Rochester Activists Rally Against FBI Harassment
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Rochester, NY joined with 50 other American cities on January 25, 2010 to speak out against Government harassment of Anti-war and International Solidarity activists.
Last September 24, homes and offices of activists in Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan were raided by the FBI. No one was charged with any crime, but agents served subpoenas to testify before a Federal Grand Jury. These proceedings have been compared to McCarthy era witch hunts. They are conducted in secret and those testifying are not allowed legal representation. The US Attorney controls everything including juror selection. 14 people refused to participate. No action was taken during election season, but the subpoenas were reactivated shortly thereafter. 9 more people received additional subpoenas in November and January. They were Palestinian solidarity activists and most were Arab-Americans.
The purpose of the January 25 action was to encourage citizens to contact Congress and tell them to call off these witch hunts. On the same day as these protests more activists were subpoenaed at a church in Memphis.
