Over 100 people marched to the steps of the Durham Police Department, Nov. 23, to demand justice for 34-year-old Frank “Scooter Bug” Clark. Clark, an African American, was shot multiple times by Durham police on the afternoon of Nov. 22 in the McDougald Terrace public housing project. Protesters blocked the streets in front of the police department for over an hour while speakers railed against the police shooting.

Organizers and speakers from Durham Beyond Policing, FADE, All of Us or None, and BYP100 were present at the protest, along with many friends and family members of Clark and residents of McDougald Terrace. The rally was emotional as family and friends wept and mourned the loss of Clark, a father of four young girls. Many expressed anger that the Black community continues to be the target of police violence.

Police allege that Clark made a sudden movement towards his waistband as he was being searched, and then a shot was heard, prompting officers to open fire. Police also say they found a gun nearby. But this account is being disputed by witnesses and family members. Clark’s family and organizers are in the process of collecting statements and testimony about the officers involved in the killing.

Two of the officers involved in the shooting have a history of violent conduct. According to the News & Observer, in 2006 officer Charles Barkley used a flashlight to break up a fight between two girls outside Jordan High School, which resulted in a fractured skull for one of the girls. Also according to the News & Observer, in 2016, officer Southerland was found to have used excessive force by tasering a teenage boy.

In a post on Durham Beyond Policing’s Facebook page, Clark’s family issued a statement which reads in part:

“We want the 3 police officers involved in yesterday’s murder to be fired and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are asking the community to avoid speaking to the media about Scooter Bug or his murder. Instead we ask that you please share, with the media, your stories about Office Charles Barkley’s repeated harassment of people in our community.”

The statement continues: “The story of what happened to Scooter Bug should be told by someone other than the police or any other state agency. We are therefore seeking an independent autopsy that will tell a complete story of yesterday’s events. [...] We hold the city of Durham responsible for Scooter’s murder. Our loved one was killed by a police officer acting on behalf of the city.”

In a city that is rapidly gentrifying, some protesters also noted the vast and growing inequality in the city and the lack of opportunities and jobs for those who live in predominantly Black neighborhoods. The rally ended with protesters vowing to continue to demand justice for Clark and for the Black community as a whole in the struggle against police violence.

#DurhamNC #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles

Durham, NC – Over 200 people gathered in east Durham on June 20 to rally and speak out against the white supremacist terror attack in Charleston that left nine African Americans dead earlier this week. The rally, organized by the Durham Solidarity Center, included speakers from Muslims for Social Justice, Black Workers for Justice, Workers World Party, as well as other activists and organizers in the community.

“I still feel numb over what happened,” said Lamont Lilly, the emcee of the event. “Every week there is a hashtag of someone in our community who's been killed.” Another speaker quoted Malcom X, saying, “We are not Americans, we are victims of America.”

While the overriding emotions expressed were of shock and pain, many speakers urged those in attendance to organize, defend the community and keep fighting back against racist terror and police killings. Desmera Gatewood gave an powerful speech that urged everyone attending to work every day to challenge the system of racist oppression. Qasima Wideman, speaking for Muslims for Social Justice, noted, “We call on Muslim community to join us in challenging white supremacy in all its forms, whether murders of Black and brown people by police, school-to-prison-pipeline, prison-industrial-complex, environmental racism, gentrification or the war on poor.”

#DurhamNC #AfricanAmerican #Antiracism #Charleston #SouthCarolina

Durham, NC – About 60 people marched to the Durham police headquarters, Dec. 19, to protest attacks by Durham riot police on peaceful protesters in recent weeks. The march kicked off with the chanting of Assata Shakur's words, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains!”

Led by organizers with Southerners on New Ground (SONG), demonstrators brought with them over 500 petition signatures demanding an end to police repression of activists.

In response to the lack of indictments of police in Ferguson, Missouri and New York in the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, organizers in Durham have led several demonstrations over the last month, the largest of which saw hundreds occupy the streets of central Durham for hours. In several of these demonstrations, Durham police have reacted with force and deployed riot police to suppress the protesters. Adding insult to injury, the Durham police chief has also blamed “outside agitators” for the way protests have unfolded in recent weeks.

As a statement from SONG notes, “In response to a peaceful protest attended by hundreds of Durhamites and local university students, our police department dressed in riot gear, wielded nightsticks used to hit demonstrators at random, and deployed sound cannons. Several of the 31 people who were unjustly arrested on that night [Dec 5] also sustained injuries from being thrown to the ground, kicked, pinned-down, and otherwise roughed-up.”

Standing outside the police station, protesters formed a line around both sides of the building and shined lights on the windows to show that Durham citizens are watching police and will not tolerate police violence.

The protest came one day after about 50 people interrupted a city council meeting, denouncing the police attacks on protesters and demanding that city council take action.

Some city council members have criticized protesters for violating city ordinances and protest rules. In a call and response at the city council meeting, protesters called out “Which side are you on?”, then named civil rights icons and revolutionaries – such as Rosa Parks, Assata Shakur, Bayard Rustin and Martin Luther King Jr. – and detailed their ‘crimes’ of blocking traffic, disrupting business as usual and breaking laws.

The message was to point out, as Martin Luther King Jr. did, that “an unjust law is no law at all” and the real issue is not whether protesters block streets or highways, but that people want justice for Eric Garner and Michael Brown, and an end to police brutality, racist policing and political repression.

#DurhamNC #PoliceBrutality #PoliticalRepression #EricGarner #MichaelBrown #BlackLivesMatter

Durham, NC – About 500 people took to the streets of Durham on Dec. 5 to protest police brutality and the criminal injustice system. Hundreds gathered in Durham's downtown CCB Plaza and rallied for an hour, where mainly African American speakers relayed story after story of police abuse and racist discrimination.

After the rally, a powerful Black and Brown-led march kicked off from the square down to the city jail, where protesters formed a human bridge across multiple lanes of traffic, while several others held a die-in. Hundreds chanted, “No justice, no peace, no racist police!” Dozens of prisoners in the jail banged on windows in support of the protest.

The protest then marched down to the Durham freeway and blocked both directions of traffic for nearly an hour before returning back to the jail. Riot police and SWAT team were on hand. The Durham police tried to use an LRAD sound cannon in a failed attempt to disperse the protest.

After hours of marching, the police arrested 31 protesters. Despite the arrests and police repression, and the heartache felt by so many who have been directly affected by police brutality, the overall mood was one of anger, courage and willingness to struggle to get justice for Eric Garner, Mike Brown and all those who have been killed by racist cops.

#DurhamNC #PoliceBrutality #EricGarner #MichaelBrown #LRAD

Durham, NC — Protesters gathered at a busy intersection outside the Durham Public Library, Nov 4, to show solidarity with Rasmea Odeh. The action coincided with the opening of Odeh’s trial in Detroit.

Hundreds of commuters and passers-by on their way to the polling station at the library saw the protest. The demonstrators held a large banner reading “Justice for Rasmea, Free Palestine!”, and distributed literature to those who stopped by.

The newly-formed Durham Antiwar Committee organized the protest.

#DurhamNC #HolyLandFive #RasmeaOdeh #PoliticalPrisoners

Durham, NC – Over 60 people gathered at a busy intersection in downtown Durham on Aug. 8 to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. Protesters chanted “Free, free Palestine!” and “End the occupation now!” as hundreds of people witnessed the rally from the road, many honking car horns in support.

The rally, organized by the Triangle Antiwar Committee, is the latest in a wave of protests in the area opposing the ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Among the speakers was Genna Cohen, an organizer with Jewish Voices for Peace’s campaign to demand that Durham cut ties with G4S, a private security contractor. “Durham should not do business with a company that profits off the occupation of Palestine,” Cohen said to cheers from the crowd. According to the campaign organizers, G4S profits from providing security services for military checkpoints, Israeli detention centers and illegal settlements.

#DurhamNC #AntiwarMovement #PalestineSolidarity #AntiwarCommittee #IsraeliOccupation #MiddleEast

Durham, NC – More than 200 people rallied and marched in downtown here, July 23, to protest the Israeli occupation's assault on Gaza and the people of Palestine.

A statement from the protest organizers noted, “This most recent Israeli assault on Gaza continues to escalate and the death and casualty numbers continue to rise in a Palestinian territory that has been under a state of siege, including a blockade on building materials and other basic supplies, since 2006.” The statement continued, “We believe that Israel is committing mass murder against all people living in Gaza, using killing as a tactic of ensuring the power of the Israeli settler state and the occupation of Palestine.”

The rally kicked off with rousing speeches from activists and moving testimony from Palestinians whose families have been affected by the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza. The rally was held in the busy Five Points intersection in Durham, so hundreds of passersby heard the speeches and saw the demonstration. A petition to demand justice for Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh was circulated; many people took “Support Rasmea” pamphlets home with them and activists expressed their solidarity and support for the campaign.

After the rally, a vibrant, loud march kicked off through the streets of downtown, with protesters chanting “Free, free Palestine!” and “Gaza, Gaza don't you cry, Palestine will never die!”

The march went to the downtown public library, where speeches were made demanding that Durham county cut ties with G4S, a British private security company which plays a key role in Israel's occupation of Palestine. Durham County has a $1 million contract with G4S. A campaign is currently underway calling on Durham County to join the global Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement by not renewing the contract with G4S.

From there, the march proceeded to the downtown jail. As prisoners tapped on their windows in support, organizers spoke about the repression visited on Palestinians and the struggles to end repression of oppressed nationalities here at home.

The Durham protest is the latest in a wave of actions here in solidarity with Palestine in recent days. Three protests have been held in Carrboro, Durham and Raleigh over the last five days and on July 25 two vigils will be held in Durham.

#DurhamNC #AntiwarMovement #PalestineSolidarity #Zionism #attacksOnGaza #IsraeliOccupation #MiddleEast

Personally, I don’t believe one word of what the Durham Police Department has stated. It seems to me, and many others throughout the city, Durham police officers are simply covering their tracks with a concocted story that makes no physical or logical sense whatsoever. Judging from the city’s buzz of conversations, many residents believe Officer Duncan was directly responsible for Huerta’s death. It is also quite disturbing how the first thing Durham police chose to highlight in this controversy was Huerta’s past juvenile offenses. Trespassing and misdemeanor possession of cannabis was not the cause of Jesus Huerta’s death. Such sheer lack of accountability on behalf of the Durham Police Department is not only disrespectful, it’s outright despicable. Entertaining such ploy is merely a distraction from gathering the truth of what actually happened here. Maybe someone should pull up the Durham Police Department’s criminal record. Fact is, a 17-year-old boy who was allegedly handcuffed, mysteriously died in police custody. Many residents are pointing to police brutality and excessive use of force.

Unfortunately, Jesus Huerta became the third Durham resident killed by or in Durham police custody over the last five months. 33-year-old Jose Ocampo was killed July 27, shot four times in the chest for possessing a knife. 26-year-old Derek Deandre Walker was executed Sept. 17 by a Durham police sniper for publicly threatening to commit suicide.

Personally, I’m not worried about the ‘Bloods and Crips’ in Durham. I’m worried about our local thugs in pressed blue uniforms. I’m worried about gang members who carry badges, Tasers, steel batons and handguns, ‘law enforcers’ who are paid with public tax money to terrorize people. Jesus Huerta deserves more than blanket apologies from city officials. Phony condolences are of no use, here. Huerta’s family members deserve justice; local Durham residents deserve the truth. A young man has been killed and we need answers. We need answers and Officer Samuel Duncan arrested. Now!

Lamont Lilly is a contributing editor with the Triangle Free Press, Human Rights Delegate with Witness for Peace and organizer with Workers World Party. He resides in Durham, NC.

#DurhamNC #PoliceBrutality #InjusticeSystem #JesusHuerta #JoseOcampo

‘Black August’ is a month-long celebration that marks the remembrance of the lives of freedom fighters who gave their all for African American progress, freedom and mass consciousness. The origin of Black August was first initiated in honor of the fallen soldiers who valiantly fought to liberate George Lester Jackson from the modern day slave trade we now call the U.S. penal system.

On Aug. 7, 1970, freedom fighters – James McClain, William Christmas, Ruchell Magee, Khatari Gaulden and 17-year-old Jonathon Jackson led a courthouse rebellion in a brave display of all out resistance and armed struggle. Unfortunately, lives were lost as they typically are in any war. Magee, who is currently still incarcerated, was the only survivor. And though our heralded comrade, George Jackson was not completely freed, the efforts of Jonathon and others would inspire decades of continued resistance and revolutionary solidarity.

In 1970, George Jackson had just completed the book Soledad Brother, a philosophical revolutionary classic. Jackson however, was assassinated by San Quentin prison guards one year later on Aug. 21, 1971. His second book, Blood in My Eye was published posthumously by Black Classic Press. Jackson’s legacy has inspired millions worldwide, while his literary works continue to teach even in his physical absence. This is the background in which Black August was first formed. It was deep within the belly of the California Penal System that it was first embraced and formally established as a month of reverence, as a time of revolutionary celebration.

Inmates today have continued to protest and press forward all over the U.S. Hunger strikes have roused hundreds of thousands in states such as California, Georgia and North Carolina. Letter writing campaigns have served as vital lines of inspiration and direct communication. Human rights activists such as Mumia Abu-Jamal have served as critical catalysts, tirelessly working to empower the voices of those who continue to be oppressed by the public and private prison industry.

Today, in the spirit of continued resistance we honor the deaths of Mark Clark, Fred Hampton and Geronimo Pratt. We honor the sacrifices and life work of political prisoners, Eddie Conway, Assata Shakur and Sundiata Acoli. We honor the countless victims of COINTELPRO’s callous attacks upon the people. We duly recognize the destructive ills of capitalism and its disastrous effects upon the oppressed, worldwide. In the age of the prison industrial complex, school-to-prison pipeline and widespread police brutality, the struggle for justice and liberation is alive now more than ever.

In the 34th year of Black August, may we all take heed to the spirited words of our brother and mentor, George Lester Jackson: “Settle your quarrels, come together, understand the reality of our situation, understand that fascism is already here, that people are dying who could be saved.”

Lamont Lilly is a contributing editor with the Triangle Free Press, a Human Rights Delegate with Witness for Peace and organizer with Workers World Party. He resides in Durham, North Carolina.

#DurhamNC #PeoplesStruggles #MarchOnWashington #Antiracism #BlackAugust #FreedomFighters #GeorgeJackson

Durham, NC – Chants of “No justice, no peace! No racist police!” and “Free Carlos Riley Jr.!” rang out on June 28, as about 40 people gathered outside the Durham police headquarters to demand the charges be dropped against Carlos Riley Jr.

On Dec. 18, Carlos Riley Jr., a 21-year-old African American man, was pulled over by Officer Kelly Stewart, who was in an unmarked car. According to the [Liberty and Justice for Carlos Riley Jr. campaign](http://carlosrileyjr.weebly.com/), the officer accused Riley of smoking marijuana, got into the car and began to choke him. Riley struggled to breathe and attempted to free himself. Officer Stewart then shot himself in the leg. Riley pulled the gun away from the officer and left the scene fearing that he would be shot by other police officers when they arrived. He turned himself in several hours later.

A complete account of the events as well as an update with the taped statement of the officer in question is available on the [Liberty and Justice for Carlos Riley Jr. petition page](https://www.change.org/petitions/free-carlos-riley-jr).

Carlos Riley's aunt, Cheryl Riley, told Fight Back!, “We're here to show support that we are standing behind Carlos Riley Jr., and to bring awareness to the city of Durham and citizens about what has happened. We need to stand up for our rights, we need to let city of Durham know we aren't going to stand for the incarcerations and targeting people for their skin color or what type of clothing they have on. It's wrong.” Cheryl Riley added, “Just because you have a badge and carry a gun, that does not make you above the law, you cannot take the law into your own hands. This needs to stop.”

#DurhamNorthCarolina #DurhamNC #CarlosRileyJr #WrongfulConviction

Durham, NC – Holding signs and shaking noise-makers, about 50 people gathered outside the Durham County Detention Facility on Feb. 20. The protest brought out a diverse group of people, who held banners that read “No more prisons” and “Solidarity with prisoners everywhere.” Others held placards saying, “End prisoners abuse and solitary confinement.” Dozens of people honked their car horns in support as they drove past the demonstration.

In the distance and several stories above, inmates crowded around the few windows that looked out onto the plaza, waving to the demonstrators.

More than 16 cities held rallies on Feb. 20 as part of a national day of action, “Occupy 4 Prisoners”, that emerged from a [January general assembly at Occupy Oakland](http://occupy4prisoners.org/2012/01/09/proposal-to-occupy-oakland-general-assembly/). The Occupy for Prisoners call to action was informed by a letter from [Kevin Cooper](http://occupy4prisoners.org/2012/01/06/occupy-death-row-by-kevin-cooper/), a prisoner on death row in San Quentin, who wrote in an open letter to the Occupy movement earlier this year, “No man or woman on death row in this state, or any other state, is a 'Have.' We are also the 'Have Nots.' We are the bottom 1 %.”

Occupy for Prisoners calls for abolishing the death penalty; supporting prisoner struggles such as the [Pelican Bay hunger strike](http://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/); freeing political prisoners; ending the repression of activists; dismantling solitary confinement and “Secured Housing Units” and shifting public funds from the prison-industrial complex towards improving communities. 13 Occupy assemblies endorsed the protest, along with dozens of national organizations.

The call from Occupy for Prisoners notes:

“Mass incarceration is the new Jim Crow. Between 1970 and 1995, the incarceration of African Americans increased 7 times. Currently African Americans make up 12 % of the population in the U.S. but 53% of the nation’s prison population. There are more African Americans under correctional control today—in prison or jail, on probation or parole – than were enslaved in 1850, a decade before the Civil War began.

“The prison system is the most visible example of policies of punitive containment of the most marginalized and oppressed in our society. Prior to incarceration, 2/3 of all prisoners lived in conditions of economic hardship. While the perpetrators of white-collar crime largely go free.”

Candace Mujahid, an organizer with the Ban the Box Durham initiative – a movement aiming to ban the use of the “have you ever been convicted of a crime?” question on job applications – noted that prisons are big business (one report from 2006 suggests it is a [$37 billion dollar a year industry](http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2006/12/01/8394995/index.htm). “They are utilizing prison labor to make products and sell products and not putting any of that money to rehabilitation or education access,” Mujahid said.

Across the country, there is growing awareness and outrage about for-profit prisons, mass incarceration of Black and Latino youth, racist death penalty sentences and long sentences for non-violent drug offenses. While the U.S. has 5% of the world's population, it has [25% of the world's prisoners](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/world/americas/23iht-23prison.12253738.html). As organizers of the Occupy for Prisoners day of action noted, any movement of the 99% must fight for justice for prisoners and their families, who are among the most oppressed and exploited in society today.

#DurhamNC #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyForPrisoners

Durham, NC – 40 people marched here, Nov. 12, from Occupy Durham's rallying place in downtown Durham to a Wells Fargo branch two miles away, to protest big banks like Wells Fargo, Citibank, Bank of America and others. Protesters chanted, “Hey hey Wells Fargo, foreclosures have got to go!” and “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!” After arriving at the bank, ten people withdrew their money and closed down their accounts with Wells Fargo. Outside the bank, protesters held signs and denounced foreclosures and exploitative lending practices – under the watchful eye of three Durham police squad cars and another police officer on foot.

The protest was part of the national “Move your money” campaign, which has seen [650,000 open up accounts at local credit unions](http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/11/03/360804/650000-americans-credit-unions/) in October 2011 – more than all of 2010 combined. That campaign has itself gained steam based on the Occupy Wall Street movement that is sweeping across the country, with hundreds of encampments and protests against the wealthy and elite taking place every week.

Organizer Alex Chassanoff with [Occupy Durham](http://www.occupydurham.org) commented, “We're against the big banks' predatory lending, illegal foreclosure practices, extremely high interest rates and hidden fees. We want people to invest in the local community, not with the banks that represent the interests of the 1%.”

#DurhamNC #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyDurham #MoveYourMoney

Durham, NC – Over 60 protesters marched on Durham City Hall here, Nov. 2, where the Public Utilities Commission was holding a hearing about Duke Energy's proposed 18% rate hike. After rallying outside, 200 people packed the two-hour hearing in City Hall to speak out against the rate hike.

The march kicked off at the newly-renamed People's Plaza, where [Occupy Durham](http://www.occupydurham.org) has had an encampment over the last several weeks. 40 people rallied before marching through downtown Durham, chanting “No hike, No way! Duke Energy, we won't pay!” and “Money for jobs and education, not for greedy corporations!”

Outside the Public Utilities Commission hearing, a press conference organized by North Carolina WARN (Waste Awareness & Reduction Network) brought together speakers from numerous community organizations and businesses in the area. Rafael Estrada, speaking as a member of the Occupy Durham movement at the press conference, stated, “We want to point out how obscene it is for a corporation that had record profits of $1.3 billion in 2010 to ask for a rate increase of 17% in 2011. This increase means a hard blow to all residents in the state and it would be especially harmful to those that are mostly affected by corporate greed: those below and near the poverty line, the unemployed and the undocumented.”

Duke Energy claims the rate hike is necessary to “begin recovering $4.8 billion in investments made since 2009 to modernize our electric system and comply with state and federal emissions regulations.” But according to their own statements, [75% of the increase would go to capital investments](http://www.duke-energy.com/north-carolina/nc-rate-change.asp). This means the public is footing the bill for the foundation of future profits for Duke Energy. Duke Energy's profits went up [23% in 2010 alone, to $1.3 billion](http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/02/18/2071433/duke-earnings-up-23-in-2010.html).

Alissa Ellis is an unemployed mother who is active with Occupy Durham and helped lead the rally outside the hearing. Ellis told Fight Back!, “It is important to educate people about what big greedy corporations are doing because most of the public is in the dark.”

Ellis continued, “It is important for the city of Durham to show to the commission that we don't support this increase. We are a broad coalition of people, we are the 99%, and the 1% shouldn't be allowed to push us around anymore and take our money.”

Duke Energy is also facing heat due to a planned merger with Progress Energy. The merger would result in the country's largest utility – an enormously powerful monopoly – valued at $65 billion.

#DurhamNC #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyDurham #DukeEnergy #NCWARN

Durham, NC – A spirited march of 35 people weaved its way through downtown Durham at noon on Nov. 2, making stops at the Durham Police Station, the Court House and the jail before rallying at People's Plaza.

Commenting on the purpose of the demonstration, Adam Pyburn of Occupy Durham said, “We're standing in solidarity with the city of Oakland and their decision to hold a general strike, their fight back against police and government repression. And we stand in solidarity with the people of Durham who have to fight that fight every day.”

The city of Oakland was the scene of a violent police crackdown last week on Occupy Oakland that left an Iraq war veteran critically wounded and resulted in scores of arrests. In response, Occupy Oakland issued a call for a general strike and solidarity marches on Nov. 2. Occupy Durham heeded the call.

The protesters handed out fliers and received enthusiastic support from passersby. Some people joined in as the march passed through downtown, chanting, “Fired up, can't take it no more!” and holding signs against police brutality.

At the closing rally at People's Plaza, speakers spoke about Oakland, Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Durham and FBI repression.

Justine Johnson, a speaker at the rally, told *Fight Back!*, “Barely two years after transit police murdered Oscar Grant, sparking widespread street protests in Oakland, the courageous people of Oakland are proving again the transformative power of masses of people taking to the streets. Today, the whole world is watching Oakland. As a participant of Occupy Durham, I supported today's march and rally. I marched to show solidarity with Oakland, to oppose police harassment and brutality in all communities and to fight for a new system that will liberate us all.”

Joan Walsh, with the Triangle Committee to Stop FBI Repression, said, “The repression against the Occupy movement, the 2000 arrests in the last month, is political repression - just like the FBI repression that antiwar and solidarity activists are facing. It's repression used by the 1% against the 99% and those working for social change.”

#DurhamNC #PoliceBrutality #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyDurham #OccupyOakland

Joan Walsh, a Durham resident and member of the Triangle Committee to Stop FBI Repression, commented, “The letter is carefully but strongly worded, and coming from a highly-respected Congressman such as Mr. Price, should contribute to the swift termination of this unwarranted infringement on the rights of peaceful, conscientious activists. We wish to thank the Congressman for sending this letter and hope to continue working with him and others to end such abuses.”

In the letter, Rep. Price refers to the fact that the subpoenaed activists have not been informed of the potential charges against them or the specific focus of the investigation. The letter highlights the lack of openness by the Department of Justice and the FBI in this investigation, and urges Attorney General Holder to “resolve the matter in a timely and transparent manner.”

Price also cited the Department of Justice Inspector General report from September 2010, which found that FBI offices had conducted surveillance and spying on anti-war activists who had no links to any federal crimes. Rep. Price told Attorney General Holder that his constituents are concerned that the activists are being targeted for their political views. The letter to Attorney General Holder also expresses Price’s constituents’ concern about the chilling effect of the FBI’s actions on the broader movements for social justice in the United States.

“We urge activists to contact their Congressional representatives now about writing similar letters to President Obama and Attorney General Holder,” said Tom Burke, a coordinator of legislative work with the national Committee to Stop FBI Repression. “Congressman David Price’s letter is just the latest example of the growing movement to stop the grand jury and FBI repression of the anti-war and solidarity movements.”

Further information about work with Senators and Congress members around the September 24 FBI raids can be found at http://www.stopfbi.net/resources/legislators. Activists who want help in obtaining similar letters from their Congressional representatives should contact Richard Berg or Lucia Wilkes.

Full text of the letter, dated April 5, 2011:

The Honorable Eric Holder

Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20530

Dear Attorney General Holder:

I am writing to convey the concerns of my constituents regarding the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) investigation of several individuals and organizations associated with anti-war activism.

As you are aware, on September 24, 2010, the FBI conducted searches of seven homes and an office building in Minneapolis and Chicago and issued subpoenas to 23 individuals in Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan. According to firsthand reports, the FBI also visited the homes of individuals in Milwaukee, San Jose, and Durham, North Carolina – which I represent in Congress – to question them in relation to the investigation. Although the FBI has refused to comment publicly about the investigation, media reports have cited documents indicating that the case is focused on potential violations of federal laws prohibiting the provision of material support to terrorist organizations. To my knowledge, however, none of the individuals who received subpoenas or were questioned in the case have been informed of the potential charges against them or the specific focus of the investigation.

Several of my constituents have expressed concerns that the Bureau might be targeting these individuals and organizations because of their political views rather than their direct connection to a federal criminal investigation, citing a Department of Justice Inspector General report which found that FBI field offices have at times conducted law enforcement activities against domestic anti-war activists without evident links to a federal crime. In addition to their concern for the rights of the individuals in this particular case, my constituents are worried about the potential “chilling effect” that such investigations could have on the protected free speech rights of domestic activists.

I am not in a position to judge whether or not these concerns are warranted, and I understand that the Department cannot comment on an ongoing criminal investigation. However, any information you can provide about the status of this investigation or the timeline for its conclusion, consistent with all applicable laws and regulations, would be greatly appreciated. I am sure you will agree that it is in the Department’s interest to resolve this matter in a timely and transparent manner, in order to counter any perception that the FBI has acted inappropriately.

I appreciate your attention to this issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me or Asher Hildebrand of my staff at (202) 225-1784 if you would like to discuss it further.

Sincerely,

David Price

Member of Congress

#DurhamNC #DavidPrice #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression

Durham, NC – About 30 people gathered at the Durham Federal Courthouse this morning to speak out against the grand jury proceedings being used by the FBI against anti-war activists. The protest was one of many across the country that brought out hundreds of people to denounce the latest wave of FBI repression on the anti-war movement.

Elena Everett, an anti-war activist in Durham, was the target of Homeland Security and Joint Terrorism Task Force harassment for anti-war activities in 2004. “We're calling for an immediate end to harassment of anti-war activists,” Everett said at the press conference. “The peace and justice community will not be silent, and we will not allow this to have a chilling effect on our work for justice and against war.”

Four FBI agents visited Kosta Harlan, a Durham anti-war activist and member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Colombia Action Network, on the morning of Sept. 24.

“It is a sad day indeed when peace activists are being investigated and repressed by the FBI,” said Harlan.

“The FBI repression of these peace activists is not just an attack on the anti-war movement, it's an attack on all people who work for social change,” Harlan emphasized. “The FBI has been using these repressive tactics against the Muslim community for nine years, with disastrous results for Muslims and for our democratic rights. Now they want to broaden the repression to other sections of the people.”

Theresa El-Amin, co-chair of the Green Party and regional co-ordinator for the Southern Anti-Racism Network spoke at the press conference along with John Heuer from North Carolina Peace Action. Durham activist Chelsea Earles spoke about her experiences organizing with Minneapolis activists Jess Sundin and Mick Kelly as a student in the Twin Cities, and stated her support for them and the other activists facing FBI repression. Members of Raleigh FIST (Fight Imperialism, Stand Together), UNC Students for a Democratic Society, Duke Against War, and other progressive organizations mobilized for the rally.

Organizers of the rally plan to further mobilize the community over the coming weeks to support the anti-war activists targeted by the FBI.

More information can be found online at http://www.stopfbi.net

#DurhamNC #AntiwarMovement #StudentMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #September24FBIRaids

Attorney Louis Scott presented an outline of the case of the Jena 6 (See “Justice for the Jena 6!”, Fight Back! September 2007), emphasizing the breakdowns of the criminal justice system in the railroading of Mychal Bell. Scott pointed out that no white student was ever punished for hanging the nooses. No police report of the fight has been seen. Charges against the Jena 6 were brought on the basis of written statements – many of which contradicted one another. Bell was tried as an adult through a questionable legal maneuver of District Attorney Reed Walters. An all-white jury convicted Bell – and all members said they knew the District Attorney on a personal level. At least one juror said he knew he could not be fair, but still served on the jury.

It was soon after Mychal Bell’s conviction that local residents in Jena, Louisiana asked Louis Scott, a civil rights lawyer in nearby Monroe, to take over the defense. Mychal Bell was briefly released from jail thanks to Scott’s efforts and the pressure of mass mobilizations – including the tens of thousands who marched on Jena and demonstrated around the country on Sep. 20 and the student walkouts on campuses across the country on Oct. 1. Today, however, Bell is back in jail on trumped-up charges, thanks to the work of the district attorney, who, despite the blatant racism and injustices in the conviction of Bell, having been exposed for all to see, refuses to back off. As Reverend Barber said on this point, “We have a system from the White House to the court house that does not know how to repent.”

Louis Scott explained the political significance of the case, “This case struck a nerve. But we have to ask why. On one level, it’s your parents’ classic civil rights case: ‘Do African-Americans have the same right to stand under the same tree as whites?’ In that sense it’s a 1957 civil rights case.”

“But the tree is symbolic of more than just a tree,” Scott continued. “The tree is symbolic of the Constitution of the United States. It asks the question: do we, African American people, have the same rights as other Americans under the Constitution and the criminal justice system? Do we have equal rights and equal justice? It’s as simple as that.”

After the presentations by Scott and Barber, several students and parents took the floor to comment and ask questions. Some parents explained how their children were currently locked up in prison due to blatant racism in the North Carolina criminal justice system, and asked members in attendance to support their cases and help build pressure to free them. Several students spoke of the urgent need to organize and resist the assaults on African American civil rights.

Denaro Allen, a law student at North Carolina Central University, said, “This makes my blood boil. This generation needs to wake up. A lot of times we’re afraid to talk about it. I’m not afraid anymore. I encourage you to wake up.”

Allen continued, “This is not an isolated incident, by any means. They have killed millions of our people, Black people, African American people – we’ve been fighting since the day we got here! It’s a testament to the will and strength of our people that we’re still here to speak out.”

Mychal Bell’s next court date is Nov. 7. In the meantime, the movement to free Bell and the Jena 6 continues to grow. All across the country, African American students and youth and their allies are organizing forums, teach-ins, sit-ins and street protests to expose the racist U.S. criminal justice system and defend the Six.

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Durham, NC - Over 120 protesters representing dozens of organizations and many nationalities rallied here, Jan. 3, to support the people of Gaza and denounce the U.S.-supported Israeli attacks on Palestinians. Protesters chanted, “We want justice for all Gaza!” and “Free Palestine.” Several local anti-war leaders spoke at the rally and emphasized the importance of linking the struggle against the occupation in Iraq with the struggle for liberation and peace in Palestine.

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