Milwaukee SDS Condemns FBI Harassment of Anti-war Activists

On September 24th, the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force raided the homes and seized items (such as computers, cell phones, documents, etc.) belonging to anti-war and international solidarity activists in Minneapolis and Chicago in an attempt to find evidence of “material aid to foreign terrorist organizations.” These raids on members of Students for a Democratic Society, the Palestine Solidarity Group, the Twin-Cities Anti-War Committee, the Colombia Action Network, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera are part of a trend of repression of those who disagree with the U.S. government’s international policies and the violation of our rights as part of “the war on terror.”

Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society believes that attacks on people in this country for their ideas is a gross violation of civil liberties and constitutional rights and must be ended. We call on President Obama and Attorney General Holder to immediately:

• Stop the repression against anti-war and solidarity activists
• Immediately return all confiscated materials (computers, phones, documents, etc.)
• Cancel the Grand Jury against anti-war activists

We urge everyone to call President Obama and Attorney General Holder to voice these demands.

• President Obama: (202)-456-1111
• Attorney General Eric Holder: (202)-353-1555

The Milwaukee chapter of SDS stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters across the country in the face of FBI repression and recognizes these searches and seizures for what they are, an attempt to silence the voice of the movement against U.S. wars and occupations and to harass and intimidate those who stand in solidarity with people around the globe who resist U.S. imperialism. We recognize that the activists involved have done nothing wrong, and we urge all citizens to show solidarity with those individuals targeted by the U.S. Government and to speak out against FBI repression.