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.

Over 11 years later, the FBI and local law enforcement continue their attempts to repress the people’s movements. Anybody who watched or participated in the nationwide rebellion after the police murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis could attest to that. Rather than bowing to the police and the wealthy elite they protect, the masses burned the 3rd Precinct police station to the ground in Minneapolis. Protests and demonstrations continued around the country, despite the best efforts of the enemy to stop and slow them down. Millions of people participated in these actions, calling for justice and an end to police crimes.

The enemy is not going to stop trying to repress our movements. The broad masses of people in this country are not going to stop fighting for justice. It is important to realize that this contradiction is unavoidable and in fact demonstrates that the wealthy elite who rule this country are scared of the people’s movements. These movements represent a real challenge to the enemy’s system. There are several important lessons we can draw from the experiences of our struggles as we continue to build and advance forward in the face of repression.

One important lesson is the key role that solidarity among activists and their communities, both locally and nationally, played in keeping momentum going and not allowing the enemy to achieve its goals. Without the unbreakable showing of solidarity shown both among the Anti-war 23 and veteran activists and the solidarity shown towards them by activists all over the world, many of our movement leaders would have ended up behind bars. Instead, they continue to organize in the streets and participate in important events like the George Floyd rebellion. If there are key lessons to learn from this showing of solidarity among activists, those lessons are: Don’t talk to the FBI or any law enforcement. You are only required to give your name, but then tell them to contact your lawyer and say nothing.

Our movements must firmly oppose the different methods of oppression used against us, including grand juries and “material support for terrorism” laws. Grand juries are in no way fair and involve the prosecutor asking you questions without your lawyer present. It is important not to talk to grand juries at all and not attend them. Resistance is key to fighting back against this terrible one-sided system. Grand juries are also sometimes used to let killer cops off the hook, and should be abolished entirely.

Likewise, bogus “material support for terrorism” laws are used to strangle free speech and to lock people up. Over the past decade, these laws have specifically targeted many important social movements, especially Arab and Muslim organizations like the Holy Land Foundation, a charity whose only focus was helping the less fortunate. Often the enemy will plant agents and informants into our movements with the goal of framing people using “material support” laws. We’ve seen this many times within movements that fight for Black liberation. It also happened back in 2008 when the enemy planted a spy named “Karen Sullivan” into efforts to organize a demonstration against the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minnesota. This spy was directly involved in the FBI raids of the Anti-war 23 in 2010.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization commends everyone who resists repression and urges every member of our social movements to continue organizing for a better world. The billionaires who run this system and leave poverty and destruction in their wake have got to go. Their system must be replaced by a society run by the working class and their allies, including the Black, Chicano, and Hawai’ian nations currently being oppressed. Together we can build a better world.

Organize to win! Don’t speak to the FBI or police. Refuse to testify at any grand jury.

Solidarity!

#UnitedStates #PeoplesStruggles #AntiWar23 #PoliticalRepression #FBIRaids

Nine years ago, on September 24, 2010, the FBI raided and subpoenaed Midwest anti-war and international solidarity activists in a bogus attempt to discover “material support of terrorism.” The FBI’s campaign of repression ordered more than 70 FBI agents to raid seven homes and two offices of leading activists in Minneapolis and Chicago. The FBI subpoenaed those raided, and that same morning subpoenaed others in those cities as well as Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Some of those raided were longtime veterans of our movement; some were mothers, some were trade unionists, and some were members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization – but all were targeted for speaking out in solidarity with working and oppressed people, especially in Palestine and Colombia.

On the same day, the FBI also sent agents to intimidate activists in California, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

More subpoenas came in the weeks after, until a total of 23 were summoned. The government threatened to jail anyone who failed to appear before a secretive grand jury in Chicago, but that threat could not break the spirit of those who made up the Anti-War 23. After a ferocious defense campaign that saw a staggering amount of support from all over the world for the activists, none of those targeted by the FBI appeared before any grand juries and none went to prison.

A grand jury is a kangaroo court that is designed so the prosecution gets its desired outcome. Witnesses, even those being compelled to appear, are not allowed an attorney. There is an old saying that a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. Put another way, it’s a court that allows the rich and powerful to do whatever they want. We see that a grand jury will never indict on police misconduct but will attack anyone the prosecutor tells it to. Instead of giving in, the Anti-War 23 and friends spoke out about the government's attempt to intimidate them because of their ideas and activism. Their voices were heard around the world and caused many to speak out as well.

The government was upset that people were speaking out against injustices in Colombia, Palestine and in other places where people were fighting for liberation. A year later, the government raised the stakes by launching another raid on the home of famous Chicano liberation leader Carlos Montes in Los Angeles. Montes faced trumped-up charges but returned to the streets and continued to speak out and organize. The case against him was defeated.

The government then arrested an icon of the Palestinian liberation movement, Rasmea Odeh. Odeh was a veteran organizer community in Chicago. She was forced to depart the U.S. after an almost four-year legal and political struggle. Rasmea Odeh and her defense campaign put Israel on trial for its crimes and lifted up the cause of Palestinian liberation.

Evidence, including court documents, established that the raids on the Anti-War 23 and the cases of Rasmea Odeh and Carlos Montes were closely linked.

Support for all those targeted continued to grow, and the activists continued to resist and fight the repression. Concentrated repression like this was relatively rare after the 1970s, but we proved that you can fight back and win. It was the outpouring of support and the principled stand of those targeted not to appear before any grand juries that helped carry the day. Trade unions, student groups, community organizations and a broad solidarity network capable of organizing protests in over 100 cities around the world sent a clear message that we will not be intimidated.

As a whole, the enemy's attack was defeated and ongoing attempts to silence our movements continue to be held back. Our movements remain vigilant and understand that these attacks are not over, and our solidarity with one another grows stronger everyday.

Activists from all over, including many who directly faced the raids nine years ago, are planning to attend an important conference this fall. On November 22-24, they will attend a conference to refound the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression in Chicago. The NAARPR is an important organization that has led many critical struggles over the past 46 years, including struggles similar to the defense of the Anti-War 23 and their friends. Important organizers like Angela Davis and Frank Chapman will be there to help lead the conference. Activists from around the United States will plan ways to build the fight against police crimes, for community control of the police, to build the fight for the wrongfully incarcerated, and to support those who resist state repression like the Anti-War 23. Everyone who wants to stand up for justice and build these fights should register online at https://conference.naarpr.org/ and attend the NAARPR conference in Chicago.

The battle for justice is far from over, and this event is a step on the road towards liberation.

#ChicagoIL #FBI #Repression #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #AntiWar23 #PoliticalRepression

Eight years ago, on Sept. 24, 2010, more than 70 FBI agents took part in a series of coordinated raids that were aimed at activists of the anti-war and international solidarity movements, and also members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). In a bogus investigation of “material support of terrorism” charges, seven houses and an office in Minneapolis and Chicago were raided. While the raids were underway, FBI agents approached and attempted to intimidate activists in Michigan, California, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

Also on that day, the FBI delivered grand jury subpoenas to many of the raided activists. More activists were served with subpoenas in the following weeks; a total of 23 people were commanded to appear before a Chicago grand jury – and the government threatened jail for those who refused. The charge of material support of terrorism carries 15 years in prison per count, and federal prosecutors repeatedly stated that they intended to indict “multiple people on multiple charges.”

After these raids, the attacks kept on coming. On May 17, 2011, the home of a longtime leader of the Chicano liberation movement, Carlos Montes, was hit with a no-knock raid in Los Angeles. Montes was jailed, hit with trumped up weapons charges, and faced 22 years in prison. Then on Oct. 22, 2013, Homeland Security arrested the well-respected Chicago Palestinian American leader Rasmea Odeh, who stared down a decade in prison as well as deportation.

Court documents show that all these attacks by the federal government were linked and that they stemmed for a common ‘investigation’ that involved the same cast of FBI agents, police and sheriffs working with the FBI, Joint Terrorism Task Forces, and federal prosecutors. Taken as a whole, this repression ranks as one of the largest attacks launched against progressive and left movement since the 1970s.

In the end it was the wall of resistance and an outpouring of popular support that defeated and blunted these assaults on the right to speak out and organize. Not one of those called to testify in front of the grand jury did so. In that refusal, the grand jury resisters put principal and doing the right thing above their freedom. Prosecutors said they were looking for someone “inside” FRSO to testify in a trial. Their threats yielded them no one. Carlos Montes and Rasmea Odeh waged heroic courtroom battles against the false charges leveled against them. The case of Carlos ended with a victory. In court, Rasmea put the Israeli occupation on trial for its crimes and beat the jail time – but sadly was deported to Jordan, where she continues her activism.

Unions representing millions of workers, countless progressive organizations and individuals, and even politicians stood up to this campaign of repression. Rallies took place in more than 100 cities across the world. Those actions, hard work, and a sound legal strategy, explains why this resistance was met with success.

Sometimes victories can be assessed by what does not happen. FBI documents, including the Justice Department’s “interrogation questions for FRSO members,” affidavits for search warrants, and defense lawyer conversations with federal prosecutors, indicate that the government planned, at least in part, to hold an anti-communist trial for FRSO leaders and supporters. In so doing they aimed to criminalize the very idea of international solidarity. Yet here we are, eight years later, and FRSO and other subpoenaed activists are still building the movements against Trump, for justice and are making contributions to the people’s struggle.

The U.S. is not the free country it claims to be. For decades the U.S. government has been trying to criminalize organizations in other countries that fight for national and social liberation – like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Communist Party of the Philippines, or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). It is wrong to call those who fight for freedom ‘terrorists,’ and it is unacceptable for the government to make it a crime for people to point this out.

In the years ahead, it is vital that we resist each and every attack on our democratic rights and that we stand with those facing repression.

The powers that be are not going to transform themselves. Exploiters and oppressors are true to their nature, and repression is what they do. We are activists and we are certain that change will come. And we are revolutionaries and socialists – we are certain this system cannot last.

#UnitedStates #AntiwarMovement #InJusticeSystem #Editorials #PeoplesStruggles #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #September24FBIRaids #AntiWar23 #FBIRepression #GrandJuries #PoliticalRepression

The raids and grand jury investigation were designed for three purposes.

First, as an act of repression against the antiwar movement. The homes and office targeted in the raid were those of organizers of the anti-war march on the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 2008.

That objective backfired instead, as the anti-war movement was revived by the defense campaign of the 23 grand jury resisters, and later by the case of Carlos Montes. We defeated the threats to compel us to testify or face prison time for contempt; then we won a victory in court for Carlos. Many of the targeted activists went on to help lead the largest anti-war march during the Obama years, protesting the NATO summit in Chicago in 2012.

Second, while our solidarity with the struggle in Colombia was the thing that first got the attention of the undercover cop who infiltrated the Twin Cities based Anti-War Committee in 2008, the U.S. Attorney leading the investigation subsequently became focused on the growing movement in support of Palestinian rights. That repression continues today with the increasingly desperate efforts by Zionists, politicians, the FBI and university administrators to attack the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement that targets Israel for its crimes against the Palestinian people. But the movement in support of Palestine continues to grow.

The most powerful show of support for Palestine has been the movement that embraced Rasmea Odeh as she resisted the racist attack that resulted in her deportation last week. We miss her terribly, and even though the cabal within the Department of Justice was successful in taking her from her home in Chicago, the courage and steadfastness she taught us helped the forces in the U.S. supporting Palestinian liberation make a great advance over the four years since she was arrested.

Of course, Rasmea’s case itself grew from the unconstitutional case against the Anti-war 23. When Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas failed to get any of the 23 to testify to his grand jury, the Joint Terrorism Task Force first went after Carlos, and then Rasmea.

Last night, Hatem Abudayyeh and I spoke with Chicago Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa after he was honored at the dinner of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. We thanked him for having the courage of his convictions by refusing to renounce his pro-Palestinian views, a decision that caused him to lose his position as candidate for lieutenant governor in Illinois, as the running mate of Daniel Biss, who dropped him from the ticket. This is one more example that solidarity with Palestine is taking hold in the hearts of people from all nationalities here.

Finally, the raids were an attack on Freedom Road Socialist Organization. We know that we were singled out among the forces in the anti-war movement because we were becoming more effective as an organization. I’m here to report that our effectiveness continues to grow. To see evidence of that, you need only read the stories of struggle across the country that are posted every day at FightBackNews.org - most of which involve members of our organization.

On this morning, I salute my fellow grand jury resisters.

Stop FBI Repression! From Syria to Colombia to the Philippines, End U.S. Wars! From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free!

#ChicagoIL #FBI #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #AntiWar23 #PoliticalRepression

Today, Sept. 24, marks five years since anti-war and international solidarity activists in the Midwest woke to the sound FBI agents loud banging on their front doors, armed with battering rams, boxes to carry away personal property, and subpoenas, ordering the activists to appear before a Chicago grand jury investigating material support of terrorism.

The response from the broader community was immediate and overwhelming – dozens gathered at homes while the raids were in progress and hundreds came out to press conferences, meetings and protests in the days and months that followed. That support has been critical to our defense against this government attack, making it possible to continue on our organizing. We are asking that you continue that support today, and direct it to the struggle to win justice for Rasmea Odeh.

Rasmea Odeh was not raided or subpoenaed on Sept. 24, 2010, but she was a target in the same investigation. At 68 years old, she has dedicated her life to the liberation of the Palestinian people and empowerment of women. She is a survivor of torture who bravely gave testimony to the United Nations in 1979, giving public voice to the particular methods of torture Israel uses against women. Arrested in 2013, Rasmea stood trial in November 2014 for immigration fraud.

The prosecution’s case was never about immigration. Instead, it was founded on documents from Israeli military courts, which had convicted Rasmea on the basis of a false confession coerced under torture. While the prosecution was free to introduce Israeli claims as facts, Rasmea was denied to right to tell her side of the story. Her defense was further undercut when the judge refused to allow testimony by a torture expert, to address how her responses to immigration application questions would be impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder, which Rasmea has lived with since that torture some 40 years ago.

Hundreds of people from across the country joined Rasmea in Detroit last fall, seeing very clearly that she was denied a fair trial. People came to Detroit again in March, to stand with her as the judge sentenced her to 18 months imprisonment and loss of citizenship (and deportation). We are needed again, this time in Cincinnati, to stand with Rasmea as her case is heard by an appeals court.

Her defense attorneys have said since the beginning of this ordeal, “You [Rasmea's supporters] provide public testimony when you rally outside the courthouse and then file in to fill the courtroom. Public testimony of not only the power of Rasmea's positive influence on her friends and colleagues, and the people she organizes, but public testimony also of the fact that she did not receive a fair trial and that there are people who are going to hold the system – prosecutors and judges – accountable.”

The immediate danger that Rasmea faces overshadows our many accomplishments since the FBI raids 5 years ago. That every one of the 23 people ordered to testify at that Chicago grand jury refused, but none were jailed, that is a victory. When the FBI investigation led to bogus charges against Chicano leader Carlos Montes, but he too was never imprisoned, that is a victory. We have answered political repression with consistent solidarity. That is just what we need today, to win justice for Rasmea.

Hundreds of supporters will stand with Rasmea in Cincinnati on Wednesday, Oct. 14, as arguments for her appeal are presented to the judges. If you can be in Cincinnati that day, we need you there. We also need financial support, to fund Rasmea’s defense. We can now accept tax deductible contributions directly, so please take this opportunity to give generously.

#MinneapolisMN #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh #Antiwar23

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Oct. 2 statement from the Rasmea Defense Committee

As Rasmea Odeh sat surrounded by her lawyers in a Detroit federal court, listening to an Arabic language interpreter, her supporters filled the courtroom for a short status hearing on the politically-motivated case alleging that she answered questions untruthfully on her citizenship application 10 years ago. The courtroom filled to capacity, while some 30 supporters were left waiting outside to learn the outcome of today’s hearing.

Judge Gershwin Drain inexplicably allowed only 10 minutes for Michael Deutsch, Rasmea’s lead attorney, to argue each of two motions. Deutsch first argued that her arrest was based on illegal evidence obtained in the 4-year old investigation of the Anti-War 23, which he said was a violation of constitutional and First Amendment rights. No arrests or indictments in the case of the 23 have been made, but the witch hunt continues, and Deutsch told the judge that Rasmea should not have gotten caught up in it. In the motion to dismiss, Deutsch asked for discovery to see communications between U.S. Attorneys in Chicago and Detroit, to establish that the investigation of the 23 anti-war and Palestine activists was the origin of Rasmea’s prosecution today. Drain denied the motion to dismiss without explanation.

The second argument from the defense stated that a torture expert and clinical psychologist, Mary Fabri, from the world-renowned Kovler Center for the Treatment of Survivors of Torture in Chicago, should be allowed to testify about the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) suffered by Rasmea, who had faced vicious physical and sexual torture at the hands of Israeli prison authorities. The government argues that she neglected to disclose her 1969 arrest and conviction by an Israeli military court, but Rasmea has always publicly stated that the conviction was based on a false confession forced by the torture. Deutsch contended that “she [Rasmea] blocked out the past trauma,” and that is why she answered as she did on the immigration application.

“This is at the heart of our defense,” Deutsch continued. Responding to Judge Drain’s questions about what evidence the expert would provide, Deutsch explained the jury needs to consider how Rasmea’s response to questions on her immigration application forms could be affected by her PTSD. “The expert should be allowed to testify, and the jury should decide what it means.” Drain didn’t make a ruling in open court, instead saying he will provide a written opinion within a week.

Deutsch spoke to supporters outside the courthouse, saying, “It is extremely important that you continue to come out to all of these appearances.” In addition, Sarah Martin, one of the Anti-War 23 who had travelled from Minnesota, spoke of the solidarity rallies organized for Rasmea in numerous cities across the country. “People in San Jose, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee are out in the streets voicing their support like we are doing here.” These protests, along with thousands of calls to prosecutors, are part of a growing national movement dedicated to winning justice for Rasmea.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)-National joined this chorus of voices today with a strong public statement and a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade, demanding that the charges against Rasmea be dropped.

Muhammad Sankari, a member of the national Rasmea Defense Committee, said, “We obviously believe that justice was not served today. Too many of our leaders, like Rasmea, are being targeted by the Justice Department for their activism in support of Palestinian liberation. This case is clearly going to be an indictment of Israel and its brutal policies. We will continue to make that argument as we work to get the charges dropped.”

Rasmea supporters are mobilizing for the next status hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday, October 21st, at 11 AM, again in Detroit.

#DetroitMI #Palestine #Israel #politicalRepression #AntiWar23 #RasmeaOdeh #Michigan #AntiWarCommittee

Eventually, a total of 23 activists were subpoenaed, all of whom have refused to testify. No one was ever charged in this attack on the right to speak and organize, but exactly four years later, the investigation still has not been dropped and the 23 have not been publicly exonerated. Members of many organizations were targeted, including the Anti-War Committee in Minneapolis, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Colombia Action Network, Palestine Solidarity Group-Chicago and others.

One of the lead prosecutors on the case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas. Jonas is notorious for showing anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim bias. He is responsible for prosecuting the Holy Land Foundation for providing humanitarian assistance like school supplies to the children of Gaza. Jonas has been ever-present in anti-war, Palestinian community and Palestine solidarity activists’ persecution by the government.

Rasmea Odeh was not raided or subpoenaed on Sept. 24, 2010, but she was a target in the same investigation. She was arrested on allegations of immigration fraud on Oct. 22, 2013. We had reason to believe that there was a relationship between the case of the Anti-War 23 and Rasmea’s case when like a real life Slenderman, Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas was in the courtroom of an immigration case for which he does not have jurisdiction.

Recently Rasmea’s attorneys moved to dismiss the charges against her, because the charges stemmed from the illegal investigation into the Anti-War 23. Her attorneys confirmed in a court filing that in January of 2010, an associate of Jonas, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Fox, “initiated a request through the office of International Affairs Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from the State of Israel for records of the defendant.” Rasmea has been a target of this unconstitutional attack on Palestine solidarity activists and organizers within the Palestinian community all along.

Rasmea Odeh is a beloved woman in her late 60s who has dedicated her life to empowering women, for the last 10 years in Chicago. She is a survivor of torture who bravely gave testimony to the United Nations in 1979, giving public voice to the particular methods of torture Israel uses against women.

Four years ago, regular readers of Fight Back! joined with us to defend the right to organize. Please join us with the same energy in support of Rasmea Odeh. Come to Detroit for her hearing Oct. 2. Hold an educational event or protest in your own town. Make the calls to demand that the prosecution be dropped.

Solidarity is Not a Crime!

Drop the Anti-War 23 Investigation!

Stand With Palestine!

Stand With Rasmea Odeh!

#UnitedStates #PeoplesStruggles #AntiWar23 #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh

Recently, the FBI in Chicago returned to Hatem Abudayyeh the boxes of documents and personal effects they seized from his home four years ago.

Abudayyeh, a well known organizer in the Palestinian community of Chicago, had his home raided on Sept. 24, 2010, and was subpoenaed to a federal grand jury. The investigation involves a total of 23 people: anti-war and international solidarity activists, seven of them Palestinian.

“This is another victory, but it’s not over,” commented Abudayyeh. “According to Barry Jonas, the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is the prosecutor in our case, the government has an eight year statute of limitations on this investigation.”

Lawyers for the activists also believe that the statute gives the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago four more years to investigate.

“There’s no doubt that they copied all the documents, in addition to the thousands of documents seized from the homes of the other anti-war activists, so we’re not out of the woods yet,” continued Abudayyeh. “But this witch hunt must end. They’ve got nothing. All we did was work to end U.S. support for Israel’s occupation of Palestine, and that is not a crime.”

Rasmea Odeh the new target of Jonas

On Oct. 22, 2013, Barry Jonas played a role in the arrest of Rasmea Odeh, a legendary Palestinian leader in Chicago. Since her arrest, Odeh’s case has been linked to the case of the Anti-war 23.

When all 23 refused to testify, with the support of a broad mass movement, the grand jury ground to a halt. The Department of Justice did not stop their efforts to suppress the movements for Palestine and against war, however. They first arrested Carlos Montes, a veteran Chicano activist from East Los Angeles. Thousands of people from around the country spent over a year defeating the prosecution of Montes.

Then the Department of Homeland Security came after Odeh on the pretext that she failed to disclose in her application for citizenship that she had been unjustly imprisoned by the Israeli occupiers of Palestine and tortured into confessing to a crime that she did not commit.

Abudayyeh is the director of the Arab American Action Network, and Odeh is his co-worker.

Jonas was present in court the morning Odeh was arrested. He has a long history of persecution of Palestinians in this country for their efforts to support their homeland. He was the prosecutor in the case of the Holy Land Five, the leaders of the largest Muslim charity in the U.S. They are in prison and sentenced for up to 65 years.

Prosecutors and judiciary work together to uphold Israel’s criminal occupation

The case against Odeh turns on a confession extracted through sadistic, sexual torture by the Israelis. Barry Jonas upholds tortured confessions, as do many judges. Odeh’s lawyers objected to Paul Borman in Detroit, the first judge assigned to her case, because of his close ties to Israel and support for the occupation of Palestine. They feared that he would be one of those judges for whom Israel’s record of torture posed no problem. Borman was compelled by legal action and public pressure to recuse himself and step down from the case.

Abudayyeh concluded: “Our efforts helped push Borman out of Rasmea’s case, but we have to redouble our efforts to support and defend her.”

#ChicagoIL #HatemAbudayyeh #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #AntiWar23 #PoliticalRepression

Last week, two FBI agents entered the small business of a Palestinian American in Chicagoland and began asking him questions about community leader Hatem Abudayyeh (who is still under investigation as one of the Midwest 23 activists) and Rasmea Odeh, the community icon facing trial this June. The United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) and the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR) denounce this attempt at harassment and intimidation, and call on all organizers and activists around the country to remember: Don’t talk to the FBI! The person visited by the FBI last week refused to answer any questions about Abudayyeh or Odeh, and told the agents to call his attorney when they insisted on continuing their interrogation. Everyone has the right to remain silent, and should always utilize that right when visited by the FBI or other law enforcement agencies.

If you are contacted by the FBI or other law enforcement, you should refuse to answer questions and IMMEDIATELY call the National Lawyers Guild Chicago hotline at 312-913-0039. The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) also produces important “Know Your Rights” literature in English and Arabic.

In addition, a dynamic new organization, Palestine Solidarity Legal Support, which focuses specifically on defending the rights of those active in Palestine support work, has published an important legal and tactical guide to Palestinian human rights advocacy in the U.S. Also, youth activists with the community-based Arab American Action Network in Chicago produced a popular video in 2012, reminding community members of their rights when approached by the FBI.

These FBI visits and intimidation tactics are not new to the Arab, Muslim and South Asian communities, which have been the most affected by U.S. law enforcement’s techniques of widespread surveillance, entrapment and harassment, especially since 9/11. The Department of Justice will continue to come after those of us who are doing effective and impactful work, especially those of us in the Palestine support movement. But we have rights that must be known, learned and defended.

Abudayyeh’s family home was raided by the FBI in September of 2010, and over 3 and a half years later, he still has not had all his property returned. The Midwest 23 were all subpoenaed to a federal grand jury, and all refused to testify, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas has repeatedly told Midwest 23 attorneys that the “investigation is ongoing.” CSFR activists have insisted throughout that the investigation is nothing but a “witch hunt,” an attempt by federal law enforcement to harass, intimidate and pressure anti-war and international solidarity activists into informing on friends and colleagues in the social justice movements. And this has proven to be the case, as no arrests or indictments have been made. Nevertheless, the Midwest 23 cannot put this chapter of their lives behind them, as it seems that the FBI is still sniffing around for information.

The FBI and other federal and local law enforcement have used informants, surveillance, infiltration and other nefarious methods for decades in this country, targeting especially oppressed nationality groups like the Black and Chicano liberation movements, the Puerto Rican independence movement and the American Indian Movement. Recently, anti-war and anti-austerity activists like the Midwest 23, the NATO 5, Occupy and others have also come under attack, but the people facing some of the most vicious current state repression are Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims, including Rasmea Odeh, who is facing 10 years in prison, revocation of her U.S. citizenship, and deportation for the ridiculous allegation that she lied on an immigration application two decades ago.

You Have the Right to Remain Silent! Don’t Talk to the FBI! Palestine Support Work is Not a Crime!

#ChicagoIL #HatemAbudayyeh #FBI #AntiWar23 #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh

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

On Feb. 26, the application and affidavit used to obtain the search warrants for the 2010 raids on homes and offices of anti-war and international solidarity activists were unsealed, revealing lies and attacks on the constitutionally-protected rights to speak out and organize. The unsealing of these documents came as a result of legal action taken by the anti-war activists.

The timeline in the documents show what we have always stated. Shortly before the huge protest at the Republican National Convention, an undercover police agent and professional liar, going by the name of Karen Sullivan (identified in the affidavit as UC1) joined the Anti-War Committee and became active in the efforts to build the demonstration. She later joined Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The documents demonstrate a callous disregard for free speech and the right to associate. They in effect criminalize those of us who oppose U.S. wars, and stand in solidarity with the oppressed. From Palestine to Colombia, people want to be free from the domination of Washington D.C. We have said this publicly on thousands of occasions and will continue to do so.

Not unlike countless “anti-terrorism” cases against Arabs and Muslims, the affidavit contains a collection of lies and out-of-context statements to try to isolate people from their communities and movements. In a McCarthyite return to the 1950s, the affidavit shows an obsession with Freedom Road Socialist Organization. After decades working in the anti-war movement, anyone who has worked with us knows we are proud to be fighters in the struggles against war, and for justice and economic equality. The documents imply that is something sinister, when really, it is commendable.

Having just received these documents, we are in the process of consulting with attorneys and we will have more to say in coming days.

We are glad we forced the government to unseal these documents and we demand that the U.S. Attorney makes a public statement that the investigation is closed and that there will be no indictments of anti-war and international solidarity activists. Moreover, we demand an end to repression and spying against the people’s movements.

#UnitedStates #Colombia #PalestineSolidarity #AntiWarCommittee #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #KarenSullivan #AntiWar23 #FBIRepression #PoliticalRepression

Tucson, AZ – On Wednesday evening a dozen activists protested outside the Federal Building and Tucson City Hall to demand the charges against 65 year-old Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh be dropped.

As part of a November 13 national day of action in support of Odeh, signs reading “Stop FBI Attacks on Activists”, “I Support Palestine, Women, and Rasmea”, and “Free Rasmea Now!” were held high and passersby greeted the protest with honks and fists raised in solidarity.

In an effort to spread the urgency of solidarity to everyone possible, organizers handed out leaflets explaining the outrageous arrest and prosecution of Odeh. The leaflets also praise the veteran leader’s life long dedication to equality and liberation. Pedestrians and passing drivers stopped for the fliers that also lay out an action plan for mobilizing against the charges and asking people to sign a petition, with more info at www.StopFBI.net.

Having been arrested on October 22, 2013 and currently facing a ten-year prison sentence or deportation for supposed “immigration fraud,” Odeh is the latest target of U.S. government political repression of pro-Palestinian activists. Starting in 2001, thousands of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim men were rounded up and deported by the Bush administration. More recent are the widely reported FBI raids of 23 anti-war activists’ houses and workplaces on September 24, 2010, under President Obama, with an investigation still “ongoing”.

Associate director of the Arab American Action Network and the leader of its Arab Women’s Committee, Odeh is a renowned defender of immigrant and women’s rights whose arrest and trial has caught the attention of progressives across the country. Tucson activists proudly showed up to do their part and encourage others to join the struggle to free Rasmea. Organizers vowed to return for a bigger rally on the first day of Rasmea Odeh’s trial in Detroit.

#TucsonAZ #PalestineSolidarity #HomelandSecurity #politicalRepression #AntiWar23 #FBIRepression #RasmeaOdeh

Detroit, MI – More than 100 people joined a rally in solidarity with Palestinian women’s leader Rasmea Odeh as she went to court here Nov.13. Agents of the Department of Homeland Security arrested Odeh on Oct. 22 at her home in Evergreen Park, a suburb of Chicago. Odeh is charged with immigration fraud. Allegedly, in her application for citizenship, she did not mention that she was arrested in Palestine 45 years ago, by an Israeli military court that detains Palestinians without charge – a court that has over 200 children in prison today and does not recognize the rights of Palestinians to due process.

Hatem Abudayyeh, who works with Rasmea Odeh and is one of the Anti-War 23 raided by the FBI three years ago, said outside the court, “Rasmea is guilty of nothing and this is a ridiculous charge. She is a 65-year-old leader of Palestinian, Arab-American and Muslim women in this country. The immigration charge is a pretext to go after her. Just as the U.S. government used political repression against African American, labor and other movements in the past, it is now repressing movements for social justice in our country again today. The U.S. and Israeli governments are angry because we are effective at organizing and changing attitudes of the people in this country about war and occupation in the Middle East. The boycott, divest and sanctions movement against Israeli Apartheid is growing and spreading; making a dent. The U.S. government is not able to criminalize the political activity of the Anti-War 23 and they will not be able to do it to Rasmea Odeh either!”

Another protester, Farah Erzouki, came with 12 students from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Erzouki, who is with Students for Justice in Palestine, said, “We represent the SJP both in Michigan and nationally and came to show solidarity and support for Rasmea Odeh. We oppose the U.S. government targeting people’s political beliefs. It affects groups like SJP on campus, with many chapters and leaders facing disciplinary charges for expressing their free speech or protesting on campus. So we plan to leaflet on campus and do educational forums. We oppose the repression of all people, but especially Palestinians.”

Students for a Democratic Society in Chicago sent Kait McIntyre to Detroit to speak at the rally: “Rasmea’s dedication to justice is shown by her leadership on the Arab Women’s Committee and leading work in the areas of civil liberties and immigration rights at the Arab American Action Network. We believe her work should be applauded, not condemned!”

Protesters came from Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Grand Rapids and Detroit, Michigan, as well as from Chicago and Milwaukee. Solidarity rallies also took place in Oakland, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Tampa, Gainesville, Philadelphia and Salt Lake City.

At today’s arraignment lawyer Jim Fennerty explained that Rasmea Odeh pled not guilty. The lawyers will begin to go through 600 pages of documents and plan for a trial. There will be more protests at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, in Detroit, in the coming months. Detroit is Odeh’s original city of U.S. residence.

Before travelling home by bus with scores of supporters from Chicago, Rasmea was smiling and in good spirits. She joined the crowd in front of the court building, stating, “Thank you for your support. Thank you from me. It means a lot for me and my people!”

#DetroitMI #PalestineSolidarity #HomelandSecurity #HatemAbudayyeh #politicalRepression #AntiWar23 #InjusticeSystem #RasmeaOdeh

Chicago, IL – Michael Deutsch of the National Lawyers Guild and the People’s Law Office spoke Nov. 12 about the case of Rasmea Yousef Odeh, a 65-year-old, Palestinian American, women's rights activist who was recently indicted and tomorrow faces arraignment Nov. 13 in U.S. District Court in Detroit. The immigration charge against Odeh could result in ten years in prison and deportation for violations in her application for citizenship.

Deutsch said the situation, “appears to be the Department of Homeland Security behaving in a discriminatory fashion, targeting Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians for selective prosecution.”

He recounted the history since 9/11 of the singling out of these communities by the U.S. government, especially in Chicago, including the case of Dr. Muhammad Salah, who the U.S. Attorney prosecuted for aiding people living under Israeli occupation. Salah’s trial featured Israeli agents testifying in secret with evidence obtained through torture.

Deutsch described the case of the 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists whose homes were raided and who were subpoenaed by the U.S. Attorney in 2010 for their efforts in support of Palestinians. The U.S. Attorney refuses to end this investigation. “The investigation of Rasmea Odeh seems to grow out of the case of the 23, because her colleague at the Arab American Action Network, Hatem Abudayyeh, was one of those raided and subpoenaed.”

From these experiences, Deutsch stated, “We know that the U.S. government works closely with Israeli officials, and therefore it is a certainty that the U.S. government knew of Odeh’s legal history at the time she emigrated and at the time she applied for citizenship. Why then is she being charged now after 20 years of model citizenship and good deeds in service of her community?”

Deutsch also cited a report by the ACLU from August of this year, “Muslims Need Not Apply,” which exposes the “Controlled Application Review and Resolution Program” of the Immigration Services. “This program targets Muslim, Arab, Middle Eastern and South Asian immigrants to deny them their requests for citizenship,” explained Deutsch.

These examples together were the basis of his statements of concern about discriminatory, selective prosecution.

Hatem Abudayyeh – a co-worker of Rasmea Odeh for almost ten years and who also represented the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and the Committee Against Political Repression – reminded everyone that Odeh was born in the same exact year that her people were pushed out of Palestine in 1948 and, because of that experience, she has dedicated her whole life to social justice. She is a mentor to dozens of activists and organizers across the country and leads a women's rights organization of over 600 members.

Abudayyeh also said that Odeh is receiving massive support from all across the world, including almost 100 organizations in the U.S. that have written letters or signed onto statements condemning the indictment.

“We are taking a charter bus and a car caravan to be with Rasmea tomorrow at her arraignment in Detroit. Hundreds from Michigan will meet us there. And hundreds more in Gainesville, Philadelphia, D.C., New York, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City and other towns across the U.S. will be rallying in support of Rasmea and to demand that U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade drop the charges now.”

Margaret Jackson, interim Regional Director of the American Friends Service Committee, spoke against the racism of the U.S. government for this political attack on a Palestinian woman and stated, “As a person of color, I can tell you I’ve experienced racism in this society.” To show her support of the human rights work that Rasmea has done in Chicago, she declared, “I’m proud to stand with Rasmea Odeh.”

#ChicagoIL #PalestineSolidarity #HomelandSecurity #AntiRacism #HatemAbudayyeh #politicalRepression #AntiWar23 #InjusticeSystem #FBIRepression #RasmeaOdeh #MichaelDeutsch

St. Paul, MN – Two prominent anti-war and international solidarity activists, Jess Sundin and Mick Kelly, were in federal court here, Nov. 1, in a bid to pull back the curtain of government secrecy that surrounds the FBI raids on their homes on Sept. 24, 2010. In the hearing presided over by Judge Steven E. Rau, Bruce Nestor, attorney for the plaintiffs, made a passionate argument for a motion to unseal the affidavits used to obtain the search warrants for the FBI raids.

Nestor told the court that the government cannot raid the homes of political activists without providing an explanation. He also spoke of the chilling effect the raids had on those exercising their First Amendment rights.

The Sept. 24, 2010 FBI raids struck seven homes in Minneapolis and Chicago and the office of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee. A total of 23 activists were summoned to a Chicago grand jury investigating “material support for terrorism.” No one testified.

At the Nov. 1 hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Winter cited the ongoing investigation into the anti-war and Palestine solidarity activists as the “compelling government interest” in continuing to keep the documents under seal. Judge Rau stated that he will hold a closed ‘in camera’ hearing with Assistant U.S. Attorney Winter in 120 days, where Winter will report on the status and scope of the investigation. After that the judge will make periodic reviews (possibly every 90 days) of the order to keep the documents sealed.

Commenting on the Nov. 1 proceedings, Jess Sundin stated, “I came to court today hoping to hear that the investigation of myself and fellow activists was coming to a close and that the veil of secrecy and suspicion around us would be lifted. Instead, the government said the investigation is ongoing. While Assistant U.S. Attorney Winter didn't openly threaten indictments, he expressed that things could develop in our case any day. Given that the government is fighting to keep its secrets hidden, I think he was saying that one or more indictments may still be coming. Or perhaps he expects the investigation will widen, and other activists will be caught up in this shameful witch hunt.”

Sundin continued, “I left the courtroom with a sense of foreboding. We need to be prepared, in the event of indictments, possibly within the next few months. We need to defend others who are persecuted for their political ideas or who they are – such as Chicago’s Palestinian community leader Rasmea Odeh. Three years ago,