Protests at Federal Building in Chicago Activists "Will Not Participate in" Grand Jury

[Magda Hassan]

Protests at Federal Building in Chicago

Activists "Will Not Participate in" Grand Jury
By Staff |
January 26, 2011
Read more articles in In-Justice System

More than 350 activists in Chicago converged on the Dirksen federal building on 25 January 2010 to stand in solidarity with the nine Palestine solidarity activists and community organizers summoned to appear before a federal grand jury that day. (Maureen Murphy)

Chicago, IL - Speaking at a rally of 350 supporters Jan. 25, Sarah Smith explained that being subpoenaed hasn't had the effect that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald wanted. The crowd cheered when she said, "I'm not backing down. In fact, I've been made stronger by the support from all of you to be become more politically active."
Sarah Smith wanted to see for herself how the Palestinians lived. She traveled last summer with friends on a delegation organized by the Palestine Solidarity Group. For this she was subpoenaed to a grand jury by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
The protest at the Dirksen Federal Building featured Smith and Maureen Murphy, two of the nine persons in Chicago who were to have appeared before the grand jury today. Murphy read the statement from the group, all of whom had been visited by the FBI in December. The crowd roared loudest when she proclaimed, "We will not participate in this fishing expedition."
Federal marshals kick press conference out of public press area

Picketing began while a press conference was convened inside the Dirksen Building. However, before the press conference could begin, federal marshals ordered the spokespersons from the Committee Against Political Repression out of the press area. Claiming that only government officials' can hold press conferences in the federal building, four marshals and Chicago police officers took cameras out of the hands of supporters who were filming or photographing the press conference that was about to get under way. One officer was overheard threatening to issue a citation to an activist for the offense of filming the marshal who took a camera from a trade unionist. As people exited the building to hold the press conference outside, one of the network camera men said, "This has never happened before," referring to being ejected from the press area.
Movements come together to support resisters

The crowd was lively, with trade unionists marching next to youth from the Puerto Rican Cultural Center school, members of Students for Justice in Palestine and anti-war veterans from the 1960s. Buses full of Palestinian and Puerto Rican youth joined the rally.
Bill Chambers of Palestine Solidarity Group-Chicago pointed out that more than 50 organizations had endorsed the protest. Basil Ali of American Muslims for Palestine denounced the repression, but explained that the U.S. attorney and the FBI had failed, because "They have not hurt us; they have made us stronger. They have brought all of our movements together to stand in solidarity with the anti-war activists."
Speakers also include the president Christine Boardman of SEIU Local 73; Jesse Sharkey, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union; Ricardo Jimenez, a Puerto Rican activist for the release of political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera. Jimenez was also a political prisoner for 20 years.
http://www.fightbacknews.org/node/2275?u...%2521+News

[Peter Lemkin]

Protests at Federal Building in Chicago

Activists "Will Not Participate in" Grand Jury
By Staff |
January 26, 2011
Read more articles in In-Justice System

More than 350 activists in Chicago converged on the Dirksen federal building on 25 January 2010 to stand in solidarity with the nine Palestine solidarity activists and community organizers summoned to appear before a federal grand jury that day. (Maureen Murphy)

Chicago, IL - Speaking at a rally of 350 supporters Jan. 25, Sarah Smith explained that being subpoenaed hasn't had the effect that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald wanted. The crowd cheered when she said, "I'm not backing down. In fact, I've been made stronger by the support from all of you to be become more politically active."
Sarah Smith wanted to see for herself how the Palestinians lived. She traveled last summer with friends on a delegation organized by the Palestine Solidarity Group. For this she was subpoenaed to a grand jury by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
The protest at the Dirksen Federal Building featured Smith and Maureen Murphy, two of the nine persons in Chicago who were to have appeared before the grand jury today. Murphy read the statement from the group, all of whom had been visited by the FBI in December. The crowd roared loudest when she proclaimed, "We will not participate in this fishing expedition."
Federal marshals kick press conference out of public press area

Picketing began while a press conference was convened inside the Dirksen Building. However, before the press conference could begin, federal marshals ordered the spokespersons from the Committee Against Political Repression out of the press area. Claiming that only government officials' can hold press conferences in the federal building, four marshals and Chicago police officers took cameras out of the hands of supporters who were filming or photographing the press conference that was about to get under way. One officer was overheard threatening to issue a citation to an activist for the offense of filming the marshal who took a camera from a trade unionist. As people exited the building to hold the press conference outside, one of the network camera men said, "This has never happened before," referring to being ejected from the press area.
Movements come together to support resisters

The crowd was lively, with trade unionists marching next to youth from the Puerto Rican Cultural Center school, members of Students for Justice in Palestine and anti-war veterans from the 1960s. Buses full of Palestinian and Puerto Rican youth joined the rally.
Bill Chambers of Palestine Solidarity Group-Chicago pointed out that more than 50 organizations had endorsed the protest. Basil Ali of American Muslims for Palestine denounced the repression, but explained that the U.S. attorney and the FBI had failed, because "They have not hurt us; they have made us stronger. They have brought all of our movements together to stand in solidarity with the anti-war activists."
Speakers also include the president Christine Boardman of SEIU Local 73; Jesse Sharkey, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union; Ricardo Jimenez, a Puerto Rican activist for the release of political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera. Jimenez was also a political prisoner for 20 years.
http://www.fightbacknews.org/node/2275?u...%2521+News

Despite the momentary victory over an event that never should have happened, I sense the USA is rapidly moving to where the Third Reich moved. No demonstrations and no photos - especially not of officers arresting or removing cameras, etc. The Public soon will NOT be allowed in any way to be check on the excesses of police power of the government....then you have a police state....we almost do now, IMO......and moving in that direction and that direction only, very fast. Hats off to those few who fight back, but we would need massive movements to turn this around...like a color revolution in red, white and blue.
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From CCR:
Video documentation of police activity can and has been instrumental in drawing national attention to incidents of police brutality, as in the 1992 police beating of Rodney King and the fatal shooting of Oscar Grant, an unarmed young black man, by a Bay Area Rapid Transit officer. This week, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed an amicus brief in Glik v. Cunniffe, et al. arguing that Copwatch activist groups that monitor police misconduct by video recordings are protected under the First Amendment.

In 2007 Simon Glik was arrested for using his cell phone to record an arrest by the Boston Police Department and was then himself arrested. While Glik's charges were ultimately dismissed, in 2010 he filed a lawsuit against the officers and the Boston Police Department for violating his First Amendment rights. Mr. Glik won in District Court, but the case was appealed to the First Circuit. Glik is represented by attorneys David Milton, Howard Friedman and Sarah Wunsch.

CCR has submitted the amicus brief in Glik v. Cunniffe before the First Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of Berkeley Copwatch, Communities United against Police Brutality, Justice Committee, Milwaukee Police Accountability Coalition, Nodutdol for Korean Community Development and Portland Copwatch. The brief argues that activists, concerned individuals and Copwatch groups have the right to record public police activity and that this right is clearly protected under the First Amendment.

These Copwatch groups are made up of concerned community members, who take action to lawfully monitor local law enforcement activity in their neighborhoods. Copwatch groups are proactively working to reduce police violence and misconduct in exercising their right to hold the police accountable for their actions. Many Copwatch groups use video recording to document police misconduct, thereby shifting the balance of power between law enforcement agencies and the communities they patrol, and in some cases affecting changes in police practices and policies. Video recordings of police activity are both constitutionally protected and vital to help deter police misconduct or expose it when it happens.

Thank you for standing with us in the fight for justice.

Sincerely,


Annette Warren Dickerson

Director of Education and Outreach

Center for Constitutional Rights