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ckaihatsu
27th May 2011, 04:19
New Petition - Drop charges against Carlos Montes. Stop attacks on our movements!


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http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=8b7315d854bc40ca9fa6dd227&id=eefaf74629&e=b3b6009f90


From the Committee to Stop FBI Repression

SIGN the new online petition at iacenter.org/stopfbi
Drop All Charges against Carlos Montes, and immediately return all of his property!

Stop the attack on the Chicano and Immigrant Rights Movements!

Call Off the Expanding Grand Jury Witch Hunt and FBI Repression of Chicano, Immigrant Rights, Anti-War and International Solidarity Activists NOW!

Cancel the Subpoenas! Cancel the Grand Juries!

Condemn the FBI Raids and Harassment of Chicano, Immigrant Rights, Anti-War and International Solidarity Activists!
Tell U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald, President Obama, Attorney General Holder, Department of Justice Inspector General Fine, the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, Congressional Leaders, U.N. Secretary Gen Ban, and members of the media “Stop the FBI campaign of repression against anti-war and international solidarity activists now!”

SIGN the online petition at iacenter.org/stopfbi

On May 17, 2011 at 5:00 AM, the SWAT Team of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and members of the FBI raided the home of Carlos Montes, a long time Chicano activist and active member of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. The SWAT Team smashed the front door and rushed in with automatic weapons as Carlos slept. The team of Sheriffs and FBI proceeded to ransack his house, taking his computer, cell phones and hundreds of documents, photos, diskettes and mementos of his current political activities in the pro-immigrant rights and Chicano civil rights movement. Also taken were hundreds of historical documents related to Carlos Montes’ involvement in the Chicano movement for the past 44 years.

Carlos was arrested on one charge dealing with a firearm code and released on bail the following morning. His first court appearance is set for June 16, 2011. There will be many solidarity actions on that day.

This attack on Carlos Montes is part of the campaign of FBI harassment taking place against the 23 peace and justice activists which has until now been centered in the Midwest. Carlos Montes’ name was listed on the subpoena left in the office of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee last September 24. When Carlos Montes was placed in the LA County Sheriff's car, an FBI agent approached and asked him questions about the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Carlos Montes has done nothing wrong. This is an attack on him and an attack on the Chicano movement for equality. Carlos has been an involved and a committed leader in the immigrant rights, anti-war, solidarity and quality education movements his whole adult life.

Stop the Attacks on the Chicano and Immigrants Rights Movement!

We demand all charges be dropped against Carlos Montes. We call for the immediate return of all his property.

-- Please SIGN the online petition
at iacenter.org/stopfbi (sample text below)
-- Please also call and write U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (202) 353-1555 and demand “Hands Off Carlos Montes and Other Activists.”

Sample petition text (you will be able to modify it if you like):
To: U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald, President Barack Obama, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder,
cc: Vice President Biden, DOJ Inspector General Fine, the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, Congressional Leaders, the Congressional Black Caucus, U.N. Secy Gen Ban, and members of the media

** Drop All Charges against Carlos Montes, and immediately return all of his property!
** Stop the attack on the Chicano and immigrant rights movements!
** Call Off the Chicago Grand Jury and Stop the Expanding Witchhunt against anti-war and International Solidarity Activists!
** Hands Off Palestine Solidarity Activists!
** Throw Out the reactiviated subpoenas against Tracy Molm, Ann Pham and Sarah Martin in Minneapolis, and ALL of the 14 subpoenas from the September 24 FBI raids of homes of anti-war and international solidarity activists.
**Immediately return all confiscated materials: computers, cell phones, papers, documents, etc.
**End the grand jury proceedings against anti-war activists.

I am writing to oppose the continuation and expansion of the FBI campaign of harassment of immigrant rights, anti-war and Palestine and other International Solidarity Activists, including the raid on the home of Carlos Montes and his arrest and the confiscation of his property, the 9 added subpoenas in the Chicago area, and reactivation of 3 of the original 14 subpoenas from the September 24 FBI raids of anti-war and international solidarity activists' homes.
These activists are guilty of no crime but opposition to U.S. foreign policy. On Friday, September 24, 2010 the FBI raided seven houses and an office in Chicago and Minneapolis. The FBI served subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury to 13 activists in Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan. The FBI also attempted to intimidate activists in California, Wisconsin and North Carolina. This is not the action of a lone prosecutor. The raids were coordinated nationally, spanned several cities, and many other activists have been visited and personally threatened by the FBI.
The FBI confiscated computers, email and mailing lists, cell phones , cameras, videos, books, and passports. This is a dangerous attack on the constitutional rights of free speech of every social justice, antiwar and human rights activist and organization in the U.S. today. The right to speak, meet and write opinions is guaranteed under the constitution.
This suppression of civil rights is aimed at those who dedicate their time and energy to supporting the struggles of the Palestinian and Colombian peoples against U.S. funded occupation and war. Grand Jury subpoenas investigating material support of terrorism are being used to silence highly respected and well known human rights activists. This is a dangerous national effort to shut down growing opposition to U.S. wars. It cannot be allowed.
The FBI and the Grand Jury are threatening courageous individuals who have written and spoken publicly to broaden understanding of social justice issues of war and occupation. The activists are involved with many groups, including: the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee, the Palestine Solidarity Group, the Colombia Action Network, Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. These activists came together with many others to organize the 2008 anti-war marches on the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.
The FBI and the U.S. government must end this campaign of intimidation against anti-war and international solidarity activists. I am outraged at this disrespect of democratic rights. I ask that you intervene immediately to:

**Stop the Grand Jury Witchhunt!
**Stop the expanded repression against anti-war and international solidarity activists.
**Immediately return all confiscated materials: computers, cell phones, papers, documents, etc.
**End the grand jury proceedings against anti-war activists.

Sincerely,
(your signature here)

SIGN the online petition at iacenter.org/stopfbi

In solidarity,
The Committee to Stop FBI Repression
www.StopFBI.net


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Copyright © 2011 Committee to Stop FBI Repression, All rights reserved.
Thanks for your ongoing interest in the fight against FBI repression of anti-war and international solidarity activists!
Our mailing address is:
Committee to Stop FBI Repression
PO Box 14183
Minneapolis, MN 55414

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ckaihatsu
27th May 2011, 06:53
Chicago stands in solidarity with Carlos Montes

By Staff

Chicago, IL - On May 25, the Committee Against Political Repression brought together 30 supporters of Carlos Montes to denounce the raid by the FBI and Los Angeles Sheriff. Gathering in front of the Federal Building in Chicago, despite a thunder storm, the press conference and rally included a number of speakers.

The first speaker was Jesus Guillen of the Moratorium on Deportations Campaign, the group that led the May 1st immigrant rights march in Chicago this year. Guillen said of Montes and the 23 anti-war activists subpoenaed by the grand jury in Chicago, “We cannot stay quiet; we have to demand the return of all property taken from Montes; that all charges have to be dropped against him and against all those who have been subpoenaed for fighting for justice in the U.S. and abroad.”

Alejandro Molina spoke next from the Boricua Human Rights Network, a human rights organization of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. and their supporters. “Under Obama’s administration, there have been more attacks on dissidents and more deportations than under Bush. Also under President Obama, the parole for Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera has been denied.”

Magda Castaneda of the Comité Anti-Militarización (CAMi) an anti-war group from the Chicano and Latino community in Chicago, quoted Martin Luther King, “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Emma Lozano of Sin Fronteras, a leading organization in the immigrant rights movement also spoke. She demanded that the charges against Montes be dropped, and also that President Obama stop breaking apart the families of immigrant workers. Mark Clements of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty wrapped up the press conference. One of the innocent victims of Chicago Police torturer Jon Burge, Clements spent 17 years in prison after a confession was tortured out of him. Clements has been at every rally for the 23 anti-war activists targeted by the grand jury and U.S. Attorney Pat Fitzgerald, and called for the resistance to continue.

When the thunderstorm finally subsided, the crowd picketed and chanted, “One, two three four - FBI broke down the door. Five, six, seven, eight - Fight back before it’s too late.”

Video of Chicago press conference against raid of the home of Carlos Montes

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ckaihatsu
28th May 2011, 22:33
U.S. Attorney General Holder challenged on FBI repression
Anti-war, international solidarity activists interrupt his speech in Minneapolis

By Staff

Minneapolis, MN - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder got a cold reception in Minneapolis May 27, where the Committee to Stop FBI Repression dogged him all day about FBI and grand jury attacks on anti-war and international solidarity activists. 100 people gathered outside his event at the University of Minnesota. The shouts of protesters outside could be heard inside, “Hey Holder, hear our fury! Stop the FBI, end the grand jury!”

In September of 2010, 14 peace and international solidarity activists in the Midwest, including Minneapolis, were subpoenaed to testify at a secret grand jury investigating material support for terrorism. In December, nine more activists were subpoenaed. The 23 activists have declared their refusal to testify and have declared their First Amendment right to protest, to free speech and to assemble. Last week, the FBI stepped up its repression when it participated in a raid on the home of Los Angeles immigrant rights activist, Carlos Montes.

As Holder began to speak at the University of Minnesota event, several people stood up to interrupt him with questions demanding that he explain his why his Department of Justice is pursuing activists.

The first to challenge him was Tracy Molm, one of the targeted activists and a member of Students for a Democratic Society. Holder talked with her after his speech, saying they would have to “agree to disagree” on whether international solidarity activism like hers is constitutionally protected.

Afterwards, Molm told the protesters gathered outside, "He can disagree all he wants, but people around the country believe these attacks need to end because they're killing our free speech rights, our ability to question our government and our ability to speak out."

All those who interrupted his speech were ejected by University police, but none were arrested.

Speaking for the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, Deb Konechne said, “It is disgusting that Eric Holder, who once defended Chiquita Banana’s payments to right-wing death squads and Colombia’s AUC - a designated ‘Foreign Terrorist Organization’ - is today the head of a grand jury fishing expedition against anti-war and international solidarity activists. This fishing expedition is, according to secret FBI documents released last week, predicated on the work of activists in the U.S. to publicize and advocate on behalf of Colombian trade unionists that have been AUC targets.”

Protesters also gathered outside a second speech by the attorney general at Augsburg College, but were barred from entering. When Holder exited the event, protesters sent him packing with these final words, “Hey Holder, you crossed the line. Political dissent is not a crime!”

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]
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