[Ppnews] Stop FBI repression - 6 action steps
Political Prisoner News
ppnews at freedomarchives.org
Sun Oct 3 11:48:30 EDT 2010
Take these 6 actions to stop FBI repression
1. Monday, October 4 – National Call in Day
Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General: 202-353-1555
President Obama: 202-456-1111
Demand :
**End repression of anti-war and international solidarity activists!
**Return all materials seized in the raid!
**Stop the Grand Jury Subpoenas of activists!
2. Tuesday, October 5 – Protest
4:30 p.m.
Outside FBI headquarters
111 Washington Ave S
(Corner of Marquette and Washington Aves)
Minneapolis
3. Sign the online petition:
<http://www.iacenter.org/stopfbi>www.iacenter.org/stopfbi
5. Download this leaflet and help get the story out!
<http://stopfbi.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/fbi1.pdf>http://stopfbi.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/fbi1.pdf
6. For more info and to read solidarity statements from around the world:
Committee To Stop FBI
Repression:
<http://www.stopfbi.net/>www.stopfbi.net
Email: <mailto:stopfbi at gmail.com>stopfbi at gmail.com
Background:
Many members of groups belonging to the Minnesota
Coalition for a People's Bailout were targeted by the FBI.
Thousands have come together in response to the
FBI raids on seven homes and an anti-war office
on Friday, September 24, 2010. Across the country
organizations and individuals are standing
together to protest the United States
government’s attempt to silence and criminalize
anti-war and international solidarity activists.
Jess Sundin said, “These raids and subpoenas are
an attack on anti-war and other progressive
movements. It is an attack on our freedom to
speak, our freedom to assemble with like-minded
people, and our freedom to tell the government
that their actions and policies are wrong. It is
an attempt to clear the way for more wars and
occupations of other countries by the U.S. military.”
Protests against the intimidation and harassment
have taken place or are planned for 39 cities
across the country. From Minneapolis and Chicago,
to Los Angeles, Atlanta, Kalamazoo, MI and
Dallas, Texas. The response has been tremendous an continues to grow.
--
Much more info at: <http://stopfbi.net/>StopFBI.net
--
<http://stopfbi.net/2010/10/01/denounce-fbi-raids-grand-jury-repression/>Denounce
FBI Raids, Grand Jury Repression
Posted on
<http://stopfbi.net/2010/10/01/denounce-fbi-raids-grand-jury-repression/>October
1, 2010 by
<http://stopfbi.net/author/stopfbi/>Committee to Stop FBI Repression
By Sara Flounders
Anti-war, anti-racist and left political
activists in the United States have responded
with unprecedented energy and outrage against
nationally coordinated FBI raids on the homes of
well-respected political organizers. Within 72
hours of the Sept. 24 raids, protest
demonstrations were held or scheduled in 32 cities across the country.
Activists have established a Committee to Stop
FBI Repression to coordinate the opposition to
the FBI attacks. Dozens of organizations, local,
regional and national, have condemned the FBI
raids, including the San Francisco Labor Council.
This latest instance of state repression began
early Sept. 24 as FBI agents armed with grand
jury subpoenas raided the homes of several
anti-war and social justice activists in Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois.
Organizers believe the Oct. 5, 7, 12 and 19 grand
jury subpoena dates will become dates to mobilize
the entire progressive political movement. They
expect the demand to stop the subpoenas and “No
to the grand jury investigation” to become
slogans of a national movement that can stop this dangerous precedent.
That same day FBI agents “visited” activists’
homes in California, Milwaukee, Michigan and
North Carolina demanding immediate cooperation.
When activists refused to speak with them, the
FBI threatened to talk to employers and
landlords, and also subpoena the activists.
The targets of this “raid against terrorism”
included leaders of the Minneapolis Antiwar
Committee, whose office was raided; the Palestine
Solidarity Group; the Colombia Action Network;
the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera (a
Colombian political prisoner held in the U.S.);
Students for a Democratic Society; and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
Though their homes and lives had just been turned
upside down, all those targeted had a calm and
determined response. They refused to speak to the
FBI. Faced with spurious charges of providing
material aid to “terrorists,” they reaffirmed
their right to organize opposition to U.S. wars
and to build solidarity with the struggles of
people around the world who are resisting occupation and dictatorship.
These organizers’ reactions helped to mobilize a
strong response to these police tactics intended
to intimidate and demoralize the movement. Even
as the FBI was seizing computers, files, cameras,
passports, e-mails and mailing lists, neighbors
came out in support while others came to film.
Scanned copies of the search warrants and
subpoenas were soon available on IndyMedia sites
and videos of the raid were posted on YouTube.
Hundreds came to an emergency rally in
Minneapolis that same evening, and supporters
held press conferences the following day in Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Chicago.
Who should resist this attack?
The rapid and broad response from the progressive
movement shows that many are aware of the need to
join the resistance. Even a quick scan of the
sweeping nature of the search warrant and the
subpoena clearly shows that any opponent of U.S.
wars should join the protests. This includes
those organizations and individuals who
participated in or supported a convoy or flotilla
or a solidarity delegation to besieged and
blocked Gaza, or a delegation to blockaded Cuba,
or those who attended a conference or meeting
with international representatives of peoples’
movements throughout Latin America.
The FBI confiscated all paper circulation lists,
e-mail lists, cell phones and electronic
equipment. The broadest movement should resist
this attempt to shut down the ability and means to communicate.
The subpoenas to appear before a grand jury
demand all items, all correspondence, all
documents and all phone records related to
so-called “foreign terrorist organizations,
including FARC of Colombia, PFLP of Palestine and
Hezbollah in Lebanon, all pictures, videos and
travel documents to Colombia, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Palestine.”
A united fightback can stop this effort to shut
down the movement that is sweeping U.S. college
campuses today to boycott, divest and sanction
Israel and build solidarity with Palestine, and
the movement in solidarity with the political change sweeping Latin America.
It is encouraging that all the major anti-war
coalitions have joined to oppose these FBI
attacks. Now, as opposition grows to the
protracted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — wars
that have provoked dissention within the ruling
political and military bodies because U.S.
imperialism is facing a debacle — the government
moves to wall off people in the U.S. from any
knowledge, information or exchanges with people
of the world. The movement is saying it won’t let this happen.
...article continued at stopFBI.net
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863-9977
www.Freedomarchives.org
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