One day ahead of the one-year anniversary of the death of New York IMC journalist Brad Will in Oaxaca, two primitive homemade explosive devices were thrown at New York’s Mexican consulate in an apparent pre-dawn bicycle-by attack Oct. 26, shattering windows but causing no injuries. Police are drawing parallels to a similar incident at the British consulate in the early morning hours of May 5, 2005. In both cases, the devices were fake grenades sold as novelty items, but packed with black powder and detonated with fuses. In the 2005 case, video surveillance indicated two devices were thrown from a passing bicycle. In the Oct. 26 case, a witness reported seeing a hooded figure on a bicycle pass by the consulate. (NYT, AP, Oct. 27)
See our last posts on Mexico and the struggle in Oaxaca, the Brad Will case and fear in New York City.
NYPD harass activists in Mexican consulate case
The NYPD Arson and Explosives Division is conducting an investigation into the reported incident at the Mexican Consulate, and has visited the homes of several activists who were arrested at the Consulate following the death of Brad Will last year.
Joel Kupferman of the New York Environmental Law & Justice Project has agreed to act as a temporary attorney should anyone else receive such a visit. He advises that activists do not speak to law enforcement, or let police enter their residence. Instead, direct them to Kupferman’s office, and tell them to talk to him.