82 that crosses over the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The FBI says the five were identified as self-proclaimed anarchists with no connection to international terrorism. They’re accused of conspiring to get C-4 explosives that would be detonated remotely."
WKSU News: "Anarchists" accused of trying to blow up Ohio bridge

Given how little I know of these people or events, my comments will be minimal for the time being.

My question right now: What the hell would be their motive here? I'm pretty stumped on that one. The FBI openly admits to setting them up in this (literally -- read the article), but what beyond that?

Grandpa h.

I thought these were your brethren...don't you attend the meetings??

[grandpa]

New link update:
"As the Occupy movement carries out massive May Day protests around the country, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task force is trumpeting the arrest of 'self-proclaimed anarchists' and 'terrorists' who allegedly conspired to destroy a bridge in Ohio. Integral to the development and advancement of this plot, however, were FBI agents themselves and an informant with a drug and robbery record...

The affidavit reveals a plot by the FBI that continues a pattern of behavior in 'terrorism' investigations against political activists. Most importantly, undercover FBI agents helped shape the 'plot,' offered advice on how and where to use explosives, and allegedly sold explosives to the activists."
FBI Supplied the Anarchist

I won't add much, other than note how hypocritical Angry Citizen's post is. Not only did the FBI stage this event, but the government does things that are far worse on a daily basis. Come back with a more subtsantive argument next time. All this proves is that the FBI has a lot of time on its hands, and some people are gullible enough to fall for such agent provocatuer tactics.

Grandpa h.

[Yarn]

Yes...innocent men plant what they think are bombs on bridges all the time. They also enter in the codes that they think will set these bombs off.

The men were arrested Monday night after unknowingly working with an FBI informant for months...According to Dettelbach, the men planted the fake explosives at the base of the bridge, armed them, went to a remote spot and "entered the codes that they thought would blow up the bridge with innocent people traveling over it."...He and another suspect, Douglas L. Wright, 26, of Indianapolis, favored targeting a bridge because it would limit "the number of casualties and the potential for killing possible supporters," court documents said.

Cleveland Bomb Plot Update: 5 men charged in Ohio bridge bomb plot, FBI says - Crimesider - CBS News

Anarchists are mostly peaceful, but they have their ocassional exceptions. Even these guys could've been worse, but the evidence against them is ostensibly decisive.

[Angry Citizen]

I won't add much, other than note how hypocritical Angry Citizen's post is. Not only did the FBI stage this event, but the government does things that are far worse on a daily basis.

I'm pretty sure the FBI didn't twist these people's arms into wanting to buy explosives, and I'm pretty sure the government doesn't just randomly blow up bridges in their own country - at least, not with people presumably on them.

[Senor Hoint]

Not being much known about they are easy to demonise, doubtless. Most anarchists are are about as violent as lambs. and I've known a lot. A tiny minority are mugs for agents provocateurs to work on, which I suppose is the case here. The old Russian, Italian and Spanish anarchists way back when were in love with action and principle, which is why they lost so heavily to those who weren't.

Yes, that was a poorly worded post on my part. I didn't mean to imply that anarchists, as a group, are violent. I'm offering an explanation for what violent events have been perpetrated by anarchists.

[Jack]

What sort of self-respecting anarchist would settle for blowing up a bridge...in Ohio, no less? How far the radical few have fallen.