Committee to Stop FBI Repression Conference

Over 150 people gathered in Chicago on November 5 for the first national conference of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

Conference organizer Tom Burke said, “The national conference was a grand success. We united movement leaders from Florida to San Jose, from New Jersey to L.A., in opposing political repression, Islamophobia and the criminalization of whole communities. We dedicated ourselves to a campaign in solidarity with the famous Chicano leader and anti-war activist Carlos Montes, demanding “Drop the charges!” We discussed how, with the upsurge around the Occupy Wall Street movement, we are joining in efforts to lead protests while also popularizing the Carlos Montes solidarity campaign. With local police, directed by the FBI, arresting thousands of Occupy Wall Street movement protesters, there is an opportunity to organize thousands against political repression and to support Carlos Montes. If we go out and organize, we can beat these attacks.”

The Committee to Stop FBI Repression was formed in September, 2010 after anti-war and international solidarity activists’ homes were raided by the FBI and 23 people were subpoenaed before a Chicago-based grand jury in a witch hunt chasing after phony ‘material support for terrorism’ charges.

This conference brought together supporters of the 23 activists, along with Carlos Montes, whose Los Angeles home was raided on orders from the FBI this past May as part of the same witch hunt, as well as family members of Arab and Muslim political prisoners in the U.S.

The conference passed resolutions committing to focus on defeating the charges against Carlos Montes; reaffirming the Pledge to Resist in support of the 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists who have refused to appear before the Chicago grand jury; and to build a broad front against U.S. government repression. ([Read a complete report of the conference here](http://www.fightbacknews.org/2011/11/8/committee-stop-fbi-repression-conference-successful-and-inspiring))

## Solidarity greetings

We received solidarity greetings from Cornel West and Robert Meerpol, both videos appear below: