Peaceful rally protests prison sentence

Despite a federal warning about potential violence, a downtown Lawrence rally Saturday in support of an Oregon man imprisoned for burning sport utility vehicles was short and peaceful.

About 10 people gathered for 45 minutes along the Massachusetts Street curb in front of the Douglas County Courthouse carrying signs calling for Jeff “Free” Luers and “all political prisoners” to be freed. Many of the protesters were representing the Lawrence Anarchist Black Cross organization, which organized the rally.

“We’re just trying to get information out about the case,” said Tony Young, one of the organizers of the event. “This is a case that isn’t covered a lot in the mainstream media.”

Similar rallies were being staged in at least nine other U.S. cities.

In 2001 Luers was convicted on several charges of setting fire to three sport utility vehicles in Eugene, Ore. He admitted he set the fires in protest of global warming and air, soil and water pollution. He was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison. He has served four years of the sentence.

“Rapists and some murderers don’t even serve 22 years in prison,” said Chantel Guidry, one of the protesters. Behind her a boom box played John Lennon songs such as “Revolution” and “Give Peace a Chance.”

Nationally the rallies were encouraged by the Earth Liberation Front, a group the FBI has blamed for vandalism against SUVs and equipment at logging sites. But protesters in Lawrence said they had never had any contact with ELF. They said any concerns about violence were misplaced.

“This is nonviolent,” John Webb said. “We don’t condone what he (Luers) did, but nobody got hurt except for the insurance companies.”

Webb said he was not an anarchist but was showing support for the Luers cause.

Allen Winston, 18, left, and Tony Young, 23, both of Lawrence, hold signs in support of Jeff Luers, of Oregon, who is serving a 22-year prison sentence for setting fire to three sport utility vehicles in 2000. The rally was Saturday afternoon at the Douglas County Courthouse.

The protesters were dubious about the FBI’s warnings.

“It seems like a bit of an overkill,” Guidry said. “But it also could be a scare tactic to keep people from speaking out.”

Later Saturday anarchists showed a film documentary about the Luers case at the Lawrence Public Library.