St. Paul, MN – People crowded into Governor Mark Dayton’s reception area, August 9, to tell him to “Raise the welfare grants” in the state of Minnesota. Despite harassment by capitol security, the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) members refused to leave until they felt they were on the path to securing a meeting with the governor himself.

Cites ongoing investigation of anti-war and international solidarity activists

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 40 people rallied outside the Federal Building here, August 2, in solidarity with the political activists who have been subpoenaed to a Seattle-based grand jury which is investigating anarchists. The protest coincided with the date that northwest political activists were called to the grand jury.

Minneapolis, MN – About 30 people assembled outside the Hennepin County Government Center here, August 1, to stand in solidarity with Occupy Homes’ Nick Espinosa and to demand all charges against community members involved in defending the Cruz family home be dropped. Nick Espinosa has been charged with riot in the third degree, along with other Occupy Homes activists. The charge is baseless.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) urging support for the striking Milwaukee workers at Palermo's Pizza.

Minneapolis, MN – The Minnesota Occupy movement won a victory in their battle against the Minneapolis city attorney’s office, July 30. Four protesters got their charges reduced to only petty misdemeanors for an October 2011 civil disobedience action at U.S. Bank. This came about despite the Minneapolis city attorney office’s efforts to escalate the charges to crack down on the use of civil disobedience in the fight against home foreclosures.

Irvington, NJ – A march and rally against foreclosures was held here on July 21. It was sponsored by the Coalition to Save Our Homes and the People’s Organization for Progress (POP). The event tied the suffering of homeowners directly to the predation of Wall Street. The demands were: end robo-signing; reduce mortgage principals to current value; prosecute banksters; make banks obey the rule of law.

Lansing, MI – Nearly 200 protesters rallied here July 25. They stood for three hours on the steps of the Michigan “Hall of Justice,” to demand an end to Governor Rick Snyder’s use of Emergency Financial Managers (EFM).

Salt Lake City, UT – On July 25, members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) arrived at the Natural History Museum for their annual conference. ALEC is the brain trust behind the Arizona anti-immigrant law SB1070 and the Wisconsin union busting laws of Governor Scott Walker. Two dozen protesters confronted the lobbyists at the entrance of the ALEC conference. The action was organized by the Revolutionary Student Union, a group that is a member of the ALEC Welcoming Committee.

Kick-off event held at Ramsey County welfare office

St. Paul, MN – About 20 members of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) gathered at the Ramsey County welfare office, July 26, to announce a campaign to raise the welfare grants in the state of Minnesota.

14 face ‘riot’ charges

Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 people rallied inside City Hall here, July 24 to demand all charges be dropped against members and supporters of Occupy Homes who were arrested defending the Cruz family home. In recent weeks, city prosecutors added the charge of third degree riot – a gross misdemeanor which carries a sentence of up to one year in prison and a $3000 fine – to the original trespassing charge. The 14 were arrested May 30 in a peaceful protest at the Cruz family home.

Fight Back! interviewed Newland Smith, a member of the Committee Against Political Repression in Chicago, the local affiliate of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. Smith led a campaign within the national convention of the Episcopal Church to take a stand for civil liberties in the face of repression of Arabs, Muslims, Palestinians and peace activists. The convention adopted a resolution expressing concern, which will become part of the Episcopalian legislative agenda. There are 30 to 40 members of U.S. Congress who are practicing Episcopalians.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the “American Civil Liberties” resolution of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, which took place July 5 – 12, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Episcopal Church has nearly 2 million members in the U.S. and often takes progressive stands on social issues. The editor of Fight Back! highlighted the sentence concerning the repression of the 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists.

Chicago, IL – Members and supporters of the Committee Against Political Repression gathered here July 15 to celebrate the legal victory scored by Carlos Montes in June. Montes faced many years in prison for his political activism, with trumped up legal charges thrown at him by the Los Angeles District Attorney. He is one of the anti-war and international solidarity activists under attack by the FBI.

Milwaukee, WI – Demanding the right to collectively bargain, Palermo’s frozen pizza workers have been out on strike since June 1.

Minneapolis, MN – The Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) held an event called “Celebrate the Fight for Justice!” here, June 30.

Chicago, IL – Joe Iosbaker, a leader of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and one of the main organizers of the massive march on the NATO summit, gave an important speech June 30, summing up the some of the lessons of the anti-NATO protest.

Chicago, IL – One month after the historic protests against NATO, activists from across Chicago and even Milwaukee gathered in the shadow of the McCormick Place, site of the NATO summit, on June 30, for a discussion on the lessons of the NATO protests. The event was held at Trinity Episcopal Church and sponsored by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

Minneapolis, MN – The Minneapolis City Attorney is ramping up repression to try to stop the months-long campaign to resist the foreclosure of Alejandra and David Cruz’s family home at 4044 Cedar Avenue South. In an ominous development, at least three of the dozens of people arrested in defending the home from foreclosure are now being retroactively charged with third degree riot, obstructing legal process, disorderly conduct and presence at an unlawful assembly, in addition to their original trespass charge. The third degree riot charge alone could mean a year in jail and $3000 fine.