Libertarian Party of North Carolina Condemns FBI Raids on Anti-war Activists

With a vote of 8 affirmative and one abstension, the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina passed the the following statement this week:

The Libertarian Party of North Carolina condemns the September 24, 2010, raids by the FBI on the homes of 14 anti-war activists in Minneapolis and other cities and the issuing of Grand Jury subpoenas to the targeted activists. The right to speak is one of the fundamental human rights recognized by the First Amendment to the Constitution. It is now clear that these raids were simply intended to intimidate those who speak against the foreign wars that our country is currently pursuing, and constitute a “fishing expedition” wherein the Department of Justice is using these Grand Jury subpoenas in an effort to discover or create actions or statements that will justify continued prosecution of these activists. We call on Attorney General Eric Holder, President Barack Obama, Congress, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to cease and desist from using Grand Jury subpoenas to intimidate people who are merely exercising their First Amendment rights, to immediately return all of confiscated items that were seized during these raids, and to pay for any required home repairs or damage done to confiscated items while in FBI custody.