Anarchist Solidarity Against the Political Police!

INTRODUCTION

By First of May Anarchist Alliance

On Friday September 24th FBI teams raided six homes in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago and the office of the Minneapolis Anti-War Committee. Those targeted were members or close collaborators of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FightBack). Books, cell phones and computers were seized. That same day 14 people in Minnesota, Illinois, and Michigan were served subpoenas to appear before a Grand Jury in Chicago on October 5th, 7th, 12th and the 19th.
 
The FRSO supporters have been long-term activists in several unions and anti -war organizations in the region. In Minneapolis-St. Paul, they played a leading role in organizing broad based demonstrations and activities directed at the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul. An FBI spokesman stated the raids and grand jury subpoenas had nothing to do with these activities, but were investigations carried out under the auspices of the Joint Terrorism Task Force looking into material aid to terrorist forces. FRSO's support/defense of the Colombian FARC, The Palestinian PFLP and the Lebanese Hezbollah were cited. On October 5th, five of those subpoenaed for that day refused to collaborate with the Grand Jury proceedings.

On September 27th the following statement was issued by The First of May Anarchist Alliance and distributed in Minneapolis and Detroit at actions around the raids. The statement is being circulated in some workplaces and communities as well. M1AA has also tried to get the information out into the broader anarchist movement through distribution to some key Internet sites. However, in some anarchist quarters, its posting has been resisted and attacked. The statement makes reference to the RNC 8, who are anarchists who were raided and seized during and after the 2008 Republican National Convention for their roles in organizing a direct action component to the broader demonstrations and activities. Four of the eight are scheduled to go on trial this October. FRSO and the 8 have engaged in mutual support.

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Hands off the Anti-War movement! Defend FRSO

Anarchist Solidarity against the Political Police

We stand firmly opposed to the raids carried out by the FBI, America’s political police, against a number of antiwar and labor activists across the country on Friday, September 24th, 2010. We give our solidarity to those threatened by these raids and to those subpoenaed to appear before a government Grand Jury next month. These attacks must be resisted.

The FBI claims the raids were done in order to combat terrorism. We reject that lie. We know many of the activists attacked personally and have shared the frontlines with them in struggles against war and poverty and for freedom and justice. We have had, and will continue to have, serious disagreements. But let no one doubt - WE HAVE THEIR BACKS.

The FBI, and the government they serve, are the real terrorists. It was the FBI that carried out a program of assassination, repression, and disruption of the Black Panther Party and other movements for Black Liberation. It was the FBI that waged a brutal campaign of harassment, intimidation and murder against the American Indian Movement and other Native activists.

It is the U.S. government that operates as an empire with military occupations of countries all over the world like Iraq, Afghanistan, & Haiti and underwriting repression and occupation in Palestine, Colombia, Somalia and elsewhere.

The U.S. empire and their agents have no moral standing whatsoever to label these activists “terrorists” - and no right to dictate to anyone who around the world we can and cannot visit, dialogue with, or support.

It should be clear to those with open eyes that the Obama regime has more in common than not with Bush. They both serve the same capitalist system and imperial state. Obama’s government has now extended the undemocratic attacks begun under Bush against Muslim communities and organizations to groups and networks of the Left.

We should carefully analyze the government’s choice of timing and targets, and also begin building solidarity and defense. We must make it clear that “An Injury to One is an Injury to All”. We must give our friends the resources and support to fight this unjust harassment – and also begin preparing or re-preparing our communities and organizations for social self-defense against this kind of repression, including the basic principal that we do not co-operate with or talk to the FBI.

The dedicated organizing in defense of the RNC 8 in Minnesota is a good example that can be built upon. We should begin discussing what it would take to unite all those (excluding the fascists and white supremacists) that have faced state repression into some common action. From the Muslim community, to the targets of the “Green Scare”, to the spied upon anti-war activists in Iowa, to those activists hit by these most recent raids – we need to push back together.

Solidarity!

First of May Anarchist Alliance
m1aa@riseup.net

First of May Anarchist Alliance is a new anarchist
organization being built on four pillars:

1) a commitment to revolution
2) an orientation to the working classes
3) a non-doctrinaire brand of anarchism and
4) a non-sectarian and multi-layered approach to organization.