Facebook Friending Lands Activist in Prison

Animal rights activist Rod Coronado has been returned to prison for friending another activist on Facebook.

Rod Coronado is an activist who has been involved with many different causes and campaigns since the ’90s. He has published articles and given lectures on his experiences working with various animal rights groups including The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Coronado has been convicted of multiple crimes associated with his activism, including some that were clear violations of Coronado’s constitutional free speech rights.

Regardless, he has since publicly renounced illegal and destructive means as effective methods of creating social change. He stated in an open letter from prison “Let our opposition who believe in violence carry the burden for its justification, but let those who believe in peace and love practice a way of life that our society sorely needs now more than ever.”

As part of his most recent plea agreement, Coronado was ordered not to use unmonitored computers and not to associate with violent activists or activists who advocate violence. The Facebook action that resulted in Coronado’s arrest was accepting a friend request from Earth First! activist Mike Roselle.

But Mike Roselle is not a violent activist. In fact, Mike Roselle has never been charged with a violent crime.

This is a clear example of the government’s witch hunt of any activists who are associated with animal rights or environmentalism. This is a clear case of guilty by association, where Coronado is being imprisoned for what the government thinks that people connected to Roselle might have done.

Coronado’s Probation Officer also stated that Coronado had been using an unmonitored computer or computer-related device to access Facebook. But court documents seem to state the PO had known about this since March.

Coronado has again and again stated his desire to get away from his past and start a new life, free of violence, but it seems no matter what you do, there are some people who won’t let you live down your past.

Rod Coronado was sentenced earlier this month to four months in prison for violating the terms of his probation. When he is released, will he finally be allowed to live his life, or will he continue to be subject to legal hassles? Only time will tell.

Photo: Public Domain

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Barbara S.

10:22AM PDT on Nov 1, 2011

Martha E said it very well. Big Brother is ALWAYS on a witch hunt for the innocent. Let the real quilty get away with their crimes which the governement chooses to overlook!!!!!

send a green star

Annmari L.

5:47AM PST on Feb 5, 2011

Welcome to the brave new world of guilty until (maybe) proven innocent and guilty by association. Goodbye legal rights and the constitution!

Dave T.

1:35AM PDT on Nov 7, 2010

but us govt employs torture and the mass murder of civilians with DU wmd's and predator drones. none of them go to jail. what else do you expect? welcome to amerikkka

Sonny H.

6:59AM PDT on Oct 30, 2010

We live in a crazy world ruled by some who appear to be crazy too.

Julie v.

11:32PM PDT on Oct 28, 2010

All that is good get punished. Animals and animal activists suffer. This is a corrupt system.

Martha E.

9:19PM PDT on Sep 26, 2010

Yuh think the gov. could concentrate on real crime? Sheesh!

Yeah, I can't figure out why the gov. picks on people who love animals ...... except that they might interfere with capitalism in big-ag farms and ranchers who want all the land for themselves and coal and oil who want our land and resources, instead of protecting the environment and the animals who live there. Think they might have more sway than the animal rights activists?

Agnes O.

5:36AM PDT on Sep 19, 2010

As long as the ALF/SRM and PETA rule the "animal rights" movement, it is no wonder the government keeps an eye on them.

The ALF has turned into a group of terrorists, sadly. They do more harm to animal protection groups than most of you can imagine. Because of them, it has become hard to do rescue work around here. You get grouped together with fanatic vegans and such.

Jailing someone for using Facebook and having friends there is stupid. But I think the authorities are exasperated enough by those terrorists to try anything, no matter how crazy.

Eleni M.

3:51PM PDT on Sep 14, 2010

Why are governments so afraid of Animal Rights activists? Is it because they stand for moral, ethics. That they expose the truth about governments being bought by big corporations who make money through the pain and suffering of animals. That they expose the truth about torture and cruelty of farmed animals. That AR people are vegans and vegetarians and no longer eat animals and that the meat industry is losing customers. That AR are no longer under their control and are questioning the government's morals and ethics.

Colleen H.

9:42PM PDT on Sep 12, 2010

more evidence that this is a police state

Karen C.

5:41AM PDT on Sep 12, 2010

This is ridiculious. Unless the man said something in his post that encourage violence he should be able to friend a person on facebook. Even if he is on an unmonitored computer the state could monitor his facebook posts and as long as he had no other contact with these man he might be able to convince this person that non violence is the only way to have lasting change. I know when on probation there are rules but friend a person on facebook is a serious violation. Get real.