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July 26, 2018 by Admin

NLG Chicago Attorneys & LOs Give Legal Support to Protestors of Harith “Snoop” Augustus Shooting

Harith Augustus protest

Source: Enough is Enough. Scene of crowd soon after police murdered Harith Augustus, a father and local barber.

On July 14, Chicago Police shot and killed Harith Augustus, a barber and father to a 5-year-old girl. The South Shore community immediately gathered to demand answers. NLG Chicago volunteers responded to requests for support by sending Legal Observers to the scene to document police violence against demonstrators and by sending lawyers to track and visit people in CPD custody.

CPD reported that four people were arrested in total, but without names, we are unable to confirm those numbers or the whereabouts of everyone. At least two people who were briefly taken into custody were released without charges. NLG Chicago collaborated with First Defense Legal Aid and the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender to identify and support the one other person who remained in CPD custody.

On July 16 at 1 pm, Melvin Johnson, the person who was violently arrested by Chicago Police on the night of July 14, received an I-Bond at 1pm today. Johnson was arrested. This means he will be released without having to pay money.

Harith “Snoop” Augustus Shooting

Source: Loevy & Loevy

On July 18, civil rights activist William Calloway sued the Chicago Police to compel the public release of all unedited videos of the July 14th police shooting. Mr. Calloway is also represented in his suit by Matt Topic and Joshua Burday of Loevy & Loevy Attorneys at Law.

Please follow Black Lives Matter Chicago and BYP 100 for additional updates on the demand for justice for Harith Augustus. #BlackLivesMatter

Filed Under: Blog, Legal Observers Tagged With: First Defense Legal Aid, Harith Augustus, Joshua Burday, legal observers, Loevy & Loevy, Matt Topic, Melvin Johnson, Snoop, William Calloway

July 3, 2018 by Admin

NLG Chicago is Part of the Struggle to Keep Families Together

NLG Legal Observer (LO) - Pilsen, June 2018

NLG Chicago Legal Observer (LO) with Pilsen Alliance protestors during the ‘March to Abolish ICE’ (June 2018). www.thepilsenalliance.org

The slogan of the National Lawyers Guild is “law for the People.” This call has always been an ideal that we struggle towards by building dignity-focused, movement-based spaces for advocates and activists to come together.

Small steps have been made over the years. Although some decisions were — and still are — inadequate at the time, they are nevertheless important steps. For example, decisions like Flores, which limited detention of children in immigration proceedings; or Obergefell, which established same-sex marriage rights; or increased pay for teachers through Union support and strikes; or the ongoing fight by Chicago Community Bond Fund to bring dignity to those facing felony charges, freeing those incarcerated solely because they cannot afford to post bond. “Relentless advocacy — by lawyers, paralegals, and organizers — was key to all of these wins.” And in countless other, less known but incredibly important instances, the people who find solidarity through the NLG have continue to fight for dignity, and law that works for the people, across all areas.

Sadly, this ideal of “law for the People” seems so far away right now.

These past few weeks have been devastating as we watch our government rip up what we have fought for and destroy rights belonging to disenfranchised communities across the United States. We protest in fear and anger for ourselves, our families, our friends, our neighbors, our countries. We grieve for the loss and trauma that has come and organize to stop what is coming.

We must continue to organize — to stand in the strength of solidarity across religion, ethnicity, income, and employment. This diversity of thoughts and life experiences is what makes our struggle for dignity a bright light in these truly fucked up times. We need that bright light as a reminder that we are strong and will not give up.

NLG Chicago Legal Observer (LO), Pilsen, June 2018

NLG Chicago Legal Observer (LO) with Pilsen Alliance protestors during the ‘March to Abolish ICE’ (June 2018). www.thepilsenalliance.org

And while this should not need to be said — this should not ever need to be shared — it feels important to remind each of us reading this.

You are wanted, here, in your country. You are deserving of dignity, appreciation, love, and respect. You are needed here. What you bring matters. Who you are matters. You have a community here, built out of our collective tenacity, strength, and loyalty. We, all of us, are lucky you are here. THANK YOU.

Today, the NLG Chicago re-commits to standing with its membership to fight in solidarity with, alongside, and among our many communities for the children separated from families; for the people detained and for those jailed; for all those discriminated against because they are Muslim; for black men and women who daily fight the persecution of police and institutionalized racism; for labor movements fighting for dignity in the workplace; for the First Nations working to save our water and our lands; for women everywhere whose reproductive autonomy is taken away, over, and over; and for countless other struggles.

Guided by our ‘law for the People’ ideal and the light of many movements guiding us through, we stand together.

Stand with us by donating to the work of NLG Chicago.

Filed Under: Blog, Legal Observers Tagged With: #AbolishICE, ICE Chicago, keeping families together, legal observers, LOs, NLG Chicago, Pilsen Alliance

December 20, 2010 by Admin

Cops Target Guild Legal Observers in Phoenix

The Guild Defends Your Right to Resist!

“At protests from D.C. to Miami to Los Angeles to Philadelphia to Saint Paul, Guild Legal Observers have been arrested, shot with projectiles, tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, and hit with batons, and we are still here to document misconduct.” —Carol Sobel, Co-Chair, Guild Mass Defense Committee

“Arresting a young woman of color who is there as an attorney-observer demonstrates how irresponsible and un-American the Arizona action is. I fear Arizona is starting to act like Mississippi in the civil rights days.” —Bill Quigley, Legal Director, Center for Constitutional Rights

National Lawyers Guild statement on arrests in Phoenix of Roxana Orell and Sunita Patel here!

Center for Constitutional rights statement here!

Filed Under: Legal Observers Tagged With: activists, legal observers, Phoenix, police

December 17, 2010 by Admin

Legal Observers Available

The NLG Chicago Chapter provides legal observers to monitor police activity and infringement of First Amendment rights at local rallies, demonstrations, and direct action. To request legal observers, please email chicago.lo.program@gmail.com with information about your planned action.

We encourage organizers to contact us as soon as possible prior to the action, in order to increase our ability to provide observers, even before details are finalized. We consider your request for observers to be privileged legal communication and information provided will be kept confidential in accordance with applicable law.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: activists, legal observers, police

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