Chicago, IL – On May 25, the Committee Against Political Repression brought together 30 supporters of Carlos Montes to denounce the raid by the FBI and Los Angeles Sheriff. Gathering in front of the Federal Building in Chicago, despite a thunder storm, the press conference and rally included a number of speakers.

The first speaker was Jesus Guillen of the Moratorium on Deportations Campaign, the group that led the May 1st immigrant rights march in Chicago this year. Guillen said of Montes and the 23 anti-war activists subpoenaed by the grand jury in Chicago, “We cannot stay quiet; we have to demand the return of all property taken from Montes; that all charges have to be dropped against him and against all those who have been subpoenaed for fighting for justice in the U.S. and abroad.”

Alejandro Molina spoke next from the Boricua Human Rights Network, a human rights organization of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. and their supporters. “Under Obama’s administration, there have been more attacks on dissidents and more deportations than under Bush. Also under President Obama, the parole for Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera has been denied.”

Magda Castaneda of the Comité Anti-Militarización (CAMi) an anti-war group from the Chicano and Latino community in Chicago, quoted Martin Luther King, “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Emma Lozano of Sin Fronteras, a leading organization in the immigrant rights movement also spoke. She demanded that the charges against Montes be dropped, and also that President Obama stop breaking apart the families of immigrant workers. Mark Clements of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty wrapped up the press conference. One of the innocent victims of Chicago Police torturer Jon Burge, Clements spent 17 years in prison after a confession was tortured out of him. Clements has been at every rally for the 23 anti-war activists targeted by the grand jury and U.S. Attorney Pat Fitzgerald, and called for the resistance to continue.

When the thunderstorm finally subsided, the crowd picketed and chanted, “One, two three four – FBI broke down the door. Five, six, seven, eight – Fight back before it’s too late.”

Video of Chicago press conference against raid of the home of Carlos Montes

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