Friday, Jan. 11: Rally to support Puerto Rican independence activists

I have pasted below a press release from a broad cross-section of the independence movement in Puerto Rico. They are designating this Thursday, January 10, as the date for a rally on the island to protest the grand jury subpoenas that have been issued to three young Puerto Rican activists in New York City. In response to this call, Puerto Rican and solidarity activists in several U.S. cities have announced plans for similar rallies on Friday, January 11. They recognize that the grand jury system has long been a tool to cripple the struggle for independence of the people of Puerto Rico. There also is a tremendous irony that a grand jury is being convened to investigate resistance to the U.S. military occupation of the island of Vieques, but the U.S. has never taken action to investigate or punish the FBI agents responsible for the assassination of Filiberto Ojeda Rios.

Here in Connecticut, independentistas have announced a rally at Noon on Friday, January 11, at the Hartford federal building, 450 Main Street. Please come out to show your support.

——– Original Message ——– Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:43:16 -0800 Subject: Press Release from Puerto Rico - Grand Jury Repression

FEDERAL GRAND JURY SUBPOENAS THREE PRO-INDEPENDENCE ACTIVISTS DEMONSTRATIONS IN NEW YORK AND IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO PRO-INDEPENDENCE, SOCIALIST, STUDENT AND PEACE GROUPS UNITE TO CONFRONT REPRESSIVE WAVE

The F.B.I. continues its attacks against our people and especially against the Puerto Rican independence movement in Puerto Rico and the United States. In mid-December, 2007, three young fighters in the struggle to get the U.S. Navy out of Vieques, activists in defense of our culture in the U.S., and activists for national independence were subpoenaed to appear before a Federal Grand Jury.

The colonial authorities issued subpoenas to Christopher Torres, Tania Frontera and Julio Antonio Pabon to appear before the Grand Jury on January 11, 2008 in the New York jurisdiction.

The organizations that have signed this statement want to alert the people of Puerto Rico about this new wave of persecution by the F.B.I. against the movement fighting for independence. Never will we forget the assassination of Filiberto Ojeda Rios, which demonstrated the extent of the repressive measures that this agency is willing to take.

For this reason the independence movement organizes itself to carry out a series of public activities that will demonstrate the denunciation of the people against this persecution. We reject and denounce the presence of the Federal Grand Jury and the F.B.I. as instruments to destroy the independence movement and all the causes that we are involved in. We will continue forward in the struggle for independence and to demand the respect that we deserve as a people.

NO to the federal presence in Puerto Rico! No collaboration with the Grand Jury! We denounce the attacks and assaults of the F.B.I.!

January 10, 2008
5:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. Rally in Front of the U.S. Federal Court in Chardon, Hato Rey

Signatories:

*Comité Derechos Humanos de Puerto Rico
*(Puerto Rico Human Rights Committee)
*Consejo de Estudiantes de Ciencias Sociales de la URP, Rio Piedras,
*(Social Sciences Student Council of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras)
*Consejo de Estudiantes de Rio Piedras
*(Student Council of Rio Piedras)
*Coordinadora Caribeña y Latinoamericana
*(Caribbean and Latin American Coordinating Committee)
*Coordinadora Continental Bolivariana
*(Bolivarian Continental Coordinating Committee)
*Coordinadora Nacional Vigilias Filiberto Ojeda Rios
*(Filiberto Ojeda Rios Vigils National Coordinating Committee)
*Federación Universitaria Pro Independencia
*(University Pro-Independence Federation)
*Frente Socialista
*(Socialist Front)
*Grito de los Excluidos
*(Outcry of the Excluded)
*La Nueva Escuela
*(The New School)
*Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano
*(Hostosiano Nacional Independence Movement)
*Movimiento Socialista de Trabajadores
*(Socialist Workers Movement)
*Organización Socialista Internacional
*(Internationalist Socialist Organization)
*Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño
*(Puerto Rican Independence Party)
*Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores - Macheteros
*(Revolutionary Party of the Workers - Macheteros)
*Union de Juventudes Socialistas
*(Union of Socialist Youth)

***********************************

Manifestaciones en Nueva York y San Juan, Puerto Rico

GRAN JURADO FEDERAL CITA TRES INDEPENDENTISTAS MANIFESTACIONES EN NUEVA YORK Y EN SAN JUAN

*Puerto Rico
* GRAN JURADO FEDERAL CITA TRES JOVENES INDEPENDENTISTAS

ORGANIZACIONES INDEPENDENTISTAS, SOCIALISTAS, ESTUDIANTILES Y LUCHADORAS POR LA PAZ SE UNEN PARA ENFRENTAR OLA REPRESIVA

El FBI continua con sus ataques contra el pueblo y en especial contra el movimiento independentista en PR y los EEUU. A mediados de diciembre de 2007 se cito a comparecer ante un Gran Jurado Federal a tres jovenes luchadores por la salida de la Marina estadounidense de Vieques, defensores de nuestra cultura en los EEUU y activistas por la independencia nacional.

Las autoridades coloniales citan bajo pena de desacato (subpoena) a Christopher Torres, Tania Frontera y Julio Antonio Pabon para que comparezcan ante el Gran Jurado el 11 de enero de 2008, en la jurisdiccion de Nueva York.* * Las organizaciones abajo firmantes alertamos al pueblo puertorriqueño sobre una nueva oleada de persecucion por parte del FBI contra el movimiento luchador por la independencia. No se olvida nunca el asesinato de Filiberto Ojeda Rios, que demuestra hasta donde esta agencia de represion esta dispuesta a llegar. El FBI recrudece los atropellos cuando las luchas comunitarias, obreras, ambientales y polí¬ticas son mas visibles y van calando en el pueblo que reclama justicia social, respeto por su dignidad y su libertad.

Por eso el independentismo se organiza para llevar a cabo una serie de actividades públicas y asi demostrar el repudio del pueblo a esta persecucion. Repudiamos la presencia del Gran Jurado Federal y del FBI como mecanismo para destruir el movimiento independentista y todas las causas en las que estamos involucrados. Seguimos adelante luchando por la independencia y exigiendo el respeto que como pueblo merecemos!

No a la presencia federal en Puerto Rico! No colaboración con el Gran Jurado! Repudiamos los ataques y atropellos del FBI!

*jueves 10 de enero 2008
5:00PM–9:00PM Manifestacion Frente a la Corte Federal del los EEUU en la Chardon, Hato Rey
* ORGANIZACIONES FIRMANTES:

Comité de Derechos Humanos de Puerto Rico Consejo de Estudiantes de Ciencias Sociales de la UPR en Rio Piedras Consejo de Estudiantes de UPR Rido Piedres Coordinadora Caribeña y Latinoamericana Coordinadora Continental Bolivariana Coordinadora Nacional Vigilias Filiberto Ojeda Rios Federación Universitaria Pro Independencia Frente Socialista Grito de los Excluidos La Nueva Escuela Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano Movimiento Socialista de Trabajadores Organización Socialista Internacional Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores - Macheteros Union de Juventudes Socialista

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