On Tuesday, April 18, a federal grand jury in Tampa, Florida indicted four U.S. citizens and three Russian nationals with charges of “acting as agents of the Russian government within the United States without prior notification.” The U.S. citizens indicted are: Omali Yeshitela, chairman and founder of the African Peoples Socialist Party and the Uhuru Movement (APSP); Penny Joanne Hess, a leader of APSP; Jesse Nevel, a member of APSP; and Augustus C. Romain Jr., aka Gazi Kodzo, a former leader of APSP. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The Russians indicted are Aleksandr Ionov, founder and president of the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia (AGMR); Aleksey Sukhodolov, and Yegor Popov. This is a repressive escalation by the U.S. state, following up on the FBI raids of July 29, 2022, which targeted Yeshitela's residence and an Uhuru/APSP office.
Chicago, IL – Two factors have made public safety a lynchpin issue in the upcoming mayoral election between Brandon Johnson, former teacher supported by the Chicago Teacher’s Union, and Paul Vallas, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, backed by the Fraternal Order of the Police (FOP). First is the rise in the crime rate in the city in recent years. The second, and principal, reason is the law-and-order backlash that followed the historic protests of the George Floyd Rebellion.
New York City, NY – On Saturday, February 18, the Black Is Back Coalition hosted an all-day webinar, focusing on the FBI’s history of attacking Black and African people as well as radical social justice organizers. Speakers included noted figures including Ward Churchill, Ajamu Baraka and Omali Yeshitela. The conference was also endorsed by groups including Union del Barrio, Friends of the Congo, the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition, and the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement.
Chicago, IL – 300 Chicagoans braced against the cold night, January 30, to protest the brutal police slayings of Tyre Nichols, Keenan Anderson and Manuel “Tortuguita” Teron. The eight-degree weather did not deter the crowd as they clustered together to stand in solidarity with protests that have broken out across the country in the wake of the release of the video footage that depicted multiple officers beating Nichols to death.
Atlanta, GA – Over 300 people gathered January 21 at Underground Atlanta shopping center to honor the life of Manuel “Manny” “Tortuguita” “Teran” Paez, demand an end to the building of Cop City and to defend an Atlanta forest.
Brooklyn, NY – Around 20 organizers and community members gathered at noon on August 5 for a press conference, organized by The December 12th Movement, to denounce the FBI raids on African Socialist Party.
Defend our rights to speak and organize! Stop political repression!
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
Tucson, AZ – Camila Saab, the wife of Alex Saab, a Venezuelan diplomat illegally detained by the U.S., will speak on a webinar organized by the Alliance for Global Justice on February 3 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. There will be an update on his case and opportunities to participate in actions to demand his freedom.
Miami, FL – Protesters gathered outside the Miami Federal Courthouse in on Monday, November 15 to protest the U.S. government’s illegal kidnapping and imprisonment of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab. Saab is being held in a federal detention center in Miami.
Tallahassee, FL – On October 28 the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) gathered with other community groups to demand State Attorney Jack Campbell drop felony charges against Ben Grant and all members of the #Tally19, a group of protesters who were arrested for participating in a Black Lives Matter protest in Tallahassee.
Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday evening, October 16, 300 people marched through Uptown Minneapolis to the home of the city attorney, to demand that he drop the charges against the 646-plus protesters arrested on November 4, 2020, and to demand community control over police in Minneapolis. The November arrests targeted some of the more than 1000 students, teachers, union members and activists who took to the streets in Minneapolis to demand police accountability and speak out against Trump’s attempts to steal the election. Last year’s march was part of a national day of protest initiated by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
Chicago, IL – One year after playing a leading role in the George Floyd Rebellion that swept the U.S. in the summer of 2020, the Black-led National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression is convening again in Chicago. The storied organization, originally founded in 1973 from the National Committee to Free Angela Davis and All Political Prisoners, was reestablished in November 2019. According to Frank Chapman, Executive Director of NAARPR, “We have 13 cities in which there is organizing against police crimes and for community control of the police.”
On September 24, 2010 the FBI raided seven homes of anti-war activists and the office of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee. 23 activists were subpoenaed to a Chicago-based grand jury that claimed to be investigating “material support for terrorism.” None of those targeted ever stopped resisting this attempt to repress our movement and no one appeared before any grand jury. As time went on, the FBI continued their attack on anti-war and international solidarity activists by targeting important veterans of the movement who worked with the Anti-war 23, including Chicano activist Carlos Montes in Los Angeles and Palestinian organizer Rasmea Odeh in Chicago. Veterans of our movements showed solidarity with the other activists targeted by the FBI and helped push back against this attempt at repression.
Tallahassee, FL – On September 5, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) held an event in remembrance and solidarity for the #Tally19, a group of Black Lives Matter activists arrested for protesting in favor of the indictment of the officers responsible for the deaths of Tony Mcdade, Wilbon Woodard and Mychael Johnson. These three men were murdered by Tallahassee’s police department and none of the police responsible have faced any real punishment for their crimes.
Minneapolis, MN – On July 22, 50 people gathered outside Minneapolis City Hall for a press conference in defense of the 646-plus people who were arrested on November 4, 2020. They demanded City Attorney Jim Rowder and other prosecutors drop the charges against the 646, and that the charges be dropped against all protesters since the murder of George Floyd last summer.
Tallahassee, FL – On April 10, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) held a rally at the Leon County Courthouse as part of a statewide day of action coordinated by organizations from the Florida Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression. Activists rallied to call on the Florida Senate to reject HB1/SB484, a repressive bill designed to limit protest and dissent in Florida. Dozens of activists showed up to hear organizers with TCAC, the Dream Defenders, and More Than A Name speak about how the need for continued struggle in the face of state repression.
Tampa FL – On Saturday April 10, a crowd of 40 people gathered at Curtis Hixon Park to fight back against the Florida anti-protest bill (HB1/SB484). The bill bypassed one state senate sub-committee hearing and it passed the Appropriations Committee on Friday.
