Updates and News for March 2012 - The latest on Carlos Montes

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Updates and News for March 2012 - Committee to Stop FBI Repression

The latest on Carlos Montes - Jess Sundin at the Left Forum in NYC


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CSFR Updates and News for March 2012

1. Carlos Montes Back In Court On March 27, 2012
2. Jess Sundin To Speak At Left Forum, March 18, NYC
3. CSFR Speakers To Speak at UNAC Conference, March 24-26
4. New Document In FBI Frame Up of Carlos Montes, March 2, 2012
5. In early February the CSFR promoted the International Day in Solidarity with Leonard Peltier
6. The CSFR Supported Solidarity with Kevin Cooper


1. Carlos Montes Back In Court On March 27, 2012

Stop the Frame Up of Carlos Montes, Court Hearing to Uncover FBI Lies
Tuesday, March 27, Call In Day

Call:

President Obama at 202-456-1111 &
Attorney General Eric Holder at 202-514-2001

Demand: “Drop the charges against Carlos Montes. There is no evidence!”
Contact us and let us know how your calls went: [email protected]

The FBI wants to frame up Carlos Montes. At his next court hearing on Tuesday, March 27 in Los Angeles, Carlos Montes’ lawyer will obtain results from discovery motions on how FBI special agent Matt Weber worked with L.A. Sheriff Detective Don Lord and the Joint Terrorism Task Force in this frame-up attempt.

If you are in the Los Angeles area... Join us at the Court!

Tuesday, March 27, 8:00 AM
Criminal Courts Bldg.
211 West Temple St, Los Angeles
Dept. 123 on the 13th floor
For more info go to stopfbila.net

More info:

Chicano leader and long-time anti-war activist Carlos Montes is the target of a FBI frame up. The FBI and Los Angeles Sheriffs broke down Carlos’ door, ransacked his home, and took his notes and papers, May 17, 2011. Carlos Montes refused to answer the FBI agent’s questions. Carlos knew the raid was part of the FBI repression of 23 anti-war activists who organized the mass protests outside the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Along with many others, Carlos Montes name appeared on the FBI search warrant for the Anti-War Committee office in Minneapolis on September 24, 2010.

Now Carlos Montes is facing six felony charges, because the FBI claims he is a felon in violation of firearm codes. The FBI claim stems from a 1969 student strike for Black, Chicano, and Women’s studies at East L.A. College, where police beat and arrested demonstrators. Carlos was arrested on his way home, accused of assaulting a sheriff’s deputy (with an empty soda can). This charge was sentenced as a misdemeanor according to a recent court document. The prosecution is basing their case on this 42-year-old misdemeanor, disguising it as a bogus felony. Without a past felony, all of the charges Montes is now facing relating to his legally purchased firearms would be dismissed. Both sides agree that no prison time whatsoever was served in the 1969 incident. The legal process is being driven by something other than the facts of the case. It is political repression.


Support Grows! Solidarity Will Bring Victory!

Support for Montes and the other activists under attack by the FBI and U.S. Federal grand jury is growing. Recently the State Association of Mexican American Educators sent an [email protected][/email] for posting.

Pass a resolution in solidarity (http://stopfbi.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8b7315d854bc40ca9fa6dd227&id=b584b8c4ab&e=b3b6009f90) with Carlos Montes or write a letter.
Sign the petition at [url]http://www.stopfbi.net/petition/national
Sign the Pledge at http://www.stopfbi.net/get-involved/pledge-of-resistance
Donate to the Legal Defense http://www.stopfbi.net/donate


2. Jess Sundin To Speak At Left Forum, March 18, NYC

Jess Sundin of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression is speaking on a panel at the Left Forum in New York City this weekend. The Left Forum, one of the largest gatherings of Left and progressive thinkers in the country, will host thousands of activists and academics organizing for social justice. Jess Sundin will speak on the panel “U.S. Imperialist Wars, Political Prisoners, Past & Present, and the Anti-War Struggle”, Sunday, March 18, at 3 PM, at Pace University, Pace Plaza, Room W 609.

Jess Sundin, whose home was raided by the FBI on September 24, 2010, will speak about FBI repression aimed at anti-war and international solidarity activists. Jess was one of the main leaders of the 2008 Coalition to March on the RNC in St. Paul, MN. She is one of the 24 activists subpoenaed to a Grand Jury for her unwavering solidarity with people’s movements in Palestine and Colombia. A tremendous solidarity movement with the anti-war 24 arose after the FBI raids. It continues to gain support from anti-war coalitions, labor unions, the student movement, religious and faith groups, and civil and immigrant rights organizations.

The main focus for Jess’s talk is on the pressing solidarity campaign with Chicano leader and anti-war activist Carlos Montes in Los Angeles. The FBI and LA Sheriffs raided Carlos home last May, busting down his front door, waving automatic weapons, and ransacking his home. The FBI frame up of Carlos Montes is an outrage based on events at a student protest at East LA College 42 years ago. Jess will explain the facts and build nationwide solidarity for Carlos next court date on Tuesday, March 27, 2012.

The other panelists will speak on their advanced experiences in organizing with movements for Puerto Rican independence, African-American self-determination, freedom for Mumia Abu Jamal, solidarity with imprisoned lawyer Lynne Stewart, and animal rights.

The Committee to Stop FBI Repression will have a literature table at the Left Forum all weekend, from Friday, March 16 to Sunday March 18, where people can stop and talk with Jess Sundin in detail.

http://www.leftforum.org/panel/us-imperialist-wars-political-prisoners-past-present-and-anti-war-struggle


3. CSFR Speakers To Speak at UNAC Conference, March 24-26

Meredith Aby, Sarah Martin, and Joe Iosbaker, three of the 24 anti-war and international solidarity activists who were raided by the FBI and/or subpoenaed to a Grand Jury in Chicago will be speaking on panels at the United National Antiwar Coalition Conference in Stamford, CT. Besides their own experiences with political repression, they will speak about the upcoming trial of Chicano leader and anti-war activist Carlos Montes in Los Angeles. The CSFR will also be promoting the Sunday, May 20 Protest of NATO/G8—opposing the war and poverty agenda of the politicians, generals and bankers.

See https://nationalpeaceconference.org/ for more info and the agenda.


4. New Document In FBI Frame Up of Carlos Montes, March 2, 2012

A new court document showing Carlos Montes charge was sentenced as a misdemeanor came to light thru the defense attorney’s discovery process in preparing for the trial. There is more information about the last court date at the CSFR website:
http://www.stopfbi.net/2012/3/4/new-document-fbi-frame-carlos-montes


5. In early February the CSFR promoted the International Day in Solidarity with Leonard Peltier

Northwest Regional March and Rally for Clemency for Leonard Peltier, Tacoma, WA
http://leonardpeltiermarch.wordpress.com
http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/index1.htm


6. The CSFR Supported Solidarity with Kevin Cooper

“The Framing of Kevin Cooper” Solidarity and book tour with J. Patrick O'Connor, author of “SCAPEGOAT: The Chino Hills Murders and the Framing of Kevin Cooper." Patrick also wrote, "The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal”. Starting on Sunday, February 5, 2012, the tour focused on the death penalty and the government's framing of an innocent Black man in an outrageous case.

Thanks for your support,

Tom Burke,
for the Committee to Stop FBI Repression


www.StopFBI.net

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Copyright © 2012 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]

Jess Sundin at Left Forum says, “Drop the charges against Carlos Montes”

By Staff

New York, NY - Dozens packed into a standing-room only panel discussion at the Left Forum called, “U.S. Imperialist Wars, Political Prisoners, Past & Present, and the Anti-War Struggle” on March 18. The Left Forum, one of the largest gatherings of left and progressive thinkers in the country, hosted thousands of activists and academics organizing for social justice.

Speakers included Jess Sundin of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (http://fightbacknews.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=a29530af96a02fc55d345e735&id=636b322955&e=d323598fe4). Sundin’s home was raided by the FBI on Sept. 24, 2010, along with other anti-war and international solidarity activists. She called on all the audience to stand in solidarity with Carlos Montes.

Sundin said, “Carlos is an innocent man and has done nothing wrong. Quite the opposite, he is a hero who has dedicated his life to winning freedom and liberation – not only for the Chicano people, but for all the world’s peoples. He survived COINTELPRO the first time around, but today, once again, the government is working to imprison him.”

Sundin urged everyone present to sign the petition to drop the charges against Carlos Montes. “We can’t let that happen. He is a freedom fighter and we must work to ensure he not become the next political prisoner.”


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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[ckaihatsu]

First victory in case of Carlos Montes: 2 charges dismissed on March 27
Movement builds to drop remaining 4 charges

By Staff

Los Angeles, CA – In the first significant victory in the case of veteran Chicano leader Carlos Montes, Superior Court Judge George Lomeli handed down a ruling March 27, dismissing two of the six felony charges that are pending against Montes. Thanking supporters outside the courtroom, Montes said, “The success we have had here today is due to your efforts and to those of my attorney, Jorge Gonzalez. Two charges down, we need to get the other four dropped.”

Before the court appearance, protesters gathered in the front of the court building to demand “Justice for Carlos Montes, drop the charges.” Also on March 27, supporters of Montes from across the country placed phone calls to President Obama and Attorney General Holder demanding an end to the prosecution.

Montes is one of the 24 anti-war and international solidarity activists who are up against FBI repression. Standing in front of the courthouse, Mick Kelly, of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression stated, “The FBI, along with the L.A. Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Sheriff’s Department has manufactured a crude frame-up against Carlos Montes. They say that he violated gun ownership laws when he did no such thing. They take a charge against Carlos, from 42 some years ago, stemming from a protest where Sheriffs attacked students at East L.A. College demanding Chicano and Black studies. The Sheriffs and District Attorney claim that Carlos has a felony on his record so he can not own a firearm. The legal record does not support that.”

The two charges against Montes were dismissed on the grounds that the statute of limitations had passed. In the discussion of the dismissal motion, the prosecution admitted that Department of Justice records on Montes’ legal history were contradictory.

Also, in the March 27 court hearing, Montes’ attorney, Jorge Gonzales introduced a motion on selective prosecution. “It’s a motion for discovery and a motion to dismiss,” said Gonzalez. The motion argues that Montes is facing prosecution because he exercised his first amendment rights - specifically he is an outspoken opponent of U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Colombia. As such, Montes was an organizer of the massive anti-war march at the 2008 Republican National Convention. Currently, he is calling on people to unite and march on the protest against NATO on May 20, 2012 in Chicago to denounce that war alliance.

The motion also demands that the government produce information on the role of the FBI in the case against Carlos Montes. Early in informal discovery process of Montes’ case, the District Attorney responded to requests for communications between L.A. Sheriffs and the FBI by stating “none existed.” Given that government legal documents introduced into evidence show that FBI Special Agent Matt Weber contacted Sheriff Department Detective Donald Lord to orchestrate the May 17, 2011 raid on Montes’ home, this claim of ‘no communications’ is obviously untrue.

The next court appearance is set for April 26. Carlos Montes and the LA Committee to Stop FBI Repression are mobilizing people for a picket outside and to pack the court room, to demand the government drop the charges!

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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