Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

AntiWar23

By Marisol Márquez

Noor Elashi speaks about demanding Justice for the Holy Land 5.

Tampa, FL—Students, anti-war activists and community organizers gathered at the First United Church of Tampa on Sunday, March 24 to demand an end to U.S. government political repression. 35 people discussed ways to oppose political repression and gain freedom for the Holy Land Five.

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By Kait McIntyre

Jonas is currently on case of anti-war and international solidarity activists

“Hands off our families, hands off our friends! Barry Jonas, this must end!” This chant rang out in front of DePaul’s College of Law in Chicago, where over 30 protesters gathered to denounce Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas’ speaking at an event titled, “Fighting Terrorism in the Courtroom,” about government targeting of charity organizations that send humanitarian aid to Palestinians, especially the Holy Land Foundation (HLF). The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at DePaul raised the call, “Hey DePaul, let’s be clear – racists are not welcome here!” Other members of SJP organized a silent protest outside the door of the event, giving visual representation to how Palestinians are often silenced and reminding attendees of the killing of Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli military.

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By mick

“There is no crime in supporting the Palestinian struggle for self-determination”

Hatem Abudayyeh at Minneapolis speaking event

Minneapolis, MN – A standing room only crowd of more than 125 people turned out here, Feb. 23, to hear Hatem Abudayyeh, a prominent Chicago-based Palestinian activist who talked about the growing struggle for the liberation of Palestine and the repression against Palestine solidarity activists here in the U.S.

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By David Newlin

Salt Lake City, UT – State-sponsored repression and infiltration of anti-war groups is nothing new. But it can certainly take on new and particularly nasty forms, as Jess Sundin can tell you.

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By staff

San José, CA – On Jan. 26, there was a commemoration of Fred Korematsu, one of the Japanese Americans who resisted the World War II U.S. concentration camps for Japanese Americans. The event, held in San José’s Japantown, began with the film, “Of Civil Wrongs and Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story.”

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By staff

_Fitzgerald organized Grand Jury against anti war, international solidarity activists _

Protesters confront Patrick Fitzgerald.

Chicago, IL – “Fitzgerald doesn’t belong on the Board of Trustees. He’s against the right to dissent, and he’s responsible for some of the worst persecutions of Palestinians in the US,” stated Joe Iosbaker of the Committee Against Political Repression in a statement to gathered news media, on Jan 24.

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By staff

Protest slams ex U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald

Chicago, IL – More than a dozen activists protested outside the Hyatt Regency hotel here, Jan. 20, while inside former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald received an honorary degree from the John Marshall Law School.

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By staff

Shahid Buttar of Bill of Rights Defense Committee speaks at Connecticut Civil Li

New Britain, CT – 200-plus anti-war activists, lawyers, religious leaders, labor unionists, journalists and family members of the wrongfully prosecuted and imprisoned met at a civil liberties conference at Central Connecticut State University, Dec. 8. The conference theme was “An injury to one is an injury to all!” Civil rights legal scholar Sahar F. Aziz introduced the keynote speaker, journalist Glenn Greenwald. Tracy Molm of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression also spoke.

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By staff

Hatem Abudayyeh speaking at Chicago rally in solidarity with Gaza.

Chicago, IL – 2000 people marched in the streets here, Nov. 19 chanting, “Obama, Obama, you will see – Palestine will be free!”

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By staff

Minneapolis, MN – The trial of Mahamud Said Omar entered its second week here, Oct. 9, with the prosecution putting Joint Terrorism Task Force officer Martin Siebenaler on the stand. Siebenaler opened up a gun case and pulled out an AK-47 machine gun. Siebenaler then proceeded to say that the gun, which came from an ATF collection, was “most similar to” the weapons used by young resistance fighters in Somalia.

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By Preston Gilmore

Clarksville rallies to resist CIA recruitment

Getting ready for 'CIA Off Campus' protest.

Clarksville, TN – On Sept. 26, students, including members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), joined parents, anti-war veterans and alumni of Austin Peay State University to resist Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruitment on campus. Students petitioned the Office of Career Services, which invited the CIA to campus. The protesters were removed by force by the Clarksville Police Department as they questioned the CIA about their activities.

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By staff

Jess Sundin demands end to investigation of anti-war activists.

Minneapolis, MN – About 200 people rallied at the Federal Building here, Sept. 24, to demand an end to the ongoing Justice Department investigation into anti-war and international solidarity activists.

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By Corey Uhl

Sign with the Palestinian and Colombian flags at Tampa protest against FBI repre

Tampa, FL – About a dozen activists gathered outside of Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse here, Sept. 24, to mark the second year anniversary of the FBI raids against anti-war activists in 2010. These events and the subsequent grand jury investigation amount to nothing more than a witch hunt, with the aim of interfering with the anti-war movement. The protest demanded an end to the federal investigation of the peace activists.

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By staff

Committee to Stop FBI Repression plans to step up resistance

Chicago, IL – Leaders of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR) say they plan to step up the fight against political repression this fall. “The attempt by the Justice Department to jail anti-war and international solidarity activists, the frame-ups of Arabs and Muslims, the outrageous cases stemming from the NATO protests, and the coordinated attacks on the Occupy movement mean that we have our work cut out for us,” states Jess Sundin of the CSFR.

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By staff

Chicago protest against FBI repression of anti war activists.

Chicago, IL – With signs reading, “Opposing war is not a crime,” and “Two years is too long,” 100 people gathered at the Federal Building here, Sept. 20, to protest FBI and U.S. Attorney attacks on anti-war activists that began with FBI Raids in September 2010. Altogether, seven homes were raided and 23 people were subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury. The warrants and subpoenas alleged there was an ongoing effort to provide ‘material support’ for foreign terrorist organizations in the Middle East and South America.

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By staff

Chicago, IL – Chicagoans are joining in a national week of actions organized by the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (stopfbi.net) and the United States Palestinian Community Network (uspcn.org), calling for an end to the Department of Justice investigation into the anti-war and international solidarity work of 23 activists from the Midwest.

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By staff

Minneapolis, MN – On August 17 more than 80 people attended a rally here in defense of civil liberties. The event, held at the Communications Workers of America Local 7200 union hall on Lake Street, featured twelve speakers who all emphasized the need to wage a broad, united fight to defend civil liberties in the face of deepening state repression.

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By Committee to Stop FBI Repression

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.

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By General Convention of the Episcopal Church

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.

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By staff

Carlos Montes thanking supporters

Los Angeles, CA – A victory party celebrating the successful fight back against the political repression of Carlos Montes took place here, June 20, at the home of Julio and Inez Rodriguez. Eric Gardner, a member of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, pointed out how this was a victory for the whole movement that is resisting political repression. The large turnout of family and supporters brought together a broad representation of the people’s movement in Los Angeles, including labor, anti-war and community activists.

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