Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

In-Justice System

By staff

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Chicago, IL – Since 1992, activists with Fight Back! news, some of whom are members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, have held a People’s Thanksgiving dinner. According to Joe Iosbaker, “It was started as part of a movement to protest 500 years of colonialism and to celebrate the resistance of the indigenous people.”

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By staff

Community advocates deliver a petition with 1000 signatures to the office of Gov

Chicago, IL – Community advocates from Chicago’s West and South Sides delivered a petition with 1000 signatures to the office of Governor Quinn in the State of Illinois Building, Nov. 27. The petition calls for shorter sentences and justice for prisoners in Illinois. In a statement read by Curly Cohen of Affordable Power & Justice, the group asked, “What kind of Thanksgiving is this, with 50,000 in Illinois prisons, and 10,000 in Cook County Jail?”

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By staff

Chicago, IL – More than 2500 people have signed the online petition demanding the federal government drop the charges against longtime Palestinian community leader Rasmea Odeh. Odeh is facing a trumped up immigration charge that could lead to imprisonment, the stripping of her U.S. citizenship and deportation.

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By Lamont Lilly

Durham, NC – Another Durham resident has now died in a controversial encounter with the Durham Police Department. This time it was teenager and local Riverside High School student, Jesus Huerta. An official response from Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez claims that 17-year-old Jesus Huerta died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while under arrest in the back seat of a police squad car. After Durham police officer Samuel Duncan arrested Huerta, reports state that Officer Duncan heard a loud noise from the vehicle’s rear seat and jumped out of his moving patrol cruiser. Duncan’s squad car then slammed into a parked van, leaving Huerta shot and killed in the process. This incident occurred right outside of the Durham Police Department headquarters parking lot.

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By staff

Washington D.C. – Delegates from several community and non-profit organizations delivered a petition in support of Rasmea Odeh to the home of Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday, November 14, 2013.

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By J. Arnoldski

Tucson activists proudly display solidarity with Rasmea Odeh.

Tucson, AZ – On Wednesday evening a dozen activists protested outside the Federal Building and Tucson City Hall to demand the charges against 65 year-old Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh be dropped.

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By staff

University of Florida SDS stands with Rasmea Odeh.

Gainesville, FL – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Florida held a sign holding on Wednesday, November 13, to demand that the U.S. government drop the charges against Rasmea Odeh. Odeh is a Palestinian-American organizer and an international solidarity activist. Despite holding U.S. citizenship for the past 20 years, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and the FBI arrested her on October 22, and on the allegations of immigration fraud.

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By Gabriella Anderson

Salt Lake City action in solidarity with Rasmea Odeh

Salt Lake City, UT – On Nov. 13, the October 7th Anti-War Committee hosted a rally joined by Workers World Party and the Revolutionary Students Union to demand the U.S. government drop the charges against Rasmea Odeh. Rasmea Odeh is a Palestinian-American community organizer and international solidarity activist who has held U.S. citizenship for over 20 years. The U.S. government charged Odeh with an immigration violation, alleging she violated the law by not identifying her arrest by the Israeli army more than 40 years ago. The U.S. government is engaging in clear political repression.

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By staff

Milwaukee action in solidarity with Rasmea Odeh

Milwaukee, WI – About 20 people rallied in frigid wind and cold downtown here, Nov. 13, to participate in the national day of action in solidarity with Rasmea Odeh. Protesters held signs reading “Drop the charges,” and “Stop FBI targeting.” Odeh was arrested in retaliation for her years of activism and leadership in the Palestinian community of Chicago. The rally was organized by the Milwaukee Palestine Solidarity Coalition, U.S. Palestinian Community Network, Milwaukee Anti-war Committee, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Friends of Palestine, and others.

#MilwaukeeWI #Palestine #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh

By Gage Lacharite

Tampa protest in solidarity with Rasmea Odeh

Tampa, FL – A dozen activists from Tampa Bay SDS and the community protested near the University of South Florida (USF) in solidarity with Palestinian community leader Rasmea Odeh. Protesters held signs at a major intersection saying, “Drop the charges,” and “Stop arresting Muslim activists.” The protest was part of a national action coinciding with Odeh’s Nov. 13 court date.

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By Tom Burke

Rasmea Odeh speaking at Detroit rally.

Detroit, MI – More than 100 people joined a rally in solidarity with Palestinian women’s leader Rasmea Odeh as she went to court here Nov.13. Agents of the Department of Homeland Security arrested Odeh on Oct. 22 at her home in Evergreen Park, a suburb of Chicago. Odeh is charged with immigration fraud. Allegedly, in her application for citizenship, she did not mention that she was arrested in Palestine 45 years ago, by an Israeli military court that detains Palestinians without charge – a court that has over 200 children in prison today and does not recognize the rights of Palestinians to due process.

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By mick

Meredith Aby, of the Minnesota Committee to Stop FBI Repression, speaking at Nov

Minneapolis, MN – Chanting “Justice for Rasmea, drop the charges now,” about 35 protesters gathered in front of the Federal Building here, Nov. 13, to stand in solidarity with the widely respected Chicago Palestinian community leader Rasmea Odeh. The protest, which coincided with Odeh’s arraignment in Detroit’s federal court, was one of the solidarity actions held around the U.S. Odeh is facing a possible ten year sentence and deportation on a trumped up immigration charge.

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By staff

Nov. 12 press conference on Rasmea Odeh case.

Chicago, IL – Michael Deutsch of the National Lawyers Guild and the People’s Law Office spoke Nov. 12 about the case of Rasmea Yousef Odeh, a 65-year-old, Palestinian American, women's rights activist who was recently indicted and tomorrow faces arraignment Nov. 13 in U.S. District Court in Detroit. The immigration charge against Odeh could result in ten years in prison and deportation for violations in her application for citizenship.

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By staff

Palestinian American targeted for discriminatory selective prosecution

Detroit, MI – The Committee to Stop FBI Repression and United States Palestinian Community Network will gather in Detroit to support Rasmea Odeh, a 65-year-old women's rights activist who faces 10 years in prison and deportation on trumped-up immigration charges.

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By staff

Minneapolis, MN – The struggle against the unjust indictment against veteran Palestinian American activist Rasmea Odeh is rapidly growing. Odeh, a respected leader in Chicago’s Arab and Muslim community, will have an arraignment hearing on a trumped-up immigration charge in Detroit on Nov. 13. She faces up to ten years in prison and deportation. A rally in support of Odeh will take place in front of the Detroit U.S. District Court building (231 W Lafayette Boulevard) at noon on Nov. 13. Mobilizations to attend the rally and hearing are underway in Chicago and Michigan.

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By Students for a Democratic Society

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Students for a Democratic Society.

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By Carlos Montes

Carlos Montes at 2011 press conference

Los Angeles, CA – Rasmea Odeh is a Palestinian American activist who is a target of repression. She was arrested on Oct. 22 by U.S. Homeland Security.

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By Committee to Stop FBI Repression

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. We urge all our readers to support this effort. U.S. Attorney sets arraignment date for Rasmea Odeh, Nov. 13 Demand: Drop the charges on Rasmea Odeh now! Local protests across the country at Federal Buildings. Join us in Detroit

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By staff

Rasmea Odeh

Chicago, IL – A massive online petition effort demanding that the government drop the charges against Rasmea Odeh was launched Nov. 2. Odeh, a longtime Palestinian community leader war arrested by Homeland Security on Oct. 22.

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By staff

U.S. attorney office cites ‘ongoing investigation’

Bruce Nestor, Jess Sundin, and Mick Kelly outside federal court building Nov. 1.

St. Paul, MN – Two prominent anti-war and international solidarity activists, Jess Sundin and Mick Kelly, were in federal court here, Nov. 1, in a bid to pull back the curtain of government secrecy that surrounds the FBI raids on their homes on Sept. 24, 2010. In the hearing presided over by Judge Steven E. Rau, Bruce Nestor, attorney for the plaintiffs, made a passionate argument for a motion to unseal the affidavits used to obtain the search warrants for the FBI raids.

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