FBI Raids Minneapolis Peace Activists

I stand with the peace and justice activists whose homes were raided last week by the FBI, and who will be required to testify in court about their travels to parts of the world that continue to be wracked by violence and injustice. At least one of the victims of these raids is a Second Ward constituent, and I consider them all important allies in the ongoing struggle for a world in which violence is never seen as a political tool, and in which the rights and dignity of all people are respected.




These raids send an overtly political message likely to discourage people from publicly questioning and criticizing their government, and to deter them from organizing, communicating about and openly opposing policies that they believe are unjust. These kinds of govenment actions that chill the free speech of peace activists and the rights of all of us to freely associate are contradictory to the founding princples of the United States and have the potential to profoundly harm our democracy. The ability of all of us to openly discuss, debate, protest and dissent is essential to our future. As Thomas Jefferson said, "the spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive."




This afternoon, I will attend the protest against the FBI's unwarranted, and likely unjust actions at 4:30pm at the FBI's downtown Minneapolis office, at 111 Washington Avenue South. Please join me.