San Diego Demonstrates in Solidarity
Thursday Sept 30th @ 5pm at the Federal Building
STOP the FBI Witch hunts & ‘Terrorism Warrants’ against Socialists, Solidarity and Peace Activists!
Last Friday, Sept. 24th the FBI raided the homes and offices of more than a dozen activists in 4 states and pursued others in at least 2 other states carting away in one case, 40 boxes of personal, computer and cell phone materials. (Go here for the OB Rag post.)
The AP reported that the FBI served ‘terrorism warrants on the accused. The witch hunt of these socialists, peace activists, Colombian and Palestinian solidarity activists should send shivers up our spines. The fact that these domestic solidarity activists are charged with support of “foreign terrorist organizations” for their contact with liberation movements is reminiscent of the FBI’s persecution of the Black Panthers and other civil rights activists. This is the most blatant targeting of leftists and socialists since ‘Tricky’ Dick Nixon launched COINTELPRO red-scares decades ago.
We must stand as one! It should matter not if we agree with the political perspectives of the accused. An Injury to One is an Injury to All!
Many peace activists have watched in horror as the Patriot Act and a massive, secret police and ‘intelligence’ infrastructure arose under the Bush Administration since 911. Now the growth shows no sign of slowing down under Obama. For example, IPS noted that the “New York Times reported this morning that the Barack Obama administration is drawing up legislation to make it easier for U.S .intelligence services to eavesdrop on the Internet, including email exchanges and social networks.” Is the repressive power of the state too big to control?
Is our freedom and liberty threatened? Yes, but many of us feel that we are far more threatened by the construction of an INTERNAL police state, than by EXTERNAL enemies. The FBI raids are meant to have the effect of silencing solidarity and peace activists and squelching dissent and opposition to foreign occupations and the wars of aggression.
Your participation in demonstrations in 30+ cities across the country is essential to holding back the tide of repression: so please HELP get the word out quickly.
– Martin Eder for the San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice, Activist San Diego and FRSO/OSCL – San Diego
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From www.freedomroad.org/
The facts behind the raid and grand jury subpoenas of activists in Minneapolis, Chicago, Michigan and North Carolina, we want to be clear about several things:
* The raid on multiple sites of an organization within our movement should alarm us all. It is part of a growing governmental trend targeting the left.
* The FBI continues to stretch beyond all meaning the designation of “terrorist” in order to make wide sweeps and go on fishing expeditions with seemingly very little hard facts. Too often the designation of “terrorist” has been applied to organizations and movements seeking freedom and independence. For example, the ANC was on the “terrorist” list right up until they won electoral victory in South Africa.
* These raids and arrests have the effect of stifling dissent and foreclosing democratic rights of minority viewpoints. We should be concerned, whether or not we agree with the politics of the targeted organization.
* Although the organization in question has a similar name to ours, we are different organizations. (We are officially Freedom Road Socialist Organization/Organización Socialista del Camino para la Libertad (FRSO/OSCL).) We were not targets in these raids.
* We will have more to say about the implications of these raids.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Deja vu. Squarely in our view. When it comes down to it “they” don’t care about me and “they” don’t care about you. And that we don’t care enough about each other fuels “their” power through and through. And there are so many more of “us” than there are of “them.” That we don’t use that to our advantage is one of the mysteries of our democracy if you ask me.
this is so important . . . FBI harassment goes on whatever the administration. Either they are into it or must learn to control their own agencies. I would have thought at least under this administration it would be safer to protest. Hmm-m-m. Let’s hold them accountable . . .this is unconscionable.
You can register your protest by signing the petition at: http://iacenter.org/stopfbi/.
please sign . . . we must let thme know that they can’t do this in the dark . . .
Boy Ernie your right on It doesn’t matter people just refuse to believe it could happen to them. It just goes round and round