New York, NY – Over 35 people gathered at the historic Riverside Church in Harlem, Feb. 13 to show solidarity with Rasmea Odeh. Odeh is a 68-year-old Arab American Chicago community organizer and women’s leader. She faces sentencing for an immigration violation in Detroit on March 12. The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. prosecutors singled her out because of her political views and activity opposing wars and military occupations.

“The U.S. government is targeting Rasmea Odeh because of the growing success of the Palestine solidarity movement, especially in the last five years. For example, Israeli Prime Minister and war criminal Netanyahu is facing opposition from some Democrats in Congress when he comes to speak,” said Al Klaver of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, who chaired the proceedings.

Rasmea Odeh greeted the filled to capacity room via live video stream. She was followed by speeches by Muhammad Sankari of the Rasmea Defense Committee in Chicago, Lumumba Bandele of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, people’s lawyer Lynne Stewart and her partner Ralph Pointer, as well as Bill Dores of the International Action Center.

The Committee to Stop FBI Repression was founded in NYC in November 2010 and plans to organize an event coinciding with Odeh’s sentencing on March 12.

#NewYorkNY #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #LynneStewart #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh #MuhammadSankari #LumumbaBandele