Government defeated in federal trial

The government has been trying to deport the LA 8 for nineteen years simply because they were activists for the Palestinian cause. The government tried every slimy trick they could. Finally, one of the Eight sued, claiming his right to citizenship had been denied.

Today, the judge agreed. This is a huge victory.

From the ANSWER LA listserv

In an important victory for the Los Angeles 8, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Wilson today ruled that the government unlawfully denied the citizenship request of LA 8 defendant Aiad Barakat. Barakat put the government on trial this week to expose the fact that it has tried to deport the LA 8 for 19 years with no evidence of wrongdoing.

For 19 years, the U.S. government has attempted to deport seven Palestinian activists, including Barakat, and one Kenyan. They were arrested for advocating on behalf of the Palestinian liberation struggle. The government’s case has always been baseless, yet it has tried repeatedly to smear the eight as “terrorists” under various repressive laws - most recently the Patriot Act and the Real ID Act.

This decision in favor of Barakat is a huge advance in the overall struggle to win justice for the LA 8. Barakat and the LA 8’s attorneys, led by noted constitutional lawyer David Cole, proved this week that the government has no evidence that the LA 8 were “terrorists” or engaged in “supporting terrorist organizations.”

In fact, Barakat’s case proved that the government never had any credible evidence against the activists. It simply prosecuted the LA 8 because of their unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s just struggle against U.S.-backed Israeli occupation.

The outcome of this lawsuit will hinder the government’s continuing false attempts deport the LA 8. The evidence presented in court this week is the very same evidence that has been used against the LA 8 in their immigration proceedings for the past 19 years. Now that a federal court has determined that the government’s evidence is worthless, the government’s prospects for continuing to prosecute the LA 8 are much dimmer.
This victory for Aiad Barakat is a victory for all of the LA 8 defendants, their families and those who have worked so hard to win justice for the eight for nearly two decades.

[tags]L.A. 8, LA 8, Aiad Barakat[/tags]

1 Comment »

More thought on the Using the Net to organize post.

Reading the comments to that post aptly demonstrates the power and reach of the Net. Comments came from Australia, Puerto Rico, and England, as well as the US.

Not only can the Net bring you and your group to the world, it brings the world to you and your local issues.

Excerpts from the comments

From a Puerto Rican activist who mobilized to get the US Navy out of Vieques.

For issues and organizations that are far away from the centers of world power the Web is a great tool. Not only for getting information out that the mainstream world media will not touch but also for organizing people from our area who are now dispersed throughout the world. People can check in and find others in their area who are willing to picket or write letters to the local editors to get the struggle publicity.

Indeed, activists planetwide mobilized successfully on Vieques, and the Net played a major role in spreading the message. But, as always, the real organizing and struggle took place outside of the Net. That’s the crucial point. The Net can bring people to you and get your message to them, but it’s not where the organizing is done.

Andy Newman in England says

One of the myths to dispel is that blogging and internet publishing are an alternative to activism, because the best blogs and web-sites are by people who are well connected and involved. My experience is that in my own small home town people have approached me to get involved based upon reading what we are doing on the web.

Precisely. The Net is a great recruiting tool. And I can usually tell a activist website done by those whose activism is only on the web. They tend to either be pessimistic or naive about what it takes to create change. Real life activists are way more optimistic - and seasoned. They’re involved with it everyday and see the results of their actions.

Dave Riley in Australia weighs in.

Here in Australia the question of r e a c h is very important. The urban centres are condensed on the seaboard and in between is the tyranny of distance that makes democracy very expensive.

What we are finding is that nothing substitutes for meetings either for organising or for ‘touching base’ as it were. There’s no shortcut to the tried and true stuff the left has always relied on.

I suspect that a lot of what we can look forward to has much to do with harnessing the potential of RSS primarily because it can aggregate so many key elements together that our culture of debate, activity, reach out, propaganda, agitation, etc is generated with — and do that much more consciously as an accessible and clearly articulated pole of attraction. That that pole is located in cyberspace doesn’t really matter so much because it functions as a gateway to the whole shebang which is located, after all, off line.

Lefti on the News

One subject you haven’t raised here is the question of geographical reach. ANSWER, for example (or any other group) only exists in a handful of places. Someone in Podunk, Iowa has no access to any such groups in person, and is never going to be handed a flyer. But the opportunity for them to listen to forums that you (and others) place on the web as mp3s/podcasts (as well as read articles, sign petitions, etc.) is a tremendously valuable way to get them involved as much as they can in their isolated small town. Then, who knows, maybe they’ll organize their own group and the left will spread geographically as well as numerically. Not to mention helping out financially.

This article on business podcasting, Look for Q1, 2007 to be podcast heaven, details why a coming convergence of technology should make podcasting huge. If it’ll be huge for business, it can be huge for the left too. Audio and video podcasts, which are spread by blogs and RSS, can convey a group’s message everywhere. Here at Polizeros, some of our podcasts (which were posted elsewhere too) have been downloaded thousands of times. That’s a lot of reach.

No Comments »

A panel of scientists says evidence of global warming is clear. They say the last few decades have been warmer than any comparable period in the past several hundred years. Scientists believe the warming trend is also to blame for the harsh hurricane season in the North Atlantic last year.

Experts convened by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences say the 20th century advance of global warming is shown by consistent evidence from a wide variety of geographically diverse sources.

Not that this will convince the Flat Earthers residing in the White House, who never let reality and science get in the way of their dogma.

No Comments »

In January, Chris Douridas, popular DJ of trend-setting public radio station KCRW in Santa Monica, CA was arrested on suspiction of kidnapping and drugging an underage teenage girl. The girl was in a bar. He says he saw she was ill and was trying to help, and he as yet has not been charged. For police to take this long to file charges or drop the case is unusual indeed.

June 9, Santa Monica Daily Press

County prosecutors are expected to decide this week whether to file charges against a popular radio show host accused of drugging a teenager at a local bar.

In a ghastly tragedy, Douridas recently lost his 14 year old daughter Marieke, a talented actress.

On Saturday, April 29th Marieke had just acted in the closing performance of “GREASE” at her high school. She was on an emotional high and went upstairs to take a bath. She had a grand mal epileptic seizure and drowned in the tub. She was only 14 years old.

You may make contributions to the Marieke Laura Douridas Foundation.

No Comments »

A 20-ounce Venti banana mocha Frappuccino with whipped cream contains 720 calories and 11 grams of saturated fat.

Like Ben and Jerry’s, who also have a progressive image, Starbuck’s products can be seriously unhealthy. That’s not coffee, it’s a fat and sugar bomb flavored with coffee. Clog your arteries while feeling trendy.

Me, I just order a cup of coffee. It’s healthier, cheaper, plus you get to taste the coffee too.

1 Comment »