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.

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.