Solidarity Picket for Chrystul Kizer

Tower and Hammond, Douglas County Courthouse, Superior, WI, 4 P.M.

North Save the Kids‎

“Chrystul Kizer, shot and killed Randy Volar in an act of self-defense in June 2018 when she was 17 years old. Prior to his death, officials in Kenosha knew about Randy Volar’s history of sexual abuse against young black girls. In February 2018, Volar, a 33-year old white man, was arrested on multiple charges including child sexual assault and was released without bail. Police had collected evidence that shows Volar had been sexually abusing multiple black girls, including Chrystul

Kenosha prosecutors failed to act when they knew Volar was committing acts of violence and exploitation against black girls, including Chrystul. Yet, DA Michael Graveley is charging Chrystul with first-degree intentional homicide, which carries a life sentence in Wisconsin; her bail is set at $1 million. In December 2019, Chrystul’s lawyer argued that affirmative defense law applies to Chrystul’s case. The judge rejected this argument; however, the judge’s ruling is subject to appeal. Affirmative defenses protect trafficking survivors from prosecution for “offenses” as a result of being trafficked.” (from https://freechrystul.wordpress.com/?fbclid=IwAR0n8dy2hfnsbmaXngAAl4RPCE955gfYMoAekP7BRPxrP9EKep9LEaEAJLo)

There are so many feminist, anti-trafficking groups, and social justice groups in the Twin Ports, we all need to come together to make sure the Twin Ports supports Kizer right to defend herself.
It is also Black Liberation Month, and Chrystul is a victim of black and gender oppression. So bring signs and posters to stand to save a kid: Chrystul Kizer.
https://wibailoutpeople.org/2020/02/08/kenosha-march-16-2020-pack-the-court-for-chrystul-kizer/?fbclid=IwAR0a-hIy2fo4a8zyOsN14Gjx_6YMWfONttJj-WhubQK9f1-HktColQNPSBM

https://www.prisonradio.org/media/audio/mumia/trump-triumph-new-wrongs-rise-206-mumia-abu-jamal

https://www.prisonradio.org/

Madison Reunion de Membresía / Membership Meeting

For information on upcoming court date(s) and other activities: Free Chrystul Kizer

#freechrystul

#HandsOffChrystul

Make a monetary contribution: https://bit.ly/38cUJ03

Coverage of Feb. 5 protest at UW Parkside: https://bit.ly/31BP557

https://bit.ly/39km4gM

We need to be with the working class, who will learn by trial and error, through experience, that we can only win our liberation by being in the streets, by conducting sit-ins and sit-downs, by strikes and ultimately organizing working-class power on a global scale. As Frederick Douglass said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

Join Us! Freedom Inc‎ is hosting a Wisconsin Black Caucus!

Black voters are crucial to the success of any election. Electoral Justice Project is working to ensure that every candidate is offering policies that positively impact our daily lives. This event will be a discussion about where candidates stand on key issues that will impact Black communities in Madison and around the state.

Date: Thursday, February 13th
Times: 12pm – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 8pm
Location: 2110 Luann Lane, Madison WI, 53713

Food Provided, Childcare Available, Bus Cards Available

Wisconsin Black Caucus

Freedom Inc

February 7, 2020

Southeast Asian American and Asian American Organizations Across the Country Denounce Trump Administration’s Move to Increase Deportations to Laos Hmong/Lao Americans with Removal Orders Should Seek Legal Assistance

WASHINGTON, DC – We learned that in 2019 the U.S. State Department (DOS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Government of Laos made a verbal agreement to deport a significant number of individuals annually with final removal orders to Laos. While there is currently no formal deportation memorandum of understanding between the United States and Laos, this verbal agreement makes those with final orders for deportation potentially more vulnerable to removal by the Trump Administration.

Moreover, the U.S. DOS recently confirmed that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding a reintegration program in Laos for deported individuals who do not speak Lao or have family connections — an indication that even former refugees with no ties to Laos will be included in this annual deportation goal. Since 1998, the United States has deported 219 individuals to Laos, and in 2019, five individuals were deported. Currently, about 4,500 Hmong/Laotian individuals living in the U.S. have a final order of removal.

Below is a statement from the Southeast Asian Deportation Defense Network:

“We reject the continued deportations of immigrants and refugees without regard for human rights and due process. We condemn efforts by the United States government to continue deporting Southeast Asian Americans, many of whom are former refugees. We fundamentally believe that regardless of past mistakes, everyone must be given the opportunity, resources, and support networks to turn their lives around and become productive citizens. We believe in transformation and know that many individuals are pivotal members in their local communities. They must be afforded the same due process rights as every other American.

Those who are targeted now have served their time and should not face a lifetime sentence by being deported. We have learned from decades of work with our Cambodian and Vietnamese communities that we must not give up and can stop deportation cases through partnership with

advocacy and legal organizations. We urge impacted families to seek legal assistance with experienced and trusted immigration and criminal defense attorneys. We also ask that individuals and organizations who want to effectively organize and advocate on this issue join us.”

Below are organizations with experience serving and advocating on this issue. The services provided by these groups are especially focused on assistance to gain relief from detention and deportations; while advocacy work focuses on stopping the deportation of this group of people through policy changes. Individuals facing deportation to Cambodia, Laos, or Vietnam can also access the Southeast Asian Raids website for additional resources, or call (415) 952-0413 for free legal advice.

For those in our community who are impacted, we urge you to take the following steps to protect you and your families:

1. All individuals who currently live in the U.S. with deportation orders to Laos should contact organizations in your state or the regions closest to you for assistance.
2. All individuals who are green card holders who are facing criminal convictions should talk to their lawyer about deportation consequences.
3. Those seeking advocacy support for detentions and deportations can also access this resistance toolkit.

King Plaza (State and MLK Drive), Racine, 11 A.M. 

Sponsored by the Racine Coalition For Peace and Justice

For more information about the Racine Coalition for Peace & Justice, its history, current activities, and principles, please go to racinepeace.wordpress.com. We can be reached at racinepeace@yahoo.com. 

https://geopoliticsalert.com/iran-peace-us-threat

Tehran (TT) – Following unprecedented pressure against the Iranian nation in recent decades, the West is trying to illustrate Iran as a peace-threatening abnormal country and the U.S. as a pro-peace and security government to deceive the public opinion via their propagandistic media empire.

This article has listed only a few examples via which the audience can find out a series of realities to be immune against ill-wishers’ intention of dodging him or her.

Iran has not waged war against any country in the last two centuries, while in the mentioned period of time the country has been one of the largest victims of foreign aggression, terrorism, chemical weapons, severe economic sanctions, and continuous military threats.

The U.S., as the main country which has always been accusing Iran of being an abnormal nation, only has 241 years of independent history. The U.S. has been involved in different wars during 93 percent of its history (222 years). A sum of 20 million people were killed in 37 wars by the U.S. troops after World War II….

Milwaukee, WI January 25, 2020 / Photo: Sue Ruggles

Embassy Protection Collective

By Ajamu Baraka and Bahman Azad
Co-Chairs of the Embassy Protectors Defense Committee

On February 4, Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell issued a ruling on what the jurors will be allowed to be told in the trial of the Embassy Protectors scheduled to begin on February 11. She granted most of the government’s requests to prevent the jury from hearing important facts about the case, leaving the protectors with little in the way of a defense.

The courtroom will not be an oasis of truth in Washington, DC. The fact that Nicolas Maduro is the lawful president of Venezuela, not the coup leader Juan Guaido, cannot be uttered in that courtroom. Even though everyone, including the judge and prosecutors, knows that Guaido has not served one nanosecond as president since his self-declared presidency one year ago, the jurors will not be allowed to be told that critical fact. They will be led to believe that Guaido’s fake ambassador Carlos Vecchio is real.

Judge Howell argued that the court was bound by precedent that says courts must accept the decision of the president as to who is the leader of a foreign country. If the president says Mickey Mouse is president and Donald Duck and Goofy are his ambassadors of another sovereign country, then in the US courts that is the legal fiction they must abide by.

This is important in the Embassy Protectors’ case because the government’s excuse for entering the embassy to make false arrests was based on Carlos Vecchio, a fake ambassador of a fake president, giving them permission and ordering the eviction of the protectors. He was the Donald Duck to Guaido’s Mickey Mouse.

Other relevant topics that cannot be discussed are international law and events during the first 33 days in the embassy. The jury won’t be told that it is standard practice for governments to negotiate protecting power agreements, which was going on while the protectors were in the embassy. The jury will not know that the Protectors were prepared to leave the embassy voluntarily once a protecting power agreement was reached between the US and Venezuela.

The jury won’t know the Trump administration violated the Vienna Convention by raiding the embassy on May 16. The protectors cannot talk about the facts that the State Department failed to protect the embassy from break-ins by pro-coup advocates and that they allowed the breaking of windows and doors, defacing of the embassy and both threats and assaults of people inside and outside of the embassy.

The judge believes this information will confuse the jurors. Yes, the jurors would be confused if they knew the police allowed the Embassy to be damaged and stood by as people were assaulted, but it is members of the Embassy Protection Collective who were charged with interfering with their so-called “protection of the embassy.”

The judge also ruled the protectors could not argue that their First Amendment political rights were violated.

The protectors are not completely defenseless. Judge Howell ruled that the statute for interfering with protective function requires the government to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the four protectors acted knowingly and willfully, meaning they had an intent to break the law. She is permitting the protectors to say they believe that Maduro is president, but they can’t state the fact that he is the president.

The trial of the four Embassy Protection Collective members begins on February 11 and is expected to last about one week. The trial starts at 9:00 am at the Prettyman Courthouse, 333 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC, room 22-A, Judge Beryl Howell.

We want a physical presence at the courthouse on the 11th. However, because individuals entering the courthouse may be potential jurors, we are calling on all supporters of embassy protectors not to approach any individuals with handouts who may be entering the courthouse. For information about what is deemed appropriate behavior on the day of the trial see Call For Support at the Upcoming Hearing and Trial.

With all these restrictions imposed on the Protectors, the chances of their conviction have increased dramatically. It is clear that we now have a longer, more protracted legal battle on our hands. We therefore need to raise the level of our fundraising goal for their legal defense and ask our supporters to continue making donations. You can contribute to the legal defense fund of the Protectors at DefendEmbassyProtectors.org.