Minneapolis, MN – On Feb. 15, a panel called, “Victories in Resistance, Solidarity Against Injustice” was organized by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) to celebrate newly-won freedom and to reflect on how to do political prisoner solidarity which builds our movements.

The basement at the Minnehaha Free Space was packed for an emotional discussion that was alternately jubilant and sobering. More than 50 people gathered to hear from Lynne Stewart and CeCe McDonald, both recently released from prison. Sabry Wazwaz, an Palestinian activist and AWC member also spoke, along with AWC-member Jess Sundin, one of the Midwest activists targeted by an ongoing FBI and grand jury investigation.

Sundin explained the motivations for the event, “In 2010, the idea that any of us could become a political prisoner became very personal for me and other members of the Anti-War Committee. As many of you know, we were the targets of a two-year undercover investigation. Our homes and office were raided by the FB, and we were ordered to appear before a grand jury in Chicago. When each of us refused to testify there – to serve as witnesses against each other, our movements or our allies abroad – we made that decision in spite of the very real threat of imprisonment.

“While it was painful, as we made arrangements for who would care for our children if we were taken away, we felt we had no choice. Our testimony could have endangered the very lives of people like Samer Issawi, leaders of the people’s movements we had met on solidarity trips to Palestine and Colombia. And while on the one hand, it’s a decision you make alone, we never stood alone – Lynne sent a solidarity statement to one of our early rallies. Delicious lasagna made by CeCe was served at a community dinner to support us. And thousands of people across the country – and the world – joined us in demanding an end to the grand jury. We had our own victory against that grand jury – out of 23 people called, not one testified. And out of 23 grand jury resisters, not one was jailed for refusing to testify. The threat against us was very real, and very personal. But so was the solidarity.”

The government claims it is investigating anti-war and international solidarity activism as a form of “providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations.” Long-time attorney, Lynne Stewart, was also faced a ‘material support’ charge, for her work defending an Egyptian cleric accused of terrorism.

Lynne Stewart, speaking via Skype, was greeted by audience cheers. First, she thanked supporters for writing her in prison and encouraged people to keep writing other prisoners. She said that letters are important acts of solidarity that keep political prisoners from being isolated and called each one “a poke in the eye against imperialism.”

Stewart, who is battling stage four breast cancer, credited the movement with getting her out before she was ready to die. She said it was through the tireless work of supporters that the U.S. government decided it was more destructive to keep her in prison than to release her. 45,000 people signed the petition demanding Stewart’s compassionate release. She highlighted the work of her husband, Ralph Poynter, for her release. In speaking of his relentless picketing of the White House during blistering heat in August she said “Everyone should have a Ralph, and everyone does when we have a movement!”

The audience was moved to see Stewart in her first Midwest appearance since her release from prison.

CeCe McDonald was also warmly greeted by the audience which was eager to hear her speak about her experiences just one month after being released from prison. In June 2011, CeCe McDonald fought off a racist, transphobic attack. She was sentenced to 41 months in a men’s prison for second degree manslaughter, despite clear evidence of self-defense. She is an international symbol of the resistance and resilience of trans women of color.

McDonald said that community support also helped her win an early release from prison. She was proud that the movement had sent a loud and clear message that trans women of color were not disposable. She gave special mention to the CeCe McDonald Support Committee, several of whom were present.

McDonald described how the struggle around her case moved her forward politically, “I learned about my history, about the history of powerful Black women like Assata Shakur and Angela Davis through this process. It made me open up my eyes and learn to love myself more… It was my duty to prove a point, that they couldn’t turn me into a statistic and it was the people in the community who helped me.”

Anti-War Committee activist Sabry Wazwaz shared the words of Palestinian political prisoner Samer Al-Issawi, written in a message to his supporters on Day 209 of his hunger strike, “I draw my strength from my people, from all the free people, from friends and the families of the prisoners who continue day and night chanting freedom and an end to the occupation.” Wazwaz added some experiences of his own family, Palestinians confronting Israeli apartheid.

After a record 266 days on hunger strike, Issawi won his freedom in December 2013. During Issawi’s hunger strike he became a symbol of the epidemic of unlawful detention of Palestinians with no charges or trials by the Israeli government. He would only end his hunger strike with a promise of freedom and the right to return home, tying his demand to the universal Palestinian struggle for that right to return to homes and land stolen by Israel.

These cases inspired international support and attention not only because of the extreme injustice faced in each case, but also because Lynne Stewart, CeCe McDonald and Samer Issawi all spoke from behind the prison walls, to demand greater justice for all.

Jess Sundin called on those present to continue to fight for more victories against injustices. “The government has used its investigation of us to target our friends and allies across the country. First was Carlos Montes, Chicano leader from Los Angeles – we beat back their attempts to imprison him.” At this point, the crowd interrupted with applause.

She continued, “And now we have Palestinian community leader Rasmea Odeh. We know her from Chicago’s Arab American Action Network, where she works with Hatem Abudayyeh, one of the main targets in our case. Rasmea is charged with immigration fraud. Allegedly, in her application for citizenship, she didn’t mention that she was arrested 45 years ago by an illegitimate Israeli military court. To describe her past as though she was a some kind of terrorist, legitimately and legally arrested by the Israeli government, covers up that Israel occupies Palestinian land and arrests and tortures Palestinians systematically and illegally.

“Supposedly an immigration case, this stems at least in part from the investigation against us. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas, the lead prosecutor in our case, was at the courtroom, consulting with the assistant U.S. attorney who was presenting the indictment to the judge. The indictment against Rasmea reads more like one of his anti-terrorism cases than an immigration paperwork violation.”

Sundin urged action, “If the government wins its case against Rasmea, she faces imprisonment and deportation. We ask that all of you learn more about her story, and take action to stop the government from railroading her as part of its continuing repression of Palestinians and people who stand in solidarity with them.”

A collection was taken to support CeCe McDonald and to contribute to Lynn Stewart’s medical expenses. For information about how you could donate to help keep Stewart alive please go to: http://lynnestewart.org/.

The event was organized by the Anti-War Committee and endorsed by Communities United Against Police Brutality, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, MN Coalition for Palestinian Rights, MN Committee Against FBI Repression, MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Twin Cities Socialist Action, U of MN Students for a Democratic Society, Veterans for Peace (chapter 27), Welfare Rights Committee, and Women Against Military Madness.

#MinneapolisMN #PoliticalPrisoner #LynneStewart #USImperialism #CeCeMcDonald #InjusticeSystem

During the meeting, Freeman cited his office's three-hour staff training in 2010 and a lesbian employee to demonstrate his awareness of the issues facing LGBTQ people. Supporters cited a petition with over 14,500 signatures and letters from over 35 local and national organizations, including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Coalition of Anti-violence Programs, and Outfront Minnesota, to demonstrate the international concern over his ongoing prosecution of McDonald.

Freeman's letter made special note of his office's longstanding relationship with LGBT organization Outfront Minnesota. Cheré Suzette Bergeron, who attended today's meeting as Outfront Minnesota's Anti-Violence Program Coordinator, told Freeman, “It is deeply troubling that you have not responded to our letter asking why charges are being pressed in this case when they have been dropped in similar cases,” and reiterated Outfront Minnesota's concern over Freeman's treatment of McDonald.

Freeman was adamant that gender, race, sexual orientation and class do not play into his prosecution decisions. Supporters repeatedly stated that these factors have been at play in every moment of CeCe's case, from the initial attack she experienced through her arrest and current incarceration. Lex Horan, a Support Committee member stated, “Freeman described the incident as a neutral conflict between two groups of people in the street. He refuses to acknowledge that CeCe was attacked because of her race and gender. Claiming colorblindness in this case doesn't make Freeman objective; it makes him ignorant of the reality facing transgender women of color.”

In a letter to Freeman, the National Coalition of Anti-violence Programs noted that they have responded to three murders of transgender women in April alone. McDonald supporter Billy Navarro Jr. made note of this statistic and said, “So many transgender women of color are attacked and violently killed. In this case, CeCe is basically being prosecuted for surviving.”

Rai’vyn Cross, McDonald's sister, closed the 30-minute meeting by saying, “We're not going to get justice.” Indeed, Freeman himself had acknowledged earlier in the meeting, “The criminal justice system is not built for, nor is it good at, solving a lot of society's problems.” Support Committee members agreed with this assessment of the criminal legal system, but contended that prosecuting McDonald condones violence against transgender women of color and makes problems plaguing society, including racism, sexism and transphobia, worse.

McDonald was scheduled to have a pretrial evidentiary hearing April 24, at 9 a.m. About 40 of McDonald's supporters arrived to demonstrate their support in the courtroom. However, the hearing was continued. McDonald's trial is scheduled to begin Monday, April 30.

#MinneapolisMN #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #CeCeMcDonald #transgender #HennepinCountyAttorneyMichaelFreeman

Minneapolis, MN – Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald appeared in court, Dec. 20 for a hearing where it was decided that her trial will begin on April 30, 2012, instead of the original start date of Jan. 9. Judge Moreno also ruled that, given the delayed trial date, McDonald will be permitted furlough time to seek employment and, once she finds a job, to go to work. The defense argued that McDonald should be granted furlough time to return to continue her schooling at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, given that she has been a “model citizen” in the months since her release from jail. However, Judge Moreno ruled against this request. The prosecution opposed both work and educational furloughs for McDonald, although they did not cite any specific rationalization for their position.

Both the defense and the prosecution in McDonald’s case supported the continuance. The defense plans to call an expert witness to testify regarding Dean Schmitz’s toxicology on the night that he attacked McDonald, but this witness is unavailable for the earlier trial date. The prosecution cited “pending legal issues,” noting that they need to conduct a handwriting analysis on a letter that McDonald allegedly wrote to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in June, as well as verify the credentials of the defense’s expert witness.

“We’re glad that the judge granted CeCe’s request for work furlough. But it’s alarming that they’re keeping her from continuing her college education – why won’t they let a Black woman go to school but they will let her work?” said local hip-hop artist Heidi Barton-Stink. “These charges have disrupted CeCe’s life for too long already. The only real solution is for Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman to drop these unjust charges so that CeCe can go back to her life.”

Although McDonald was given less than 24 hours notice of today’s court proceedings, around 20 of her family members and supporters filled the courtroom to remind the prosecution and the judge that McDonald has strong community backing.

“It’s clear that the prosecution thinks that, with the delayed trial date, community support for CeCe and public attention on her case will diminish,” said Jay Jahmia Masika of the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition. “But we see right through this; we know that the prosecution doesn’t have anything on CeCe and they need more time to scramble to put together a case. We’ll keep showing up to every court date and throwing events for CeCe, no matter when she goes to trial.”

Chrishaun McDonald is a young African-American transgender woman who was attacked by a group of white adults while walking by the Schooner Tavern on Lake Street in South Minneapolis. The attack occurred early on the morning of June 5. As Ms. McDonald and her friends walked past the bar on their way to Cub Foods, patrons of the bar attacked them with transphobic and racist slurs and bashed Ms. McDonald’s face with a glass beer mug, puncturing her cheek all the way through and lacerating her salivary gland. Although Ms. McDonald was the target of a hate crime; she was singled out and charged with second degree murder after one of the attackers died as a result of injuries sustained in the ensuing fight.

Supporters will continue to spread the word about the injustice McDonald is suffering in the legal system and demand that Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman drop the charges against her. Visit http://supportcece.wordpress.com or email mpls4cece@gmail.com for more information.

#MinneapolisMN #LGBTQ #AfricanAmerican #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #CeCeMcDonald

Minneapolis, MN – Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald appeared in court, Dec. 5, for the first evidentiary hearing for the charges she is facing after being the target of a racist attack in June of this year. Prosecutors argued that a statement police extracted from McDonald under adverse conditions after her arrest should be admitted at trial, while McDonald’s attorney argued that the police denied her due process rights by extracting the statement after she had been isolated for hours when she was exhausted and in physical and emotional distress.

In another key development in the case, McDonald announced that she will be pursuing an affirmative defense of self-defense resulting in an accidental death.

The court heard testimony from Sergeant Christopher Gaiters of the Minneapolis Police Department, one of the officers who interrogated McDonald in the early morning hours after her arrest. McDonald was released from the emergency room at the Hennepin County Medical Center just before 4:00 a.m. on June 5, where she received eleven stitches in her cheek, local anesthetic and pain medication. She was subsequently transferred to an interrogation room at City Hall, where her questioning did not begin until 8:10 a.m.

Gaiters testified that he and his partner left McDonald alone in the interrogation cell for approximately three hours before interrogating her at length, repeatedly pushing her to talk more when they were unsatisfied with her account of the attack. Although McDonald stated at the beginning of the interrogation that she was having trouble speaking due to the stitches in her cheek, Gaiters continued to pressure her to make a statement, promising her that, if she told him more, he would tell the County Attorney her side of the story.

“Sergeant Gaiters insisted in court today that he and his partner acted courteously and professionally when interrogating CeCe,” said Jude Ortiz. “But it was apparent to everyone in the courtroom that these niceties only cover the abusive process CeCe was subjected to after surviving a brutal attack by people motivated by white supremacist hate. She was seriously wounded, traumatized from the violence she experienced, exhausted from being kept up all night in a small interrogation cell and had no attorney present. The police didn’t have to be mean to her to force her to give them the statement they wanted to hear – all they had to do was take advantage of the vulnerable state she was in.”

Supporters vow to continue packing the courtroom and spreading the word about the injustice McDonald is facing from the legal system. McDonald’s trial is tentatively scheduled to begin on Jan. 9, 2012.

Visit http://supportcece.wordpress.com or email mpls4cece@gmail.com for more information.

#MinneapolisMN #LGBTQ #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #CeCeMcDonald

Community members from the Trans Youth Support Network, Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition, OutFront Minnesota and Communities United against Police Brutality joined together chanting, “If CeCe don’t get no justice, you don’t get no peace!” The rally is one of a number of actions highlighting Freeman’s implicit support of white supremacy by prosecuting McDonald for murder after she was the target of a racist, transphobic attack by a group of white adults outside of Schooner Tavern on Lake Street. earlier this year. One of the attackers, Dean Schmitz, had a swastika tattoo on his chest and died as the result of a stab wound inflicted during the attack.

Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB), a local anti-police brutality advocacy and support group, told McDonald’s supporters: “We at CUAPB come to the Government Center for court watch regularly, and the vast majority of defendants are people of color and low-income people. CeCe’s case is the crystallization of everything that’s wrong with the so-called ‘justice system.’ But even though the deck is stacked against CeCe, us being down here makes a huge difference: it’s the only way that CeCe’s going to see justice. We need to keep reminding Freeman that we’re here, and we’re not going anywhere until he drops the charges.” CUAPB is one of many organizations from around the metro area and nation that have voiced support for McDonald as she continues to fight back against the retaliatory prosecution led by Freeman's office.

During the rally, supporters held posters and a large banner showing their support for McDonald, heard speeches by Gross and Lex Horan from the Support CeCe McDonald Committee, and chanted loudly to let Freeman know that community pressure will not let up on his office until he drops the charges against McDonald. After supporters began chanting, two representatives of Freeman’s office – Marlene Senechal, the Managing Attorney in the Adult Prosecution Division and Ashley Schweitzer, the Community Relations and Social Media Representative – came out to talk with the crowd. They listened to supporters concerns and promised to contact them with Freeman’s responses.

Supporters have planned a call-in day for Nov. 22 so that supporters nationwide can demand justice in McDonald’s case from Freeman’s office. The call-in campaign comes on the same day as a 3:00 p.m. hearing on McDonald's case in Room 1357 in the Government Center.

Visit http://supportcece.wordpress.com or email mpls4cece@gmail.com for more information.

#MinneapolisMN #LGBTQ #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #CeCeMcDonald #transgender #TransYouthSupportNetwork #CommunitiesUnitedAgainstPoliceBrutality

Rejecting the prosecution’s assertion that Ms. McDonald poses a threat to the community, Judge Daniel C. Moreno ordered her bail lowered from $150,000 to $75,000, a fraction of the $500,000 the prosecution originally sought.

Chrishaun McDonald is a young, African-American, transgender woman who was attacked by a group of white adults while walking by the Schooner Tavern on Lake Street in South Minneapolis. The attack occurred early on the morning of June 5, 2011. As Ms. McDonald and her friends walked past the bar on their way to Cub Foods, patrons of the bar attacked them with transphobic and racist slurs and bashed Ms. McDonald’s face with a glass beer mug, puncturing her cheek all the way through and lacerating her salivary gland. Although Ms. McDonald was the target of a hate crime; she was singled out and charged with second degree murder after one of the attackers died as a result of injuries sustained in the ensuing fight.

The bail reduction comes on the heels of Ms. McDonald’s release from solitary confinement last Wednesday. Ms. McDonald spent the first month after her arrest in solitary confinement against her wishes, although jail officials claimed that the classification was for her own protection as a transgender woman. On Sept. 15 she was returned to solitary confinement, with no explanation offered by the jail. After several days of phone calls to the jail from supporters, Ms. McDonald was returned to the psychiatric ward on Sept. 21. Ms. McDonald has consistently stated that she feels safer housed with other people, though she continues to be held in the male unit despite having repeatedly asserted her desire to be housed with other women.

Ms. McDonald’s supporters have drawn connections between her case and broader patterns of violence and discrimination that transgender women of color face at disproportionate rates. According to a Sept. 18 article on Truth-Out.org, “A recent report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs found that 50% of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) murders in 2009 and 44% of LGBT murders in 2010 were of [transgender women](http://www.avp.org/documents/NCAVPHateViolenceReport2011Finaledjlfinaledits.pdf).”

Since Ms. McDonald’s arrest, her family has experienced repeated harassment from people connected with Dean Schmitz. They have received threatening phone calls and have been harassed in public by people they recognized from the scene of the attack on Ms. McDonald. In one incident they had bottles thrown at them and a car followed them down the street, its passengers yelling racial slurs and telling them to “go back to Africa.”

Though DNA evidence is due back in December, Ms. McDonald’s trial isn’t scheduled to begin until Jan. 9 of next year; no other hearings are currently scheduled.

In the coming months, supporters say they will continue to fundraise for McDonald’s bail fund and generate publicity around her case. They have vowed to rally and pack the courtroom again on Jan. 9, to demand that the charges against Ms. McDonald be dropped.

Visit [http://supportcece.wordpress.com/](http://supportcece.wordpress.com) or email [mpls4cece@gmail.com](mailto:mpls4cece@gmail.com) for more information about the case and support campaign, or find supporters on Facebook at [http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002567181562](http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002567181562).

#MinneapolisMN #LGBTQ #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #CeCeMcDonald #transgender

By Luce Guillen-Given, Lex Huran, Kris Gebhard, Billy Navarro Jr., Katie Burgess and Jill Bartel

Minneapolis, MN – A young African American transgender woman was attacked by a group of white men outside of the Schooner Tavern on Lake Street in South Minneapolis, early on the morning of June 5, 2011. Chrishaun (CeCe) McDonald and her friends were on their way to the grocery store when they were attacked by patrons of the bar with transphobic and racist slurs, and one person bashed Ms. McDonald’s face with a glass beer mug. Although Ms. McDonald was the target of a hate crime, she was singled out and charged with second degree murder after one of the attackers was killed.

After her arrest, she was held for two months in solitary confinement for her ‘protection.’ She was denied adequate medical attention for those two months during which the wound on her face, which punctured her cheek, abscessed to the sized of a golf ball. Ms. McDonald and community members rallied for her transfer from solitary and she was moved to an all male psychiatric wing for about a month. Last week she was sent back to solitary confinement again, for unknown reasons.

Since Ms. McDonald’s arrest her family has received harassing phone calls threatening both their well-being and her safety in jail. They have also been approached violently in public settings: They have had bottles thrown at them and several trucks have followed them down the street. They continue to fear for their safety and want Ms. McDonald home.

Community members emphasize that Ms. McDonald’s case takes place in a broader atmosphere of violence against transgender women of color. “The painful reality is that the expectation of violence is constant for many transgender women of color. That violence takes place within families, on the streets, in the workplace, in schools and in jails and prisons,” noted Katie Burgess, Executive Director of the Trans Youth Support Network. In a national survey of trans people, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force found that 38% of African American respondents experienced police harassment, 15% reported being physically assaulted by the police and 7% reported being sexually assaulted by the police.

“Given the discrimination, harassment, abuse and violence that Chrishaun and so many other transgender women of color face every day, we see that the only resolution to this case is to release her back to her family and friends. It is clear that she can never be safe while housed in a prison or jail. Her family wants her back home.” Burgess explained, “We know that Chrishaun cannot receive a fair trial by a jury of her peers – because of transphobia and racism, the deck is stacked against her.”

Community members have rallied for each of Ms. McDonald’s three court appearances, packing her court room and calling for solutions to violence against transgender women of color in Minnesota. “We need to stop the bullying, we need to stop transgender people being assaulted…We need to stand in unity, as GLBT people,” said David Tomlinson of local GLBT organization Sotaboyzz Ent. ZaVawn Zay, Ms. McDonald’s brother, reiterated, “It’s a sad day that in 2011 transgender people still have to look over their shoulder when walking down the street. I would like to see change, I would like to see the people and the community involved and putting their social differences aside and come as one.”

“CeCe has shown amazing resiliency and leadership during the past few months, calling for her own release and an end to this kind of violence and discrimination,” said Burgess. JayJay Cross, McDonald’s sister, called on those gathered to sustain their support: “I want my sister to get out of jail, because she means so much to me. I want to ask people to support her, to love her, to show caring…She just shined in that courtroom. When she told us she loved us it just showed everyone in the courtroom her spirit.”

Leaving the courtroom during her cousin’s last appearance, Cee Cee Howell said, “It’s just a shame that we have to keep going through these trials...we have to sit here being frustrated and sad. Love her and can’t wait for her to get out and I’ll stick with her till the end.”

In a communication to her supporters, Ms. McDonald said, “This kind of love gives me inspiration and keeps me motivated to fight for myself and those who have been in my shoes, and for future generations. I believe this one incident is going to open the eyes of many and show people what…the GLBTQ community has to go through.”

Visit http://supportcece.wordpress.com or email mpls4cece@gmail.com for more information, or find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002567181562

#MinneapolisMN #LGBTQ #AfricanAmerican #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #CeCeMcDonald #transgender #ChrishaunMcDonald