Oppose the FBI's Targeting of the Antiwar Movement

["nello margiotta" <nellomargiotta55@virgilio.it>]

(Initiated by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition)
Sign On to Defend the First Amendment

Thousands of organizations and individuals will be signing 
the following statement in support of the First Amendment 
and in opposition to the FBI's targeting of the antiwar 
movement. Initial signers include former U.S. Attorney 
General Ramsey Clark; historian Howard Zinn; National 
Lawyers Guild Executive Director, Heidi Boghosian and 
others.

If you would like to SIGN the statement, go to
http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/fbi/index.html#sign

We the undersigned stand in defense of the First Amendment 
and in opposition to the Bush Administration's expanding 
effort to stifle dissent. Confronted with a rising tide of 
political opposition from the people of the United States, 
who are outraged at the lies used to justify a war and 
occupation of Iraq, Bush and Ashcroft are resorting to 
crass intimidation tactics against the antiwar movement.

The current campaign of FBI intimidation was revealed in 
the frontpage NY Times story of Sunday, November 23 under 
the headline: "F.B.I. SCRUTINIZES ANTIWAR RALLIES - 
Officials Say Effort Aims at 'Extremist Elements.'" Citing 
an internal FBI memorandum circulated ten days prior to 
the October 25 demonstrations that drew 100,000 in 
Washington D.C. and 20,000 in San Francisco, this well 
placed "revelation" of FBI targetting of the antiwar 
movement should be seen as a measure of the desperation of 
an Administration that is increasingly alarmed that people 
of this country are rejecting its illegal and immoral 
policies.

As they become isolated on Iraq, Bush and Ashcroft are 
borrowing a page from the Nixon and Mitchell tenure during 
Vietnam: use the secret police and FBI to disrupt and 
intimidate their opponents. Like Nixon they will fail 
because the people of the United States will stand 
together to reject FBI intimidation. Bush and Ashcroft 
seek to stifle dissent by make the exercise of First 
Amendment rights synonymous with terrorism but the people 
will defend these cherished rights today as they have been 
forced too in the past. We will never be silenced!

We publicly affirm the right to express dissent and to 
engage in protest free from FBI and government harrassment 
and we vow to support the growing efforts of the antiwar 
movement to end the illegal and ongoing war and occupation 
of Iraq.

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Email circulated by:
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War & End Racism

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.InternationalANSWER.org
info@InternationalANSWER.org
New York 212-633-6646
Washington 202-544-3389
Los Angeles 213-487-2368
San Francisco 415-821-6545

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http://www.internationalanswer.org/donate.html

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