A Palestinian woman, Rasmieh Odeh, was arrested at her home this morning, Oct. 22, by agents of the Department of Homeland Security.

She is charged with immigration fraud. Allegedly, in her application for citizenship, she didn’t mention that she was arrested in Palestine 45 years ago by an Israeli military court that detains Palestinians without charge – a court that has over 200 children in prison today and does not recognize the rights of Palestinians to due process.

The arrest today appears to be related to the case of the 23 anti-war activists subpoenaed to a grand jury in 2010. Well-known labor, community and international solidarity activists around the Midwest had their homes raided by the FBI when the U.S. attorney alleged that they had provided material support to foreign terrorist organizations in Palestine and Colombia.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas is leading the investigation against the 23. He was at the courtroom in Chicago this morning, consulting with the assistant U.S. attorney who was presenting the indictment to the judge. Jonas was also the prosecutor in the case of the Holy Land Five, the heads of the largest Muslim charity in the U.S. before 9/11. He was successful in getting prison sentences for as long as 65 years for the five men, who provided charity to children in Gaza.

The Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR) denounces this attack as another example of the continuing repression of Palestinians and people who stand in solidarity with them. Homeland Security, the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office now are carrying out enforcement of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Odeh will appear in court in Detroit on Nov. 1, where she will be represented by Jim Fennerty of the National Lawyers Guild. CSFR urges people to attend the proceedings at the Federal Court in Detroit in her defense.

Call-in Day to Drop the Charges against Rasmea Odeh
Call U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan
Barbara McQuade
313-226-9501 or 313-226-9100
Friday, October 25
8 a.m. to 4 pm CDT
Demand of U.S. Atty McQuade:
Drop the Charges against Rasmea Yousef Odeh!

Rasmea Yousef Odeh

Activists from the Peoples Power Assembly picket a Veolia subsidiary in New York City. Veolia is an international conglomerate that has attacked the Boston Schoolbus drivers’ union. Veolia is known worldwide for its union busting tactics.

On the 12th anniversary of  the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, UNAC, in conjunction with the Afghan Women’s Mission is sponsoring a national tour of former Afghanistan legislator, women’s rights and antiwar leader, Malalai.  Joya has had stops in  New York City, Boston, Amherst, MA, Albany, NY, Chicago and Madison, WI. Please see the remaining schedule below.  For more information on the itinerary in each city, please go to http://nepajac.org/malalaischedule.htm or contact the local organizer for the city listed below or email UNAC’s Malalai Joya National Tour Coordinator, Jeff Mackler at jmackler@lmi.netor  UNACpeace@gmail.com

http://vimeo.com/76666984

The Hernandez family, including their three daughters, Kriscia, Litzy, and Yelinne, face eviction from their home. The three girls talk about the effect that the process has had on them as the community rallies together with Detroit Eviction Defense to try to put a stop to this life altering event. From Southwest Detroit.

Dear friends, if you’d like to join us please RSVP. And if you can’t, would you consider pitching in to help cover someone’s trip?

~~~~

You are invited to join occupiers and allies on a 2-day bus trip to Detroit this upcoming Tues., Oct 22nd. To participate, be at Zuccotti Park by 8:30am to board the bus, which will return from Detroit on Thursday, Oct. 24th at about 9am to Zuccotti Park.

Please send a message to detroit@occupylabs.org, or reply to me directly, to reserve your spot on the bus, before Sunday, Oct. 20th!

 

Here’s some more details on the trip:

A broad coalition of groups including Moratorium Now!, National Action Network, Detroiters Resisting Emergency Management (DREM), Occupy Detroit and others have called for a mass action called Surround the Courthouse on Weds., Oct. 23rd, the day of the Eligibility Hearing for bankruptcy for the City of Detroit

We stand in solidarity with the workers of Detroit whose pensions are threatened in an attempt to pay off the same banks that crashed our economy. The solidarity contingent from New York will leave by bus on the morning of Tues., Oct. 22nd to join the evening protest camp – or in case of inclement weather/cold, indoor solidarity housing – and the mass rally the next day with hundreds of working and unemployed Detroiters. After the rally, we’ll take a tour of Detroit with local community organizers doing important work in the hardest-hit communities. We’ll share strategies from Occupy Sandy recovery work and start to build long-term alliances.

The trip is completely free of cost, and includes all meals, but if you can please contribute to our crowd-fund campaign by clicking here.

Looking forward to seeing many of you on the bus!

Solidarity,

Justin

http://tinyurl.com/o33thyn

1-6 p.m. UW-Milwaukee, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd., Student Union Room 181

Students, staff, faculty and other members of the campus community protesting the union-busting Act 10 bill and other forms of austerity such as education cuts and tuition increases Feb. 17, 2011 at UW-Milwaukee.

http://www.detroitevictiondefense.com/

http://www.coopfest.org/

Statement by Boston Peoples Power Assembly:

Update (10/10/13): Repeal suspension of Steve Gillis and Stevan Kirschbaum!

The 800+ mainly Haitian Boston School Bus Drivers need your support. Stand with them and for the safety of Boston’s school children against the union busting and greed of the Veolia corporation and the threats and intimidation of the Mayor and School Department.

Tuesday morning Boston awoke to the power of the workers. The 800 + bus drivers of Local 8751 said “enough is enough” in response to the union busting and racist plantation-style treatment they have received ever since the administration of Boston’s School Bus contract was taken over by Veolia, a huge multi-billion dollar transnational corporation headquartered in France which also is cornering the world’s water supply and operates “settlers only” bus transportation and a “settlers only” landfill in the West Bank.

The drivers are fighting to preserve the gains and union rights they have won over decades of militant, unwavering union struggle. The contract that Veolia has with the city says they must honor the existing contract with the union. Yet it took a major militant march and rally at the company’s offices to get them to sign an agreement that they would honor the contract, which has only been followed by endless violations leading to the union filing 15 counts of unfair labor practices with the NLRB.

As the union’s most recent bulletin explains:

“Grand Theft and Massive, Illegal Unfair Labor Practices Must Stop

“No Respect — No Peace!”

The union membership is continually subjected to disrespect from Veolia management, constant payroll shortages, de facto pay cuts by use of flat rates and gps data in violation of the contract, being forced to stand in line, unpaid, to check in or deal with payroll, and the continued violation of our contract despite having signed an agreement in June to abide by the existing contract and practices.

Enough is enough! Our Boston school bus drivers carry the city’s most precious cargo — our children. It is time for Veolia, the School Department and Mayor Menino to treat them with respect!