Minneapolis, MN – On June 2 more than 50 people gathered at the American Indian OIC center for a town hall meeting on civil liberties under the theme of Fight for your Right to Dissent. The event was co-sponsored by the Minnesota Committee to Stop FBI Repression and the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms (NCPCF).

The event featured three out of town speakers. Mel Underbakke spoke for the NCPCF and Kathleen Manley spoke for Project Salam (Support and Legal Advocacy for Muslims). Veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes, who is facing trial in Los Angeles on June 20, also spoke from Los Angeles via Skype.

Jess Sundin spoke for the Minnesota Committee to Stop FBI Repression. Sundin is one of the Anti-War 23 whose home was raided and was subpoenaed before a grand jury on September 24, 2010, supposedly as part of an investigation of ‘material support for foreign terrorism.’

Colleen Rowley of Women Against Military Madness spoke about her history as an FBI whistleblower and about the massive scope of the U.S. government’s top secret national security apparatus.

Clyde Bellecourt of the American Indian Movement welcomed people to the American Indian OIC and also was a featured speaker on the history of repression against the American Indian Movement and continued repression, such as the 36-year imprisonment of Leonard Peltier.

In speaking about the FBI raid on her home as well as continued FBI visits to anti-war, anti-NATO and other activists, Jess Sundin said, “If an FBI agent knocks on your door, the most important thing you can do is not talk to them. Don’t be polite, don’t try to figure out what they want, just get rid of them. Nothing you can say will save yourself or your friends in court. They can lie about what you tell them, but if you lie to them, that is its own crime. No good can come of talking to them, so just don’t do it.”

In addition to the speakers, the Town Hall also passed several resolutions, including a resolution against indefinite detention of Palestinian prisoners, a resolution calling to free the nine people still imprisoned from May’s anti-NATO protests in Chicago and a resolution defending the civil liberties of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

#MinneapolisMN #ProjectSalam #NationalCoalitionToProtectCivilFreedoms #MinnesotaCommitteeToStopFBIRepression #AntiWar23

Detroit, MI – 60 people met at an African-American community center on July 16 to discuss the growing movement for the right to free speech, to organize and for civil liberties for all. The National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms (NCPCF) organized the event titled, “Resisting Profiling, Preemptive Prosecution, and Prisoners Abuse – a hearing to confront repression of human rights and civil liberties by the criminal justice system.”

Debbie Johnson, of Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice, framed the event by describing the reign of terror brought by the U.S. government upon peoples in other countries from the end of World War II through the wars in Korea, Vietnam and Central America, up to Iraq and Afghanistan. She explained how the U.S. wars for empire overseas lead to the repression of African-Americans, Arabs and Muslims, immigrants, anti-war activists and others here at home who oppose those wars.

Families Expose U.S. Government Repression

The first panel featured families directly affected by the U.S. government spying, infiltrating and staging crimes in attempts to rip friends, groups and communities apart. The U.S. government hopes to weaken opposition to U.S. wars and occupations. Tamer Mehanna spoke about his brother Dr. Tarek Mehanna’s devotion to educating children and building community. Tarek Mehanna is unjustly imprisoned in solitary confinement for two years now after refusing to be an FBI informant against his friends and community.

In the same situation, Sharmin Sadequee spoke about Shifa Sadequee, her younger brother. The family was terribly worried to find out that just days after his wedding, Shifa was beaten and disappeared by Bangladeshi intelligence police. After four miserable days, the family was informed Shifa was flown back home – blindfolded, stripped naked and chained – to be delivered into the hands of the FBI under the Bush administration. Shifa is in solitary confinement for many years now, a form of torture according to international law.

Tom Burke, of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (The CSFR) spoke about FBI raids targeting anti-war and international solidarity activists’ homes and how the armed raids terrify children and shock whole communities. Burke received a subpoena to appear at U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s Grand Jury in Chicago. A round of applause filled the room when Burke said, “Each of the 23 activists is refusing to testify at the Grand Jury!” Burke described, “The overwhelming solidarity from hundreds of peace and international solidarity groups, faith based organizations, labor unions, community and immigrants’ rights groups. Now, following the Arab Spring uprisings, there is growing support from groups and political parties overseas too!”

Burke then made an appeal to the audience to support longtime Chicano anti-war and immigrant rights activist Carlos Montes. The Committee to Stop FBI Repression is organizing a National Call-in Day to Attorney General Holder and President Obama on Aug. 12, the day Carlos Montes is due in a Los Angeles court. Tom described how on May 17, heavily armed FBI agents busted down the door of Carlos Montes’ home and invaded it. Montes was arrested on bogus charges of illegally possessing weapons, but then the FBI attempted to question him about his political affiliations. The CSFR is sure the FBI is looking for any way to disrupt and criminalize leaders like Carlos Montes, whose name appeared on the subpoena for the Anti-War Committee office in Minneapolis along with many of the 23 Midwest anti-war activists raided last September.

Seeking Justice, Ending the Repression

The second panel of the conference focused on civil liberties, the right to free speech and to organize, the abuse of U.S. law, and the history of repression by the rich and powerful. Abayomi Azikiwe, with MECAWI, an expert on Africa and people’s struggles, spoke about the long history of repression by the U.S. government, especially against African-Americans. Dawud Walid of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) described the ongoing singling out of American-Muslims by the FBI as a form of religious persecution that goes against the ideas of our country. Attorney Steve Downs with the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms detailed some of the more extreme and inhumane punishments used against prisoners. He called for ending solitary confinements over 60 days and the end of Control Management Units and Supermax prisons. Shahid Buttar of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee energized the audience with a rhyme and explained how we can take particular cases and organize around them to make broader changes to U.S. law. We can also force politicians and U.S. Attorney General Holder to end the repression of activists who oppose U.S. wars and occupation – whether they are Muslims, socialists, or whoever.

Before the event ended, U.S. Representative Hansen Clarke of Detroit arrived and gave a fiery speech from the podium expressing his support and that as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security he was with us in our fight for justice. Representative Clarke committed to writing a letter along the lines of the one Representative John Conyers of Detroit sent to U.S. Attorney General and President Obama concerning the FBI raids and Grand Jury repression of the anti-war and international solidarity activists.

Summing up the event, Sharmin Sadequee, sister of Shifa Sadequee, said, “I think we opened up avenues for many groups to build relationships with each other. We broadened and connected our movements to resist and combat preemptive prosecution and the persecution of our communities by the FBI and U.S. government. I think the panel discussions shed light on how the U.S. government is manufacturing these so-called 'home grown terrorism' cases and targeting Muslims for their beliefs and free speech. The U.S. 'war on terrorism' is racist!”

Asked, “Why is the U.S. government orchestrating this repression?” Sadequee stated, “Our judicial system, now under Attorney General Eric Holder, is part of this racist program, and is perpetuating racism by handing down verdicts and sentences on these cases. The U.S. government is persecuting Muslims, Arabs, South Asians and immigrant communities at home to justify its wars and violence across the world. Now the U.S. government is going after anti-war activists because these people want peace in the world. Perhaps, those Muslims that our government has put behind bars also wanted peace in the world, that's why they are being punished? We must connect the dots of what is going on!”

#DetroitMI #InJusticeSystem #TomBurke #NationalCoalitionToProtectCivilFreedoms #NCPCF #MichiganEmergencyCommitteeAgainstWarAndInjustice #SharminSadequee #ShifaSadequee

Atlanta, GA – Over eighty people from across the South gathered at the Auburn Research Library in downtown Atlanta on May 14 for the people’s assembly, [“Law as a Weapon of War”](http://www.stopfbi.net/events/5-14-11/law-weapon-war-peoples-assembly-confront-preemptive-prosecution-war-terror-war-drugs-).

The assembly brought together people directly affected by repression from the war on terror, anti-immigrant legislation, and the war on drugs. As Stephanie Guilloud of Project South said in opening remarks, “Everyone here is on the front lines of a crisis.”

###On the front lines of state repression

The assembly began with a panel of speakers to discuss the impact of state repression from the “war on terrorism” on their families.

Laila Yaghi, the mother of [Ziyad Yaghi](http://www.FreeZiyadYaghi.blogspot.com/), one of the “North Carolina 7”, spoke to the assembly. Ziyad is facing trial for terrorism-related offenses in which he maintains his innocence. Laila reported that Ziyad faces harsh treatment at the detention center, including being denied medical care and isolation.

Barandra Bujol, whose brother Barry is imprisoned for attempting to provide material support to terrorists, talked about the affects of state repression on dissent. “It is not until they hit your doorstep,” Bujol said, “that you realize anyone could be labeled a terrorist for dissenting from foreign policy.” Bujol urged people to speak out against government repression, stating, “Silence is not only complacency but complicity.”

[Jess Sundin](http://www.stopfbi.net/profile/jess-sundin), who had her home raided by the FBI in the September 24 raids on anti-war and international solidarity activists, spoke about her ongoing case. The assembly broke out in applause when Sundin emphasized that the 23 activists subpoenaed to the federal grand jury in Chicago are refusing to participate in the witch hunt against the anti-war movement. Sundin also described the broad support that the [Committee to Stop FBI Repression](http://www.stopfbi.net) has received in the last six months, with hundreds of organizations issuing statements of solidarity, labor unions representing over 600,000 workers in support, and thousands of people pledging to resist and protest should activists be indicted or imprisoned. Sundin also mentioned the growing response from congressional representatives, eight of whom have written letters of concern to President Obama or Attorney General Eric Holder about the FBI raids.

Following up on Sundin’s talk, Steve Downs from Project SALAM told audience, “If they can do it to the peace activists, that could happen to anyone.” Downs also talked about the unjust imprisonment of Iraqi-American [Dr. Rafil Dhafir](http://www.jubileeinitiative.org/freedhafir.htm) and the highly political nature of the “material support for terrorism” charges.

###Law as a weapon of war

A second panel in the afternoon covered some of the repressive tools being used against people targeted by the war on terror and war on immigration. Nahal Zamani from the Center for Constitutional Rights gave a sobering overview of the Communication Management Units (CMUs) in which prisoners are kept in isolation. Zamani explained that while 6% of the federal prison population is Muslim, 65-72% of the CMU population is Muslims. Zamani also talked about the Special Administrative Measures (SAMs), which like the CMUs, are used to isolate and repress prisoners.

Azadeh Shashahani of the ACLU discussed the attacks on the immigrant community in Georgia, as the Georgia governor had just signed into law a copycat SB1070 boil, HB 87. “HB87 is not happening in isolation,” Shashahani stressed. “All of these attacks on our communities are related. The only way to resist is to work together.”

###Building unity against repressive laws and institutions

Sonali Sadequee from the Atlanta Transformative Justice Collaborative spoke about the importance of building unity, and discussed ways in which the community, organizations, and mass movements can unite in support of each other when facing different kinds of repression. Mauri Salaakhan with the Peace Thru Justice Foundation also spoke about the importance of cross-movement organizing.

A large contingent of student and youth organizers from Gainesville Florida attended the conference. “It was important for Gainesville SDS to mobilize for this conference because we need every part of the community coming together to resist and struggle against government repression,” said Fernando Figueroa with Gainesville SDS and the Gainesville Committee to Stop FBI Repression. “It doesn't matter if the government is repressing Muslims or anti-war activists or African-Americans – only by uniting our causes and resources can we beat back oppression in our cities and towns and ensure our own right to be free.”

The people’s assembly is one of many being organized across the country in the coming months. The main goal is to unite different sections of the people in a common struggle against state repression. The Atlanta assembly was an important event in building such unity in the South.

The assembly was organized by the National Coalition To Protect Civil Freedoms (NCPCF); Center For Constitutional Rights (CCR); Project South; Families United For Justice In America (FUJA); The Peace Thru Justice Foundation, Project SALAM, Atlanta International Action Center, National Committee to Stop FBI Repression, Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought (ICIT), National Jericho Movement, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)-GA, Amnesty International-GA, Georgia Immigrants and Refugee Rights Coalition, Movement to End Israeli Apartheid (MEIA-GA); Friends of Human Rights-Tampa; Rights Working Group-Washington, DC; and the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation (MAS Freedom).

#AtlantaGA #ImmigrantRights #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #NationalCoalitionToProtectCivilFreedoms #ProjectSouth #CommunicationManagementUnits #HB87