Committee to Stop FBI Repression National Conference

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The Committee to Stop FBI Repression is organizing a national conference at Kent Law School in Chicago on Saturday, November 5, 2011.

We are gathering to organize a broad front against FBI and U.S. government repression of activists and movements both at home and abroad. We know it is the people’s movements that deliver the goods — that bring equality, peace and justice.

While the White House lectures Arab and Muslim leaders in the Middle East about democracy and the treatment of their citizens, we experience FBI raids, grand jury investigations and outrageous criminal charges. Big business cheers and politicians smirk at police abuse of Occupy Wall Street activists, but people are growing angrier as thousands across the country are arrested for democratic protests. We are not alone in this struggle. We are together and growing stronger.

We hope you will come to hear Carlos Montes and offer solidarity as he faces a trial and possible imprisonment. We hope you can show support to the anti-war and international solidarity activists whose homes were turned upside down by the FBI, whose families are shaken by grand jury subpoenas and who are still facing multiple indictments, according to the U.S. Attorney.

We need to educate ourselves and then act upon the outrageous mistreatment of Arab and Muslim-American people and leaders in our country. We can fight back and make positive changes like movements of the past. Unjust laws like the Patriot Act can be overturned and civil liberties expanded. We can organize and we can win.

You can make a difference by attending the CSFR Conference at Kent Law School in Chicago. Take your new knowledge back to the groups and movements you are part of. We hope to see you on Saturday, November 5th. Please register today using the form below.

Support Carlos Montes! Drop the charges!

Tom Burke, for the Committee to Stop FBI Repression

CSFR Conference Agenda

8:30 Registration

9:00 Welcome

I. Drop the Charges, End Political Repression

Carlos Montes, Chicano leader, anti-war and immigrant rights activist, whose home was raided and ransacked by the FBI. Carlos awaits trial for charges reaching back 40 years.

II. Update On Anti-war and International Solidarity Activists targeted for repression by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald

Speakers are Jim Fennerty of the National Lawyers Guild and Jess Sundin of the Anti-War Committee in Minneapolis. Introduced by Prexy Nesbit, Africa solidarity leader.

III. Speak Out Against Repression — Morning Panel

• Alejandro Molina on Puerto Rican Movement, National Boricua Human Rights Ntwk
• Ali Al-Arian on the case of his father Dr. Sami Al-Arian
• Sharmin Sadequee on the case of her brother Shifa Sadequee
• Noor Elashi on the case of her father Ghassan Elashi and the Holy Land Five
• Hatem Abudayyeh on Palestine Solidarity
• Speakers invited from Irvine 11 and the case of Dr. Ashqar

IV. Workshops/Groups Session I

1. Labor sector solidarity
2. Palestine Solidarity
3. Student sector solidarity
4. Legislative Action

Lunch

Salute to Jacques Rivera, wrongfully convicted in Chicago, Illinois, freed from prison.

V. Understanding FBI Repression, Grand Juries, and Pre-emptive Prosecution — Afternoon Panel

• Michael Deutsch, People’s Law Office, on grand juries and conspiracy charges
• Steve Downs, Project Salam, on pre-emptive prosecutions and thought crimes
• Shahid Buttar, Bill of Rights Defense Committee, on the material support standard, ending the Patriot Act, and local civil rights defense
• Meredith Aby, Committee to Stop FBI Repression, building a broad front against repression.

VI. Workshops/Groups Session II

1. Mapping the Landscape for Struggle — with BORDC leaders George Friday andShahid Buttar
2. Organizing To Protest G8/NATO in Chicago and Republican National Convention-Tampa Protests — Joe Iosbaker of Coalition Against Nato/G8 War and Poverty Agenda CAN-G8, and Fernando Figueroa with Coalition to March on the RNC
3. Immigrant Rights
4. To be defined

VII. Stop FBI and U.S. Government Political Repression – Plenary for organizing and plans for action

VIII. Closing

Facilitators include **Steff Yorek, Jeff Mackler, Abayomi Azikiwe, others

Please write to info@stopfbi.net with questions.

Help distribute flyers for the conference

If you can, please print out some of the flyers for the conference and distribute them where you live.