FBI raids on union workers and anti-war activists continue as grand jury looms
On September 24th, 2010, the FBI raided the homes of seven union workers and antiwar activists in Chicago and Minneapolis. They confiscated computers, books, cell phones, documents, children’s artwork, and other personal belongings. According to Joe Iosbaker, around 40 boxes of personal items were confiscated from his home.
The FBI agents also handed out subpoenas to 14 activists to testify before a grand jury. 10 of the 14 people subpoenaed are union members and 2 are teachers with a long history of activism and leadership within their unions and local labor communities. One target of the raids was the home of Joe Iosbaker, chief steward and executive board member of SEIU Local 73 in Chicago, where he has led struggles at the University of Illinois for employee rights and pay equity.
Over the past month, nine more Chicagoans have received subpoenas. According to Bill Chambers of the Palestine Solidarity Group - Chicago, the last nine subpoenaed were all Palestine activists, many of them Palestinians. Six of the activists were current or former members of the Palestine Solidarity Group - Chicago that fight for Palestinian rights and self-determination. All the subpoenas state that the grand jury is investigating the “material support of designated foreign terrorist organizations.”
These subpoenas were given out only a few months after the Supreme Court decision on Holder vs. Humanitarian Law on June 21st, 2010, which may be interpreted as freedom of speech can be used as “material support for terrorism.” This makes it illegal to give support, including literature distribution, advocacy for political groups and humanitarian aid to any organizations that the U.S. government has deemed as a terrorist group. This decision is so vague that even one’s first amendment right of freedom of speech can be twisted into a serious crime in the grand jury.
This grand jury is an undemocratic process since the prosecutor chooses the members of the jury, the jury is not screened for biases, and no judge or lawyer for those subpoenaed present. This panel of jurors listens to the evidence presented by the prosecutor and decides whether to charge someone with a crime. All the evidence is chosen by the prosecutor and is not provided to those who may be charged with a crime. Those subpoenaed are not able to have their lawyer present either to object to the prosecutor or the evidence. If those subpoenaed refuse to testify or to answer questions, they may be thrown in jail for contempt for the “life of the grand jury”. (This current grand jury is considered a “special grand jury” meaning it could last from 30-36 months. Some people say that a “grand jury could indict a sandwich” if the prosecutor wanted it to since the grand jury process is so overtly one-sided.
Currently, all of those subpoenaed have refused to testify to the grand jury. The U.S. Attorney has reactivated three subpoenas for people from Minneapolis. According to the notes from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR) phone conference, “…the indication is that immunity will be offered.” Once given immunity, if they refuse to testify, they could serve time in jail for length of the grand jury.
This grand jury is being used to intimidate union workers and activists to stop organizing, to stop supporting anti-war organizations and to refrain from standing in solidarity with those oppressed in Palestine and Colombia. Their attempts have actually ignited activists around the country to push back against this grand jury and to join together in solidarity with other activists. Support statements for the subpoenaed activists from labor, religious, anti-war, civil liberties, international solidarity, political, and student groups are over 160 and growing daily They are still organizing, they are still fighting and they have refused to participate in this fishing expedition.
