The United States Parole Commission has denied convicted serial bomber and domestic terrorist Raymond Levasseur permission to travel to Massachusetts to make an appearance at a controversial and ill-planned event at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Levasseur served 18 years, less than half of a 45 year sentence for his role as leader of the United Freedom Front, a domestic terrorist gang that was responsible for blowing up over 20 buildings, conducting armed bank robberies to fund their violent agenda, attempting to murder two Massachusetts State Troopers and the brutal slaying of New Jersey Trooper Phil Lamonaco. He is currently living in a federal halfway house in Maine.

His appearance having been canceled once already, the anarchist’s event was resurrected – according to WHDH, Levasseur was quietly “re-invited by a faculty group spearheaded by UMass Professor Sara Lennox”, whose 2008 salary was over $118,000.

Although it once again appears that Levasseur will not be in attendance at the UMass event, his wife and lawyers are expected to participate and speak on his behalf and the event has not been canceled. Numerous police organizations and the widow of Trooper Lamonaco still plan to protest the reprehensible glorification of this unrepentant, violent criminal, and call on the public, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and the administration of UMass to join them at UMass on Thursday evening to express their condemnation of Levasseur and his terrorist agenda.

RESOLUTIONS IN OPPOSITION TO THE INVITATION OF RAY LUC LEVASSEUR BY A GROUP OF FACULTY MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT AMHERST.

WHEREAS, A GROUP OF FACULTY MEMBERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT AMHERST HAS INVITED RAY LUC LEVASSEUR TO SPEAK ON THE CAMPUS ON THURSDAY, NOV. 12, 2009; AND

WHEREAS, RAY LUC LEVASSEUR IS THE FOUNDER AND FORMER LEADER OF THE UNITED FREEDOM FRONT, A RADICAL GROUP THAT ADVOCATED, PLOTTED AND EXECUTED VIOLENT ACTIONS AGAINST GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND FACILITIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH AND IN OTHER STATES; AND

WHEREAS, MEMBERS OF THE UNITED FREEDOM FRONT COMMITTED ACTS OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM, INCLUDING THE BOMBINGS OF BANKS, COURTHOUSES, MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AND PRIVATE BUSINESSES; AND

WHEREAS, THE ACTS OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM CONDUCTED BY MEMBERS OF THE UNITED FREEDOM FRONT INCLUDED THE MURDER OF NEW JERSEY STATE TROOPER PHIL LAMONACO, THE SHOOTING OF 2 MASSACHUSETTS STATE TROOPERS AND THE BOMBING OF THE SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN APRIL 1976 WHICH INJURED 22 PEOPLE; AND

WHEREAS, RAY LUC LEVASSEUR SERVED 18 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR CRIMES HE COMMITTED AS THE LEADER OF THE UNITED FREEDOM FRONT AND HE HAS NEVER APOLOGIZED OR EXPRESSED REGRET FOR HIS ROLE IN THESE ACTS OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM; AND

WHEREAS, THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT WROTE IN ITS DECISION IN NEAR VS. MINNESOTA THAT “AN INDIVIDUAL’S RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH DOES NOT EXTEND TO SPEECH THAT INCITES VIOLENCE OR ADVOCATES FOR THE OVERTHROW BY FORCE OF ORDERLY GOVERNMENT”; AND

WHEREAS, THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT AMHERST IS A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY, WITH ITS OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND ACTIVITIES HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED BY THE TAXPAYERS OF THE COMMONWEALTH; AND

WHEREAS, AT THE REQUEST OF HIS EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK, AND DONNA LAMONACO, THE WIDOW OF NEW JERSEY STATE TROOPER PHIL LAMONACO, THE UNIVERSITY INITIALLY REVOKED THE SPEAKING INVITATION AND CANCELLED THE EVENT BUT ONE OR MORE MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY PERSISTED IN EXTENDING A SECOND INVITATION NOTWITHSTANDING THE ACTIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY; AND

WHEREAS, THE SPEECH WILL TAKE PLACE A WEEK AFTER AN ASSAULT ON FORT HOOD THAT RESULTED IN THE DEATHS OF 12 SERVICEMEN, AND ONE DAY AFTER WE REMEMBER THE SACRIFICES MADE BY OUR VETERANS TO PRESERVE OUR FREEDOMS AND KEEP US SAFE; NOW THEREFORE BE IT,

RESOLVED, THAT THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE HEREBY OPPOSES AND CONDEMNS THE ACTIONS OF A GROUP OF FACULTY MEMBERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT AMHERST IN INVITING RAY LUC LEVASSEUR TO ADDRESS THE PUBLIC AT THIS PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THESE RESOLUTIONS BE TRANSMITTED FORTHWITH BY THE CLERK OF THE SENATE TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT AMHERST.

New Jersey State Trooper Phil Lamonaco was murdered by members of Levasseur's terrorist organization on December 21, 1981

The widow of a slain New Jersey State Trooper as well as numerous members of many police departments and organizations are expected to be at UMass in Amherst on Thursday evening to protest the appearance of convicted terrorist Raymond Levasseur.

Levasseur was the leader of the anarchist group “United Freedom Front” whose members were responsible for over 20 bombings of historic and public buildings including the Suffolk County Courthouse during which a number of people were injured, some severely, the attempted murder of two Massachusetts State Troopers and the brutal slaying of New Jersey Trooper Phillip Lamonaco. The group funded their spree of crime and terror by committing bank robberies in excess of $200,000.

Levasseur was convicted of conspiracy and bombings and was paroled after serving less than half of a 45-year sentence. He currently remains on federal probation, living in a halfway house in Maine. When his appearance at UMass was initially announced, it resulted in an outcry by police organizations and Trooper Lamonaco’s widow that went unanswered until publicized in the media. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick intervened and the appearance was canceled.

According to WHDH, Levasseur was quietly “re-invited by a faculty group spearheaded by UMass Professor Sara Lennox”, whose 2008 salary was over $118,000.

Upon learning of the resurrection of this terrorist’s appearance, Governor Patrick said, “I am more than a little disappointed about the invitation having been extended …I fully get and respect the idea of free speech, but I think it is a reflection of profound insensitivity to continue to try to have this former terrorist on a campus, and I’m encouraging them to oppose this.”

UMass administration seems to agree with Governor Patrick, releasing a statement saying, “Originally, the event was to be sponsored by the university library and called a colloquium of social change, which included Levasseur. That event was canceled by the library in part because of the response to it.”

“We expressed our opinion, and we don’t like it. But faculty can invite who they want,” (UMass spokesman) Callahan said. “The notion of academic freedom is just that, those that teach and research here can follow any path they wish as long as it’s not illegal or unethical. Inviting an unpopular person is none of those things.”

We invite Governor Patrick and the University of Massachusetts administration and faculty to show that their statements are not just lip service, and to join us on Thursday evening to protest the distasteful and pointless glorification of a convicted sociopathic terrorist who has never shown remorse for his violent criminal acts.

Excerpts from Boston Herald Article:

A fuming Gov. Deval Patrick is taking on University of Massachusetts officials who now say they must allow a convicted terror bomber to speak on campus because of “academic freedom” – even after angry cops thought the event had been stopped.

“Gov. Patrick is outraged and extremely disappointed at reports that the University of Massachusetts has again extended a speaking invitation to Raymond Luc Levasseur,” said Patrick spokesman Joe Landolfi.

The governor last night called on UMass brass to “review” the abrupt about-face.

“It’s truly unbelievable,” said Rick Brown, president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, who added that cops from around the nation are prepared to protest the event. “If the governor told UMass not to bring this terrorist to a taxpayer-funded campus, it should not be happening.”

Law enforcement sources said the event will take place in a campus building. Separate sources said the event is being sponsored by the Department of Social Thought and Political Economy, a progressive campus group, and that a UMass professor extended the invitation to Levasseur. Attempts to reach that group last night were unsuccessful.

Entire Boston Herald Article

The State Police Association of Massachusetts has learned that the appearance of unrepentant convicted terrorist and serial bomber Raymond Luc Levasseur which had been canceled due to public outrage will in fact go forward on November 12. This appearance at UMASS / Amherst is being financed by an unnamed person or group and appears to have been organized “under the radar”, most likely to hide from the public scrutiny and criticism it so rightly deserves. Cowards supporting cowards.

Levasseur was the leader of the “United Freedom Front”, a violent fringe terrorist group that was responsible for more than 20 bombings, robberies totaling over $200,000, the cold blooded murder of New Jersey State Trooper Philip Joseph Lamonaco and the attempted murders of Massachusetts State Troopers Paul Landry and Michael Crosby in a late-night shootout in North Attleboro in the 1980’s.

Levasseur served only 18 years – less than half – of a 45-year sentence for bombing and conspiracy charges. He is still under federal parole in Maine. Other members of the terrorist organization remain incarcerated.

His initial appearance at the state university was met with widespread protest, most notably from Trooper Lamonaco’s widow and mother of his three children, who said, “They were treating a terrorist as a hero. The governor was going to let him educate college students at a public school, a guy who represents an organization that killed my husband; that tried to execute two troopers in Massachusetts. The United Freedom Front stood for violence and anarchy against the United States. The governor seemed like he wanted to celebrate that?”

Police organizations also expressed their dismay at the prospect of the unrepentant terrorist addressing students. “It’s hugely offensive that a state school that receives tax dollars would invite Levasseur,” said Richard Brown, president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts. “This guy committed atrocities against our country and the talk was only canceled under pressure.”

UMass canceled Levasseur’s original appearance and Governor Deval Patrick agreed with this decision as “the right thing to do out of respect to the families of the victims of these acts and our law enforcement community.”

Well, apparently the Governor is just paying lip service to the families of the victims and (once again) to the law enforcement community. As if paroling this merciless thug with less than half his sentence served wasn’t enough of a slap in the face to those who had a loved one slaughtered, fought bravely for their lives and were robbed and terrorized, now insult is being heaped upon injury as Levasseur is paraded in front of college students as some sort of a perverse hero.

It is appalling and reprehensible that this criminal, this scourge of society is given an audience at a state university. This appearance only serves to validate the heinous, cowardly and criminal acts of terrorism for which this felon was responsible. It is a slap in the face to the victims of his crimes, to the widow and children of Trooper Lamonaco, and to those who work tirelessly every day and night to protect the law abiding citizens of the United States from criminals and terrorists. All reading this article are urged to boycott the appearance of the cowardly felon Levasseur, to express their dissatisfaction to the directors of the University of Massachusetts and to join with other citizens to protest this despicable use of a state university to promulgate the message of violence and hate that Levasseur represents.

Levasseur can certainly express his right to free speech from the porch of his halfway house in Maine. UMass should be ashamed to provide a venue to assist this violent criminal and reignite the flames that cost so many so much when he terrorized the citizens years ago.

Submitted by: Mark A. Weiner

The views and/or opinions of the author do not necessarily reflect the views and /or opinions of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, its members or Executive Board.

On a cold winter night at approximately two o’clock in the morning of February 7, 1982, Massachusetts State Police Trooper Paul Landry pulled into the southbound North Attleboro, Massachusetts rest area off Route 95 for a routine check of all parked vehicles. It was customary State Police winter policy to check parked vehicles for their occupants’ safety and crime detection. There were two vehicles in the rest area on this night. One in particular was a 1978 green Plymouth station wagon, another was a van. Trooper Landry did not see anyone in the van, however, he noticed two men in the station wagon as he drove past it. Turning his cruiser around at the opposite end of the rest area he drove toward the station wagon stopping in front of it, shining the cruiser’s headlights into it. One of the occupants, the driver, was a white man, the passenger was a black man. He stepped out of his cruiser and approached the driver. As he approached, he noticed that the two men appeared nervous. Their vehicle’s engine was running, but the lights were out and there was a dog, a doberman pinscher in the back cargo area. Trooper Landry noticed a green bag on the floor under the passenger side and another duffle bag in back with the dog. Also, the passenger had his right hand tucked inside his jacket in the area of his trousers’ belt. Trooper Landry testified that he suspected the passenger had a gun.

He asked the two men why they were there and asked them for identification. They told him they had come from New Hampshire and were tired. They produced New York drivers licenses. The vehicle was registered in Massachusetts. The driver told the trooper the car belonged to his girl friend, but he didn’t know her telephone number when asked. One of the New York licenses, the driver’s, had a picture attached to it when it was handed to the trooper, however the passenger’s did not. The passenger turned out to be Christopher King. He presented Trooper Landry with a license with the name Lester Jordan printed on it with a Brooklyn, New York address. The other license was for a Salvatore Bella also of Brooklyn.

Trooper Landry returned to his cruiser with both licenses and the registration and called in to check on them. The response from headquarters was negative. There were no reports relative to either of the two men or the vehicle.

Troopers Paul Landry and Michael Crosby with weapons siezed from UFF terrorists after the late-night shootout.

While waiting for this report, the trooper moved the cruiser from the front of the station wagon to a point directly behind it to watch the two men. Trooper Landry noticed that they continued to act very nervous, constantly looking at each other and back at him. He was suspicious of their identity, the registration of the car, their demeanor and the way the passenger had held his hand inside his jacket. He decided to radio for assistance and Trooper Michael Crosby responded to the call, arriving a few minutes later. Landry briefed Crosby and then the two troopers approached the station wagon from the passenger’s side. This time the green bag on the floor under the passenger seat was not there. They asked the passenger to step from the vehicle and when he was outside of it Landry asked him what he had in his coat. As Landry asked the question he reached out to touch the man’s jacket and the man jumped back pushing Landry’s hand away. However, Landry felt what he thought was a bullet proof vest. Landry told Trooper Crosby to watch the driver and began to draw his gun ordering the passenger to put his hands on his head. Again, Landry reached toward the man’s belt and was pushed away. At this moment the driver jumped out of the car and crouching, ran back and forth along the opposite side of the car, popping his head up and down intermittently. Landry grabbed the passenger and pulled back from the car toward the woods behind him as the driver began firing a gun in their direction. Landry dropped the passenger to the ground, pulled a 9 MM semi-automatic pistol from the man’s belt and handcuffed him, then returned shots toward the driver who ran off into the woods adjacent to the rest area. Back up assistance arrived, the dog was removed from the station wagon and a light search of the vehicle was conducted at the scene turning up a .45 caliber semi-automatic carbine, a 12 gauge shot gun and quantities of ammunition from the duffle bag that was in the rear of the car. A later inventory search of the vehicle at headquarters turned up the green bag. It had been tucked under the seat and contained a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol and more ammunition as well as numerous licenses and identification belonging to other persons. One of these, however, identified the driver as Jaan Laaman. The passenger, Christopher King, was searched at the barracks and he was found to be wearing a bullet proof vest.

“It’s hugely offensive that a state school that receives tax dollars would invite Levasseur,” said Richard R. Brown, president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts. “This guy committed atrocities against our country and the talk was only canceled under pressure.”

The United Freedom Front was responsible for roughly 20 bombings, including one at the Suffolk County Courthouse in Boston, and for the attempted murder of two Massachusetts State Troopers, Mike Crosby and Paul Landry, in a blazing North Attleboro gun battle in 1982.

Update 11/09: Overpaid Academics do an end-run, terrorist to speak.

By Michele McPhee |   Friday, November 6, 2009  |  Link to Boston Herald Article |

New Jersey State Trooper and father of three Philip Joseph Lamonaco was murdered by members of Levasseur's terrorist organization on December 21, 1981

Gov. Deval Patrick pulled the plug on a planned UMass speech by a convicted terrorist yesterday after a plea delivered by the Herald from the outraged widow of a gunned-down state trooper – angering cops who protested the event for weeks.

“It was absolutely disgusting that we had to go through what we had to go through to get this canceled,” said widow Donna Lamonaco. “Police groups have been complaining for weeks. We organized a protest.

“We got nothing until the newspaper calls the governor?” she said. “It’s a disgrace.”

Lamonaco’s husband, Phil, a New Jersey state trooper, was shot dead by members of the United Freedom Front in 1981.

The radical group, also cited for the attempted assassination of two Massachusetts troopers and a rash of bombings and robberies, was led by Raymond Luc Levasseur.

Levasseur – now living under federal parole in a halfway house in Maine and still hailed by followers as a political prisoner – was set to speak at a “Colloquium on Social Change” at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst next Thursday.

“They were treating a terrorist as a hero. The governor was going to let him educate college students at a public school, a guy who represents an organization that killed my husband, that tried to execute two troopers in Massachusetts,” said Lamonaco, mother of three…Entire Boston Herald Article

The Attempted Murder of Massachusetts State Troopers Paul Landry and Michael Crosby:

On a cold winter night at approximately two o’clock in the morning of February 7, 1982, Massachusetts State Police Trooper Paul Landry pulled into the southbound North Attleboro, Massachusetts rest area off Route 95 for a routine check of all parked vehicles. It was customary State Police winter policy to check parked vehicles for their occupants’ safety and crime detection. There were two vehicles in the rest area on this night. One in particular was a 1978 green Plymouth station wagon, another was a van. Trooper Landry did not see anyone in the van, however, he noticed two men in the station wagon as he drove past it. Turning his cruiser around at the opposite end of the rest area he drove toward the station wagon stopping in front of it, shining the cruiser’s headlights into it. One of the occupants, the driver, was a white man, the passenger was a black man. He stepped out of his cruiser and approached the driver. As he approached, he noticed that the two men appeared nervous. Their vehicle’s engine was running, but the lights were out and there was a dog, a doberman pinscher in the back cargo area. Trooper Landry noticed a green bag on the floor under the passenger side and another duffle bag in back with the dog. Also, the passenger had his right hand tucked inside his jacket in the area of his trousers’ belt. Trooper Landry testified that he suspected the passenger had a gun.

He asked the two men why they were there and asked them for identification. They told him they had come from New Hampshire and were tired. They produced New York drivers licenses. The vehicle was registered in Massachusetts. The driver told the trooper the car belonged to his girl friend, but he didn’t know her telephone number when asked. One of the New York licenses, the driver’s, had a picture attached to it when it was handed to the trooper, however the passenger’s did not. The passenger turned out to be Christopher King. He presented Trooper Landry with a license with the name Lester Jordan printed on it with a Brooklyn, New York address. The other license was for a Salvatore Bella also of Brooklyn.

Trooper Landry returned to his cruiser with both licenses and the registration and called in to check on them. The response from headquarters was negative. There were no reports relative to either of the two men or the vehicle.

Troopers Paul Landry and Michael Crosby with weapons siezed from UFF terrorists after the late-night shootout.

While waiting for this report, the trooper moved the cruiser from the front of the station wagon to a point directly behind it to watch the two men. Trooper Landry noticed that they continued to act very nervous, constantly looking at each other and back at him. He was suspicious of their identity, the registration of the car, their demeanor and the way the passenger had held his hand inside his jacket. He decided to radio for assistance and Trooper Michael Crosby responded to the call, arriving a few minutes later. Landry briefed Crosby and then the two troopers approached the station wagon from the passenger’s side. This time the green bag on the floor under the passenger seat was not there. They asked the passenger to step from the vehicle and when he was outside of it Landry asked him what he had in his coat. As Landry asked the question he reached out to touch the man’s jacket and the man jumped back pushing Landry’s hand away. However, Landry felt what he thought was a bullet proof vest. Landry told Trooper Crosby to watch the driver and began to draw his gun ordering the passenger to put his hands on his head. Again, Landry reached toward the man’s belt and was pushed away. At this moment the driver jumped out of the car and crouching, ran back and forth along the opposite side of the car, popping his head up and down intermittently. Landry grabbed the passenger and pulled back from the car toward the woods behind him as the driver began firing a gun in their direction. Landry dropped the passenger to the ground, pulled a 9 MM semi-automatic pistol from the man’s belt and handcuffed him, then returned shots toward the driver who ran off into the woods adjacent to the rest area. Back up assistance arrived, the dog was removed from the station wagon and a light search of the vehicle was conducted at the scene turning up a .45 caliber semi-automatic carbine, a 12 gauge shot gun and quantities of ammunition from the duffle bag that was in the rear of the car. A later inventory search of the vehicle at headquarters turned up the green bag. It had been tucked under the seat and contained a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol and more ammunition as well as numerous licenses and identification belonging to other persons. One of these, however, identified the driver as Jaan Laaman. The passenger, Christopher King, was searched at the barracks and he was found to be wearing a bullet proof vest.

Other links:

Survivors of the Triangle

Concerns of Police Survivors