3 of the FBI Raided and Subpoenaed peace Activists called back to Appear at Grand Jury.

[annm4peace]

Press Conference:
November 18, Thursday, 4:30 pm
Minneapolis Federal Building
300 South 4th Street, Minneapolis

Three well-known Twin Cities anti-war and international solidarity activists, Tracy Molm, Anh Pham, and Sarah Martin have received word from the U.S. Attorney’s Office that that they will be called to appear in front of a Chicago Grand Jury.

This is a continuation of a campaign of federal intimidation of anti-war, labor and international solidarity activists that started on September 24 with raids on homes and offices in Minneapolis and Chicago and FBI visits to activists in other cities.

During the September 24 raids, the FBI handed subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury to 14 activists in Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan. All of them submitted legal documents invoking their Fifth Amendment rights and did not appear before the Grand Jury.

Now, Tracy Molm, Anh Pham, and Sarah Martin are being told that they will have to appear in front of the Grand Jury.

“Saying these three activists should appear in front of a Grand Jury represents a dangerous escalation of the government interference and repression against the anti-war movement. This is a scare tactic to dampen the right to speak out against U.S. wars and interventions around the world,” said Jess Sundin of the Anti -War Committee.

“The FBI campaign against anti-war activists is a major threat to anyone who questions U.S. policies around the world. Many of those who had been targeted in these raids are long-time peace, labor and social justice activists,” said Mick Kelly of the Committee Against FBI Repression.
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http://www.stopfbi.net/

Who are the targets of the FBI and Grand Jury Witch Hunt?

They are peace and justice activists, mothers and grandmothers, union members. These are the people who have been targeted with an FBI and Grand Jury investigation allegedly related to providing "material support" to a foreign terrorist organization

http://www.stopfbi.net/about/profiles


Please sign the petition
http://www.iacenter.org/stopfbi/

[gratuitous]

1. Subpoenas don't matter; the Republicans proved that

You don't even have to appear to explain why you won't be testifying. Just send word that you're invoking executive privilege, and voila! Subpoena goes bye-bye.

[katandmoon]

2. Obama's DOJ prosecutes peace activists and protects war criminals. Disugsting.

[readmoreoften]

4. +1. If this was the Bush era there'd be outrage.

But grand jury inquisitions of activists under Obama = AOK.

[struggle4progress]

5. It's in Districts where Bush-era US Attorneys still serve

[annm4peace]

6. Obama and Holder could put a stop to it.

[struggle4progress]

7. The best way to end it would be to replace the Bush-era US Attorneys

As a rule of thumb, POTUS and AGOTUS are not going to micromanage who gets called before grand juries: it too easily invites claims that Justice is being politicized

[w4rma]

8. As the "professional left" said he should do. Instead these whackjobs still hold positions of power

And good people are being hurt because of Obama's wimp-factor.

[leftstreet]

3. K&R

[Starry Messenger]

9. k&r

[annm4peace]

10. updates from last night

Just a reminder from my past postings: There are many more reasons than
just self- incrimination why all of the 14 people who have been subpoenaed
are determined not to testify at the Grand Jury. They will not cooperate
with this witch hunt on principle; they will not give the FBI further
information about the thoughts and actions of fellow activists; and they
must not name names and give more information about the people in Colombia
and Palestine with whom they have met. Those people in Colombia and
Palestine have told their stories about their conditions and experiences,
to be shared with the American people, on the condition of anonymity, out
of fear of the consequences for themselves and their families.


In reaction to this new development, there is an emergency rally and press
conference to be held TODAY:

***** Thursday, November 18, 4:30pm Rally and Press Conference in support
of those subpoenaed to the Grand Jury, at the Federal Building in downtown
Minneapolis, 300 S. 4th St.


One more action, specifically for today: Please call or email
Representative Keith Ellison. A delegation of Minnesotans is in
Washington, DC today to meet with Congressional representatives, meeting
with Ellison at 9am this morning. They are urging him to initiate a "Dear
Colleague" letter to other Congress people, opposing the raids and calling
for the Grand Jury investigation to be dropped. We wish that to be worded
as strongly as possible; we would also like him to initiate legislation to
amend the "material support to terrorism" provisions to negate the recent
Supreme Court ruling that extended that provision to First Amendment
protected activities.

Contact info for Representative Keith Ellison:
local phone: [phone]
DC phone: [phone]
email contact form:
http://forms.house.gov/ellison/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

The movement has been active during this "waiting period." We have met
with a number of elected officials. There was a considerable success in
the MN Legislature: during the special session for flood relief funding,
Representative Karen Clark and Senator Linda Berglin collected 62
legislators' signatures on a strongly worded letter condemning the raids
and subpoenas, and asking other officials to do the same. Good for them!
So where the hell are the rest of our elected officials, at the local and
federal level? A few have told us that they are "working behind the
scenes", but none other than Green Party Mpls City Council member Cam
Gordon have actually taken a public postion of any sort. It has been
almost 8 weeks; it's getting too late for any of them to claim they care
about dissent or civil liberties. This does not bode well for what may
happen if the Democratic National Convention comes to Minneapolis in 2012!

Flyers have been distributed at many events, and some fundraisers have
been held. Money is still needed to pay for lawyers, court costs, and
flyers. Please contribute if you can.

For more information and to donate, see:
http://stopfbi.net/ (national)
http://www.antiwarcommittee.org/ (local)
http://mnstopfbi.wordpress.com/