(MintPress) – A police raid on the apartment housing four Occupy Seattle activists suspected of being involved in the anarchist movement resulted in the arrest and release of four individuals, who, under FBI guidelines, could potentially be considered domestic terrorists.

The Seattle Police Department claims it raided the home to obtain information relating to the Occupy Seattle May Day riots in the city, which resulted in vandalism of downtown banks and stores, as well as assaults on police officers. Seven suspects are wanted for the alleged crimes, all of whom law enforcement deemed to be involved in the anarchist movement.

A statement issued by the Seattle Police Department indicates officers raided the home Tuesday, located on the 1100 block of 29th Avenue South, just before 6 a.m. The SPD states it received a search warrant as part of an ongoing investigation into the riots.

Occupy activist Phillip Neel was in the apartment at the time of the raid, and he said police pointed guns at the back of activists while searching the apartment. He also claimed their hands were bound by zip ties after they were awoken by the sound of officers, who he said used a flashbang grenade in the stairwell and broke down the door.

Activists were not able to see the warrant until the raid was complete — a move Neel said left those in the apartment confused throughout the event. Those within the apartment at the time of the incident are known Occupy organizers.

Neel said items taken included a black hooded sweatshirt, a scarf, a notebook, a flyer for a book signing related to anarchism in the Occupy movement and literature previously handed out at Occupy protests.

While not specific, the SPD statement said the “search resulted in evidence that will be useful in the investigation.” All evidence taken from the scene was justified by the SPD as information useful in solving the case of violence in the May riots.

“The detectives are continuing to work toward identifying suspects in the May Day riot,” the statement reads.

Yet, according to organizers with Occupy Seattle, those who committed acts of violence in May were not directly associated with Occupy group.

Occupy denounces associated with violence

Following the May Day violence, Occupy Seattle released a statement claiming it did not endorse vandalism and violent methods of protest, separating itself from those who carried out property damage to downtown businesses.

Activists with the Occupy movement claim such acts of violence distance the group from disseminating its message, which causes more harm than good for the movement.

“A lot of people who support the Occupy Wall Street movement and a lot of the occupiers themselves are very distressed about the fact that our message has been lost now because of broken glass, broken windows, pepper spray and tear gas,” Mark Taylor-Canfield, Occupy organizer told a Seattle television station following the riots in May.

Occupy protesters were also paired by law enforcement in the incident of the alleged plot to blow up a Cleveland Bridge — a case in which an FBI informant worked with anarchist activists to supply the material presumed to have explosion capabilities. In that case, five anarchist activists were arrested — all of whom Occupy organizers claimed did not represent the Occupy movement.

On its website, Occupy Seattle clearly states in a post advocating a July 20 rally, “Bring the Fight to the Banks,” that the protest is “a non-violent and non-vandalistic direct action.”

“We understand we can’t tell people what to do but just know it is not welcome at this action,” the website states, referring to violence and vandalism. “We want to remind the people of Seattle that the banks still need to be fought.”

Activists or anarchists?

In 2010, the FBI released a statement justifying its labeling of anarchists extremists, claiming that believing in anarchism itself does not specifically pose a threat, but that those who take it to the ‘extreme’ are considered to be a threat to national security.

“Anarchist extremism in the U.S. encompasses a variety of ideologies, including anti-capitalism, anti-globalism, and anti-urbanization,” the FBI statement reads, while also including those with strong pro-environmental ideology.

The classification called into play the method by which law enforcement handles those who do or are alleged to subscribe to the anarchist philosophy.

In the case of the Occupy movement, activists are concerned that they are being given the anarchist label, one that law enforcement associated with domestic terrorism.

An FBI Domestic Terrorism Operations Unit document gives an overview to law enforcement officials on anarchist extremism, in which the movement is classified as “not dedicated to a particular cause.” Other characteristics include the composition of those in the movement, claiming they are “made up of younger, educated, middle to upper class individuals.”

Such vague guidelines arguably qualify those within Occupy as targets of concern, especially considering the document also states that anarchist extremists also have crossover ideologies, including animal rights extremism and environmental extremism. While “extremism,” is not defined, many within the Occupy movement favor fair treatment of animals and oppose fracking and mountaintop removal, both issues of environmental concern.

The tactics the FBI looks at for anarchist extremists are also classified as both passive civil disobedience and offensive attacks.

In the ‘Outlook’ portion of the document, the FBI assumes such activists will continue targeting perceived symbols of capitalism, imperialism and oppression. “Anticipate increase in activity leading up to 2012 conventions,” the document states.

It also includes a list and reference numbers for federal violations that could be used against ‘extremist anarchists,’ including criminal conspiracy, threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction, illegal manufacture of a firearm, illegal distribution of information relating to explosives and more. Probable cause for such violations can also be used for justification of search warrants.

The SPD claims more search warrants may be issued in the future — a warning to Occupy protesters that they could be next.