Anarchist denies group involved in fire

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Local anarchist community organizer Scott Crow denies members of his political group were involved in the fire that destroyed the Governor's Mansion in 2008. Investigators are hinting otherwise.

"To say that there's an association between Anarchist community organizers, non-violent activists, and this fire at the mansion is absolutely ludicrous," Crow said.

Crow has been an activist for 15 years and says there are about 2,000 Anarchists living in the Austin area.

"I believe in self-empowerment of people. That we don't have to appeal to government to make change. We make change ourselves," he said.

For the last three days, Texas Rangers have been questioning him and two others associated with the organization.

"The Texas Rangers showed me photographs of four people that are unknown to any of us in our communities," he said. "They also made mention of a white jeep that know one in our community knows about, so there's no connection. They're grasping at straws."

"Just because two men were convicted of a crime at the Republican National Convention involving molotov cocktails, doesn't mean they need to call every Anarchist in Austin and start asking them questions," he said.

In 2008, two men with ties to an Austin Anarchy group were arrested when an inside informant tipped the FBI off to the two men's plans to throw molotov cocktails at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

"The group came under a tremendous amount of federal scrutiny after their efforts to bomb the Republican National Convention," said Fred Burton, Vice President for Stratfor . "I certainly would not view the individuals that are here today a threat. I have no doubt that the FBI joint terrorism task force is keeping a very close watch on them as well as the Texas Rangers."

"I was under investigation by the FBI for nine years without a single indictment. Nine years they had me listed as a domestic terrorist because of the oppression on anarchists in 2001. Everybody doesn't wear it on their sleeve. I wear it on my sleeve because I'm proud of it," Crow said.

"Whoever committed this crime was politically confused," he said. "Anarchists are not known for bombing or burning up mansions and government institutions. They're known for protesting in front of them."