Detroit activists gather at the McNamara Building to demand a halt to attacks by the federal government against anti-war and solidarity organizations. The FBI staged raids in numerous cities targeting several organizations. (Photo: Abayomi Azikiwe)
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
All out Jan. 25 to stop FBI repression
Published Jan 9, 2011 7:57 PM
Workers World newspaper places its full support behind the proposal from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression for everyone who can to join the day of action set for Jan. 25. The challenge is serious. Every movement activist and every class-conscious worker should be ready to take part — if they are serious about defending the right to show solidarity with those around the world who oppose imperialism.
In December the FBI delivered nine new subpoenas to anti-war and solidarity activists in Chicago. Since September the state has served 23 subpoenas. The new subpoenas order the nine people to appear at a grand jury in Chicago on Jan. 25.
The Stop FBI committee calls for solidarity protests around the country: “Hundreds of organizations and thousands of people will be protesting at federal buildings, FBI offices, and other appropriate places, showing solidarity with the nine newly subpoenaed activists and with all the activists whose homes were raided by the FBI.” (StopFBI.net)
The subpoenaed activists have earned the entire movement’s support as they refuse to cooperate with the grand jury’s vicious probe. Last October all 14 activists from Chicago, Minneapolis and Michigan decided not to participate in the secret grand jury proceedings. Each signed a letter invoking their Fifth Amendment rights. Three of them, all women from Minneapolis — Tracy Molm, Anh Pham and Sarah Martin — now face reactivated subpoenas. But they are all still standing strong, despite the risk that the jury can jail them — even if they are not convicted of any crime, but simply for refusing to testify.
The repressive capitalist state apparatus has also targeted others besides these political activists.
Ahlam Mohsen and Max Kantar, two young anti-war activists from Michigan, were indicted on criminal felony charges on Dec. 30 for “pieing” Sen. Carl Levin. Free speech, the right to protest and common sense have gone out the window. The federal government is threatening the pair with eight years in prison for their anti-imperialist solidarity action. Mohsen and Kantar deserve the support of all anti-war and progressive forces.
Since 9/11, the state apparatus has stepped up repression of the entire Muslim community in the United States. This includes not only immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries and Muslims from the Caribbean, but their descendants and African-American Muslims. Many people have been framed up by FBI and police informants who set up an entire alleged “terrorist” conspiracy. It is 21st-century Cointelpro. They lure people with money, lies and other means in order to entrap them.
Among those unfairly convicted and sentenced are the Fort Dix 5 and the Newburgh 4. For a full list of the hundreds who have been victimized, see projectsalam.org. The victims of this ethnic targeting deserve the full support of the movement. So too do dedicated attorneys like Lynne Stewart, who in December was sent to a prison in Texas to serve her unjust sentence.
The next step in fighting this wave of injustice is to make Jan. 25 a day of struggle and stand with those who refuse to submit to grand jury intimidation.
As the Committee to Stop FBI Repression writes:
“Defend free speech! Defend the right to organize! Opposing war and occupation is not a crime! ... Tell Federal D.A. Patrick Fitzgerald to call off the grand jury!”
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