Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

On the night of March 19, 2026, University Police Department returned with a warrant to the apartment of Rick Toledo, Students for a Democratic Society organizer at Cal Poly Tech Humboldt, and seized his laptop, phone, and other electronics such as a camera. They attempted to force him to give up his passcodes, and he told them no. He did the right thing.

This violation of his privacy comes as part of their effort to charge him with four bogus felonies – false imprisonment, conspiracy, battery, and assault – related to the student protest on Feb 27. This is the latest in their string of acts to suppress any campus free speech for Palestine and divestment from Israel, along with suspending and firing him from his university teaching job.

We should be perfectly clear about it: there is nothing wrong with supporting any student action, including building occupations, that is taken to make demands of a university. Our rights to free speech and freedom of assembly are protected by the First Amendment, enshrined in the constitution. College protest is a long-time tradition, and it continues on today. Toledo committed no crime in supporting the student protest, and the university is determined to create lie after lie in order to demonize him.

In our view, what they really want to do is punish Toledo not for the one-day building occupation last month, but for the 9-day building occupation during the encampment movement in spring of 2024. That display of courage by the students in the name of ending university support for a genocide made it to millions of TV screens, and the state of California and university want someone to pay. Toledo is their target of choice, years later.

We demand that he not be charged of any crime, because he didn't do anything wrong. We demand that his devices be returned ASAP. Activists should learn from his example of not telling the police a single thing, including a passcode. The university and police are the criminals here for trying to scare activists out of speaking out against the university's continued financial support to Israeli apartheid. Now is not the time to suffer in silence; it’s the time to speak out. We need to condemn political repression, stand with Rick Toledo, and defend our rights to speak out for Palestine.

Don’t Charge Rick Toledo!

Give Him His Property Back!

Protesting for Palestine Is Not a Crime!

#CSFR #StopFBI #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

Los Angeles, CA – Centro CSO and supporters gathered at Mariachi Plaza, July 30, for a press conference to announce their victory over the Department of Justice, as it dropped the charges on anti-ICE protester Alejandro Orellana.

After seven weeks of nationwide pressure on U.S. Attorney Billal “Bill” Essayli, Alejandro is a free man and can live without government restrictions or reporting to a parole officer.

On July 30, U.S. District Judge Serena Murillo dismissed the case without prejudice after Bill Essayli asked to drop the charges the day before.

“We are here today to celebrate,” said Jordan Peña, who is part to Centro CSO leadership. “They were coming after Alejandro as a direct act of political repression because of the work we do in CSO and the way we protect our communities.”

Orellana’s victory is the latest example of cases against anti-ICE protesters being dropped because those prosecutions, clearly politically motivated, can’t stand up in court. Centro CSO also demanded the charges on all immigrant rights protesters who stood up against ICE be dropped and that all political prisoners be released.

Alejandro Orellana went up to the podium, which was full of microphones, and spoke in defiance against Essayli, the U.S. Attorney, who had celebrated the June 12 raid in the media. Orellana also thanked the dozens of organizations for their unwavering support of his case.

“Protesting and protecting yourself and your community from police violence and draconian deportation policies is not a crime,” said Orellana during his speech. “And that’s why Billal’s case fell apart, because they had nothing. As history has made evident, the far right continues to be paper tigers.”

Long time Chicano activist Carlos Montes spoke about what transpired at Orellana’s house when the FBI, National Guard and East LA Sheriffs raided him. ”Centro CSO stood firm and fought against political repression and intimidation and we’re glad that Alejandro is free!” Montes said “Trump's lapdog Essayli gave into pressure and realized he can’t win this case. It is right to protest. It is right to rebel against inhumane injustices against Chicanos, Mexicanos and Central Americans.”

“When I heard he was arrested, some of my coworkers and myself were furious,” said Henry Cornejo, a UPS worker and member of the Teamsters union who works alongside Orellana. “I consider what he did heroic, distributing face shields to protesters that were being shot at by LAPD 40mm launchers.” Cornejo continued. “I’m standing here in solidarity and victory with Alejandro and Centro CSO for winning this case. These charges were dropped because we as activists, as a community and as Raza knew these accusations were baseless.”

Centro CSO is building for the 55th Chicano Moratorium on August 30 in East Los Angeles, where political repression against the Chicano movement continues. The main themes will highlight legalization for all, anti-war activism, and community control of the police.

To join the struggle and keep fighting back against political repression, you can reach out to Centro CSO on Instagram @CentroCSO.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoLatino #ICE #ImmigrantRights #FBI #StopFBI #CentroCSO

On July 29, the people achieved a great victory: the two bogus federal charges on Los Angeles immigrant rights activist Alejandro Orellana were dropped!

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization hails everyone who took up the national call to mobilize for Alex's defense and every one of his supporters. Not only did we stand with Los Angeles in the uprising against ICE raids, but we held our ground when they came for the organizers. Defending our activists and comrades is an outstanding achievement, and everyone who took part should be proud.

Alex was raided by the FBI and charged with conspiracy to commit civil disorder, and with aiding and abetting civil disorder. Trump's California crony, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, tried to put Alex behind bars for up to five years for the so-called “crime” of distributing personal protection to protesters who were facing rubber bullets and tear gas. This was an obvious attempt to stop the growing resistance against ICE and deportations across the country — and to scare activists off of the streets.

In answer, we fought back, mounted a national defense campaign, and won.

The lessons of this defense campaign are clear and important. First, it was vital for Alex and his supporters to be open about who he was, what the charges were (and how much time they carried), his reputation as a leader of Centro CSO, and that he is a member of the FRSO. Alex’s actions in the uprising were heroic, and our choice to speak freely about them won him critical support from the people.

Second, we chose to do a national mobilization filled with rallies, press conferences, public statements of support, social media blitzes and call-in days. We were determined to win in the court of public opinion. In this way, people were given ways to put pressure on the prosecution and the enemy.

Finally, there was a good and aggressive legal strategy. The legal team worked hard for the best possible outcome and took actions to prepare for a trial setting, in which we were prepared to put Trump, his administration, and U.S. Attorney Essayli on trial for criminalizing protest instead of the other way around.

The key lessons of this defense campaign are the same lessons we learned from the Anti-War 23, the defense of Carlos Montes and Rasmea Odeh, and the case of the Tampa 5. The purpose of political repression is to use fear to quell our movements and silence its leaders. If we refuse to give into fear and choose to fight back, if we go to our court appearances and look the prosecution in the eye, if we speak to the press and the masses about our cases, we stand a chance to win.

These lessons are the key to weathering the storms waiting for us. We are entering a time of heightening repression from the Trump administration. However, we are also entering a period of heightening struggle, courage and resistance from the masses, who have shown that they are willing to fight for a better world.

If we have the grit and determination to stand up to repression, we can build a revolutionary organization. The case of Alex Orellana shows us that attacks don't mean defeat, that it is right to rebel, and that in spite of repression, we have opportunities to grow and a world to win. The fight has just begun.

#InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #ImmigrantRights #FRSO #Statement #CSFR #FBI #ICE #StopFBI #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA – On July 29, the federal government announced the conspiracy charges against Chicano activist Alejandro Orellana were dropped – a victory for Centro CSO and all freedom fighters in the immigrant rights movement fighting against ICE terror!

On June 12, the FBI, National Guard, and the East LA Sheriff station raided Orellana’s home. They arrested Orellana, destroyed his family home, and locked him up at the Metropolitan Detention Center that has been the site of many anti-deportation protests. The Justice Department charged him with conspiracy to commit civil disorder and aiding and abetting civil disorder, which could have resulted in up to five years in prison for Orellana.

After seven weeks of fighting a national campaign, Centro CSO stood their ground and fought the odds against political repression and intimidation and were successful. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli – Trump's lapdog – gave in to the pressure and realized that he would not win this case. As Orellana’s supporters noted at actions across the country, handing out face shields and water bottles to protesters is not a crime.

The campaign consisted of national days of action demanding that U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli drop the charges on Alejandro. Allies around the country released statements of support, held protests, made videos of support, wrote letters and flooded phone lines pressuring Essayli to drop the trumped-up charges. CSO made an impact and filled up the courtroom during Orellana’s hearings.

With their victory, Orellana and Centro CSO made it clear that it is right to rebel against inhumane injustices against Raza.

“Protesting is not a crime,” said Orellana in response to the government dropping its charges against him. “Protecting the community is not a crime. The reason we won is because we are on the right side of history and our cause is just.”

Attacks on undocumented people are only increasing, as Trump's disastrous bill will allot the ICE budget billions of dollars to meet his deportation quota by abducting innocent people from the streets and workplaces. California Chief Border Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino sees all undocumented people as criminals who should be rounded up to concentration camps and he tries to criminalize anyone who stands against abductions by masked federal agents.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #FBI #ICE #ImmigrantRights #CentroCSO #StopFBI #CSFR #L4A #Feature