[NYTr] NYC, Puerto Rico to Rally Against Grand Jury Repression

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by Raulmax - Dec 31, 2007

 
Rallies Planed in NYC and Puerto  Rico against Grand Jury Repression 

Puerto Rico --Feds target Puerto  Ricans in New York  
 
El Diario/La Prensan - Dec 27, 2007

PR: Denunciation of  Possible Arrests of Pro-Independence Activists

By Jesus Davila
SAN JUAN/Correspondant El Diario La Prensa

Groups and individuals from diverse sectors  of the Puerto Rican 
pro-independence movement and the Boricua Community in  general, are
currently urgently meeting in Puerto Rico and throughout the  Diaspora
to organize against the latest offensive by the U.S. Department of
Justice, after being informed that several young Boricua
pro-independence  activists from New York City have been subpoenaed to
appear before a Federal  Grand jury investigating the Puerto Rican
Independence Movement in general, and  in particular, the Ejercito
Popular Boricua (EPB: Popular Boricua Army) aka the  Macheteros.

Tania Frontera, Christopher Torres and Julio Pabon Jr. are  scheduled
to appear before a Federal Grand Jury on January 11, 2008. Hector
Rivera, co-founder of the cultural institution The Welfare Poets, is
also  expected to be served with a subpoena to appear on that day. In
the past, due to  the fact that some pro-independence activists have
traditionally refused to  receive the subpoenas from the Grand Jury or
to respond to its questions, many  have ended up behind bars. 

Both the FBI and U.S. Dept. of Justice have  made it clear that there
is an ongoing investigation focused on the Ejercito  Popular Boricua 
(EPB)-Macheteros. Special Agent Luis Fraticelli, who heads the  FBI in
San Juan, has said that the agency intends to capture Comandante
Guasabara of the EPB, who is believed to have succeeded Filiberto
Ojeda  Ri­os in the leadership of the clandestine revolutionary
organization. Ojeda  Ri­os was assassinated by the federal agents
on September 23, 2005.  

The initial rumors that the recent subpoenas had been issued and
served began to circulate almost simultaneously as the new progress
report of the White House committee revewing the colonial conditions of
Puerto Rico was made public.  The subpoenas, all served in New York
City are to appear before the Federal  Grand Jury on the following
January 11. 

Although many are shocked by the  identity of some of the particular 
individuals targeted, this latest offensive  by the U.S. Federal
Government has not come as a total surprise to the  Pro-Independence
Movement, which has been organizing to prepare for an expected  new
wave of political repression and possibly arrests.
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RALLY AGAINST  GRAND JURY REPRESSION 

OF PUERTO RICAN INDEPENDENCE ACTIVIST


Friday  January 11, 2008 - 9:30  A.M. 

San  Juan, Puerto Rico 

GRAN JURY  SUBPOENAS THREE YOUNG PUERTO RICAN PRO -INDEPENDENCE
ADVOCATES 

PRO-INDEPENDENCE ,  SOCIALISTS, STUDENTS AND PEACE ACTIVISTS
ORGANIZATIONS UNITE TO CONFRONT THE  COMMING WAVE OF REPRESSION. 

The FBI continues its attacks against the people,  especially against
the Puerto Rican pro independence movement in Puerto Rico and  in the
U.S.  In mid December of 2007, three young activists who  participated
in the struggle to get the U.S. Navy to leave Vieques, defendors of
Puerto Rican culture in the U.S. and pro independence activists were
subpoenaed  to appear before a Gran Jury. 

Colonial authorities subpoenaed Christopher Torres, Tania  Frontera
and Julio Antonio Pabon to appear before a Grand Jury in New York City
on January 11, 2008 

The undersigned organizations alert the people  of Puerto Rico on the
new wave of FBI persecution against the Puerto Rican  Independence
Movement.  We will never forget the assasinassation  of Filiberto Ojeda
Rios which demonstrated the lengths to which te FBI is  ready to go.
The FBI heightens its abuse when community, workers,  enviromental and
political struggles are more visible and penetrating. The  people
demand social justice and respect for their dignity and  freedom.     
Pro Independence activists are organizing a  series of public
activities to demonstrat the rejection by Puerto Ricans of  this
persecution.  We repudiate the presence of the U.S. Federal  Gran
Jury, the FBI as a mechanism to destroy the independence movement and
all the  other causes we are involved in. We will continue forward in
our struggle for  Puerto Rican independence and demand the respect that
as a nation we  deserve! 

January 10,  2008 - 5:00 PM --9:00  PM 

Picket in front of the U.S. Federal  Court House in Hato Rey, Puerto
Rico No a la presencia federal en Puerto Rico!  No colaboracion con el
Gran Jurado! Repudiamos los ataques y atropellos  del FBI!  
NO  to U.S. Federal presence in Puerto Rico!   Non colaboration with
the Gran Jury. We repudiate the attacks and the  repression. 

SPONSORING  ORGANIZATIONS: 

COMITE DE DERECHOS HUMANOS DE PUERTO  RICO 
CONSEJO DE ESTUDIANTES DE CIENCIAS SOCIALES DE la UPR  en RIO
PIEDRAS CONSEJO DE ESTUDIANTES DE UPR RIO  PIEDRAS 
COORDINADORA CARIBE/NA y  LATINOAMERICANA 
COORDINADORA CONTINENTAL  BOLIVARIANA 
COORDINADORA NACIONAL VIGILAS FILIBERTO OJEDA  RIOS 
FEDERACION UNIVERSITARIA PRO  INDEPENDENCIA 
FRENTE SOCIALISTA 
GRITO DE LOS EXCLUIDOS 
LA NUEVA  ESCUELA 
MOVIMIENTO INDEPENDENTISTA NACIONAL  HOSTOSIANO 
MOVIMIENTO SOCIALISTA DE  TRABAJADORES 
ORGANIZACION SOCIALISTA  INTERNACIONAL 
PARTIDO INDEPENDENTISTA  PUERTORRIQUE/NO 
PARTIDO REVOLUCIONARIO DE LOS  TRABAJADORES-MACHETEROS 
UNION DE JUVENTUDES  SOCIALISTAS