Statement in Solidarity with Carlos Montes

The MN Anti-War Committee strongly condemns the early morning raid on May 17th by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department SWAT team and members of the FBI on the home of immigrant rights leader Carlos Montes. Carlos is a long-time activist in the Chicano movement, a leader in the Southern California Immigration Coalition and in Latinos Against War. Although he is best known as a leader in Chicano liberation and immigrant rights struggles, we also know Carlos for his commitment to anti-imperialist and international solidarity work, in particular with Colombia. We consider him a friend of the Anti-War Committee. Carlos played a leadership role with us in the Coalition to March on the RNC and in the Anti-War Committee’s protest on Day 4 of the RNC in 2008.

On May 17th, the SWAT Team smashed Carlos’ front door and rushed in with automatic weapons as Carlos slept. The Sheriff’s department and the FBI proceeded to ransack his house, taking his computer, cell phones and hundreds of documents, photos, diskettes and mementos of his current political activities in the pro-immigrant rights and from his 44 years of work in the Chicano civil rights movement.

This attack on Carlos Montes is an escalation of the the campaign of FBI harassment already taking place against 23 peace and international solidarity activists, many of whom are current and former members of the Anti-War Committee, who have been subpoenaed to testify at a secret grand jury in Chicago. Carlos Montes’ name was listed on the subpoena left in our office last September 24, and FBI agents tried to question him about our case during this recent raid.

The Anti-War Committee denounces the FBI’s use of COINTELPRO tactics and demands an end to the attacks on activists! We join with activists, teachers, and community members from LA and around the country to stand in solidarity with Carlos! Carlos Montes has dedicated his life to struggling for immigrant rights, for education rights, and against war. He has done nothing wrong. This is an attack on him and an attack on the Chicano movement for equality and the immigrant rights movement as a whole.

Stop the Attacks on the Chicano and Immigrants Rights Movement!

• We demand all charges be dropped against Carlos Montes.
• We call for the immediate return of all his property.
• We encourage everyone to call US Attorney General Eric Holder (202) 353-1555 and demand Hands Off Carlos Montes and other immigrant rights & anti-war activists.

More information on the attack on Carlos Montes and other activists is available at stopfbi.net.