Burkhardt was not home at the time, but her roommate confirmed that she lived there. The FBI gave the roommate an information card with the name and number of the agent but was unsuccessful in getting the roommate to answer other questions. The agent was not let inside. Burkhardt stated of the encounter, “Where’s my freedom of speech?”

On the same day, activist Collin Grannis had his door knocked on by FBI agent Nick Zollinger and his partner. His roommate answered the door. The roommate got the contact information from them, and the pair of agents left.

Then later, after the visit to Grannis’ apartment, Chase Barrett arrived home to find a pair of agents sitting inside. His parents had let them in before he was around. Grannis states, “As a result of my involvement with the local grassroots movement People of Provo Against ICE, I was approached by two FBI agents at my home.”

The FBI’s investigations into People of Provo Against ICE are meant to intimidate activists. Protesting is not a crime, and PoPAI will not stop fighting back against ICE.

Chrisley Carpio, of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression states, “Activists should not talk to the FBI. We need to meet them with a wall of silence.”

#ProvoUT #UT #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #FBI #StopFBI #CSFR #ImmigrantRights #Featured

New York, NY – Over 60 community members and activists rallied outside of the Brooklyn Central Court for over 14 hours after the NYPD arrested two organizers with the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR) in the early morning hours of October 20. They were released at 12:20 a.m. the next day.

The crowd initially gathered at 9:30 a.m. and continued to rally until midnight, with their numbers growing stronger over time. Members of the crowd chanted, “Free Jamie Kowalski! Free Daniel Koh!” and demanded the immediate processing and release of the two arrested activists.

Jamie Kowalski was arrested from his home at 5:30 a.m. on October 20; an hour later, Daniel Koh was arrested, also from his home. Both activists have been charged with misdemeanors of stalking and harassment, which was not made clear to either of them at the time of their arrest.

Speaking outside the courthouse, Shivani Ishwar, NYAAPRR chair, said, “We have been out here all day demanding the release of our friends, and proving that the NYPD's attempts to scare us will not work! We will get these bogus charges dropped, and this will only make us fight that much harder for justice for Eudes Pierre!”

NYAARPR members, including Kowalski and Koh, have been picketing in front of the 71st Precinct in Brooklyn for several months, demanding justice for Eudes Pierre, a young Haitian man murdered by Conrado Abreu-Gerez and Peter Lan in December 2021.

On September 19, NYAARPR held a speakout and posted notices in Sunset Park, near Abreu-Gerez’s apartment, warning his neighbors that a killer cop lived nearby. After NYAARPR’s monthly picket at the 71st Precinct on September 24, Koh, Kowalski, and a third activist from the New York Alliance were followed and stopped by the police, although no summons was issued at that time. Two days before the arrest, on October 18, the New York Alliance again posted flyers near Abreu-Gerez’s apartment. This is what the organizers believe is the real cause of the arrests.

At the courthouse, the supporters of the two activists included a broad front of progressive organizations such as Brooklyn Against War, We the People, UFT MORE Caucus, NYU Students for a Democratic Society, BAYAN NE, JUPI, International League of Peoples Struggle NE, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, friends, community members, and the family members of Eudes Pierre.

Things got heated around 7:45 p.m., after ten hours on the street, as the NYPD tried to intimidate protesters outside the court building, but it didn’t work. The police tried to say that the protest was “slowing things down” in the court building. The protesters stood their ground, shouting “speed it up” and called their bluff. The police then forced protesters to the other side of the street, threatened arrest and erected barriers around the building as the crowd chanted “Cowards!” Protesters from across the street only grew louder and were heard for blocks around.

Michela Martinazzi, member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization Central Committee, said, “The NYPD has a bloated $11 billion budget and cares more about protecting their killer cops than keeping the community safe. Daniel and Jamie are heroes amongst the people; they're fighting for true community control and justice for Eudes Pierre and his family. However, no matter how much the NYPD tries to intimidate our friends, we will be here to fight back!”

Zaara Ahmed from NYU Students for a Democratic Society said, “As students, we know we need to be part of community struggles, and an attack on one is an attack on all. Meaning, when any one of our community members, of our activists, our organizers, is under attack we all need to show up, show out, and fight back. These were bullshit charges put on people trying to shed light on a murderer in the NYPD, and we’re not going to stop until we see Daniel and Jamie free.”

Both Kowalski and Koh were finally released at 12:20 a.m. on October 21. Addressing the crowd of their supporters, Koh said, “These charges are bogus. They know they don't have shit, and they're only doing this because they feel pressured and feel like they want to get away with shit, and we’re not going to let that happen!”

While Kowalski and Koh have been released, the fight for justice continues as organizers will mount a hearty defense campaign to get the charges dropped.

NYAARPR plans to continue to protest the 71st Precinct and fight for justice for Eudes Pierre. The next picket is scheduled for October 29 at 6 p.m., and they are calling on all progressive-minded people and allies to show up and show that NYPD intimidation will not get in the way of their fight for justice.

#NewYorkNY #NY #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #KillerCops #NYAARPR #NAARPR #featured

Brooklyn, NY – In the early morning of Tuesday, October 20, the NYPD arrested two organizers with the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression in their homes in Brooklyn.

Jamie Kowalski was arrested at 5:30 a.m. and, an hour later, Daniel Koh was arrested from his home. As of right now, charges or reasons for their arrests have not been disclosed by the NYPD.

However, organizers with the New York Alliance have an idea of why the arrests happened. Shivani Ishwar, NYAARPR chairperson, said, “The NYPD is trying to intimidate our activists, who have done nothing more than fight for justice alongside our organization and the family of Eudes Pierre. But justice will not be silenced! We will continue to fight against NYPD repression, and against the brutal violence that continues to plague Black and brown communities across the city. Free Daniel and Jamie! Justice for Eudes Pierre!”

The New York Alliance has been holding monthly pickets outside of the 71st Precinct, where killer cop Conrado Abreu-Gerez works, demanding justice for Eudes Pierre.

On September 19, the New York Alliance posted notices and held a speak-out near where Abreu-Gerez lives to warn his neighbors of his involvement in the murder of Eudes Pierre.

September 24 was the most recent monthly picket outside of the 71st Precinct. After the picket, three New York Alliance organizers, including Kowalski and Koh, were approached by officers of the 71st Precinct. The officers took their IDs and talked about potential violations of littering and amplified sound, but no summons was issued.

On October 18, organizers put up new flyers near the officer’s home.

Organizers with the New York Alliance believe that the most recent flyering was what spurred the arrests.

Michela Martinazzi, a Central Committee member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, commented, “The NYPD is the largest, most violent gang in the city. They don’t like to be pressured, and the New York Alliance is the one pressuring them. Kowalski, Koh and the members of the New York Alliance have done nothing wrong. They are brave for standing up to the NYPD!”

NYAARPR will continue to host its monthly picket outside the 71st Precinct. The next is on Thursday, October 29 at 6 p.m. It is more important than ever that many progressive-minded people show up to demand justice for Eudes Pierre and to show the NYPD that organizers will not be intimidated!

The New York Alliance is hosting a call-in and will be holding a jail support rally. Please review their social media pages for the most up-to date information.

#BrooklynNY #NY #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #NYAARPR #PoliticalRepression #KillerCops #Featured

Chicago, IL – On October 15, students mobilized to the University of Illinois Chicago’s (UIC) University Hall to deliver an open letter demanding an end to UIC’s “open expression” form and a stop to the university’s restrictions on free speech for student organizations. The protest was put on by Students for a Democratic Society at UIC (SDS) as a part of the SDS’ National Day of Action and to fight back against recent attacks on progressive student organizations.

The “open expression” form requires UIC students to fill out paperwork through the dean of students when rallying or speaking out on campus.

“The administration thinks this university belongs to them but it doesn't. It belongs to the students! it belongs to the workers! To the community! To the people!” said Sanele Stewart, a member of SDS. Stewart continued, “The students of the past had to fight to make this university what it is now, and we aren't just going to fight to protect those victories, but to win new ones!”

“We should not have to fear consequences for peacefully challenging decisions made by those in power,” said Maria Perez of Mexican Students de Aztlan

Amir Hartt, a member of SDS and Students for Justice in Palestine at UIC (SJP), told the crowd, “If we face enough constant obstacles, admin thinks that we’ll either give up our organizing, scale it down, or something else that’ll shut us up for the semester. Our campaigns at their core are hostile to admin. Divestment from genocide is hostile to admin, it makes their investments into child-killing devices a sunken cost.”

In its open letter, SDS at UIC wrote: “We demand an end to the so-called Open Expression Policy, which has repeatedly been used by UIC to restrict the speech of political student organizations on campus. In particular we want an end to the policy of prior registration and administrative approval for free speech and assembly.” The letter also states: “We wonder what the point of being a registered student organization is if it only means handing over personal contact information which is then used by administration to discourage students from being active on campus?”

After hearing speeches from SDS and MeSA, the students headed inside University Hall to deliver their open letter to university administration, specifically UIC Chancellor Dr. Marie Lynn Miranda.

While the group of students planned on taking the University Hall elevator to the 28th floor and delivering their letter, administrators from UIC’s dean of students, without reason, told the students that they could not take the elevator up. The students pushed back against this, and, after negotiating, two students took the elevator up to Chancellor Miranda’s office and delivered the letter, not to the Chancellor herself, but to Elizabeth Fulmer from the chancellor’s office.

Students for a Democratic Society at UIC and their allies were able to successfully deliver their letter, but the students are not planning on giving up the pressure. Keep an eye on @sdsatuic on Instagram for more updates.

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #SDS #MeSA #Featured

Quincy, FL – On Tuesday, April 29, about a dozen community members gathered in front of the Gadsden County Courthouse to rally against increased ICE activity in their neighborhoods. The rally was hosted by United Voices of Gadsden (UVG), a new local group advocating for immigrants’ rights.

Facing the main road, attendees chanted “Say it once, say it twice! We will not put up with ICE!” and “Money for jobs and education, not for mass deportation!” Many passersby honked their horns and waved out their car windows in support of the demonstration.

Aracely Cruz, one of the founders of UVG, led the event. Cruz stated, “We’re here to say that immigrants are welcome in our community. The city is trying to get a grant for $1 million to build an ICE processing center in Gretna. This is not who we are – we need to stand against the racial profiling and attacks on our community.”

Gary Russ-Sills, mayor of Gretna, stated in January that ICE was welcome to use a former elementary school building as a processing center. Mayor Russ-Sills claimed that the city needed at least $1 million to renovate the space. Gretna is a rural town about 25 minutes away from Quincy with a population of about 1300 people, meaning this processing center would impact the surrounding towns and cities as well.

Members of the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA) drove over to Quincy to offer their support. Aedan Bennett, a member of TIRA, drew connections between the two groups: “Trump and DeSantis’s racist agenda is impacting all of us – in Tallahassee the police have voluntarily signed into a 287(g) agreement with ICE to target immigrants. They want to spread terror and fear, but it won’t stop us from demanding justice. ¡Aquí estamos, y no nos vamos! [We’re here, and we’re not leaving]”

Anthony Diaz, who is also a member of UVG, stated “Before this year, there hadn’t been a protest in support of Latinos in Quincy since 2006 – there was enough people marching down the block to fill the entire lawn. We’re small now, but this is a big step. Hopefully we can show locals that we are here for them and they can join us.”

Follow United Voices of Gadsden and the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance on Instagram and Facebook for information about upcoming meetings and events:

Instagram: @UnidosQuincy and @TLH_IRA

Facebook: United Voices of Gadsden  and Tallahassee Freedom Road Socialist Organization

#QuincyFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #UVG #TLHIRA #Featured

Tallahassee, FL – On September 12, in the face of threats from their university administration, more than 15 students at Florida State University gathered to defy this blatant political repression and to reaffirm their commitment to the struggle for Palestinian liberation. Led by Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the students demanded that FSU divest from war profiteers who fund the genocide in Palestine and made it clear that this new wave of reactionary attacks against the student movement will never silence the voice of a generation. The students were joined by members of community organizations, and their speeches were heard by hundreds of rally attendees and passersby.

Speakers stressed the humanitarian crisis which the Zionist entity has created in Palestine, and the role FSU plays in it. Despite students demanding divestment, FSU’s engineering school remains partnered with Boeing, a notorious arms manufacturer who builds weapons of war for the Israeli apartheid state. “Don’t forget that this campus supports [the genocidal Israeli] regime with its financial and academic resources, directing graduates to build bombs for Boeing,” an SDS member told listeners.

After arresting five pro-Palestinian protestors in Spring, FSU is attempting to silence all activism on campus, banning SDS from holding events on campus and threatening student organizers with expulsion and legal action.

“Instead of listening to us, instead of giving any room for meaningful dialogue, they suppress free speech. They don’t let us flyer! They don’t let us use amplified sound! They wanna kick us off this campus! They want it so our presence isn’t known,” said Freedom Road Socialist Organization member Joelle Nuñez. “And why does the university do this, why now? Because they’re afraid! They’re afraid of how this looks on them! They’re afraid that we’re exposing their genocide!”

“It’s not right that educational institutions like FSU try to suppress our right to protest against these injustices. There are plaques right outside [the HCB building] honoring the protests against the Vietnam war – yet peaceful protests calling for safety in Palestine are disrupted by arrests and counter-protestors,” said a member of the Kabataan Alliance, a Filipino advocacy organization. “How can we truly learn to be better if FSU stifles efforts like this, if FSU continues to fund the genocide in Palestine, where the total decimation of the country has prevented about 600,000 students from returning to school?”

Despite the University’s attempts to break their spirit, the student movement lives on in Tallahassee. To stay updated about future events, visit @tallysds on Instagram.

The rally was supported by Tallahassee SDS, the Kabataan Alliance, Food Not Bombs, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC).

#TallahasseeFL #FL #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SDS #PoliticalRepression #FreeSpeech #Featured

Maple Grove, MN – As Gazans exit 2023 under siege, suffering from grief, starvation and ongoing bombings by the Israeli occupation forces, 1000 people demonstrated at the Arbor Lakes Mall in Maple Grove on New Years Eve. The protest was organized by the Free Palestine Coalition to disrupt “New Year as usual” in an effort to galvanize further action in support of their resolution for 2024: freedom from genocide and Israeli occupation in Palestine.

The death toll from the Israeli apartheid government’s genocidal campaign in Gaza is now higher than 21,000 people. The Biden administration continues to fund Israel’s aggression while simultaneously blocking and voting against any ceasefire measures at the United Nations.

After a rally outside the shopping area protesters marched through the outdoor mall with chants of “While you’re shopping, bombs are dropping!” and “Free free Palestine!”

Samantha Alsadi, a member of the MN Anti-War Committee, attended the protest, “It felt pretty powerful to be in such a large group and chant “While you're shopping, bombs are dropping” as we marched through the shopping center today. The people shopping at Arbor Lakes Mall had no choice but to see and hear us and hopefully think twice about the genocide that our country is funding. I think we sent a clear message today – there will be no business as usual until Palestine is free, from the river to the sea.”

The protest was organized by the Free Palestine Coalition and will be followed by a week of action. The week of action was initiated by U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Students for a Democratic Society, and the National Alliance Against Political and Racist Repression. For more information about the actions go to USPCN.org/weekofaction24.

#MapleGroveMN #International #Palestine #AntiWar #MNAWC #MNFreePalestineCoalition #USPCN #Featured

Fight Back! is circulating the following call for solidarity from the Legalization for All Network.

Show Your Support for Immigrants at the Border

The Legalization for All Network is calling on all who are interested in showing support for the undocumented, to make a short 30-second video. Legalization for All Network (L4A) is a national movement challenging the oppressive and harmful policies of Operation Lone Star. Operation Lone Star was created in 2021 and uses various tactics to further militarize the U.S./México border. It is the joining of forces between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department. Under Governor Greg Abbott in July of 2023, $1million buoys were dropped in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo waters. These buoys are equipped with razor-sharp saws, chained to the bottom of the river (so they are immobile), and wrapped with concertina wire. While the buoys are dangerous and have already claimed lives, continued efforts have been to also remove the longstanding concertina wire along the river.

The latest request for video solidarity is in support of the people of Eagle Pass, Texas. They are organizing against human rights violations at the border. All are asked to give voice to and demand justice and peace for immigrants and border communities. L4A wants to see and hear messages of support, stories of resistance, and visions of change.

Videos will be spliced together by Jordan Peña from Los Angeles’ Centro Community Service Organization, and the video will be played during a vigil. The vigil will be held on October 23rd, for the lives lost at the Eagle Pass/Mexican border. It is being led by the coalition Border Vigil, which is part of L4A.

Videos should be submitted by Monday, October 16th, by emailing LegalizationForAll@gmail.com. They should be no longer than 30 seconds. Videos should mention the recent atrocities at the border, shout support for Eagle Pass, and use the legalization for all demand. Any language, style, or format is allowed, as long as it is respectful and relevant. Organization shirts are welcome. Filming should be done preferably outside or at city landmarks. All devices or platforms are allowed, such as phones, cameras, laptops, or social media. Participants are asked to tag Legalization for All or direct message a link to videos.

Go here for complete video instructions and guidelines.

For organizations and individuals interested in joining L4A visit @LegalizationForAll on social media or email LegalizationForAll@gmail.com.

#ImmigrantRights #L4A #USMexicoBorder #Featured