2 NATO Protesters Arrested, Charged With Terrorism

Two men involved in the NATO summit protests in Chicago are being held on separate terrorism charges. One is accused of making a false threat about blowing up a highway overpass. The other is charged with discussing the making of a pipe bomb.

Authorities said the arrests were unrelated to the apprehension of three men who authorities claim were planning to attack President Obama’s campaign headquarters, the home of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, police departments and banks. –ARK

The New York Times:

On Sunday, prosecutors announced that they had filed charges against Sebastian Senakiewicz, 24, of Chicago, accusing him of falsely making a terrorist threat by claiming that he had homemade explosives — hidden in a hollowed-out “Harry Potter” book at his house — that could blow up a highway overpass. No explosives were found in a search of Mr. Senakiewicz’s home, the prosecutors said.

Separately, Mark Neiweem, 28, who was also believed to be from Chicago, was charged with “solicitation for possession” of explosives or incendiary devices. Prosecutors said he had discussed making a pipe bomb with an associate. He wrote a list, the prosecutors said, of all the items he thought he needed for the bomb.

Lawyers for both men denied the charges, and suggested that the authorities in Chicago were overstating the claims as a warning to the thousands of protesters, some of them linked to the Occupy movement, who have descended on the city for the summit meeting.

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