The FBI considered Pilsen Community Books, a worker-owned bookseller in Chicago, Ill., to be "a meeting place for 'anarchist violent extremists, or 'AVEs,' environmental violent extremists, or 'EVEs' and pro-abortion extremists," Lit Hub reported, citing nearly 30 pages of documents acquired by Unicorn Riot that reveal a pattern of the FBI monitoring the bookstore.
"That's news to us!" Mandy Medley, one of the owner-workers, told Unicorn Riot when informed the FBI believes the store to be a hotbed for terror plots and "pro-abortion extremists." Medley added: "We're open to the public, open to the community. Everything is very much out there in terms of what we believe and what we do. I was shocked that the FBI would be interested in us this way."
The 30-page FBI document goes on to cite leftist "planning and networking" and mentions a May 2022 incident in which a 'Mexican American female state trooper was told to leave the store'.... The report is also concerned about Chicago-area anti-cop protests related to the Atlanta resistance movement against 'Cop City,' " Lit Hub noted
Regarding the "pro-abortion extremists" accusation, Medley observed: "It's really creepy that they call a bunch of socialist feminists who are painting signs and banners for a rally that [Governor] Pritzker spoke at 'anti-abortion extremists.' "
Pilsen Community Books tweeted: "The FBI won't intimidate us, and they won't stop all the brave folks organizing on the ground for a better world."