[haw-info] Protest FBI Raids and Harassment of Antiwar Activists

The following message was sent by United for Peace and Justice (www.unitedforpeace.org), the antiwar coalition to which HAW belongs.  It includes a list of demonstrations planned by local groups in approximately 20 different cities over the next few days in response to last Friday's FBI raids, described below.  The report by the Office of the Inspector General's, referred to in the third paragraph, is online at http://www.justice.gov/oig/special/s1009r.pdf.

 

 

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 raided.  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 Federal 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

 

 

Wednesday 9/29:

 

Albany, NY -5 to 6 pm Federal Building