Ft. Benning, GA – Meredith Aby, an anti-war leader from Minnesota, spoke out against U.S. political repression at the School of the Americas protest. Aby gave a presentation about the FBI raid on her home that happened because of her being an anti-war, Palestine and Colombia solidarity activist. 60 people attended, overflowing the room.

The Committee to Stop FBI Repression formed two years ago in response to a systematic FBI attack against anti-war and international solidarity activists. The FBI raided seven homes and the office of the Twin Cites based Anti-War Committee. 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists were subpoenaed to a federal grand jury. All 23, including Meredith Aby, resisted the undemocratic grand jury. “Yes, I have been to Palestine. Yes, I have friends who have donated food to starving Palestinian people. Is that providing material support to terrorists? I don’t think so,” stated Meredith.

Audience members asked questions ranging from her thoughts and feelings toward the FBI raids of her home, to how they personally can resist political repression by the U.S. government. “If it were not for community support,” she stated, “I would probably be sitting in a jail cell right now.”

Aby offered insight on the dirty tricks the government uses to infiltrate peoples movements – in particular a spy who lied about everything and to everyone she came into contact with. Aby noted that the big aim of the FBI is to divide people’s movements by causing fear of interaction with fellow activists. Aby said, “The way to overcome this is solidarity. There is strength in numbers, and the outpouring of solidarity with the Anti-War 23, especially with Palestinian-American activist Hatem Abudayyeh of Chicago, is overwhelming. The U.S. government and the politicians understand this.”

Aby continued, “Activists must stand together and resist the fears the government aims to put in our hearts and minds. We must resist the grand jury, like the radical heroes in the Northwest. We must organize to oppose political repression, to protect our movements and leaders. We must stand with all the Arab and Muslim people wrongly imprisoned in the U.S. by the phony war on terror, like the Holy Land Five, in prison for sending food to hungry people, for educating children and providing health care to families. We can push back the FBI and the political repression.”

For more information on the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, please visit www.stopfbi.net.

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