mickkelly &mdash; Fight Back! News https://fightbacknews.org/tag:mickkelly News and Views from the People's Struggle Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:44:42 +0000 https://i.snap.as/RZCOEKyz.png mickkelly &mdash; Fight Back! News https://fightbacknews.org/tag:mickkelly 100 years of the Communist Party of China https://fightbacknews.org/100-years-communist-party-china?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Enter a descriptive sentence about the photo here. Mick Kelly is a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and is responsible for the organization’s international relations. The following essay appeared in the book, A Century of the Communist Party of China, Statements from 100 Foreign Communists, published by the Contemporary China Publishing House. !--more-- This July 2021 marks a world historic occasion, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). It is an event of real significance for progressives, revolutionaries, and communists the world over, including those of us in the United States. China’s rich experience in defeating Western and Japanese imperialism, eliminating feudalism, and constructing a socialist society is of interest to all who hope for and are working for a bright future. The Chinese people once had three immense mountains on their backs - imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism. The CPC lead the Chinese people in removing these burdens. Old China, beset by the plague of foreign imperialists, warlords, and the land-owning class of parasites, was a nightmare of starvation and subjugation. It was a society unable to save itself, and helpless in the face of adversity. The British waged a war for the “right” to sell opium and claimed the city of Hong Kong as its own. The U.S. and other Western powers occupied Beijing in 1900, looting art, burning historic buildings, and mutilating the bodies of those they murdered – for the propose of obtaining an “open door” to exploit the land, labor and resources of the Chinese people. In Shanghai, the foreigners had their own park and they put up a sign, “No dogs or Chinese allowed.” Adding insult to injury they assumed the mantle of “standard bearers of civilization.” New China, the China led by the CPC and supported by other patriotic forces put to end to that. Standing on the rostrum of Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1949, the outstanding Marxist–Leninist, Mao Zedong proclaimed, “The Chinese have stood up,” and the much-needed work of building a modern, socialist country commenced. Here in the U.S., the importance of the Chinese revolution and the positive example provided by socialism stands out in sharp relief. While the number of poor is growing in the United States, and the standard of living along with life expediency is declining, People’s China is eliminating poverty. Under the leadership of the CPC, China waged a people’s war on the COVID-19 pandemic and brought the crisis under control. Contrast that with the U.S., where a combination of criminal government mismanagement of the pandemic combined with a heath care system that exists only to obtain the highest rate of profit, has left more than half a million people dead. And every day that number grows. Anyone who takes the perspective of the working class, and the broad masses of people as a whole, cannot help but to conclude that monopoly capitalism is a failed system that exists to serve the few at the expense of the many. CPC is an organizer of successes and a problem solver Critical to China’s many successes is the commitment to applying the living science of Marxism, or scientific socialism, to the realities of Chinese society. This includes maintaining the leading role of the CPC and adhering to the road of building socialism with characteristics that suit China’s needs. By any standard, the results have been spectacular. For example, the economy of the People’s China has grown every year since 1949. Socialism has proved its superiority time and time again. On the other hand, the economies of the West, including the U.S., are prone to periodic crises of overproduction, where industries are shut down, factories are shuttered, and communities of working-class people are devastated. Be it in regard to tackling the problem of land reform, issues of national development, or contributions on the world stage – there is much for communists everywhere to learn from. China like the U.S. has many nationalities. China fosters equality and mutual respect among its different nationalities, and the leaders of the CPC have adopted many positive measures, such as supporting the liberation of Tibetans from serfdom. Compare that with Washington’s dismal human rights record, or with the oppression visited upon the African American people, who face systematic inequality which is enforced by police terror. That is why a major uprising rocked the U.S. following the murder of George Floyd. The people of the U.S. have had enough of racist discrimination and the anger is growing. Monopoly capitalism never solves problems, it causes them. Even before taking nationwide political power in 1949, the CPC had made big contributions to the world revolutionary process. By undertaking the national united front against Japan, China along with the Soviet Union made big contributions to the defeat of the fascist powers. The CPC also developed Marxist–Leninist thinking on the problems of national liberation, party building, the need for the people to have their own armed forces, and the necessity of uniting all who can by united in a broad united front for liberation. Evaluating the process that led to the creation of the Communist Party and the important role the Party has played, Xi Jinping correctly told the 9th CPC National Congress: “A hundred years ago, the salvoes of the October Revolution brought Marxism-Leninism to China. In the scientific truth of Marxism-Leninism, Chinese progressives saw a solution to China's problems. With the advent of modern times, Chinese society became embroiled in intense upheavals; this was a time of fierce struggle as the Chinese people resisted feudal rule and foreign aggression. It was in the midst of this, in 1921, as Marxism-Leninism was integrated with the Chinese workers' movement, that the Communist Party of China was born. From that moment on, the Chinese people have had in the Party a backbone for their pursuit of national independence and liberation, of a stronger and more prosperous country, and of their own happiness; and the mindset of the Chinese people has changed, from passivity to taking the initiative.” It cannot be said that the CPC has never made any mistakes because that would be a departure from the facts. That said, the CPC has long advanced the idea that, “practice is the sole criterion of truth,” which has allowed Chinese communists to address problems in a timely way, and that by far and away is the main thing. Every person and every political party sometimes make errors. How could it be otherwise? The point however is to be good at summing up one’s practice and have clear criteria to distinguish right from wrong. For example, in the mid to late 1980’s some forces emerged in China that were antagonistic to socialism. With Western backing, they opposed the socialist road and said the “moon shined brighter in the West.” In the end the CPC was able to address these problems, overcome the challenges posed by destructive forces, maintain the leading role of the party in society, and continue on the road of socialist development. All this contrasts favorably with the setbacks that impacted some of the socialist countries. Starting in the late 1950’s, the leaders of the USSR departed from Marxism–Leninism, then caused splits in the world communist movement, and allowed corruption to divorce the leaders of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from the working people. This same process was reproduced in the socialist counties of Eastern Europe. In the end, socialism was destroyed from within by hostile class forces – with the willing assistance of Western imperial powers. The peoples of the USSR and Europe found out through their own bitter experience what happens when capitalism wins out. The result was hunger, degradation, and wars. The accomplishments won by the heroic contributions of the working class and peasantry vanished in an onslaught of reaction. In what was the USSR, millions wish for socialism’s return. This experience should stand as reminder to communists everywhere of understanding the great value of what we have, that the socialist counties should be treasured, and clarity about the differences between capitalism and socialism as well as between correct and incorrect, right and wrong. In the U.S. there are quite a few leftists who reject dialectical and historical materialism, and instead have adopted the standpoint of subjective idealism. They take the view that if a socialist country is not exactly the way they want it to be – then it is not socialist. This is wrong and contrary to reality. China and the world The world is a better place for the existence of People’s China and the CPC. The victory of the Chinese revolution transformed the world. At one stroke, a fourth of humanity was liberated from the yoke of imperialism, took the socialist road, and began the journey to a society without classes: communism. This development alone changed the balance of world forces and weakened the position of the imperialist powers in a big way. In 1949, the world was a different place. Much of the globe was under the rule of colonial powers who dominated the lives of hundreds of millions of people in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. The Chinese revolution gave tremendous energy to the fight to end colonialism and neo-colonialism. It paved the path for the victory in Vietnam, Cuba and many other places. People everywhere want to be free to determine their own destiny. The example, and at times material assistance of China, was a major factor in the fight for independence and national liberation. Today the continued existence of the Peoples Republic of China, as well as the other socialist counties are an important factor in the world communist movement and brighten the prospects for socialism on a world scale. It is a good thing that there is an alternative to imperialism. Here in the U.S., all the contradictions in society are sharpening as the decline of imperialism picks up speed. Each day more people are looking to socialism as a potential solution to our problems. Quite a few leaders of Freedom Road Socialist Organization have traveled to China, some many decades ago, and we look forward to building a closer relationship with the CPC. Marxism–Leninism has done great things for the people of China. It will do the same for the American people. Together, the peoples of the world can accomplish great things. While China and the CPC have worked tirelessly for world peace, the same cannot be said of the rulers of the U.S. Wall Street and the Pentagon say that China is a strategic competitor, and they speak of war. This is something that we will always oppose. FRSO fully understands that socialist China wants peace, and we oppose each and every act of our government that is harmful to that end. The people of the U.S., China, and indeed the entire world have a shared destiny. What happens to one of us, impacts all of us. We can stand together for a socialist tomorrow. It is a day that is sure to come. #UnitedStates #PeoplesStruggles #China #MickKelly #CommunistPartyOfChina #Asia div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Enter a descriptive sentence about the photo here.

Mick Kelly is a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and is responsible for the organization’s international relations. The following essay appeared in the book, A Century of the Communist Party of China, Statements from 100 Foreign Communists, published by the Contemporary China Publishing House.

This July 2021 marks a world historic occasion, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). It is an event of real significance for progressives, revolutionaries, and communists the world over, including those of us in the United States. China’s rich experience in defeating Western and Japanese imperialism, eliminating feudalism, and constructing a socialist society is of interest to all who hope for and are working for a bright future.

The Chinese people once had three immense mountains on their backs – imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism. The CPC lead the Chinese people in removing these burdens. Old China, beset by the plague of foreign imperialists, warlords, and the land-owning class of parasites, was a nightmare of starvation and subjugation. It was a society unable to save itself, and helpless in the face of adversity.

The British waged a war for the “right” to sell opium and claimed the city of Hong Kong as its own. The U.S. and other Western powers occupied Beijing in 1900, looting art, burning historic buildings, and mutilating the bodies of those they murdered – for the propose of obtaining an “open door” to exploit the land, labor and resources of the Chinese people. In Shanghai, the foreigners had their own park and they put up a sign, “No dogs or Chinese allowed.” Adding insult to injury they assumed the mantle of “standard bearers of civilization.” New China, the China led by the CPC and supported by other patriotic forces put to end to that.

Standing on the rostrum of Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1949, the outstanding Marxist–Leninist, Mao Zedong proclaimed, “The Chinese have stood up,” and the much-needed work of building a modern, socialist country commenced.

Here in the U.S., the importance of the Chinese revolution and the positive example provided by socialism stands out in sharp relief. While the number of poor is growing in the United States, and the standard of living along with life expediency is declining, People’s China is eliminating poverty. Under the leadership of the CPC, China waged a people’s war on the COVID-19 pandemic and brought the crisis under control. Contrast that with the U.S., where a combination of criminal government mismanagement of the pandemic combined with a heath care system that exists only to obtain the highest rate of profit, has left more than half a million people dead. And every day that number grows.

Anyone who takes the perspective of the working class, and the broad masses of people as a whole, cannot help but to conclude that monopoly capitalism is a failed system that exists to serve the few at the expense of the many.

CPC is an organizer of successes and a problem solver

Critical to China’s many successes is the commitment to applying the living science of Marxism, or scientific socialism, to the realities of Chinese society. This includes maintaining the leading role of the CPC and adhering to the road of building socialism with characteristics that suit China’s needs. By any standard, the results have been spectacular. For example, the economy of the People’s China has grown every year since 1949. Socialism has proved its superiority time and time again. On the other hand, the economies of the West, including the U.S., are prone to periodic crises of overproduction, where industries are shut down, factories are shuttered, and communities of working-class people are devastated. Be it in regard to tackling the problem of land reform, issues of national development, or contributions on the world stage – there is much for communists everywhere to learn from.

China like the U.S. has many nationalities. China fosters equality and mutual respect among its different nationalities, and the leaders of the CPC have adopted many positive measures, such as supporting the liberation of Tibetans from serfdom. Compare that with Washington’s dismal human rights record, or with the oppression visited upon the African American people, who face systematic inequality which is enforced by police terror. That is why a major uprising rocked the U.S. following the murder of George Floyd. The people of the U.S. have had enough of racist discrimination and the anger is growing. Monopoly capitalism never solves problems, it causes them.

Even before taking nationwide political power in 1949, the CPC had made big contributions to the world revolutionary process. By undertaking the national united front against Japan, China along with the Soviet Union made big contributions to the defeat of the fascist powers. The CPC also developed Marxist–Leninist thinking on the problems of national liberation, party building, the need for the people to have their own armed forces, and the necessity of uniting all who can by united in a broad united front for liberation.

Evaluating the process that led to the creation of the Communist Party and the important role the Party has played, Xi Jinping correctly told the 9th CPC National Congress:

“A hundred years ago, the salvoes of the October Revolution brought Marxism-Leninism to China. In the scientific truth of Marxism-Leninism, Chinese progressives saw a solution to China's problems. With the advent of modern times, Chinese society became embroiled in intense upheavals; this was a time of fierce struggle as the Chinese people resisted feudal rule and foreign aggression. It was in the midst of this, in 1921, as Marxism-Leninism was integrated with the Chinese workers' movement, that the Communist Party of China was born. From that moment on, the Chinese people have had in the Party a backbone for their pursuit of national independence and liberation, of a stronger and more prosperous country, and of their own happiness; and the mindset of the Chinese people has changed, from passivity to taking the initiative.”

It cannot be said that the CPC has never made any mistakes because that would be a departure from the facts. That said, the CPC has long advanced the idea that, “practice is the sole criterion of truth,” which has allowed Chinese communists to address problems in a timely way, and that by far and away is the main thing.

Every person and every political party sometimes make errors. How could it be otherwise? The point however is to be good at summing up one’s practice and have clear criteria to distinguish right from wrong. For example, in the mid to late 1980’s some forces emerged in China that were antagonistic to socialism. With Western backing, they opposed the socialist road and said the “moon shined brighter in the West.” In the end the CPC was able to address these problems, overcome the challenges posed by destructive forces, maintain the leading role of the party in society, and continue on the road of socialist development.

All this contrasts favorably with the setbacks that impacted some of the socialist countries. Starting in the late 1950’s, the leaders of the USSR departed from Marxism–Leninism, then caused splits in the world communist movement, and allowed corruption to divorce the leaders of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from the working people. This same process was reproduced in the socialist counties of Eastern Europe. In the end, socialism was destroyed from within by hostile class forces – with the willing assistance of Western imperial powers. The peoples of the USSR and Europe found out through their own bitter experience what happens when capitalism wins out. The result was hunger, degradation, and wars. The accomplishments won by the heroic contributions of the working class and peasantry vanished in an onslaught of reaction. In what was the USSR, millions wish for socialism’s return.

This experience should stand as reminder to communists everywhere of understanding the great value of what we have, that the socialist counties should be treasured, and clarity about the differences between capitalism and socialism as well as between correct and incorrect, right and wrong.

In the U.S. there are quite a few leftists who reject dialectical and historical materialism, and instead have adopted the standpoint of subjective idealism. They take the view that if a socialist country is not exactly the way they want it to be – then it is not socialist. This is wrong and contrary to reality.

China and the world

The world is a better place for the existence of People’s China and the CPC. The victory of the Chinese revolution transformed the world. At one stroke, a fourth of humanity was liberated from the yoke of imperialism, took the socialist road, and began the journey to a society without classes: communism. This development alone changed the balance of world forces and weakened the position of the imperialist powers in a big way.

In 1949, the world was a different place. Much of the globe was under the rule of colonial powers who dominated the lives of hundreds of millions of people in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. The Chinese revolution gave tremendous energy to the fight to end colonialism and neo-colonialism. It paved the path for the victory in Vietnam, Cuba and many other places. People everywhere want to be free to determine their own destiny. The example, and at times material assistance of China, was a major factor in the fight for independence and national liberation.

Today the continued existence of the Peoples Republic of China, as well as the other socialist counties are an important factor in the world communist movement and brighten the prospects for socialism on a world scale. It is a good thing that there is an alternative to imperialism.

Here in the U.S., all the contradictions in society are sharpening as the decline of imperialism picks up speed. Each day more people are looking to socialism as a potential solution to our problems.

Quite a few leaders of Freedom Road Socialist Organization have traveled to China, some many decades ago, and we look forward to building a closer relationship with the CPC. Marxism–Leninism has done great things for the people of China. It will do the same for the American people. Together, the peoples of the world can accomplish great things.

While China and the CPC have worked tirelessly for world peace, the same cannot be said of the rulers of the U.S. Wall Street and the Pentagon say that China is a strategic competitor, and they speak of war. This is something that we will always oppose. FRSO fully understands that socialist China wants peace, and we oppose each and every act of our government that is harmful to that end.

The people of the U.S., China, and indeed the entire world have a shared destiny. What happens to one of us, impacts all of us. We can stand together for a socialist tomorrow. It is a day that is sure to come.

#UnitedStates #PeoplesStruggles #China #MickKelly #CommunistPartyOfChina #Asia

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/100-years-communist-party-china Fri, 23 Jul 2021 17:51:24 +0000 Fight Back! fundraising event builds the newspaper that builds the struggle https://fightbacknews.org/fight-back-fundraising-event-builds-newspaper-builds-struggle?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Fight Back! editor Mick Kelly, speaking at Minneapolis fundraising event.") Minneapolis, MN – About 50 people came together here, Jan. 25, for an event that raised more than $1500 for Fight Back! !--more-- Leaders in the labor, immigrant rights, student, anti-war and welfare rights movements gave short toasts stressing the importance of Fight Back! to the struggles they are building. Fight Back! editor Mick Kelly stated that the role of revolutionary press is to build the struggle, help people understand that we have an enemy – the capitalists and their system - that can and will be destroyed and to advocate for socialism, a system where the working class holds political power. Kelly also reported that the online edition of Fight Back! had about 1 million page views this past year and that the next print edition of the paper would be out in late February. #MinneapolisMN #MickKelly #FightBackNews div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Fight Back! editor Mick Kelly, speaking at Minneapolis fundraising event.

Minneapolis, MN – About 50 people came together here, Jan. 25, for an event that raised more than $1500 for Fight Back!

Leaders in the labor, immigrant rights, student, anti-war and welfare rights movements gave short toasts stressing the importance of Fight Back! to the struggles they are building.

Fight Back! editor Mick Kelly stated that the role of revolutionary press is to build the struggle, help people understand that we have an enemy – the capitalists and their system – that can and will be destroyed and to advocate for socialism, a system where the working class holds political power.

Kelly also reported that the online edition of Fight Back! had about 1 million page views this past year and that the next print edition of the paper would be out in late February.

#MinneapolisMN #MickKelly #FightBackNews

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/fight-back-fundraising-event-builds-newspaper-builds-struggle Mon, 26 Jan 2015 23:29:34 +0000 Fight Back! editor speaks on U.S. ‘pivot to Asia’ https://fightbacknews.org/fight-back-editor-speaks-us-pivot-asia?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Mick Kelly speaks on U.S. ‘pivot to Asia.’") Minneapolis, MN – Mick Kelly, anti-war activist and editor of Fight Back! spoke here, Feb. 23, at a forum entitled “Next Target: China?” The event was organized by Mayday Books, a progressive book store. !--more-- Kelly told attendees that the rulers of the U.S. are on collision course with China, stating, “The U.S policy of pivoting towards Asia is all about preparing for a war on China. It might come sooner, due to a miscalculation on Washington’s part or it might come later.” “The U.S. cannot remain a world empire without maintaining its relative hegemony over the Asia-Pacific region. People’s China is in a period of ascendency. China’s economy is different than the capitalist economies of the West. It has expanded each year since 1949 and its growth rates in a relative sense are spectacular. China is playing an expanding role in Asia, Africa and Latin America,” stated Kelly. Kelly talked about the long history of U.S. aggression and interference in China’s internal affairs. He also condemned U.S. support for Japan’s occupation of the Chinese Diaoyu Islands and provocative U.S. military flights near China’s coast. #MinneapolisMN #China #MickKelly #pivotToAsia #Asia div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Mick Kelly speaks on U.S. ‘pivot to Asia.’

Minneapolis, MN – Mick Kelly, anti-war activist and editor of Fight Back! spoke here, Feb. 23, at a forum entitled “Next Target: China?” The event was organized by Mayday Books, a progressive book store.

Kelly told attendees that the rulers of the U.S. are on collision course with China, stating, “The U.S policy of pivoting towards Asia is all about preparing for a war on China. It might come sooner, due to a miscalculation on Washington’s part or it might come later.”

“The U.S. cannot remain a world empire without maintaining its relative hegemony over the Asia-Pacific region. People’s China is in a period of ascendency. China’s economy is different than the capitalist economies of the West. It has expanded each year since 1949 and its growth rates in a relative sense are spectacular. China is playing an expanding role in Asia, Africa and Latin America,” stated Kelly.

Kelly talked about the long history of U.S. aggression and interference in China’s internal affairs. He also condemned U.S. support for Japan’s occupation of the Chinese Diaoyu Islands and provocative U.S. military flights near China’s coast.

#MinneapolisMN #China #MickKelly #pivotToAsia #Asia

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/fight-back-editor-speaks-us-pivot-asia Mon, 24 Feb 2014 04:16:38 +0000 Twin Cities Fight Back! fundraising event major success https://fightbacknews.org/twin-cities-fight-back-fundraising-event-major-success?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Mick Kelly, editor of Fight Back! speaking at fundraising event") Minneapolis, MN – More than 40 people came together here, Jan. 25 for an event to raise funds for Fight Back! newspaper. The house party netted close to $2000. Steff Yorek, who helped organize the fundraiser, stated, “The event exceeded our expectations. It’s clear that people want to help build a revolutionary newspaper that builds the people’s struggle.” !--more-- The event included brief toasts from leaders in the trade union, anti-war, low-income and student movements, who stressed the accomplishments of the paper and the commitment to build Fight Back! in the coming year. Linden Gawboy, an event organizer and member of the Welfare Rights Committee, stated, “We need the print edition of Fight Back!. We use it during our outreach at the welfare offices and in the community. Most of our folks don’t have the internet. A lot of people don’t even have phones for half the month. We need a printed paper that tells the truth and clearly states what needs to be done.” Also speaking at the event was Fight Back! editor Mick Kelly who said that the real heroes who have made the newspaper a success are those who in the thick of building the people’s struggle. Kelly urged attendees to read the internet edition of Fight Back! every day and to forward the articles in social media. He also said that the next print edition would be distributed in many workplaces and communities across the U.S. “ Fight Back! is a tool for change. It is tools to help us in our collective effort to get rid of, to destroy capitalism and replace it with socialism,” said Kelly. #MinneapolisMN #MickKelly #FightBackNews div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Mick Kelly, editor of Fight Back! speaking at fundraising event

Minneapolis, MN – More than 40 people came together here, Jan. 25 for an event to raise funds for Fight Back! newspaper. The house party netted close to $2000. Steff Yorek, who helped organize the fundraiser, stated, “The event exceeded our expectations. It’s clear that people want to help build a revolutionary newspaper that builds the people’s struggle.”

The event included brief toasts from leaders in the trade union, anti-war, low-income and student movements, who stressed the accomplishments of the paper and the commitment to build Fight Back! in the coming year. Linden Gawboy, an event organizer and member of the Welfare Rights Committee, stated, “We need the print edition of Fight Back!. We use it during our outreach at the welfare offices and in the community. Most of our folks don’t have the internet. A lot of people don’t even have phones for half the month. We need a printed paper that tells the truth and clearly states what needs to be done.”

Also speaking at the event was Fight Back! editor Mick Kelly who said that the real heroes who have made the newspaper a success are those who in the thick of building the people’s struggle. Kelly urged attendees to read the internet edition of Fight Back! every day and to forward the articles in social media. He also said that the next print edition would be distributed in many workplaces and communities across the U.S.

“ Fight Back! is a tool for change. It is tools to help us in our collective effort to get rid of, to destroy capitalism and replace it with socialism,” said Kelly.

#MinneapolisMN #MickKelly #FightBackNews

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/twin-cities-fight-back-fundraising-event-major-success Tue, 28 Jan 2014 03:52:27 +0000 Anti-war activists fight government secrecy in push to unseal documents on FBI raids https://fightbacknews.org/anti-war-activists-fight-government-secrecy-push-unseal-documents-fbi-raids?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[U.S. attorney office cites ‘ongoing investigation’ Bruce Nestor, Jess Sundin, and Mick Kelly outside federal court building Nov. 1.") St. Paul, MN - Two prominent anti-war and international solidarity activists, Jess Sundin and Mick Kelly, were in federal court here, Nov. 1, in a bid to pull back the curtain of government secrecy that surrounds the FBI raids on their homes on Sept. 24, 2010. In the hearing presided over by Judge Steven E. Rau, Bruce Nestor, attorney for the plaintiffs, made a passionate argument for a motion to unseal the affidavits used to obtain the search warrants for the FBI raids. !--more-- Nestor told the court that the government cannot raid the homes of political activists without providing an explanation. He also spoke of the chilling effect the raids had on those exercising their First Amendment rights. The Sept. 24, 2010 FBI raids struck seven homes in Minneapolis and Chicago and the office of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee. A total of 23 activists were summoned to a Chicago grand jury investigating “material support for terrorism.” No one testified. At the Nov. 1 hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Winter cited the ongoing investigation into the anti-war and Palestine solidarity activists as the “compelling government interest” in continuing to keep the documents under seal. Judge Rau stated that he will hold a closed ‘in camera’ hearing with Assistant U.S. Attorney Winter in 120 days, where Winter will report on the status and scope of the investigation. After that the judge will make periodic reviews (possibly every 90 days) of the order to keep the documents sealed. Commenting on the Nov. 1 proceedings, Jess Sundin stated, “I came to court today hoping to hear that the investigation of myself and fellow activists was coming to a close and that the veil of secrecy and suspicion around us would be lifted. Instead, the government said the investigation is ongoing. While Assistant U.S. Attorney Winter didn't openly threaten indictments, he expressed that things could develop in our case any day. Given that the government is fighting to keep its secrets hidden, I think he was saying that one or more indictments may still be coming. Or perhaps he expects the investigation will widen, and other activists will be caught up in this shameful witch hunt.” Sundin continued, “I left the courtroom with a sense of foreboding. We need to be prepared, in the event of indictments, possibly within the next few months. We need to defend others who are persecuted for their political ideas or who they are - such as Chicago’s Palestinian community leader Rasmea Odeh. Three years ago, many of us made arrangements for family members to put up their homes, in the event that we would need to make bail. It was a sobering moment after court today, when we were reminded that all of these preparations should be reviewed again today.” Sundin and Kelly have long spoken out against U.S. wars and in support of oppressed people. Mick Kelly said, “This case is all about criminalizing those of us who stand with the struggles in Palestine and Colombia, those of us who work against U.S. wars. There is no doubt that the affidavits used to obtain the search warrants on our homes are full of lies and are an attack on protected political activity. We want to drag them into the light of day.” #SaintPaulMN #JessSundin #MickKelly #September24FBIRaids #AntiWar23 #InjusticeSystem #FBIRepression div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> U.S. attorney office cites ‘ongoing investigation’

Bruce Nestor, Jess Sundin, and Mick Kelly outside federal court building Nov. 1.

St. Paul, MN – Two prominent anti-war and international solidarity activists, Jess Sundin and Mick Kelly, were in federal court here, Nov. 1, in a bid to pull back the curtain of government secrecy that surrounds the FBI raids on their homes on Sept. 24, 2010. In the hearing presided over by Judge Steven E. Rau, Bruce Nestor, attorney for the plaintiffs, made a passionate argument for a motion to unseal the affidavits used to obtain the search warrants for the FBI raids.

Nestor told the court that the government cannot raid the homes of political activists without providing an explanation. He also spoke of the chilling effect the raids had on those exercising their First Amendment rights.

The Sept. 24, 2010 FBI raids struck seven homes in Minneapolis and Chicago and the office of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee. A total of 23 activists were summoned to a Chicago grand jury investigating “material support for terrorism.” No one testified.

At the Nov. 1 hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Winter cited the ongoing investigation into the anti-war and Palestine solidarity activists as the “compelling government interest” in continuing to keep the documents under seal. Judge Rau stated that he will hold a closed ‘in camera’ hearing with Assistant U.S. Attorney Winter in 120 days, where Winter will report on the status and scope of the investigation. After that the judge will make periodic reviews (possibly every 90 days) of the order to keep the documents sealed.

Commenting on the Nov. 1 proceedings, Jess Sundin stated, “I came to court today hoping to hear that the investigation of myself and fellow activists was coming to a close and that the veil of secrecy and suspicion around us would be lifted. Instead, the government said the investigation is ongoing. While Assistant U.S. Attorney Winter didn't openly threaten indictments, he expressed that things could develop in our case any day. Given that the government is fighting to keep its secrets hidden, I think he was saying that one or more indictments may still be coming. Or perhaps he expects the investigation will widen, and other activists will be caught up in this shameful witch hunt.”

Sundin continued, “I left the courtroom with a sense of foreboding. We need to be prepared, in the event of indictments, possibly within the next few months. We need to defend others who are persecuted for their political ideas or who they are – such as Chicago’s Palestinian community leader Rasmea Odeh. Three years ago, many of us made arrangements for family members to put up their homes, in the event that we would need to make bail. It was a sobering moment after court today, when we were reminded that all of these preparations should be reviewed again today.”

Sundin and Kelly have long spoken out against U.S. wars and in support of oppressed people. Mick Kelly said, “This case is all about criminalizing those of us who stand with the struggles in Palestine and Colombia, those of us who work against U.S. wars. There is no doubt that the affidavits used to obtain the search warrants on our homes are full of lies and are an attack on protected political activity. We want to drag them into the light of day.”

#SaintPaulMN #JessSundin #MickKelly #September24FBIRaids #AntiWar23 #InjusticeSystem #FBIRepression

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/anti-war-activists-fight-government-secrecy-push-unseal-documents-fbi-raids Fri, 01 Nov 2013 19:43:29 +0000 Raided anti-war activists to be in federal court with motion to unseal secret documents https://fightbacknews.org/raided-anti-war-activists-be-federal-court-motion-unseal-secret-documents?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[St. Paul, MN - Two Minneapolis anti-war and international solidarity activists will be in federal court, Nov. 1, to demand an end to the government secrecy surrounding their case. Jess Sundin and Mick Kelly are two of the 23 Midwest activists targeted by an investigation that included two years of spying by undercover agents, Sept. 2010 raids of homes and offices in Minneapolis and Chicago by the FBI, and a secret Chicago grand jury. !--more-- Their attorney will present arguments for a motion to unseal the affidavits used to obtain the search warrants for their homes more than three years ago. Jess Sundin, a plaintiff in the case, said, “The government launched its vicious attack on anti-war and international solidarity activists with two years of surveillance by undercover agents, then carried out FBI raids on a dozen homes and offices and attempted to force our testimony to a grand jury in Chicago. Every step of the way, the government acted under a cloak of secrecy and has insisted on guarding those secrets to this day. On Friday, Nov. 1, we will have our day in court, as our attorney argues for our motion to unseal the affidavits that were used to obtain the search warrants for those FBI raids.” Bruce Nestor, attorney for the plaintiffs, writes in a document filed with the court, “Over three years ago, based upon the submission of secret evidence, the United States government convinced Magistrate Judge Susan R. Nelson to seal the search supporting affidavits at issue in this matter. Over three years after the applications and affidavits were ordered sealed, there are no public signs that the government is continuing its investigations related to these warrants or of the individuals named in the warrants. Indeed, while turning the constitutional presumption of innocence on its head by stating that the Petitioners in this matter remain subject to prosecution and therefore under ‘suspicion.’” Nestor continues, “The government’s position in this matter also raises the question, ‘What is the prosecution trying to hide?’ \[This also\] … prevents undersigned counsel from effectively challenging the government’s claims.” The hearing will take place in courtroom 3C at the United States Courthouse in Saint Paul (316 N Robert Street) at 9:00 a.m. #SaintPaulMN #JessSundin #MickKelly #grandJury #AntiWar23 #InjusticeSystem #FBIRepression div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> St. Paul, MN – Two Minneapolis anti-war and international solidarity activists will be in federal court, Nov. 1, to demand an end to the government secrecy surrounding their case. Jess Sundin and Mick Kelly are two of the 23 Midwest activists targeted by an investigation that included two years of spying by undercover agents, Sept. 2010 raids of homes and offices in Minneapolis and Chicago by the FBI, and a secret Chicago grand jury.

Their attorney will present arguments for a motion to unseal the affidavits used to obtain the search warrants for their homes more than three years ago.

Jess Sundin, a plaintiff in the case, said, “The government launched its vicious attack on anti-war and international solidarity activists with two years of surveillance by undercover agents, then carried out FBI raids on a dozen homes and offices and attempted to force our testimony to a grand jury in Chicago. Every step of the way, the government acted under a cloak of secrecy and has insisted on guarding those secrets to this day. On Friday, Nov. 1, we will have our day in court, as our attorney argues for our motion to unseal the affidavits that were used to obtain the search warrants for those FBI raids.”

Bruce Nestor, attorney for the plaintiffs, writes in a document filed with the court, “Over three years ago, based upon the submission of secret evidence, the United States government convinced Magistrate Judge Susan R. Nelson to seal the search supporting affidavits at issue in this matter. Over three years after the applications and affidavits were ordered sealed, there are no public signs that the government is continuing its investigations related to these warrants or of the individuals named in the warrants. Indeed, while turning the constitutional presumption of innocence on its head by stating that the Petitioners in this matter remain subject to prosecution and therefore under ‘suspicion.’”

Nestor continues, “The government’s position in this matter also raises the question, ‘What is the prosecution trying to hide?’ [This also] … prevents undersigned counsel from effectively challenging the government’s claims.”

The hearing will take place in courtroom 3C at the United States Courthouse in Saint Paul (316 N Robert Street) at 9:00 a.m.

#SaintPaulMN #JessSundin #MickKelly #grandJury #AntiWar23 #InjusticeSystem #FBIRepression

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/raided-anti-war-activists-be-federal-court-motion-unseal-secret-documents Fri, 01 Nov 2013 00:04:23 +0000 Speaking tour against political repression visits Gainesville https://fightbacknews.org/speaking-tour-against-political-repression-visits-gainesville?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[John Cline (left), Mick Kelly (center), and Noor Elashi (right) speak out again, Mick Kelly \(center\), and Noor Elashi \(right\) speak out again John Cline \(left\), Mick Kelly \(center\), and Noor Elashi \(right\) speak out against repression. \(Fight Back! News/Staff\)") Gainesville, FL – On March 26, 60 students and community members gathered in Little Hall to hear three nationally known figures speak out against political repression. A packed house greeted Noor Elashi, John Cline, and Mick Kelly for the final date of their tour. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized the event to learn about the wave of U.S. government repression against Muslims, Arab-Americans and anti-war activists. !--more-- Noor Elashi spoke first and told the story of her father, Ghassan Elashi, unjustly imprisoned for sending charity to Palestine. Ghassan Elashi was the director of the Holy Land Foundation, the largest Muslim charity in America, which raised funds and provided food, medical care, shelter and education to countless people in need, both in Palestine and the U.S. Instead of being honored for humanitarianism, the Holy Land Five were charged under the Bush administration with ‘material support for terrorism.’ Noor went on to describe the inhumane conditions in which her father is held. Ghassan is imprisoned in a Communication Management Unit, which are specially designated punishment prisons for Muslims, Arab-Americans, and political activists. The conditions violate the prisoners’ human rights. “On one occasion they revoked our visitation rights for six months just because my father embraced my younger brother,” Noor explained to the shocked audience. Attorney John Cline spoke about the legal case and explained that the first trial in Dallas ended in a hung jury. Jurors were not convinced of links between the health clinics and schools that received donations on the one hand, and the Palestinian Hamas movement that the U.S. government now opposes and criminalizes. The U.S. government was not satisfied. Prosecutor Barry Jonas won convictions in a second trial by using secret witnesses never identified to the defense, hearsay evidence and a shock video showing protesters in Palestine burning an American flag. This prejudiced the jurors. Cline said, “There are cases where the criminal justice system fails and this is one of them. We all need to be severely outspoken about this injustice.” Mick Kelly spoke about the FBI raid on his home and the 23 anti-war and Palestine solidarity activists who were subpoenaed to a grand jury in Chicago. Kelly recalled the day when he found out that the FBI had broken into his home and ransacked his belongings. The authorities claimed to be looking for evidence of ‘material support for terrorism.’ Kelly said, “Of course there wasn’t a shred of evidence for material support. Certainly not the kind of material support that the U.S. government gives to the occupiers of Palestine.” When they finished, the speakers were given a huge round of applause. Those in attendance were saddened by the suffering of the Elashi family, outraged by the outcome of the case, and resolved to continue the fight back against government repression. After the event Robbey Hayes, an organizer with Students for a Democratic Society said, “I thought the speeches were educational and motivating. We need to get organized and stop these attacks. Being anti-war is not a crime. Supporting Palestine is not a crime.” #GainesvilleFL #InJusticeSystem #PalestineSolidarity #MickKelly #politicalRepression #NoorElashi #FBIRepression #JohnCline div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> John Cline (left), Mick Kelly (center), and Noor Elashi (right) speak out again

Gainesville, FL – On March 26, 60 students and community members gathered in Little Hall to hear three nationally known figures speak out against political repression. A packed house greeted Noor Elashi, John Cline, and Mick Kelly for the final date of their tour. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized the event to learn about the wave of U.S. government repression against Muslims, Arab-Americans and anti-war activists.

Noor Elashi spoke first and told the story of her father, Ghassan Elashi, unjustly imprisoned for sending charity to Palestine. Ghassan Elashi was the director of the Holy Land Foundation, the largest Muslim charity in America, which raised funds and provided food, medical care, shelter and education to countless people in need, both in Palestine and the U.S. Instead of being honored for humanitarianism, the Holy Land Five were charged under the Bush administration with ‘material support for terrorism.’

Noor went on to describe the inhumane conditions in which her father is held. Ghassan is imprisoned in a Communication Management Unit, which are specially designated punishment prisons for Muslims, Arab-Americans, and political activists. The conditions violate the prisoners’ human rights. “On one occasion they revoked our visitation rights for six months just because my father embraced my younger brother,” Noor explained to the shocked audience.

Attorney John Cline spoke about the legal case and explained that the first trial in Dallas ended in a hung jury. Jurors were not convinced of links between the health clinics and schools that received donations on the one hand, and the Palestinian Hamas movement that the U.S. government now opposes and criminalizes. The U.S. government was not satisfied. Prosecutor Barry Jonas won convictions in a second trial by using secret witnesses never identified to the defense, hearsay evidence and a shock video showing protesters in Palestine burning an American flag. This prejudiced the jurors.

Cline said, “There are cases where the criminal justice system fails and this is one of them. We all need to be severely outspoken about this injustice.”

Mick Kelly spoke about the FBI raid on his home and the 23 anti-war and Palestine solidarity activists who were subpoenaed to a grand jury in Chicago. Kelly recalled the day when he found out that the FBI had broken into his home and ransacked his belongings. The authorities claimed to be looking for evidence of ‘material support for terrorism.’

Kelly said, “Of course there wasn’t a shred of evidence for material support. Certainly not the kind of material support that the U.S. government gives to the occupiers of Palestine.”

When they finished, the speakers were given a huge round of applause. Those in attendance were saddened by the suffering of the Elashi family, outraged by the outcome of the case, and resolved to continue the fight back against government repression.

After the event Robbey Hayes, an organizer with Students for a Democratic Society said, “I thought the speeches were educational and motivating. We need to get organized and stop these attacks. Being anti-war is not a crime. Supporting Palestine is not a crime.”

#GainesvilleFL #InJusticeSystem #PalestineSolidarity #MickKelly #politicalRepression #NoorElashi #FBIRepression #JohnCline

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/speaking-tour-against-political-repression-visits-gainesville Fri, 29 Mar 2013 02:26:53 +0000 FRSO Minnesota May Day celebration: “The future is ours and the future is bright.” https://fightbacknews.org/frso-minnesota-may-day-celebration-future-ours-and-future-bright?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Mick Kelly, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, speaking at May Day event") Fight Back News Service is reprinting the speech of Mick Kelly, a leader of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, delivered at the FRSO-organized May Day celebration, April 27. !--more-- Sisters and Brothers, It is a real honor to be speaking here this afternoon to so many fighters who have made so many contributions to the people’s struggle. I look out over this group of people and I see folks who helped change the political landscape in this county at Occupy, who have stood up against the poor bashing politicians at the capitol, who have campaigned against home foreclosures, who have stood strong on picket lines and - yes it is important that we talk about it this year - who have stood up against repression that has been unleashed by the FBI, the Justice Department and the federal government. And as to the last point I will return to it later. In past years, we in Freedom Road Socialist Organization have organized events like this to celebrate May Day International Workers Day – sometimes on May 1, sometimes not. The basic point is this: all year long we fight for the things we need – for the most basic measure of justice – why not take out one day and celebrate the struggles we waged, the fights we have won, and look forward to the day that society is organized to serve us, not a handful of rich folks - the capitalist class. You know, we have held celebrations like this for quite a few years, and when we started May Day it's not what you would call a mass celebration. The upsurge for immigrant rights changed all that, and that is a wonderful thing. May Day is celebrated as a day of struggle all over the world. From the streets of Cuba, where working people already have political power, to the villages of Palestine, where the masses of people want freedom from the Israeli occupation, to the jungles of Colombia, where the Colombian rebels are defeating the U.S.-backed death squad government. Many of us will be marching on May 1 on Lake Street demanding legalization for the undocumented and an end to deportations. All of you should join us. Now this afternoon I’ll be making a few points, presenting analyses, and a way of looking at how this society works. I urge you to think about it and give it some consideration. Capitalism the enemy All of us, who have been fighting for a better life this past year, have a lot in common. Other than courage and commitment, we are up against a common enemy. This country is run by a small clique – a tiny group of people who monopolizes the wealth and power – the 1% that controls the majority of this country’s wealth. And they have at their beck and call a host of bought and paid for politicians that do their bidding in government. The economic system we live under - capitalism = exists to serve this small elite. In this society you don’t get rich by working hard, you get rich by having others work hard for you. In fact, as many of you know, it’s a rule of thumb: the harder the work, the less you get paid. Everything of value is the product of human labor; it was created by women and men working hard. This is political economy 101. Look around this room, and try to pick out one thing that was made by a rich man, by a capitalist. Can’t be done. The capitalists own the places where we work, we produce the goods and services and everything worthwhile – they get the profits. We are dealing with a class that is made up of parasites. Malcolm X was entirely right to say: Show me a capitalist and I’ll show you a bloodsucker. Not only are they rich parasites, they are thieves, thugs of the worse sort; They have stolen the land, labor, and, indeed, the lives of others. The history of the owning class of this country is the history of the most sickening sort of brutality and criminality ever known to human kind. It begins with the systematic genocide of the native peoples. Tens of millions of Africans were kidnapped and forced into slavery. The northern part of Mexico was occupied. Hawaii was annexed by force. Puerto Rico was turned into a colony. Some people say that was then, this is now – I don’t think so. We are dealing with a class of people who got rich through robbery, murder and exploitation. We can’t just say “that’s history”. These are events that have shaped our reality that we’re now living in. Look at the epidemic of police terror around this country. Look at the case of Trayvon Martin. Racist oppression is not a matter of history, it’s the here and now. Our ruling class is unfit to rule. They are waging a war on the American people. We need to be clear on this. The class that is in charge does not have any intrinsic god given right to wealth and power. Let me ask you a question: If you took the rich and powerful and plunged them to our condition, cut their wages and food stamps and foreclosed on their homes, what would happen? Would they be carrying picket signs? Hell no! They would be carrying rifles. No ruling class in human history has ever given up its wealth and privilege voluntarily, and this applies double to the rulers of the United States. It is for this reason that we in Freedom Road have decided to build a revolutionary organization. We have come to the conclusion that the existing order of things is unacceptable and we aim to do something about it. We are serious about this and our enemies know this too. Every person here knows that over the last 18 months the government has launched a furious attack on anti-war and international solidarity activists. The FBI invaded our homes, convened a grand jury, and in L.A. they are putting veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes on trial on May 15. Why have they done this? Well there is a very mundane, common place explanation and that explanation is perfectly true. In the run up to the 2008 Republican National Convention, a police officer named Karen Sullivan was placed into the organizing effort, and she stayed. She got involved in Palestine and Colombia solidarity work, concocted all sorts of lies with her handlers, and the next thing you know we have the U.S. Attorneys’ Office in Chicago talking about “multiple indictments of multiple people.” You can see the same thing in the case of Carlos Montes. Carlos was here to organize for the RNC protests. He came in contact with Karen Sullivan and her police agent sidekick. According to FBI documents we know the LA Field Office of the FBI got involved. So this is what happened; A plus B equals C. But there is a broader context. The rulers of the U.S. have built an empire that expands across the globe and it is crumbling. The peoples of the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia do not want to live under foreign domination. So they are rebelling, and the U.S. is lashing out abroad and here at home. Most Arab and Muslim people in the U.S. do not agree that the liberation organizations of the Middle East are “terrorist organizations” and they do not agree with the occupation of Palestine. So an incredible wave of repression has been visited upon them. Likewise, many of us in this room do not agree with calling freedom fighters “terrorists” and the government wants to make us pay. Well it should be obvious at this point - we are not going quietly anywhere. We might suffer, but we will never suffer in silence. We intend to defeat this repression and a campaign is underway to put pressure on the District Attorney in Los Angeles to drop the charges against Carlos Montes. And the government has added a strange McCarthyite anti-communist twist to the attack that targets Freedom Road. They are angry because we are working class internationalists. We are glad when other peoples across the globe are able to strike a blow at the rulers of this country. They are mad because we are Marxist-Leninists. For real, the prosecutors talk about this. For us Marxism is a science. It helps us understand the world in order to change it. We see capitalism as a human destroying, blood sucking vampire and we want to put a stake through its heart. To do this we need a plan, a strategy. Marxism allows us to do just that. You know, I am sure that some of you have read in some books, or seen in some movies or on TV, that communists are terrible people that want to do awful things. What do they want? What do communists, or revolutionaries, or socialists advocate that causes so much alarm? In the context of the U.S. today, we think everyone has a right to a living wage job. And that those of us who are not working have a right to public assistance. In fact, as far as we are concerned, benefits are too low and the eligibility requirements too tight. The right to survive and, indeed, to thrive is a basic human right. We think that the systematic discrimination against African American, Chicanos, Latinos, Asians and the Native peoples must come to an end. American capitalism has been built on the super–exploitation of Black, Chicano/Latino and other oppressed peoples. It is this system where some have privileges, and the basic human rights of others are trampled on, that we seek to tear down. And further more, we think that the polices such as Affirmative Action, that go a little way towards addressing the racist discrimination that is taking place today, should be expanded. We also think that oppressed peoples, nations really, within the borders of our country have the right to determine their own destiny – the right to self-determination. We cannot and will never accept the oppression of women. In fact we demand an end to inequality and support liberation. This is something deeper than equal pay for equal work. Although we certainly favor that, we are against any sort of social set-up that serves to hold women down. We call for, and insist upon, full equality for immigrants (documented or undocumented), including the equality of languages. We are against any actions or policies that discriminate against gays or lesbians. And let me talk for a moment about the case of CeCe McDonald, the transgender woman whose only crime is self-defense. She is a hero who deserves our support. I could say a lot more about what communists are for and against – and I’ll be glad to talk with anyone afterwards about it more - but I think folks should get the basic gist of it. We are for justice, for peace, for equality, and for liberation. And we believe that the only way to achieve those goals is to end the rule of the rich, of the capitalists, and build a socialist system - a system where all political and economic power is in the hands of the people. This is not a dream. In some places it has been achieved. In Cuba they have already done this. Cuba is not a rich country to be sure. Medical care is free. Government policy aims at the elimination, not the creation, of poverty. No reasonable person can say that about this country. 150 odd years ago Karl Marx, who was the founder of the communist movement, wrote that communists disdain to conceal our aims. In other words, we don’t want to keep our views a secret and we intend to advocate them. That’s what I have been doing here today. Is it any wonder that the rich would violently oppose such views and changes? For themselves they have built a heaven on earth. We intend to storm that heaven and raise all kinds of hell. We don’t imagine this kind of change will happen tomorrow, but we do think they will happen. In this city, state, country and planet, working people are the majority. We have every right to reorganize society in such a way that it serves our interests. Provided that we have the organization, determination, and understanding necessary, the future is ours and the future is bright! Long Live International Workers Day! #MinneapolisMN #MickKelly #internationalWorkersDay #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganizationFRSO div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Mick Kelly, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, speaking at May Day event

Fight Back News Service is reprinting the speech of Mick Kelly, a leader of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, delivered at the FRSO-organized May Day celebration, April 27.

Sisters and Brothers,

It is a real honor to be speaking here this afternoon to so many fighters who have made so many contributions to the people’s struggle.

I look out over this group of people and I see folks who helped change the political landscape in this county at Occupy, who have stood up against the poor bashing politicians at the capitol, who have campaigned against home foreclosures, who have stood strong on picket lines and – yes it is important that we talk about it this year – who have stood up against repression that has been unleashed by the FBI, the Justice Department and the federal government. And as to the last point I will return to it later.

In past years, we in Freedom Road Socialist Organization have organized events like this to celebrate May Day International Workers Day – sometimes on May 1, sometimes not. The basic point is this: all year long we fight for the things we need – for the most basic measure of justice – why not take out one day and celebrate the struggles we waged, the fights we have won, and look forward to the day that society is organized to serve us, not a handful of rich folks – the capitalist class.

You know, we have held celebrations like this for quite a few years, and when we started May Day it's not what you would call a mass celebration. The upsurge for immigrant rights changed all that, and that is a wonderful thing.

May Day is celebrated as a day of struggle all over the world. From the streets of Cuba, where working people already have political power, to the villages of Palestine, where the masses of people want freedom from the Israeli occupation, to the jungles of Colombia, where the Colombian rebels are defeating the U.S.-backed death squad government.

Many of us will be marching on May 1 on Lake Street demanding legalization for the undocumented and an end to deportations. All of you should join us.

Now this afternoon I’ll be making a few points, presenting analyses, and a way of looking at how this society works. I urge you to think about it and give it some consideration.

Capitalism the enemy

All of us, who have been fighting for a better life this past year, have a lot in common. Other than courage and commitment, we are up against a common enemy.

This country is run by a small clique – a tiny group of people who monopolizes the wealth and power – the 1% that controls the majority of this country’s wealth. And they have at their beck and call a host of bought and paid for politicians that do their bidding in government.

The economic system we live under – capitalism = exists to serve this small elite. In this society you don’t get rich by working hard, you get rich by having others work hard for you. In fact, as many of you know, it’s a rule of thumb: the harder the work, the less you get paid.

Everything of value is the product of human labor; it was created by women and men working hard. This is political economy 101. Look around this room, and try to pick out one thing that was made by a rich man, by a capitalist. Can’t be done. The capitalists own the places where we work, we produce the goods and services and everything worthwhile – they get the profits.

We are dealing with a class that is made up of parasites. Malcolm X was entirely right to say: Show me a capitalist and I’ll show you a bloodsucker.

Not only are they rich parasites, they are thieves, thugs of the worse sort; They have stolen the land, labor, and, indeed, the lives of others.

The history of the owning class of this country is the history of the most sickening sort of brutality and criminality ever known to human kind. It begins with the systematic genocide of the native peoples. Tens of millions of Africans were kidnapped and forced into slavery. The northern part of Mexico was occupied. Hawaii was annexed by force. Puerto Rico was turned into a colony.

Some people say that was then, this is now – I don’t think so. We are dealing with a class of people who got rich through robbery, murder and exploitation. We can’t just say “that’s history”. These are events that have shaped our reality that we’re now living in. Look at the epidemic of police terror around this country. Look at the case of Trayvon Martin. Racist oppression is not a matter of history, it’s the here and now.

Our ruling class is unfit to rule. They are waging a war on the American people. We need to be clear on this.

The class that is in charge does not have any intrinsic god given right to wealth and power. Let me ask you a question: If you took the rich and powerful and plunged them to our condition, cut their wages and food stamps and foreclosed on their homes, what would happen? Would they be carrying picket signs? Hell no! They would be carrying rifles. No ruling class in human history has ever given up its wealth and privilege voluntarily, and this applies double to the rulers of the United States.

It is for this reason that we in Freedom Road have decided to build a revolutionary organization. We have come to the conclusion that the existing order of things is unacceptable and we aim to do something about it. We are serious about this and our enemies know this too.

Every person here knows that over the last 18 months the government has launched a furious attack on anti-war and international solidarity activists. The FBI invaded our homes, convened a grand jury, and in L.A. they are putting veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes on trial on May 15.

Why have they done this? Well there is a very mundane, common place explanation and that explanation is perfectly true. In the run up to the 2008 Republican National Convention, a police officer named Karen Sullivan was placed into the organizing effort, and she stayed. She got involved in Palestine and Colombia solidarity work, concocted all sorts of lies with her handlers, and the next thing you know we have the U.S. Attorneys’ Office in Chicago talking about “multiple indictments of multiple people.”

You can see the same thing in the case of Carlos Montes. Carlos was here to organize for the RNC protests. He came in contact with Karen Sullivan and her police agent sidekick. According to FBI documents we know the LA Field Office of the FBI got involved.

So this is what happened; A plus B equals C. But there is a broader context. The rulers of the U.S. have built an empire that expands across the globe and it is crumbling. The peoples of the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia do not want to live under foreign domination. So they are rebelling, and the U.S. is lashing out abroad and here at home.

Most Arab and Muslim people in the U.S. do not agree that the liberation organizations of the Middle East are “terrorist organizations” and they do not agree with the occupation of Palestine. So an incredible wave of repression has been visited upon them.

Likewise, many of us in this room do not agree with calling freedom fighters “terrorists” and the government wants to make us pay.

Well it should be obvious at this point – we are not going quietly anywhere. We might suffer, but we will never suffer in silence.

We intend to defeat this repression and a campaign is underway to put pressure on the District Attorney in Los Angeles to drop the charges against Carlos Montes.

And the government has added a strange McCarthyite anti-communist twist to the attack that targets Freedom Road.

They are angry because we are working class internationalists. We are glad when other peoples across the globe are able to strike a blow at the rulers of this country.

They are mad because we are Marxist-Leninists. For real, the prosecutors talk about this. For us Marxism is a science. It helps us understand the world in order to change it. We see capitalism as a human destroying, blood sucking vampire and we want to put a stake through its heart. To do this we need a plan, a strategy. Marxism allows us to do just that.

You know, I am sure that some of you have read in some books, or seen in some movies or on TV, that communists are terrible people that want to do awful things. What do they want? What do communists, or revolutionaries, or socialists advocate that causes so much alarm?

In the context of the U.S. today, we think everyone has a right to a living wage job. And that those of us who are not working have a right to public assistance. In fact, as far as we are concerned, benefits are too low and the eligibility requirements too tight. The right to survive and, indeed, to thrive is a basic human right.

We think that the systematic discrimination against African American, Chicanos, Latinos, Asians and the Native peoples must come to an end. American capitalism has been built on the super–exploitation of Black, Chicano/Latino and other oppressed peoples. It is this system where some have privileges, and the basic human rights of others are trampled on, that we seek to tear down.

And further more, we think that the polices such as Affirmative Action, that go a little way towards addressing the racist discrimination that is taking place today, should be expanded. We also think that oppressed peoples, nations really, within the borders of our country have the right to determine their own destiny – the right to self-determination.

We cannot and will never accept the oppression of women. In fact we demand an end to inequality and support liberation. This is something deeper than equal pay for equal work. Although we certainly favor that, we are against any sort of social set-up that serves to hold women down.

We call for, and insist upon, full equality for immigrants (documented or undocumented), including the equality of languages.

We are against any actions or policies that discriminate against gays or lesbians. And let me talk for a moment about the case of CeCe McDonald, the transgender woman whose only crime is self-defense. She is a hero who deserves our support.

I could say a lot more about what communists are for and against – and I’ll be glad to talk with anyone afterwards about it more – but I think folks should get the basic gist of it. We are for justice, for peace, for equality, and for liberation.

And we believe that the only way to achieve those goals is to end the rule of the rich, of the capitalists, and build a socialist system – a system where all political and economic power is in the hands of the people.

This is not a dream. In some places it has been achieved. In Cuba they have already done this. Cuba is not a rich country to be sure. Medical care is free. Government policy aims at the elimination, not the creation, of poverty. No reasonable person can say that about this country.

150 odd years ago Karl Marx, who was the founder of the communist movement, wrote that communists disdain to conceal our aims. In other words, we don’t want to keep our views a secret and we intend to advocate them. That’s what I have been doing here today.

Is it any wonder that the rich would violently oppose such views and changes? For themselves they have built a heaven on earth. We intend to storm that heaven and raise all kinds of hell.

We don’t imagine this kind of change will happen tomorrow, but we do think they will happen.

In this city, state, country and planet, working people are the majority. We have every right to reorganize society in such a way that it serves our interests. Provided that we have the organization, determination, and understanding necessary, the future is ours and the future is bright!

Long Live International Workers Day!

#MinneapolisMN #MickKelly #internationalWorkersDay #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganizationFRSO

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/frso-minnesota-may-day-celebration-future-ours-and-future-bright Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:15:19 +0000 Settlement won in lawsuit against police violence at Republican National Convention https://fightbacknews.org/settlement-won-lawsuit-against-police-violence-republican-national-convention?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Mick Kelly states he will donate settlement money to anti-war activists fighting repression St. Paul, MN - The case of Mick Kelly, whose lawyers filed the first lawsuit resulting from police violence at the 2008 Republican National Convention on his behalf, was resolved in a settlement conference at the U.S. Courthouse here. !--more-- In a widely publicized incident, police, standing only feet away, shot Kelly in his belly with a high velocity marking projectile. Kelly was at the demonstration organized by the Anti-War Committee on the fourth day of the RNC, Sept. 4, 2008. “This is a partial victory,” states Kelly. “Before, during and afterwards, the authorities attempted to quash dissent at the Republican National Convention. The settlement in this case indicates the police did something wrong. We had every right to speak out against U.S. wars at the Republican National Convention.” Mick Kelly, one of the main organizers of the massive march and rally on the first day of the Republican National Convention, earlier prevailed in a separate lawsuit against the city of Saint Paul after his arrest for leafleting at a June 2008 Obama rally. He is also one of the Twin Cities anti-war and international solidarity activists whose home was raided by the FBI on Sept. 24, 2010. While the exact dollar amount of the settlement is undisclosed, Kelly states that he intends to make a $5000 donation to the Committee to Stop FBI Repression – the organization that is defending the anti-war activists whose homes were raided on Sept. 24, 2010 and others served with subpoenas by the Chicago U.S. Attorney. Kelly agreed to settle when the judge overseeing the case ruled against Kelly’s moves to subpoena a police infiltrator in the anti-war movement who went by the name of ‘Karen Sullivan.’ Officer Sullivan joined the Anti-War Committee in the months prior to the RNC and was present at the protest where the shooting took place. “We hoped to find out more about how Karen Sullivan, who helped target activists for FBI raids, was involved in the repression that took place at the RNC,” said Kelly. #SaintPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #InJusticeSystem #ProtestRNC2008 #StateRepression #RepublicanNationalConvention2008 #AntiWarCommittee #lawsuit #MickKelly #KarenSullivan #2008RepublicanNationalConventionRNC #RNC2008 #infiltration div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> _Mick Kelly states he will donate settlement money to anti-war activists fighting repression _

St. Paul, MN – The case of Mick Kelly, whose lawyers filed the first lawsuit resulting from police violence at the 2008 Republican National Convention on his behalf, was resolved in a settlement conference at the U.S. Courthouse here.

In a widely publicized incident, police, standing only feet away, shot Kelly in his belly with a high velocity marking projectile. Kelly was at the demonstration organized by the Anti-War Committee on the fourth day of the RNC, Sept. 4, 2008.

“This is a partial victory,” states Kelly. “Before, during and afterwards, the authorities attempted to quash dissent at the Republican National Convention. The settlement in this case indicates the police did something wrong. We had every right to speak out against U.S. wars at the Republican National Convention.”

Mick Kelly, one of the main organizers of the massive march and rally on the first day of the Republican National Convention, earlier prevailed in a separate lawsuit against the city of Saint Paul after his arrest for leafleting at a June 2008 Obama rally. He is also one of the Twin Cities anti-war and international solidarity activists whose home was raided by the FBI on Sept. 24, 2010.

While the exact dollar amount of the settlement is undisclosed, Kelly states that he intends to make a $5000 donation to the Committee to Stop FBI Repression – the organization that is defending the anti-war activists whose homes were raided on Sept. 24, 2010 and others served with subpoenas by the Chicago U.S. Attorney.

Kelly agreed to settle when the judge overseeing the case ruled against Kelly’s moves to subpoena a police infiltrator in the anti-war movement who went by the name of ‘Karen Sullivan.’ Officer Sullivan joined the Anti-War Committee in the months prior to the RNC and was present at the protest where the shooting took place. “We hoped to find out more about how Karen Sullivan, who helped target activists for FBI raids, was involved in the repression that took place at the RNC,” said Kelly.

#SaintPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #InJusticeSystem #ProtestRNC2008 #StateRepression #RepublicanNationalConvention2008 #AntiWarCommittee #lawsuit #MickKelly #KarenSullivan #2008RepublicanNationalConventionRNC #RNC2008 #infiltration

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/settlement-won-lawsuit-against-police-violence-republican-national-convention Wed, 08 Jun 2011 01:12:31 +0000 Activists unveil secret FBI documents for raid on home of anti-war activist https://fightbacknews.org/activists-unveil-secret-fbi-documents-raid-home-anti-war-activist?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Mick Kelly, Jess Sundin, and Bruce Nestor at May 18 press conference") Minneapolis, MN - People crowded into the Anti-War Committee office May 18 when the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR) revealed a \cache of FBI papers\ left behind after a raid on an apartment in September 2010. The documents include interrogation questions for agents to use on activists and details of the weaponry used for the Sept. 24, 2010 raid. Since that day, 23 people - all involved in peace and international solidarity movements - were subpoenaed to a grand jury in Chicago. All have refused to testify. !--more-- The apartment of Mick Kelly and Linden Gawboy was one of nine raided early in the morning on Sept. 24. Kelly was served with a subpoena. On April 30, Gawboy discovered the documents in a filing cabinet. She told Fight Back!, “I was trying to stash some data-entered \CSFR pledges\, shoving the folders back to make room and I saw one of the property forms sticking out.” During the raids, agents went through activists’ papers, confiscating many papers and returning the rest to boxes and filing cabinets. Apparently, the FBI documents were mixed with Gawboy’s personal papers as they were ‘re-filed’ by the FBI. Jess Sundin, of the Anti-War Committee spoke first, “The documents confirm what I have been saying since Sept. 24 about this case: I am being targeted for who I know and what I believe, specifically for my work in solidarity with Colombia, work that has always been open, public and legal.” The CSFR statement says that documents show “willful disregard for the rights of anti-war and international solidarity activists - particularly the first amendment rights to freedom of speech and association.” Attorney Bruce Nestor pointed out that people in the fight against South African apartheid in the 1980s were doing the same type of international solidarity work as the targeted activists. Mick Kelly, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization who started his activism during the Vietnam War, spoke about the how the “Interview Questions” document hearkens back to the McCarthy era of the 1950s. “Communists, socialists and progressives of all stripes were hounded out of jobs, housing, the entertainment industry and institutions of higher education. More than a few people were jailed for their ideas...It is like the pages of the calendar have been turned back 60 years.” The documents informed the FBI SWAT team that their September mission to the Kelly/Gawboy home was “dangerous.” According to the CSFR statement, “FBI agents were told to bring assault rifles, machine guns and two extra clips of ammunition for each of their side arms. Two paramedics were to stand by in the event of causalities.” The Anti-War Committee’s Meredith Aby drew chuckles when she said, “The portrayal of Mick as an action movie villain is absurd and an example of the type of fiction Officer Sullivan \[the agent who infiltrated Minnesota movement\] told the FBI and I assume the grand jury in Chicago.” But the tone quickly grew serious as Aby stressed that the agents were ready to hurt and kill people. When Aby’s home was raided in September 2010, her 18-month baby was asleep in her crib. According to Jess Sundin, “None of this is about ‘material support of terrorism,’ as any normal person would understand it. None of us have ever given money or arms to any of the groups on the government’s list. Instead, this about criminalizing anti-war and international solidarity activists for practicing our rights to speak out and organize.” #MinneapolisMN #AntiWarCommittee #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #FBI #MickKelly #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Mick Kelly, Jess Sundin, and Bruce Nestor at May 18 press conference

Minneapolis, MN – People crowded into the Anti-War Committee office May 18 when the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR) revealed a [cache of FBI papers](http://www.stopfbi.net/2011/5/18/secret-fbi-documents-reveal-attack-democratic-rights-anti-war-and-international-solidarity) left behind after a raid on an apartment in September 2010. The documents include interrogation questions for agents to use on activists and details of the weaponry used for the Sept. 24, 2010 raid. Since that day, 23 people – all involved in peace and international solidarity movements – were subpoenaed to a grand jury in Chicago. All have refused to testify.

The apartment of Mick Kelly and Linden Gawboy was one of nine raided early in the morning on Sept. 24. Kelly was served with a subpoena.

On April 30, Gawboy discovered the documents in a filing cabinet. She told Fight Back!, “I was trying to stash some data-entered [CSFR pledges](http://www.stopfbi.net/get-involved/pledge-of-resistance), shoving the folders back to make room and I saw one of the property forms sticking out.” During the raids, agents went through activists’ papers, confiscating many papers and returning the rest to boxes and filing cabinets. Apparently, the FBI documents were mixed with Gawboy’s personal papers as they were ‘re-filed’ by the FBI.

Jess Sundin, of the Anti-War Committee spoke first, “The documents confirm what I have been saying since Sept. 24 about this case: I am being targeted for who I know and what I believe, specifically for my work in solidarity with Colombia, work that has always been open, public and legal.”

The CSFR statement says that documents show “willful disregard for the rights of anti-war and international solidarity activists – particularly the first amendment rights to freedom of speech and association.”

Attorney Bruce Nestor pointed out that people in the fight against South African apartheid in the 1980s were doing the same type of international solidarity work as the targeted activists.

Mick Kelly, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization who started his activism during the Vietnam War, spoke about the how the “Interview Questions” document hearkens back to the McCarthy era of the 1950s. “Communists, socialists and progressives of all stripes were hounded out of jobs, housing, the entertainment industry and institutions of higher education. More than a few people were jailed for their ideas...It is like the pages of the calendar have been turned back 60 years.”

The documents informed the FBI SWAT team that their September mission to the Kelly/Gawboy home was “dangerous.” According to the CSFR statement, “FBI agents were told to bring assault rifles, machine guns and two extra clips of ammunition for each of their side arms. Two paramedics were to stand by in the event of causalities.” The Anti-War Committee’s Meredith Aby drew chuckles when she said, “The portrayal of Mick as an action movie villain is absurd and an example of the type of fiction Officer Sullivan [the agent who infiltrated Minnesota movement] told the FBI and I assume the grand jury in Chicago.” But the tone quickly grew serious as Aby stressed that the agents were ready to hurt and kill people. When Aby’s home was raided in September 2010, her 18-month baby was asleep in her crib.

According to Jess Sundin, “None of this is about ‘material support of terrorism,’ as any normal person would understand it. None of us have ever given money or arms to any of the groups on the government’s list. Instead, this about criminalizing anti-war and international solidarity activists for practicing our rights to speak out and organize.”

#MinneapolisMN #AntiWarCommittee #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #FBI #MickKelly #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/activists-unveil-secret-fbi-documents-raid-home-anti-war-activist Thu, 19 May 2011 02:24:51 +0000 San Francisco marches against U.S. wars April 10 https://fightbacknews.org/san-francisco-marches-against-us-wars-april-10?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Mick Kelly speaking at April 10 anti war rally in San Francisco") San Francisco, CA – About 3000 people joined a spirited anti-war rally and march here, April 10, to demand an end to the war on working people at home and aboard. Organized by the United National Anti-War Committee, protesters gathered at the Dolores Park, marched through the Mission District and returned to the park for a closing rally. !--more-- Keynote speakers included Malalai Joya, who was suspended from Afghanistan’s parliament and has denounced the U.S. occupation of her country, and Mick Kelly of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. Kelly, one of the international solidarity activists raided by the FBI and summoned to a Chicago grand jury, told the crowd, “The United States has built an empire that spans the globe...in every part of the world people are standing up to oppression and exploitation. The government is trying to criminalize those of us who stand in solidarity with the peoples of Palestine, Colombia and other places who are fighting to free themselves.” Masao Suzuki, of the South Bay Committee Against Political Repression told the crowd, "As a Japanese American, I see the combination of racism, war hysteria and political misleadership that sent 120,000 Japanese Americans to concentration camps during World War II at work again with the persecution and harassment of Arab Americans and American Muslims such as the Irvine 11." The Irvine 11 are students who interrupted a speech by an Israeli ambassador, and were then the target of a grand jury. They currently face criminal charges. The April 10 rally in San Francisco followed the successful April 9 anti-war protest held in New York City. Masao Suzuki, of the South Bay Committee Against Political Repression") #SanFranciscoCA #AntiwarMovement #MickKelly #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #MalalaiJoya #MasaoSuzuki #UnitedNationalAntiWarCommittee div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Mick Kelly speaking at April 10 anti war rally in San Francisco

San Francisco, CA – About 3000 people joined a spirited anti-war rally and march here, April 10, to demand an end to the war on working people at home and aboard. Organized by the United National Anti-War Committee, protesters gathered at the Dolores Park, marched through the Mission District and returned to the park for a closing rally.

Keynote speakers included Malalai Joya, who was suspended from Afghanistan’s parliament and has denounced the U.S. occupation of her country, and Mick Kelly of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

Kelly, one of the international solidarity activists raided by the FBI and summoned to a Chicago grand jury, told the crowd, “The United States has built an empire that spans the globe...in every part of the world people are standing up to oppression and exploitation. The government is trying to criminalize those of us who stand in solidarity with the peoples of Palestine, Colombia and other places who are fighting to free themselves.”

Masao Suzuki, of the South Bay Committee Against Political Repression told the crowd, “As a Japanese American, I see the combination of racism, war hysteria and political misleadership that sent 120,000 Japanese Americans to concentration camps during World War II at work again with the persecution and harassment of Arab Americans and American Muslims such as the Irvine 11.” The Irvine 11 are students who interrupted a speech by an Israeli ambassador, and were then the target of a grand jury. They currently face criminal charges.

The April 10 rally in San Francisco followed the successful April 9 anti-war protest held in New York City.

Masao Suzuki, of the South Bay Committee Against Political Repression

#SanFranciscoCA #AntiwarMovement #MickKelly #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #MalalaiJoya #MasaoSuzuki #UnitedNationalAntiWarCommittee

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/san-francisco-marches-against-us-wars-april-10 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:59:08 +0000 RNC Protest: St Paul officials face lawsuit, violated rights of anti-war organizer leafleting at Obama rally https://fightbacknews.org/kellylawsuit?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[St. Paul, MN - A lawsuit for damages totaling $75,000 will be filed in Federal Court, July 2, by attorneys representing Mick Kelly. Kelly is an organizer for the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War. Kelly was arrested outside the Xcel Center June 5 while passing out leaflets at an Obama rally. He was promoting the Sept. 1 anti-war march at the Republican National Convention. Police placed him under arrest, then he was searched, put in a squad car and taken blocks away to the old police headquarters where he was cited for soliciting and peddling. !--more-- Mick Kelly is also the editor of the newspaper Fight Back! and Fight Back News Service. Mr. Kelly states, “The city of Saint Paul violated my right to speak out against the war and to encourage people to come to the march on the Republican National Convention. It is part of a larger pattern of the city attempting to suppress the right to dissent. For example, the city has refused to grant a workable permit for the Sept. 1 protest. The blame needs to placed at the door of Mayor Coleman and the city administration as a whole.” The suit names the City of St. Paul and the individual officers involved in the arrest. Kelly is represented by attorneys Ted Dooley, Gena Berglund and Peter Nickitas, all members of the National Lawyers Guild. Attorney Ted Dooley states, “What happened to Mick Kelly was illegal. The mayor, the city and the police will have to explain it in Federal Court. This is a straight signal to Saint Paul City officials: The people have the constitutional right to speak out against the war and injustice, even though the Republican National Convention happens to come to town. #StPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #InJusticeSystem #News #RepublicanNationalConvention2008 #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNCAndStopTheWar #lawsuit #constitutionalRight #MickKelly div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> St. Paul, MN – A lawsuit for damages totaling $75,000 will be filed in Federal Court, July 2, by attorneys representing Mick Kelly. Kelly is an organizer for the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War. Kelly was arrested outside the Xcel Center June 5 while passing out leaflets at an Obama rally. He was promoting the Sept. 1 anti-war march at the Republican National Convention. Police placed him under arrest, then he was searched, put in a squad car and taken blocks away to the old police headquarters where he was cited for soliciting and peddling.

Mick Kelly is also the editor of the newspaper Fight Back! and Fight Back News Service.

Mr. Kelly states, “The city of Saint Paul violated my right to speak out against the war and to encourage people to come to the march on the Republican National Convention. It is part of a larger pattern of the city attempting to suppress the right to dissent. For example, the city has refused to grant a workable permit for the Sept. 1 protest. The blame needs to placed at the door of Mayor Coleman and the city administration as a whole.”

The suit names the City of St. Paul and the individual officers involved in the arrest. Kelly is represented by attorneys Ted Dooley, Gena Berglund and Peter Nickitas, all members of the National Lawyers Guild.

Attorney Ted Dooley states, “What happened to Mick Kelly was illegal. The mayor, the city and the police will have to explain it in Federal Court. This is a straight signal to Saint Paul City officials: The people have the constitutional right to speak out against the war and injustice, even though the Republican National Convention happens to come to town.

#StPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #InJusticeSystem #News #RepublicanNationalConvention2008 #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNCAndStopTheWar #lawsuit #constitutionalRight #MickKelly

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/kellylawsuit Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:12:25 +0000