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Calls pour in to U.S. Attorney to end Grand Jury

By Joe Iosbaker

One caller after another asked for the Duty Clerk at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago, Dec. 9. The paralegal politely told a woman caller, “We’re getting all of these comments to Patrick Fitzgerald so that he knows where the people stand on this issue.”

The ‘issue’ is the witch hunt being carried out against anti-war and solidarity activists. For over two months, the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office have been on an offensive that has resulted in raids of seven homes and an office and subpoenas for 19 people across the Midwest.

In the past week alone, five new subpoenas were delivered in Chicago, all to young people. Three went to a Jewish American woman and two Palestinian American women who travelled together to Palestine last summer. The other two went to more Palestinian Americans.

The call-in to U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald’s office was called by the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR), the national group formed to organize resistance to this wave of attacks.

Stephanie Weiner, one of the people subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury, said, “According to a friend who called Fitzgerald’s office, the clerk reported that phones started ringing as soon as the office opened this morning.”

To respond to the government’s adding five persons to the lists of those subpoenaed this week, CSFR wanted a strong showing for their call in. Reports indicate they achieved that.

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