Ambedkar Action Alert: Fwd: [bangla-vision] Protest FBI Raids and Harassment of Antiwar Activists

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Fwd: [bangla-vision] Protest FBI Raids and Harassment of Antiwar Activists

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <peacethrujustice@aol.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 10:04 PM
Subject: [bangla-vision] Protest FBI Raids and Harassment of Antiwar Activists

THE PEACE Thru JUSTICE FOUNDATION

SHAWWAL 1431 A.H.

(Sept. 27, 2010)

Assalaamu Alaikum (Greetings of Peace):

The Peace Thru Justice Foundation supports the call for a nationwide mobilization against the FBI's ongoing witch-hunts and gross violations of U.S. citizens' constitutional rights of peaceful dissent. Demonstrations are planned for a number of cities today through Wednesday. Insha'Allah, we will be present at tomorrow's demonstration in Washington, DC. We urge all of our friends to lend their support to this very important call.

(For the times and locations of other demonstrations, see the forwarded list below.)

El-Hajj Mauri' Saalakhan

Protest FBI Raids and Harassment of Antiwar Activists

United for Peace and Justice stands in solidarity with the anti-war and international solidarity activists whose homes were raided by the FBI on Friday, September 24. Homes in Chicago and Mineapolis were raide. Doors were kicked in during the early morning raids and personal belongings including childrens' artwork, posters of Martin Luther King, Jr, were taken, as well as cell phones, computers and boxes of paper records. About a dozen activists from Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan have been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury.

The FBI emphasized that no arrests were made, but that evidence was being collected regarding the possible 'material support' of terrorism. The 'material support' statute is so broadly written that it can, and does, criminalize international peace-building activities whose only connection to terrorism is to reduce it.

Only one week ago, the Justice Department's own Inspector General released a report documenting political surveillance by the FBI. Friday's raids are the latest violations by a recidivist agency whose abuses have unfortunately recurred throughout its history.

The FBI's raids threaten the First Amendment, our Peace Movement, and reflect the dangerous expansion of guilt by association pervading the Justice Department's "counter-terror" prosecutions. They cannot stand, and the FBI should be held accountable for any abuses. Activists are encouraged to join demonstrations at FBI and/or Federal buildings in cities around the country:

Monday 9/27:

Minneapolis, MN - 4:30, FBI Office Monday, 111 Washington Ave. S.

Chicago, IL - 4:30 Fedeeral Building, Federal Plaza.

Kalamazoo, MI - 4:30 Federal Building, 410 W Michigan Ave

Salt Lake City, Utah - 9 AM at Federal Building

Durham, NC - 12 noon Federal Building, 323 E Chapel Hill St

Buffalo, NY- 4:30 pm at FBI Building - Corner of So. Elmwood Ave. & Niagara St.

Gainesville, FL - Monday, 4:30 PM at FBI Building

Boston, MA - 4 to 6, JFK Federal Building, Government Center

Tuesday 9/28:

NYC, NY - 4:30 to 6pm Federal Building, 26 Federal Plaza,

Newark, NJ - 5 to 6pm Federal Building Broad Street

Philadelphia, PA - 4:30pm Federal Building, 6th & Market,

Washington DC - 4:30 - 5:30 FBI Building, 935 Pennsylvania Ave NW.

Boston, MA - 5 pm, JFK Federal Building

Detroit, MI - 4:30 pm McNamara Federal Building, Michigan Ave. at Cass

Raleigh, NC - 9 am. Federal Building, 310 New Bern Ave

Asheville, NC - 5 pm Federal Building,

Atlanta, GA - Noon, FBI Building

Los Angeles, CA - 5 pm, Downtown Federal Building, 300 N Los Angeles St

Tucson, AZ - 5 pm Federal Building