NLG CHICAGO

by

Oscar Lopez Rivera is Free

I have come home with my head high, and my honor, my dignity and my spirit stronger than the day I was sent to prison

– Puerto Rican Political Prisoner Oscar López Rivera

On May 17, after almost 36 years in U.S. custody for his commitment to the independence and self-determination of Puerto Rico, Oscar López Rivera walked in to the waiting arms of the Puerto Rican people, his sentence commuted in the last days of Barack Obama’s presidency. Greeted with an early morning serenade by the chorus of the University of Puerto Rico, flowers, embraces, tears and media from all over the world, Oscar emerged with a message of unity, grateful for the consensus that resulted in the presidential commutation of his sentence.

Thousands of cheering people of all ages packed the plaza in San Juan to welcome him home. As the country’s finest musicians performed a concert in his honor, families passed their small children over and through the crowd, so they could be photographed with Oscar. His message was firm and loving: We must act together to save Puerto Rico from the U.S. imposed “junta” [Fiscal Control Board] which is ravaging our country; We must support the students whose strike at the University of Puerto Rico has galvanized the movement to stop the draconian economic measures being imposed on the island and to focus on the necessity to decolonize our country.

Oscar is perhaps the most recognized Puerto Rican on the island. When he walks down the street, traffic stops, as people jump out of their cars, rush to his side to hug him, thank him, and take a selfie. When he eats in a restaurant, the wait staff, the chef, the patrons, all embrace him and take a selfie.

Each day of freedom has led him to another welcome event, from the Ecumenical Coalition where he was embraced by the Archbishop of San Juan and bishops from several denominations, to the 36 Women for Oscar who for four years had demonstrated the last Sunday of every month, to the striking UPR students, to the pro-statehood mayor of San Sebastián’s reception in his hometown, to the pro-commonwealth mayor of San Juan’s sponsorship of his art exhibit in the city’s art gallery.

His travels have taken him to Chicago’s Puerto Rican community, the Bay Area, and New York City, Holyoke and Springfield, MA, and Bridgeport, CT where he has been regaled by civic and community leaders, with cultural presentations, and with much love. In New York City, in addition to leading the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, he was honored by the United Nations Decolonization Committee, where, during its annual hearings on Puerto Rico he received standing ovations. He told the Committee:

I have spent five decades serving what I believe is the most just and noble cause any Puerto Rican citizen can serve. Doing it has been an act of love and fulfilling my duty as a citizen. And because I believe that when one serves a just and noble cause, it is never a sacrifice, even if it means giving one’s life doing it. I say this to let people know that for me, serving a just and noble cause has been the most liberating experience I have had, and that in spite of all the horrible things done to me during the years I spent in prison, I have come home with my head high, and my honor, my dignity and my spirit stronger than the day I was sent to prison.

During his trips to Chicago, his home for many years, among the many activities he took part in, he spoke at the honorary naming of Oscar López Rivera Way in Humboldt Park and at a diverse welcome home celebration; he was grand marshal of the Puerto Rican Day Parade; and he led a walking tour of institutions in the Puerto Rican community which he helped found more than 40 years ago, which continue to thrive and offer much needed services to the community.

His travels will take him to the 2017 NLG #Law4thePeople Convention in Washington, D.C. this August, where he will receive the Arthur Kinoy Award and speak on a panel about political prisoners.

Come celebrate with the NLG’s Puerto Rico Subcommittee, which has for years held the Guild’s laboring oar advocating for his release and the noble cause which led to his imprisonment – the independence and self-determination of Puerto Rico, sponsoring resolutions, workshops and panels – even the NLG’s 2013 convention on the island! Join us in celebrating Oscar this summer: this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss!

Written by Jan Susler

Some more info on Oscar Lopez Rivera’s ongoing work:

Oscar López Rivera’s Tour Through Puerto Rican Community In Chicago Following His Release From Prison

Ecumenical group hosts welcome at Puerto Rico church for freed prisoner

Special Commitee Approves Text Calling on United States to Expedite Puerto Rico’s Self-Determination Process, Welcomes Release of Long-Time Independence Activist

Oscar Lopez Rivera Urges UN to Put an End to US Colonialism in Puerto Rico

Here’s the full video of Oscar Lopez Rivera’s Hearing at the UN Special Committee on Decolonization:

by

The Case of Palestinian Community Leader Rasmea Odeh

After a three year fight to oppose a politically motivated federal indictment charging her with failing to disclose her 1969 arrest and imprisonment by Israeli military authorities in her naturalization citizenship application,  Rasmea Odeh plead guilty, in return for no time in prison or immigration custody. As a result, following her sentencing on August 17th, she will lose her citizenship and be required to leave her adopted home and beloved community.

Rasmea’s story, like most other Palestinians, is one of dispossession and repression. She was born in 1947 in Lifta, a Palestinian village outside Jerusalem. In 1948, as a result of Israeli aggression and “ethnic cleansing,” Rasmea and her family, along with 750,000 other Palestinians, were forced out of their homes by Zionist militias. The Odeh’s lost their home and all their possessions.

The family resettled on the West Bank of the Jordan River, then under the control of Jordan, when in 1967 the Israeli Army invaded and began its military occupation which continues to this day. Hundreds were arrested resisting the Occupation, and many were tortured and forced to sign false confessions. Rasmea, a college student, who was refused permission to return to school in Lebanon, was arrested in 1969. While in Israeli custody, she confessed to involvement in two bombings after she was tortured: sleep deprivation, beatings, sexual assault, rape and electro-shock.  Following her arrest, her parents’ West Bank home was demolished – a form of collective punishment that continues – and an Israeli military tribunal sentenced her to life in prison. Ten years later, Rasmea and other Palestinian woman prisoners were released in a prisoner exchange.

After living and working on behalf of refugees in Jordan, Rasmea came to the U.S. in 1995 to take care of her ailing father, and then relocated to Chicago in 2004, after obtaining her naturalized citizenship. In Chicago she joined the Arab-American Action Network (AAAN) where she founded a project supporting women’s empowerment, the Arab Women’s Committee.  Her work has become the model for other Arab women’s organizations across the country and she has received many awards recognizing her as an inspirational community leader.

Despite the final outcome, Rasmea’s legal fight raised important issues of Israeli torture and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused to Palestinian detainees, the kangaroo Israeli military courts, and how the government targeted Rasmea because of Palestine solidarity work.   Hundreds of supporters filled her court hearings and many more were educated about the Palestinian fight for justice.  We will miss Rasmea, but are confident wherever she is; she will be a strong voice for the human rights of the Palestinian people.

Written by Michael Deutsch and Jim Fennerty

by

Chi NLG Welcomes Skye Allen as our LO Coordinator & Matt McLoughlin as our MDC Coordinator

We are excited to announce that Skye Allen is our new Legal Observers Coordinator and Matt McLoughlin is our new local NLG Mass Defense Coordinator in Chicago! Matt will be responsible for responding to requests for criminal representation for activists who are arrested at political actions and pairing them with attorneys. Skye will be making sure that activists get the LO’s they request for their actions and help train new LO’s.

People facing criminal charges as a result of their political activity, including participating in demonstrations or direct actions, should call the NLG Mass Defense Coordinator at 773-309-1198 and leave a message with their name, phone number, charge(s), and date of next court appearance, or email nlg.chi.crimdefense@gmail.com. Matt will follow up with you to explain the next steps for representation. To request a Legal Observer for your next action, or to inquire how you can help the LO Program, contact Skye at chicago.lo.program@gmail.com

Matt is an activist and legal worker who was a main organizer with Occupy Chicago. A former mass defense client of NLG, he also worked in conjunction with NLG attorneys on the NATO 3 support committee. As a co-founder of the Chicago Community Bond Fund, Matt is currently one of the main volunteer coordinators and he plays a significant role within each of the organization’s four committees. Matt has extensive social media, volunteer management, and organizing skills, and he already possesses strong foundational knowledge about Chicago’s court system which are all skills that will make mass defense committee (MDC) work more effective. For the last few years, Matt has often coordinated with MDC’s legal observer teams to track arrestees and organize jail support.

Skye Allen moved to Chicago in 2002 to attend grad school. She was very active in the anti-war movement at the time. She started Law school in 2011 and immediately joined the NLG and became a Legal Observer. She was very active in the Mental Health Movement and protecting the Woodlawn Encampment. She helped professionalize the LO program in anticipation of NATO and became a coordinator of the program. When not LO-ing, she runs a solo practice defending parents against DCFS.

We wouldn’t be able to hire Matt and Skye to do this important work without your support. We also want to thank all of those who came to our May Day Party this year, all of the proceeds went to fund our Mass Defense Committee and Legal Observers Program. Since May 2015, NLG mass defense attorneys have represented over 500 activists facing city ordinance, misdemeanor, and felony charges. Be sure to keep your eye out for next years party, you see us on the streets and in the courts, we want you to join us on the dance floor!

Welcome Skye and Matt! We are grateful to have you!

by

JMLS Hosts The Path of Resistance: A Public Interest Symposium

The JMLS student chapters of the National Lawyers Guild and The American Constitution Society hosted a symposium on public interest law on Thursday, April 13th, as their final event of the semester.

Six attorneys from diverse public interest fields discussed their practices and offered advice on navigating law school and developing a career in people’s law.

Aneesha Gandhi is a Supervising Attorney at the National Immigrant Justice Center’s LGBT Immigration Rights Initiative. She primarily handles LGBT asylum cases.

Dima Khalidi is the founder and director of Palestine Legal. Her work focuses on advocating for and providing legal advice to Palestinian advocates.

Iveliz Orellano is an Assistant Cook County Public Defender and JMLS graduate. She began her career litigating civil rights and police misconduct cases.

Nicole Schult is an attorney at Uptown People’s Law Center. Her practice areas include: fair housing, social security, and prisoner’s rights.

Quinn Rallins is a community and health care justice attorney at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. He began his career as a clerk at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Equal Justice Initiative, and Greater Boston Legal Services.

Steven Saltzman has practiced law for over forty years. His practice areas include criminal defense, police brutality, and employment law.

 

by

Chi NLG Lawyers Representing New Era Chicago Arrestees

We are proud to have our volunteers representing all nine of the New Era Chicago and New Era Detroit members arrested during the #Hood2Hood community clean-up program two weekends ago.

Below is the full story republished from a statement from the Chicago Community Bond Fund:

On April 4th, CCBF posted bond to free Cody and Ron from Cook County Jail. They were both arrested on Saturday, April 1st at a Hood2Hood community engagement program and neighborhood cleanup in Englewood organized by New Era Detroit (NED) and New Era Chicago (NEC). Both New Era chapters organize for Black unity and empowerment. During the event, organizers knocked on neighborhood doors to inform Englewood residents of local resources in their community and picked up trash to help clean up the neighborhood.

As the program was drawing to a close, Chicago police physically attacked the organizers and arrested nine people, including two minors. Four people, including Cody and Ron, were charged with felony aggravated battery to police officers and misdemeanor resisting arrest. All four were given significant bonds at bond court on Monday, April 3rd. The New Era Detroit and Chicago chapters were able to post $6,000 in bond for two of their members charged with felonies, but Ron’s bond was set at $50,000 and Cody’s was set at $30,000. On Tuesday, CCBF posted the ten percent of their bonds required to free both from Cook County Jail. Below you can read NED’s press release about the arrests prior to the posting of bond. Everyone arrested at the Hood2Hood program is now out of custody!

CCBF proudly stands in support of liberation movements facing police repression for organizing against community disinvestment and white supremacy.
—–
“CHICAGO, IL – Several members of New Era Detroit (NED) and New Era Chicago (NEC)–the flagship chapters of the New Era Nation–were violently attacked & arrested by officers of the Chicago Police Department during their first #Hood2Hood community engagement program this past weekend.

The planned event was going well. NED and NEC members had spent the day cleaning and removing blight from several Chicago neighborhoods. They spoke to several residents & delivered a message of unity, hope, and empowerment. They also denounced the self-destructive violence impacting Chicagoans and other communities of color around the country. ‘Love of self’ was the message of the day; it was black, it was beautiful, and it was peaceful.

That’s when the Chicago police arrived and everything changed.

Witnesses reported that between 30-45 police officers, without provocation or warning, began beating members with their clubs, taking and destroying all Pan-African flags, screaming profanities, racial slurs, and shoving anyone in the area not wearing a police uniform. Some officers deployed their department issued Tasers. Others pointed their guns at anyone who wasn’t law enforcement. A Chicago fireman heard an officer issue a warning to the group: ‘This ends today. You guys and your fucking flags. Expect this every time we see you!’ Nine individuals were arrested & charged with felony counts of Aggravated Battery of a Peace Officer. Five were released the same day.

However, four members of the Detroit chapter–Zeek, Momma K, Cody, and Ron–remain in Chicago police custody. Each arrestee’s ten percent bonds have been set for $30,000 to $50,000.

The Detroit chapter’s legal team was able to secure legal assistance through attorneys from the National Lawyers Guild of Chicago who have committed to providing on-going legal support for those charged with felonies. ‘This is why we exist,’ Attorney Max Suchan, National Lawyers Guild of Chicago Mass Defense Coordinator, said. ‘We are dedicated to helping groups who are doing movement work whenever we can.'”

For more on the story, see the WGNTV article here.

by

2017 Midwest Conference Highlights

On behalf of the NLG Chicago board members and staff, thank you to our attendees, planning committee, and sponsors for making this years Midwest Conference a success!

Michael Deutsch of People’s Law gave the opening keynote address Saturday night. During his address, he described his first trial, defending the Black Panthers in Carbondale, IL. He won that case – not guilty on 47 counts. Deutsch shared his next principle of putting “the State on trial. Raise the political nature of the case at every step in the case.”

Timothy Rose, of Peoples Response Team, along with Debbie Southorn, from American Friends Service Committee, gave a panel on organizers and lawyers who have played a role in campaigns confronting racist policing.

They talked about “copwatch” training and the work of Protect Rogers Park. Southorn recommends The Reader’s article for more info. The moderator, Joey Mogul of People’s Law, encourages everyone to read the forthcoming book “Invisible No More”.

This year’s impressive environmental justice panel included Emily Coffey from the Shriver Center, and Bob Gough, Bruce Ellison, Carolyn Raffensperger from the Water Protector Legal Collective. The panel was moderated by Robin Martinez, a board member of the Heartland Conservation Alliance. Emily Coffey shared the story of East Chicago lead contamination harming low-income residents, which you can read more about in this Chicago Tribune article.

Another important panel this year was the “Community Responses to the Targeting of Immigrant Communities” panel which consisted of Mony Ruiz-Velasco the executive director of PASO Action, Reyna Wences of OCAD, Ana Guajardo founder of Immigrants Workers’ Project, and was moderated by? Lilian Jiménez Policy Director for 7th District Commissioner Chuy García. Reyna Wences described OCAD’s collaboration BYP100, Arab American Action Network, Asian Americans Advancing Justice & others to expand the concept of sanctuary.

National Lawyers Guild president Natasha Lycia Bannan gave a talk about movement lawyering, militarized policing, Water Protectors and immigrant defense in Chicago.

The evening dinner and celebration was at Nellie’s Puerto Rican Restaurant. Jan Susler and Jose Lopez spoke of Oscar Lopez‘s return to Paseo Boricua next month.

Contact

637 S. Dearborn St., 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60605

(773) 492-1405
chicago[@]nlg.org