New York City, NY – On the evening of April 22, the North East chapter of the International League of People’s Struggle held a webinar titled “Rent Strike: What it is and how to do it.”

While for many, May 1 marks International Workers Day, it will also mark the beginning of the second month where a majority of Americans will have been out of work and unable to pay rent. In New York over 40 days have passed since all non-essential businesses have been closed, which have put thousands of New Yorkers out of work. On April 1, over a one-third of renters weren’t able to pay their rent, and those numbers are bound to be much higher on May 1.

The webinar was comprised of several speakers who did not just advocate for rent strikes for the sake of striking, but explained how to organize one successfully.

The presentation began with Justin La Mort, a supervising attorney for Mobilizing for Justice. He went into great detail regarding tenant laws in New York state, what rights tenants have, and what tools one needs to begin striking – legally.

La Mort was followed up by Michael Tan, a co-coordinator of ILPS-NE, who gave a presentation of Neoliberalism in the U.S. and how neoliberal policies directly affect the current crisis.

The end of the webinar included two case studies from organizers who successfully waged rent strikes: Alicia Boyd, a political organizer and founder of Movement to Protect the People, and Drae, a tenant leader in the Grand Putnam Tenants Association.

Towards the end, the webinar was infiltrated by over 15 landlords and housing brokers who attempted to disrupt and derail the presentation. Fortunately, the organizers were able to kick them out and the presenters were able to finish answering questions that aided the people of New York.

You can find the full presentation and webinar here: https://www.facebook.com/ILPSUnitedStates/videos/525614264982230/

#NewYorkNY #Healthcare #HousingStruggles #NationalLawyersGuild #InternationalLeagueOfPeoplesStruggle #RentStrike

On Nov. 10, the prominent 67-year-old Palestinian Chicago community leader was found guilty of an immigration violation for failing to disclose having been convicted of bombing charges by the Israeli military in occupied Palestine more than 40 years ago – her confession of which had been coerced through 45 days of brutal torture and rape during incarceration.

The court had gutted Odeh’s defense – represented by a team of NLG attorneys – when it prohibited testimony about her torture, rape and subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder from trial. Deeming Odeh a ‘flight risk,’ the court has denied her bond. The NLG urges the court to reconsider this decision so that Odeh may continue her award-winning community work in Chicago until sentencing.

Longtime NLG attorney Barbara Harvey, who filed the Nov. 20 motion on behalf of the Guild, stated: “The amicus brief brings together Palestinians and Jews, Christians and Arabs, lawyers and non-lawyers, from six major human rights groups in this country to express their sorrow and ask the Court to show compassion for a 67-year-old Palestinian American woman who has helped hundreds of Arab women immigrants assimilate into U.S. life and culture; 261 of these women also ask the Court to release Rasmea Odeh from prison pending sentencing.”

The NLG, Jewish Voice for Peace, Center for Constitutional Rights, Palestine Solidarity Legal Support, National Students for Justice in Palestine, and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee attached a joint letter to Judge Drain to the amicus papers, supporting Ms. Odeh’s request for reconsideration of bond. NLG President Azadeh Shahshahani said, “Rasmea Odeh belongs with her friends and community, especially the Arab-American women she has been supporting and serving for the past decade. Based on her deep bonds to Chicago and her exemplary character, she should be set free immediately.”

Odeh faces a sentence of up to ten years in prison and immediate deportation upon release, which could not only threaten her safety, but also deprive the Chicago community of her outstanding leadership and support.

#DetroitMI #NationalLawyersGuild #RasmeaOdeh #PoliticalRepression

Judge Donnelly’s order from today reads in part, “The City’s claim that citizen safety, park maintenance and park preservation constitute the substantial governmental interests that justifies closing the park seven hours nightly fails because the City routinely closes the park for fewer than seven hours nightly, making ad hoc exceptions to the Curfew for permitted groups.” The order continued, “Because it is undisputed that the City closes Grant Park longer than necessary to serve the government's interests, the Curfew is not narrowly tailored, in violation of the First Amendment. The Curfew also violates the Illinois Constitution which provides a more vigorous right to free assembly, embracing even non-expressive assemblies.”

“Judge Donnelly made the right decision by declaring the city's ordinance unconstitutional and by dismissing the remaining cases brought by the city against activists legitimately engaged in free speech,” said NLG attorney Sarah Gelsomino from the People's Law Office and one of the lawyers representing the charged activists. “Hopefully this sends a clear message to the city that they must better respect the First Amendment rights of protesters no matter what their message might be.”

Nearly a year ago, on Oct. 16 and 23, 2011, more than 300 Occupy Chicago activists were arrested for protesting in Grant Park and accused of violating the city's park curfew, which had been inconsistently imposed from 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Most of the 300 protesters arrested have already accepted a deal with the city to resolve their cases for community service in lieu of a conviction. It's unclear whether these agreements will need to be revisited as a result of the ruling.

In his order, Judge Donnelly pointed out the city’s inconsistent enforcement by stating that, “While the City arrested everyone remaining in Grant Park during the Occupy Chicago rally, the City arrested no one at the Obama 2008 presidential election victory rally, even though the Obama rally was equally in violation of the Curfew. That violates Defendants’ right to equal protection because it treats similarly situated citizens differently.”

After supporting the rights of Occupy Chicago activists for months, the Chicago chapter of the NLG went on to provide legal support for the thousands who protested against the NATO summit in May.

#ChicagoIL #NationalLawyersGuild #OccupyChicago #InjusticeSystem

Protesters responded immediately to the police repression by mobilizing a large crowd in less than 24 hours. According to the National Lawyers Guild, police “disappeared” nine people for nearly a day – first in the Organized Crime Building and later a Chicago police station. Friends and family had no idea what was happening and Chicago police denied any knowledge. After two days, three people remained in jail facing serious terrorism charges, with bail set at $1.5 million.

Upon arriving at Daley Plaza, Zoe Sigman of Occupy Chicago thanked the crowd and then asked everyone to sit down in silence for ten minutes in solidarity with the nine people taken away by the police and the three charged with terrorism. When the solidarity silence ended, Zoe rose to speak from on top of a flower box and denounced the police raid. She described the busting down of the door of the apartment and the abuse of those living there. Sigman spoke about the need to stand against police repression and to continue to protest the war-makers of NATO in Chicago. She also called for people to not be fearful, but to mobilize even more people to come to Grant Park for the big anti-NATO protest against war and poverty on Sunday, May 20.

Stephanie Weiner with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression spoke next and denounced the 2010 FBI raids on 23 Midwest activists’ homes and the home of Carlos Montes a few months later. She said that solidarity with Zoe and the other activists abused and arrested can beat back this outrageous attack. Weiner said, “We are powerful, we can build a powerful movement to stop NATO and its wars, and we can beat back police and FBI repression if we stick together!”

Then a student from Utah and the Revolutionary Students Union spoke. Gregory Lucero was visited by the FBI at his home and they wanted to know about organizing a trip to protest NATO and war. Lucero said, “What do you say when the FBI or police come to your door?” The crowd shouted, “Nothing!” Then Lucero ended by saying it is important to speak out against FBI repression and war.

Finally, a speaker from Cleveland spoke about the recent arrest of three young homeless men who are part of the Occupy movement and how they were set up by the FBI. He asked for solidarity as they face serious charges in this latest FBI frame-up.

The march proceeded from Daley Plaza and eventually onto Michigan Avenue, with tourists and workers taking photographs and smiling as they went by. The streets of Chicago are alive with the sounds of protest, opposing repression at home and war abroad.

#ChicagoIL #NationalLawyersGuild #CarlosMontes #PoliceRaid #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #ChicagoNATOSummit #AntiWar23

National Lawyers Guild Condemns Preemptive Police Raids & Unlawful Searches on the Streets.

Early morning house raid in Bridgeport and harassment of activists indicates intolerance of free speech rights.

Chicago, IL – The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) condemns a preemptive police raid that took place at approximately 11:30pm Wednesday in the Bridgeport neighborhood, and instances of harassment on the street, in which Chicago police are unlawfully detaining, searching, and questioning NATO protesters. The Bridgeport raid was apparently conducted by the Organized Crime Division of the Chicago Police Department and resulted in as many as 8 arrests.

According to witnesses in Bridgeport, police broke down a door to access a 6-unit apartment building near 32nd & Morgan Streets without a search warrant. Police entered an apartment with guns drawn and tackled one of the tenants to the floor in his kitchen. Two tenants were handcuffed for more than 2 hours in their living room while police searched their apartment and a neighboring unit, repeatedly calling one of the tenants a “Commie faggot.” A search warrant produced 4 hours after police broke into the apartment was missing a judge's signature, according to witnesses. Among items seized by police in the Bridgeport raid were beer-making supplies and at least one cell phone.

“Preemptive raids like this are a hallmark of National Special Security Events,” said Sarah Gelsomino with the NLG and the People's Law Office. “The Chicago police and other law enforcement agencies should be aware that this behavior will not be tolerated and will result in real consequences for the city.”

In another incident, 3 plainclothes police officers unlawfully stopped, handcuffed, and searched a NATO protester on Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive at approximately 2pm today. According to the protester, he did not consent to a search and there was no probable cause to detain him. The police also photographed and questioned him about where he was from, how he got to Chicago, how long it took, what he was doing here, where he was staying, who he was with, and how long he was planning to say in Chicago. The protester refused to answer any questions and was eventually released.

The NLG has received reports that at least 20 people have been arrested so far this week, and two people are still in custody, not including the Bridgeport residents who are still unaccounted for. One of the protesters currently being detained, Danny Johnson of Los Angeles, has been accused of assaulting a police officer during an immigrant rights rally on Tuesday afternoon. However, multiple witnesses on the scene, including an NLG Legal Observer, recorded a version of events that contradict the accusations of police.

During the week of NATO demonstrations, the NLG is staffing a legal office and answering calls from activists on the streets and in jail. The NLG will also be dispatching scores of Legal Observers to record police misconduct and representing arrestees in the event the city pursues criminal prosecutions.

Contact: NLG Legal Worker Kris Hermes 510-681-6361 or NLG Attorney Sarah Gelsomino 773-520-8246

#ChicagoIL #NationalLawyersGuild #PoliceRaid #ChicagoNATOSummit

Jim Fennerty: On March 20, 2003 almost 800 anti-war protesters were arrested on Chicago Avenue in Chicago. Prior to the arrest between 10 and15,000 anti-war protesters who were protesting the start of the Iraq war were escorted by the Chicago Police as they marched from Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago over to Lake Shore Drive where they proceeded to walk north on Lake Shore Drive and then exited on Oak Street.

When the protesters exited on Oak Street they were met by a line of police at Michigan Avenue and were not allowed to cross Michigan Avenue or march down Michigan Avenue and return to Federal Plaza. After waiting over an hour the police told some marchers that they could go back the way they came. Others in the march, who could not hear the police, on their own started marching back to Inner Lake Shore Drive and eventually on to Chicago Avenue after being allowed by the police. The marchers again marched to Michigan Avenue where they were met by another police line preventing them from crossing Michigan Avenue or marching down Michigan Avenue and back to Federal Plaza.

On Chicago Avenue the protesters were surrounded by the Chicago Police and detained up to three hours. In the detained crowd, besides protesters, there were joggers, people who just got off the bus, workers who just got off of work and shoppers. The protesters were peaceful and some were chanting that they just wanted to go home. None of the people detained were ever given orders by the police to disperse or an opportunity to leave.

Eventually the police started to arrest people and to put them into police wagons or buses. Hundreds were taken to jail where many were charged with misdemeanors and had to attend court. Hundreds of people taken to jail were released, some spending 40 hours in jail because they could not be identified by a police officer that they were at Chicago and Michigan Avenues. Several hundred others were detained on the street up to three hours before being released.

The Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild called for volunteers to represent everyone who was charged with a crime. After several appearances in court all the people who the Guild attorneys represented had their charges dismissed.

At the same time several of these same Guild attorneys filed a class action law suit challenging the unconstitutional arrest of the people who were arrested or detained on Chicago Avenue. After almost nine years of litigation where over 100 people were deposed, the City of Chicago decided to settle the class action on the eve of trial for $6.2 million.

Fight Back!: Why did the city settle?

Fennerty: Because they knew that they were going to lose big time at trial. Two years earlier a federal judge agreed with the city that the police were immune from suit because the law was not established in this federal district that before you could arrest non-violent protesters you had to give them an order to disperse and an opportunity to leave. Also the judge held that the protesters could be arrested because they were marching without a permit.

On appeal to the 7th Circuit the court reversed the district court judge and held that the law was that protesters could not be rounded up and arrested without giving them a notice to disperse, which all could hear, and an opportunity to leave. The court also held that since the protest was a spontaneous demonstration, they could march without a permit.

Also the police defended the case on their statements that the protesters were violent, destroyed property and were charging the police lines. Nothing could be further from the truth. The police videos showed peaceful demonstrators who, when they got to Chicago Avenue just wanted to go home.

Fight Back!: Does this impact on the plans for the May 19 march against the NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda and other protests during the NATO/G8 summits?

Fennerty: Already the City has stated that they have changed their procedures for mass arrests. Recently during the arrest of Occupy Chicago the police have given individual orders to disperse and opportunity to leave before making arrests. Will this mean that during the NATO/G8 protests the Chicago Police will follow the constitution remains to be seen.

Note: the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8) won permits from the City of Chicago to rally in Daley Plaza and march to McCormick Place. While the Secret Service is threatening to revoke the permits in service of the National Special Security Event, CANG8 is determined to go forward with a family friendly, permitted march on May 19. CANG8 continues to demand that Mayor Emanuel stop vilifying protesters as violent; that Police Superintendent McCarthy stop threatening protesters with mass arrests and that the Obama administration and Homeland Security Director Napolitano, who is over Secret Service, respect the permits granted by the City of Chicago.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #NationalLawyersGuild #MayorRahmEmmanuel #rightToProtest #NATOG8Summit