Fight Back! - News and Views from the People's Struggle

Chicago immigrant rights protesters blockade court

Fight Back — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:57:08 +0000

Chicago, IL - Immigrant rights leaders here were arrested while blockading the doors of the building that houses the federal immigration court in the Chicago Loop, May 15. Occupy Chicago gathered with immigrant rights leaders and youth to protest the sharp increase in deportations. Speakers began the rally around noon, when suddenly the crowd doubled in size with the arrival of marchers from Centro Sin Fronteras and other immigrant rights groups. The Reverend Jose Landaverde and Mexican-American community leader Emma Lozano were both arrested after sitting in and blocking the entrance demanding justice.

During the sit in, Emma Lozano, surrounded by cops on one side and protesters on the other, said, “Many families are being divided by the immigration courts decisions. Moms and dads are being put in detention centers where they cannot work and support their families. Then they are deported and their children and spouses have to figure out how to reunite with them. It is time for justice! We have to take a stand against this broken system.”

Artemio Arreola, a leader of Chicago’s mega-marches in 2006, spoke at the rally saying, “We need equality, not more detention centers. There are well funded corporate lobbyists trying to get the state of Illinois to build a private, for profit detention center in Crete, Illinois, 30 miles outside Chicago. We have to stop this and put an end to deportations!”

Jorge Mujica called for, “an end to the increase in deportations that began with the economic downturn, but is continuing under President Obama. We are protesting here this week in unity with the big protests against NATO, against war and poverty. Instead of spending money on war, we want money spent on schools and mental health clinics that the City of Chicago is shutting down.”

During the long rally, a spirited group from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression gave interviews, distributed flyers and gathered petition signatures in solidarity with Los Angeles immigrant rights activist and Chicano leader Carlos Montes. The large poster of Carlos Montes was popular and many took photos of it. Many people had heard that the trial of Carlos Montes began that same day and some young people began calling the office of District Attorney Steve Cooley, demanding he, “Drop the charges now!”

The arrests ended the protests outside the immigration courts. Occupy Chicago and many Latino youth marched away down busy Canal Street, chanting and shouting, with the police chasing behind them. A Chicago police wagon soon roared after them with lights and sirens blaring, as the protesters disappeared from sight.

Supporters banner in support of Carlos Montes in Minneapolis May 15

Fight Back — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:49:58 +0000

Minneapolis, MN - A group of supporters gathered at the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Lake Street during a sunny south Minneapolis rush hour May 15, in support of Carlos Montes, on the first scheduled day of his trial.

The protest, organized by the Minnesota branch of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR), passed out fliers and gathered petition signatures about the case. Steff Yorek of CSFR gave an update regarding Montes’ court date in Los Angeles. She reported, "Due to a new development in the case, the trial was moved to June 20. The new development deals with obtaining information needed to clarify the legal record. The June 20 date gives time to investigate this information that would help defeat this attack against Carlos and our movement.”

Yorek concluded, "The struggle continues, we will continue to demand ‘drop the charges’ and await the new findings that will clear the charges. If not, we go to trial on June 20, 2012."

Carlos Montes trial moved to June 20, due to new developments

Fight Back — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:40:36 +0000

Los Angeles, CA - Over 100 supporters rallied in front of the Los Angeles Superior Court May 15 to demand, “Drop the charges against Carlos Montes.” The supporters included MECHA students, union members, teachers, vendors and community members, as well as activists from the anti-war movement.

“With your help we will win this case.” Montes told the crowd. “The repression against me is an attack on all of our movements. Thank you all for your solidarity! Together we will win!”

After this strong showing of solidarity, supporters then moved in to the packed courtroom. Montes was ready for trial. Due to a new development in the case, the trial was moved to June 20. The new development deals with obtaining information needed to clarify the legal record.

The defense lawyer, Montes, and district attorney agreed to the June 20 date, to give enough time to investigate this information that would help defeat this attack against Montes and the movements he represents.

The struggle continues. The Committee to Stop FBI Repression will continue to demand “drop the charges” and await the new findings that will clear the charges. If the charges are not dropped, Montes is set to go to trial on June 20.

Carlos Montes is facing multiple 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. Montes was arrested on his way home from the protest, accused of assaulting a sheriff’s deputy (with an empty soda can). This charge was sentenced as a misdemeanor according to a recently uncovered court document. District Attorney Steve Cooley, under the guidance of the FBI, is basing his case on this 42-year-old misdemeanor, disguising it as a bogus felony. Without a past felony, all of the charges Montes is 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.

“In the weeks ahead we need to keep putting pressure on the District Attorney to drop the charges” states Mick Kelly of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. “The prosecution of Carlos Montes is part of a broader attack by the FBI and local police on anti-war and international solidarity activists. We need to do everything in our power to push back.”

Chicago stands with Palestinian Hunger Strikers

Fight Back — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:03:15 +0000

Chicago, IL - More than 125 people gathered here for a candlelight vigil in support of over 2,000 Palestinian political prisoners currently on hunger strike in Israeli jails.

One of the hunger strikers is Saeed Mustafa Sbitan, a 19 year old from Beit Dukoo, a town in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He is the nephew of Hatem Abudayyeh, a member of Chicago US Palestinian Community Network (www.uspcn.org). Sbitan is one of hundreds in solitary confinement, and his family knows nothing about his health because the Israelis will not allow him to be visited or make phone calls. Abudayyeh spoke of his nephew at the end of the vigil, and denounced the treatment of Palestinian activists as criminals.

The condition of the hunger strikers is rapidly deteriorating. While most joined the hunger strike one month ago, two of the prisoners, Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh, have passed their 70th day refusing food, putting them in critical condition and close to death. Abudayyeh urged the crowd to be prepared to mobilize for quick action as the situation develops.

Jess Sundin, of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR) also spoke at the protest. While speaking in support of the Palestinian hunger strikers, she decried efforts by the US government to make political prisoners of US solidarity activists. She invited everyone present to join Wednesday, May 16, protest in solidarity with Carlos Montes. The action will take place outside the Dirksen Federal Building, where a grand jury has been investigating Abudayyeh, Sundin, and 21 other anti-war and international solidarity activists. The case against Montes stems from this same investigation.

Noemi Teppang, of BAYAN-USA and the International League for Peoples Struggle, addressed the crowd, declaring support for the Palestinian political prisoners, and the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.

Abudayyeh and Sundin both announced plans to join the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda march and rally on Sunday, May 20. Marchers with a 35-foot Palestinian flag will join the contingent of the CSFR.

Anti-war activists speak out against intervention in Syria

Fight Back — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:15:02 +0000

St. Paul, MN - Forty people gathered at Cahoots Coffee Shop here May 9, to hear from anti-war speakers at a program entitled “Syria: The Myth of Humanitarian Intervention” organized by the Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) Mideast Committee.

There is significant discussion in the international community and in the anti-war movement about whether ‘humanitarian intervention’ in Syria is justified. Speakers Mary Beaudoin, Margaret Safehjooy, and Dave Bicking gave analysis of the media’s role in drumming the beat for war, the role of the U.S. and NATO in ‘humanitarian interventions,’ and the reasons for not wanting to intervene in the conflict in Syria. This forum gave members of the peace movement an opportunity to discuss their concerns with military intervention in Syria.

Mary Beaudoin, editor of the WAMM newsletter and member of its Middle East committee, referred to the example of US/NATO intervention in Yugoslavia as a lesson for how humanitarian intervention can kill the very civilians they claim to protect. “The attacks by U.S.-led NATO countries on Yugoslavia were the test for humanitarian intervention that began this trend. The sovereign nation of Yugoslavia was broken into pieces, the proverbial village bombed to save it and humanitarian intervention in this form began to be established.”

Margaret Sarfehjooy, also member of the WAMM Middle East committee, explained her concerns for U.S. intervention in Syria. “What we do know is what the U.S. military is built and designed to do, and what it is capable of doing. The military wasn’t designed for humanitarian intervention. It is a force of destruction. The military is trained to kill people and destroy. People who believe that war should be a last resort tend to think that there’s an exception to humanitarian intervention because something is being done for the good. Humanitarian intervention is really a subset of war, not an exception to war. All of the caution for war should also be a caution for humanitarian intervention.”

Speakers encouraged attendees to ride the buses, organized by the Anti-War Committee and WAMM, to Chicago May 20 to protest the potential of U.S./NATO involvement in Syria.

People's Summit opens a week of protest against NATO in Chicago

Fight Back — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:53:38 +0000

Chicago, IL - Hundreds gathered from across the country for the People’s Summit, united in their opposition to the NATO/G8 agenda of war and poverty. Organized jointly by the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda (CANG8) and Occupy Chicago, the People’s Summit included 40 workshops and four plenary sessions. More than 50 attended a workshop featuring three Chicago leaders of the CANG8, speaking on, “The Strategic Aim in Opposing NATO in Chicago.”

The program began with Joe Iosbaker, who is one of the anti-war and international solidarity activists raided by the FBI in September 2010. He talked about the gains already achieved by CANG8 organizers. “We busted up the joint meeting of NATO and the G8. Now the G8 will meet at Camp David. And we took on Mayor One Percent, Rahm Emmanuel, defeating the worst of his anti-protest ordinances.” Iosbaker said that to have a strategic approach, every campaign should win all that can be won, raise the consciousness of the people and build organizations that can carry forward the lessons learned in the course of struggle.

Iosbaker addressed the political repression of the 24 anti-war activists. “The coordinated raid on my house and the others was the biggest FBI operation in 40 years, with the biggest political grand jury since the 1960s.” He said the outpouring of support for himself and the other targeted activists was not expected by the FBI. “The FBI thought the anti-war movement would leap away from us like a hot stove.”

Throughout the People’s Summit, activists shared information about the case of Carlos Montes. Hundreds of people pledged to support Montes, by signing petitions and calling on Los Angeles prosecutor Steve Cooley to drop the charges against him.

Pat Hunt, of Chicago Area CODEPINK, described how Chicago activists received news that NATO would be meeting in their town during a meeting of Chicago’s Coalition Against Political Repression. Her remarks focused on the work of building the CANG8 coalition. “In a coalition you have a lot of people with a lot of agendas, but it’s worth it. You have a chance to bring about something meaningful and powerful, because so many voices are involved.”

Andy Thayer, of Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism, addressed the role of the march planned by CANG8 organizers. He said the permitted march will make it possible for organizers “to get our message out and not have it marginalized. That is an important link in the chain.”

The People’s Summit closing panel included Suraia Sahar, of Afghans for Peace; Joe Lombardo, of United National Anti-War Coalition; Reiner Braun of the European Peace Movement and renowned journalist and political prisoner, Mumia Abu Jamal, whose remarks electrified the crowd.

With a week of action by Occupy Chicago and a massive permitted march on the first day of the NATO summit in Chicago and solidarity protests taking place across Europe, the world is sending a clear message to the NATO generals: “We say no to NATO/G8 war makers!”

SDS builds for May 20 NATO protest

Fight Back — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:44:28 +0000

Chicago, IL - On Sunday, May 20, students throughout the country will come together in Chicago to join the student contingent in opposition to the NATO summit and demand money for education, not for war.

A statement being circulated by SDS states, “While students are forced to work and go to school full-time just to pay for books, our government is pouring trillions of dollars into wars and occupations abroad that result in thousands of deaths, claiming that there is no money to be found for social services like education, housing and health care. Ending the wars would mean trillions of dollars of savings annually that could be spent on human needs here in the United States! We want money for education, not for war!”

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), a member of the Coalition to Protest the NATO & G8 War & Poverty Agenda, has been working for months in anticipation of this protest. Stephanie Taylor, a member of SDS’ National Working Committee explains, “We have students coming here from coast to coast. We have traveled to meetings in Chicago and have been projecting this protest for months. Protesting NATO is important for the student movement because money for education is being annihilated while our country spends trillions of dollars maintaining the war and occupation of Afghanistan.”

Some SDS chapters will be joining with area organizations and the Occupy movement to bring folks down, while others will be organizing multiple-car caravans. SDS members in Milwaukee are bringing a bus of students and Occupy protesters.

Chapters throughout Florida that are involved with the Coalition to March on the RNC will also be attending. Dave Schneider from Gainesville, Florida SDS says, “We’re bringing up three cars from chapters throughout Florida to march with students from around the country. As we build for the Republican National Convention protests later this summer in Tampa, we understand the significance and impact of national demonstrations.”

SDS affiliates from the Revolutionary Student Union (RSU) in Utah will also be joining in on the day’s events. Recently, Gregory Lucero, an activist with RSU was visited by the FBI who attempted to make probing questions about the people and organizations involved in the NATO protests. While Lucero did not answer any questions, it is clear that the FBI is continuing its attacks against the anti-war and international solidarity movement.

Stephanie Taylor said, “The most important thing is to be on the streets to oppose the war policies of the United States and its lackeys. It’s time for our country to put people before profits, we need to stop the NATO war machine and students have an important contribution to make in that.”

Marching for Carlos Montes in Minneapolis Heart of the Beast parade

Fight Back — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:17:24 +0000

Minneapolis, MN – About 25 people marched in the Minnesota Committee to Stop FBI Repression contingent in the annual Heart of the Beast Theater May Day parade here, May 13. The contingent passed out thousands of flyers educating the public about the upcoming trial of Carlos Montes and the attacks on the 23 Midwest activists who have been targeted by FBI and grand Jury repression. They asked people along the parade route to call the Los Angeles District Attorney Cooley to demand that he drop the charges against Carlos Montes. The crowd was receptive and supportive. The Minnesota Committee to Stop FBI Repression built for their picket in solidarity with Montes on the first day his trial, May 15, as well as to invite people to come to the protest against NATO next weekend in Chicago.

Art Auction: "Justce/Justicia for Carlos Montes!"

Fight Back — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:43:04 +0000

San Jose, CA - On May 12, the South Bay Committee Against Political Repression held an art auction fundraiser for the defense of Carlos Montes. Bay Area artists contributed their paintings, posters, photographs and other art for a silent auction. The program included music and spoken word. Hundreds of dollars were raised for the legal defense and organizing efforts for Carlos Montes.

Welfare Rights Committee demands Governor Dayton veto Viking stadium bill

Fight Back — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:37:12 +0000

Saint Paul, MN - The Welfare Rights Committee and their supporters held a press conference and picket at Governor Mark Dayton’s office, May 11, to demand he veto the Viking's stadium bill.

For many years, Vikings' owner Zygi Wilf threatened legislators that he would move his team out of Minnesota if he didn't get a new stadium. This year he got his stadium.

Lena Buggs of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) stated, “We are upset that this legislative session has chosen to bail out a rich man and his profession team while ignoring hard working and struggling Minnesotans trying to survive during this economic recession.”

Since before session began the Welfare Rights Committee spoke out against every stadium proposal that uses public money - in other words, all of them. WRC demanded the state should not be using any tax money, from any source, to give to a rich team owner.

The Viking's stadium bill was off to a slow start, but one month before the close of session, it moved at lightning speed. The Welfare Rights Committee was a force opposing the passage of the stadium bill. WRC’s Kristin Rafferty said, “We are not against the Vikings stadium. But if we need to save the Vikings and build a stadium, ok but not at the expense of the poor and working families of Minnesotans.”

WRC shouted, “Make the rich pay for their stadium. Bail out the people of Minnesota, not the rich!” while Vikings fans sang the Vikings' fight song outside the House Chambers earlier in the session.

The WRC’s Angel Buechner said May 11, “We urge you, Governor Dayton, to veto the stadium bill. We urge you not to use any public money for this stadium. However if you decide to sign the bill, we say, ‘Shame on you for giving the people’s money to a rich man.’”

Ebony Harris, member of Welfare Rights Committee, “Our families are still struggling to find work and keeping our families above water to survive the economic depression we are still living in. It is criminal that the session took up the stadium talk, to help a rich team owner. Poor and working families all around the state are dealing with foreclosure, unemployment, schools running on empty, homelessness and huge cuts to critical health and social services. Now is not the time to bail out the rich and corporations!”

Angel Buechner stated, “After the passage of the stadium bill, we see they don't have any qualms of throwing us under the concrete slabs of a new rich man's stadium.”

This bill will create jobs for the construction industry for a few years. However, after the stadium is built, the jobs left will be in the concession and souvenir stands. They will be minimum wage and families can't live and survive on those poverty wages. WRC noted that if state politicians want to put building trades for people to work, they should be funding the creation of more affordable housing and other projects to help the majority of Minnesotans who are suffering in these economic times.

Reflecting on the millionaire team owner demanding state money, the WRC’s Deb Howze said, “Our families will be in the front line of cuts. Once again the poor and working Minnesotans will be in that firing line with even more devastating times for us. We know all too well that the rich will be in line again demanding bailouts.”

After the press conference, the Welfare Rights Committee marched into Governor Dayton’s office demanding to see him. “He needs to hear from us, the people of his state that oppose a stadium that will be built on our families' backs,” demanded Buggs. The Governor was ‘off site’ at a meeting, his staff stated. Members of the committee told his staff to veto the bill and handed them a letter and posters.

The Committee marched out of the Governor's office chanting, “Wilf got bailed out, we got sold out!”