Dearborn MI – The Rasmea Defense Committee office opened near Detroit Oct. 23. Located in the Beit Hanini Outreach Community Center, at 4045 Maple Street, the office will serve as center for mobilizing for Rasmea Odeh’s Nov. 4 trial.

Tallahassee, FL – Dozens of African American students joined with community members to protest and then conduct a die-in at the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) on Oct. 22. Protesters held signs reading “Black lives matter,” and “Justice,” while chanting against police brutality.

The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a public forum on the campaign for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) on Oct. 16 at Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago’s South Side. Over 50 activists attended this meeting, including families of victims of police crimes, prominent attorney Stan Willis, and labor and community activists.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Rasmea Defense Committee. In open court, torture expert says Rasmea Odeh suffers from PTSD, and defense slams Israeli military courts

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Oct. 17 statement from Scott Williams. We remind all progressive activists to not speak with the FBI. The FBI came looking for me today at my family’s house

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

Ferguson, MO – Thousands protested here Oct. 10 to demand Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson be jailed for the murder of 18-year-old Michael Brown. In August, the white police officer shot Michael Brown dead, as the unarmed African American youth held his hands up in the air. The people of Ferguson wasted no time in showing their outrage as they took to the streets, calling for the police officer to go to jail. Protesters are now demanding justice as a grand jury meets to decide whether to bring charges against Wilson.

Tallahassee, FL – State Attorney Willie Meggs dropped the charges, Oct. 10, against Viola Young and three other people who were arrested over a week earlier. Young is a 61-year-old African American woman who was hit in the back with a stun gun wielded by Tallahassee Police Department Officer Terry Mahan.

Fight Back News Service is urging all progressive organizations to sign the following statement. To add your organization to the statement, please email [email protected]. The statement reads in part: “The undersigned organizations support the democratic rights of the Rasmea Defense Committee, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, and other organizations to organize broad, public support to drop the charges against Rasmea Odeh.”

Tallahassee, FL – Members of the Tallahassee Dream Defenders rallied outside of the Leon County Courthouse, Oct. 9. With community members and the local press on hand, protesters chanted “Hey hey, ho, ho, crooked cops have got to go,” and demanded the arrest of Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) cop Terry Mahan.

Bizarre DOJ accusations against Hatem Abudayyeh attempt to criminalize opponents of political repression

Fight Back! is circulating this important statement from the Rasmea Defense Committee.

¡Por un movimiento militante y de masas para la liberación!

El 17 de Julio, luego de haber ahorcado a Eric Garner, un Afroamericano padre de seis hijos, los agentes de la policía de New York decidieron revisarle los bolsillos antes de llamar a la ambulancia. Tres semanas después, el oficial Darren Wilson en la ciudad de Ferguson, Missouri mato de seis disparos al joven Michael Brown, dejando su cuerpo tirado en la calle sin llamar por ayuda médica. Por más de una semana la policía se negó a liberar el nombre del oficial Wilson y se rehusó a entregar el reporte oficial. Todo esto demuestra que también pretenden encubrir la verdad sobre el asesinato de Michael Brown.

Salt Lake City, UT – Activists braved the cold to stand in front of the Wallace F. Bennett Federal building, Oct. 2, to declare their solidarity with Rasmea Odeh. The anti-war protesters called for U.S. Department of Justice Prosecutor Jonathan Tukel to drop the charges against her. The message came on the same day that Judge Gershwin Drain refused to dismiss her case. The evidence being used against Odeh was obtained illegally during the investigation of the Anti-War 23. Despite the best efforts of Odeh’s defense team, the U.S. government is intent on putting her in prison and deporting her. Groups in eight cities held solidarity protests for the 67-year-old Palestinian American leader from Chicago.

Tampa, FL – On Oct. 2, a group of 15 activists stood outside the Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse here, to demand U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tukel drop the charges against Rasmea Odeh. The Committee to Stop FBI Repression-Tampa organized the protest.

Minneapolis, MN – About 25 people joined at the Federal Building here, Oct. 2 at 4:30 p.m., to demand an end to government repression against Palestinian American leader Rasmea Odeh and to support the struggle against the occupation of Palestine.

Detroit courtroom packed

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

Jacksonville, FL – After a week and a half of keeping watch over the Duval County Courthouse, a verdict has been reached in the retrial of Michael Dunn, Oct. 1. Dunn is the white racist who murdered African American youth Jordan Davis in 2012. After two years and a mistrial, the family of Jordan Davis finally won some measure of justice today when the jury came back with a guilty verdict.

Fort Lauderdale, FL – Over two dozen people rallied in support of Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh outside of the Federal Courthouse here, Sept. 27. Protesters demanded that charges against Odeh be dropped by U.S. prosecutors or dismissed by presiding Judge Gershwin Drain.

Regular readers of Fight Back! know that on Sept. 24, 2010, Midwest anti-war and international solidarity activists woke to loud banging on their front doors and were confronted with scores of FBI agents breaking things and rifling through children’s toys and books. At the end of the day, seven homes and the office of the Twin Cities-based Anti-War Committee were raided by the FBI, who took away boxes of books and papers on decades of political activity. At the raided homes, activists received subpoenas to a grand jury in Chicago investigating material support of terrorism.

Jacksonville, FL – Two dozen protesters gathered outside of the courthouse here, Sept. 22, demanding justice for Jordan Davis as the retrial of Michael Dunn gets underway. Jury selection began today and protesters, many from the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition gathered at 8:00 a.m.