Eight years ago, on Sept. 24, 2010, more than 70 FBI agents took part in a series of coordinated raids that were aimed at activists of the anti-war and international solidarity movements, and also members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). In a bogus investigation of “material support of terrorism” charges, seven houses and an office in Minneapolis and Chicago were raided. While the raids were underway, FBI agents approached and attempted to intimidate activists in Michigan, California, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
U.S. attorney office cites ‘ongoing investigation’
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.
Gainesville, FL – 70 student activists from all over the country arrived in sunny Gainesville, Florida to attend the annual Students for a Democratic Society National Convention Oct. 27-28. The activists arrived from as far as Utah and Minnesota.
Minneapolis, MN – Another attempt by the Justice Department to imprison Somalis who care about the future of their country was in full swing here, Oct. 5, as the trial of Mahamud Said Omar concluded for the week. The trial, which is taking place at the downtown Federal Court building and began Oct. 1, could continue until the end of the month. The government claims that Omar helped Somalis travel to Somalia to help resist the invasion by neighboring Ethiopia.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the “American Civil Liberties” resolution of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, which took place July 5 – 12, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Episcopal Church has nearly 2 million members in the U.S. and often takes progressive stands on social issues. The editor of Fight Back! highlighted the sentence concerning the repression of the 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists.
Asheville, NC – The FBI is harassing anti-war and international solidarity activists in North Carolina again, this time in Asheville. The last time was on Sept. 24, 2010 when the FBI visited a Durham anti-war activist at the same time they were raiding seven homes and the Anti-War Committee office in Minneapolis and Chicago. Back on that day the FBI delivered 14 subpoenas to a grand jury in Chicago, which all the activists refused to participate in.
Chicago, IL – Over 100 people rallied and marched here March 10 at Daley Plaza. They came to defend civil liberties, demand an end to suppression of dissent and to call for a stop of government attacks on immigrant, Arab, Muslim, Black and Latino communities.
Chicago, IL – “We flooded the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s office with phone calls demanding that they stop investigating anti-war and international solidarity activists,” says Tom Burke of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, describing a Feb. 16 national call-in day.
Brooklyn Center, MN – Protesters gathered outside the new headquarters of the FBI here, Feb. 17, to protest the agency’s targeting of anti-war and international solidarity activists. The protest coincided with the FBI’s announced move-in day to their new fortress-like building.
_Holy Land Foundation prosecutor now working on case _
Chicago, IL – The Northern Illinois Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas stated that the “investigation is continuing” into the case of the anti-war and international solidarity activists who have been hit with FBI raids and grand jury repression. Barry Jonas played a leading role in prosecuting the leaders of the Holy Land Foundation while he was trial attorney for the Department of Justice Counter-terrorism Section.
