first, this is England we're talking about (or Italy/Switzerland). You can post the U.S. Constitution all you want, it doesn't apply.

Second, the FBI most likely isn't behind it, most likely, as Indymedia puts it, it assisted the Italian and Swiss requests: "Indymedia volunteers can only speculate about possible reasons. Switzerland Indymedia suspects that the order might have to do with two photos published on the French site (IMC Nantes) of Swiss undercover police agents in charge of the G8 events in Switzerland in 2003. In the last few weeks there was contact between Swiss, specifically the Genevan governmental authorities, and the FBI. The FBI also approached Rackspace as well as a Seattle Indymedia activist recently regarding that matter, but according to communication from Rackspace to Indymedia on Tuesday, the matter appeared to to be closed.

For its part, Italy Indymedia can only assume that the request is motivated by the Italian government's attitude towards Indymedia, which has been overtly hostile ever since the 2001 G8 Summit in Genoa."

Anyway, regardless of who's at the origin of the seizure, I agree that this is pretty bad, as it indeed seems an attempt to shut down a news site.