News and Views from the People's Struggle
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following resolution that was adopted by a unanimous vote of the San Francisco Labor Council, Feb. 27, 2012.
Brooklyn Center, MN – Protesters gathered outside the new headquarters of the FBI here, Feb. 17, to protest the agency’s targeting of anti-war and international solidarity activists. The protest coincided with the FBI’s announced move-in day to their new fortress-like building.
_Stop FBI and grand jury repression _
Minneapolis, MN – Supporters of grand jury resister Jordan Halliday gathered in front of the Federal Courts Building here, Jan 27. On Jan. 10, Jordan began serving out a ten-month prison sentence for refusing to appear before a federal grand jury investigating animal rights activists under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. The protest in Minneapolis was part of a national day of actions to raise awareness about Halliday’s case, the dangers of FBI repression and grand jury injustice. Attending the protest in Minneapolis were Sarah Martin and Jess Sundin, grand jury resisters in the case of 23 international solidarity activists under investigation for supposed material support for terrorism.
#MinneapolisMN #InJusticeSystem #FBI #grandJury #JordanHalliday #greenScare #PoliticalRepression
_Outrageous court decision – trial looms ahead _
Los Angeles, CA – “In the interests of justice this case should be dismissed,” said attorney Jorge Gonzales, lawyer for veteran Chicano leader Carlos Montes, in Los Angeles Superior Court, Jan. 24. Minutes later, though, Judge Lomeli sided with the prosecution, refusing to dismiss the six trumped up felony charges against Montes, on the grounds of insufficient evidence, setting the stage for a trial later this year. The court room was filled with supporters of Montes who wanted to see the charges dropped.
Newly released documents show that the FBI has been a major player behind the scenes pushing the 'Secure Communities' deportation program, which is responsible for the deportation of more than 104,000 immigrants identified through the program since 2008. The program, commonly known as S-Comm, uses a massive fingerprint database to try to identify undocumented immigrants for deportation. The FBI sees S-Comm's fingerprint database as one piece of its rapidly-expanding “Next Generation Identification” (NGI) initiative, which seeks to collect and distribute massive amounts of biometric information on citizens and noncitizens alike, in the U.S. and around the world.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the United National Antiwar Coalition
Los Angeles, CA – More than 60 people joined a spirited picket line here at the Criminal Courts Building, Aug. 12, to demand all charges against veteran Chicano leader and anti-war activist Carlos Montes be dropped. Montes previously appeared in Alhambra Court July 6, where he declared himself not guilty of six felonies relating to California’s firearm laws.
Los Angeles, CA – Supporters of veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes gathered on July 6 at the Alhambra courthouse in East Los Angeles. Montes appeared in court to enter a plea of not guilty to six felony charges that were filed after a SWAT team and FBI agents raided his home on May 17. More than 60 people came out to picket and rally in his defense at the court and packed the courtroom during the hearing.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Students for a Democratic Society's National Working Committee in support of the veteran Chicano leader Carlos Montes.
Lucha y Resiste esta circulando el siguiente comunicado del Comite por los derechos de inmigrantes en Minnesota (MIRAc) denunciando la redada en la casa de Carlos Montes. Pedimos que otras organizaciones tambien manden mensajes de apoyo al stopfbi.net.