[CIMC-working] Feb 8th Mtg to build on the November 23 Repression/Resistance Conference

[donald goldhamer]

C-IMCers,

Here is the announcement of the February 8 meeting.  Shall we cover it?

The designated space may be too small, but Kent Law School has refused to
allow the event to take place there, for unexplained reasons seemingly
based on the content of the original Repression and Resistance 2002
Conference.  Efforts are being made to find out who/why they refused.

--Don
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On Saturday afternoon, February 8th, from 1-4 pm, there will be a MEETING
to FOLLOW-UP on the November 23rd Repression & Resistance 2002 Emergency
Conference. It will be held at 1325 S. Wabash, the office of Chicago
Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights.  This follow-up meeting was the
general consensus of the final plenary on November 23rd.

And there's little time for delay. With the US poised to commit horrible
crimes in the Middle East, the Government is moving within the "homeland"
to viciously suppress communities conected with that region of the world.
Since November 23rd, the danger of concentration camps USA has grown.  But
resistance has grown as well, particularly in opposition to the special
registration of Middle Eastern and Muslim immigrants.

We are meeting to build up the spirit of urgency and determination at our
conference.  (Think of Lynne Stewart's speech!).  To bring individuals and
organizations back together to make concrete plans for resistance.  There
are a lot of threads we can bring together to strengthen and expand our
common efforts.  And to make this meeting most productive, the conference
organizing committee is putting some action focuses on the table in
advance.  Here are two:.

One is to organize a CAMPUS TEACH-IN on resisting the university's
complicity in repression of immigrant students.  Think what it could mean
if campus administrations refused to participate in SEVIS (Student Exchange
Visitor Information System -- a tracking system which is already leading to
arrests of students for "crimes" like dropping a class) and if professors
refused to act as junior INS agents.  This can include developing
resistance to the "Leave No Child Behind" (put 'em all on the frontline)
program of school boards turning over high school student names to
recruiters, ETC. ETC.

Another focus of the meeting will be resistance to the attacks on Middle
Eastern and Muslim immigrants coming to a head in February, especially
connected to the FEBRUARY 21ST SPECIAL REGISTRATION DEADLINE.  - An
anti-repression, anti-war march is being organized in the heart of the
Pakistani & Indian communities on Saturday, February 15th.  - February 19th
is the 61st Anniversary of Executive Order 9066 which began the internment
of 120,000 Japanese-Americans.  - February 20th, the day before the
registration deadline, is the 2nd Nat'l Day of Solidarity with Arab, Muslim
and S. Asian Immigrants.
In addition, the trial of Enaam Arnout, the director of Benevolence
International Foundation (a Muslim charity outrageously shut down by the
govt. a year ago), begins February 10th in Chicago.  This threatens to be a
national show trial (remember John Ashcroft personally flew to Chicago to
issue the indictments), where the prosecutorial theme will be "fear the
foreign enemy in our midst!"

Our February 8th meeting will bring individuals and organizations together
to develop specific plans to resist these police state measures.  We will
break into groups to make plans around the above (and possibly additional)
focuses.  This meeting is NOT to start a new organization.  It is to act on
the theme of the November 23rd Conference -- we must resist before it's too
late! -- by bringing individuals and existing organizations together to
mobilize stronger, coordinated resistance.

Let us know if there is a repression issue you think should be focused on
now, and also if you know other people who are coming who want to get
organized around this.  Keep in mind that the purpose of this meeting is
not to discuss everything again, but to provide an opportunity for people
to to get together and make plans to ACT.