From: Maureen Murphy <maureenclare@***.***>
Sender: ******************
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 11:25:10
To: <******************>
CC:
camiblue@vvaw.org, Chicago Iraq Veterans Against the War <
chicagoivaw@gmail.com>
Reply-To: defend-dissent65@***.***
Subject: Report from the First National Meeting of the CSFR
*Report from the First National Meeting of the CSFR*
The first national meeting of the *Committee to Stop FBI Repression* (CSFR)
was a great success. There was standing room only in the hall, with over
150 anti-war and international solidarity organizers. Here are the
important points, followed by notes for people who are working to build the
movement against FBI repression and Grand Jury intimidation.
*A. We are asking people to prepare to take action upon the coming
re-activation of three subpoenas in Minneapolis. We are calling for
emergency protests. Please see section 6.b. of the notes. *
* *
*B. Join the nationwide Committee to Stop FBI Repression—we will be meeting
on phone conferences every two weeks or as needed. We also want to
encourage you to form a committee in your city or on your campus. *
* *
*C. Continue with education and fund raising events. Please host one of
the 14 subpoenaed activists to speak in your city at events. There is a new
CSFR office in Minneapolis and a speakers’ bureau. *
* *
*D. Please turn some efforts towards fund raising. When indictments are
handed down, the legal costs will rise quickly. Please make checks to the
CSFR at:*
*Committee to Stop FBI Repression
PO Box 14183
Minneapolis, MN 55414*
*For larger tax deductable donations going to the legal defense fund, please
make them out to the “National Lawyers’ Guild” and write CSFR in the message
line. *
* *
On behalf of the CSFR, Tom Burke, 773-844-3612
P.S. Great thanks to Maureen Murphy for her excellent notes and editing.
1. *Introductions*
a. Supporters were thanked for spectacular response and organizing in
response to the FBI raids and 14 subpoenas
b. Three key demands were reviewed: End the repression of anti-war and
international solidarity activists, return all materials seized in the
raids, and call off the Grand Jury
c. Meeting conduct: refrain from side conversations, keep comments brief,
photograph front of the room only
2. *FBI raids and grand jury repression*
a. Jess Sundin, founding member of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee
recounted the raid of her family's home, what was taken, and how the
Anti-War Committee's office was raided as well. Eventually it was learned
that 70 federal agents around the country were involved in the raids and
subpoenas against the Midwest activists and the intimidation visits and
phone calls across the country
b. Hatem Abudayyeh described the impact of the raids on families. He
emphasized that while he was the only Palestinian and Arab-American target
of the raids and subpoenas, he's not the first Arab-American or Palestinian
visited or raided in the US. There have been systematic attacks on Palestine
solidarity work in the US since the immigration from Palestine following the
1967 occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but the attacks have been
worse since 11 September 2001. He reminded the meeting of the case of the LA
8 -- seven Palestinians and a Kenyan immigrant faced deportation proceedings
because they distributed written materials in support of Palestine
liberation. It took twenty years to drop the case. The only crime was that
they were Palestinians or supporters and they said that US policy is the
main issue in regards to the Israeli repression of Palestinians. Hatem also
mentioned how organizations such as Global Relief and the Holy Land
Foundation have been shut down since 11 September. The Holy Land 5 were
indicted and convicted for material support because of their humanitarian
work. Muhammad Salah was acquitted of all RICO (conspiracy) charges and
convicted only on an obstruction of justice charge. Salah's co-defendant Dr.
Abdelhaleem al-Ashqar was sentenced to 11 years in prison because he refused
to testify before a Grand Jury. Hatem said that the government is trying to
criminalize our movement's work -- the work of everybody in the meeting room
-- to support legitimate struggles for freedom across the world.
c. Attorney Bruce Nestor of the National Lawyers Guild explained that the
NLG sees the material support laws that are the basis of the investigation
against the 14 anti-war activists as an attempt to repress US activists'
involvement and solidarity with liberation struggles. Bruce described the
national coordination and high number of the raids as a development of the
material support laws enacted since 1996, which were a bipartisan package
signed by a Democrat President. These laws were broadened by the Patriot act
under Bush, another bipartisan pact. The material support laws prohibit
providing any resources to groups unilaterally declared a terrorist
organization by the Secretary of State, a designation virtually impossible
to challenge. Bruce explained that the Supreme Court decision this summer on
Holder vs. Humanitarian was a test case in which the court said that
providing any service to a group designated as a terrorist organization,
including training on nonviolent methods of conflict resolution, frees up
resources that could be spent by the organization on violent activity. The
court carved out the disclaimer that international solidarity work cannot be
"coordinated" with the views of the group designated a terrorist
organization.
Regarding the Grand Jury proceedings, Bruce explained that the probable
cause of investigation is international travel. Bruce explained that the
U.S. government justifies the investigation by taking a first amendment
activity such as travel and/or meeting with different groups, and then use
it to prove intent in the criminal prosecution. He explained that the
government has issued a strict ruling to the lower courts not to question
the government's determination of what constitutes "probable cause" -- the
language of the ruling is that "respect for government's opinion is
appropriate." Bruce also explained that there is no effective legal
restraint on the government to go after international solidarity work and
the ONLY effective restraint is political restraint. He said that the raids
and subpoenas are a test case for the government and warned that US Attorney
Patrick Fitzgerald, who is overseeing this investigation, asked for a longer
sentence for Dr. Ashqar than the 11.5 year sentence he received.
*Word is that the subpoenas for three of the activists in Minnesota are
being reactivated. When we know the dates for the Grand Jury appearances,
the CSFR will be calling for protests demanding an end to the Grand Jury
witch hunt! *
* *
d. *Comments and questions*
i. One person asked about contact with elected officials and what concrete
actions supporters can take?
Jess responded that in Minnesota, state legislators took up a "dear
colleague" letter to President Obama, which was signed on to by one third of
the legislators and forwarded on to Obama. Minnesota activists have also met
with staff of both senators who have been asked to initiate a dear colleague
letter to Obama and call for an investigation of the FBI for overreaching
and intimidating domestic political movements, and for a re-examining of the
material support laws. Jess reported that Representatives Keith Ellison
(MN) and Luis Gutierrez (IL) have given lukewarm commitment to circulate a
dear colleague letter in the House of Representatives that calls for the
Grand Jury to be shut down.
ii. Lamees Deek mentioned that there have been recent arrests in Staten
Island, New York and Kentucky that are part of the wave of repression
against Arabs and Muslims in the US. She stressed that there has never been
a committee convened to protect Palestinians in the US and that there is an
urgent need for this.
iii. Susan from the NLG in New York City asked why these 14 individuals were
targeted in these cities at this time?
Mick Kelly responded that while we can't read the government's minds, all of
the targeted activists have been active in supporting the struggles for
liberation and freedom, including Palestinian and Colombia and all of those
resisting US imperialism around the world.
Bruce Nestor responded that the FBI attacks against Somali immigrants in
Minnesota means that state has the second largest FBI office and the agency
needs to keep its staff busy; the second factor is that the activists in
Minnesota organized the huge demonstration against the Republican National
Convention
3. *Fundraising*
Sara Flounders emphasized the immediacy of the situation. She said the
determined response by the targeted activists, in opposing the raids and
subpoenas was inspiring, and we need to stand up and that this is our
movement's only protection and defense. She explained that the pushback
will need to raise funds and she encouraged the meeting audience to pledge
funds. Individuals and groups from across the country pledged $5,000 during
the meeting.
4. *Activities and organizing*
a. Tom Burke explained the highlights of the political pushback so far: more
than 60 cities across the US protested in the first week after the raids;
another major element is the Committee To Stop FBI Repression online
petition hosted by the International Action Center; 120 solidarity
statements are posted on *stopfbi.net*; know-your-rights and other education
events have been organized by the NLG, CCR, and ACLU; there is now a
speakers bureau and the targeted activists are travelling to and speaking at
cities around the US; Cherrene is heading up work in the labor sector, which
is growing in significance; faith organizations issued a sign-on statement
against the raids with many signers. There is a Committee To Stop FBI
Repression office in Minneapolis with staff, and a CSFR bank account.
Jess Sundin added that there were two national call-in days to Obama and
Attorney General Eric Holder's office because while it's not clear what
agency or individuals are behind the raids and investigation, Obama and
Holder have the power to stop it
b. *Comments from Anti-war Leaders*
i. One person from Canada emphasized reaching out internationally to put
further pressure on the US government
ii. Charla from SDS in California says SDS is coordinating a sign on letter
for professors, starting with reaching out to big-name professors, and
expanding the effort for fundraising purposes too.
5. *Solidarity with similar injustices*
Noor Elashi explained that on 4 December 2001, more than 80 FBI agents
raided the Holy Land Foundation, which was the largest Muslim organization
in the US. Bush called it "the face of Hamas in the US." Two and a half
years later, Elashi's father and four others from the Foundation were
arrested. US government prosecutors said that the foundation's humanitarian
aid donations to the Zakat or charitable committees in occupied Palestine
constituted material support. After a three-month trial, which included
government tactics to intimidate jurors, the government failed to get guilty
verdicts and the jury was deadlocked. However the judged convened another
jury that gave guilty verdicts and decades-long sentences were issued. The
case is being appealed but Attorney General Holder last week gave the second
highest national honor to the prosecution team. Elashi emphasized that with
these material support laws, it is possible to prosecute anybody and
everybody, and everybody is at risk, including former US President Jimmy
Carter. Elashi also read an excerpt from her forthcoming memoir, which
recounts the FBI's arrest of her father.
6. *National organization and next steps*
a. Mick Kelly put forth a proposal for national organization (see appendix
below) to set up a national coordination committee that will be both
democratic and practical. This proposal was then passed. *The national
coordination committee will meet via telephone conference every two weeks or
as needed.* A person designated by those facing the Grand Jury will take
responsibility for chairing the phone meetings, developing the agenda and
sending out the notices for the meeting and other relevant tasks. The
Coordinating Committee can establish smaller working groups that will be
accountable for the Coordinating Committee. Any organization willing to do
work on this effort can designate a representative to participate in the
work of the Coordinating Committee. So can local groups and coalitions that
are doing work around this effort. Groups that are active in this project
can have more than one representative on the call. The Coordinating
Committee can make recommendations and take action in the event that a/some
participants on the call are acting in an unreasonable way. A national
office of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression is being set up in the Twin
Cities, and it will take some of the day-to-day work of organizing
resistance to the Grand Jury and other efforts decided upon by the
Coordinating Committee.
b. Steff Yorek reminded the large audience that we are being told that three
activists in Minnesota will be called to appear in front of the Grand Jury.
***The activists at the meeting committed to holding emergency
demonstrations the day after activists are called to appear before the Grand
Jury. *
***The CSFR will organize another call-in day to Obama and Holder's offices.
*
***The third action is that cities and campuses should organize
demonstrations for the dates of the Grand Jury appearances. *
***Lastly, activists should create and pass resolutions against the raids
and grand jury proceedings in their various organizations.*
* *
c. Sara Flounders urged activists to continue to *publicize the online
petition* at
http://www.iacenter.org/stopfbi/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; It has generated more than
200,000 letters to politicians and public figures.
d. It was also explained that there is now a DVD with a program on Minnesota
public access TV that features interviews with the targeted activists. *The
Minnesota DVD can be shown to classrooms or other gatherings and aired on
other public access stations.* Activists are also being urged to educate
anyone and everyone about the raids and grand jury proceedings, and to make
relevant relationships with different constituencies, putting it in the
historical context of the Palmera raids, McCarthyism, and COINTELPRO. It
was pointed out how these material support laws would have essentially
criminalized the anti-apartheid movement and the Irish republican movement.