Sign to Defend Arrested Baltimore Political Activists

DROP ALL CHARGES AGAINST SHARON BLACK-CECI, STEVEN CECI AND PATRICK ALLEN NOW!

STOP POLICE ATTACKS ON ALL POLITICAL ACTIVISTS!

Take Action Today:

• Sign the online petition here
• Make an emergency donation to help with the campaign to get the charges dropped.
• Forward this message to your contacts
• Join the Facebook grouphttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=349307115532
  

On the morning of December 9, long-time Baltimore Community activists Sharon Black-Ceci and Steven Ceci were dragged from their home by Baltimore police. The two, long-time leaders in the anti-racist, and poor people's rights struggle, had been under police surveillance for their political activism. They have each been falsely charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, a felony, and possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor.

On Nov. 14, while both Sharon Black-Ceci and Steven Ceci were attending a workers' rights conference in NYC, Baltimore police broke down the door of their Baltimore home purportedly based on mysterious and false reports of heroin being sold from their residence. A roommate, Patrick Allen -- who was present at the time of the police break-in -- was arrested and the home was senselessly damaged.

Sharon Black-Ceci and Steven Ceci believe that this is not just an attack on them, but an attack on all activists and organizations that are fighting for a society based on social and economic justice and peace.

A year ago, the Baltimore ACLU revealed that the Baltimore All-Peoples Congress, the organization that Black has led for more than a quarter of a century, was named as one of four political groups in Baltimore that the Maryland State Police had been spying on.

Sharon Black-Ceci and Steven Ceci were planning to hold a public event December 9, the evening they were arrested, as a political response to the police attack on their home in mid-November. That event was carried out as a press conference and emergency rally to free the activists.

Sign the petition to demand:

* DROP ALL CHARGES AGAINST SHARON BLACK-CECI, STEVEN CECI AND PATRICK ALLEN!
* STOP POLICE ATTACKS ON ALL POLITICAL ACTIVISTS!
* FULL INQUIRY INTO POLICE SURVEILLANCE OF BALTIMORE ALL PEOPLES CONGRESS!

Sign the petition at the link below. Let U.S. Attorney General Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano, Maryland Governor O'Malley, Maryland State Attorney General General Gansler, Maryland State Police Superintendent Sheridan, Baltimore State's Attorney Jessamy, Baltimore Police Commissioner Bealefeld, the Baltimore City Council, Congressional leaders, the Maryland Congressional Delegation, the Maryland Legislature and representatives of the Baltimore and national media know you want ALL CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST SHARON BLACK-CECI, STEVEN CECI AND PATRICK ALLEN!


Take Action Today:

* Sign the online petition here: http://bailoutpeople.org/ dropbaltimorecharges.shtml
* Make an emergency donation to help with the campaign to get the charges dropped- http://bailoutpeople.org/ donate.shtml
* Forward this message to your contacts
* Join the Facebook group - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=349307115532

Partial list of initial signers:
Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor, Pan African Newswire
Don Bryant, Peoples Forum* (Ohio)
Carlos Canales, Co-Coordinator, May 1st Coalition for Worker & Immigrant Rights (NY)
Geoff Carens, Harvard Union Rep, HUCTW/AFSCME Local 3650* (MA)
Sara Catalinotto, Penn South Parents Committee*, (NY)
Ed Childs, Chief Steward, UNITE HERE Local 26, Harvard U.* (MA)
Kathy Wray Coleman, Imperial Women* (Ohio)
Paddy Colligan, United Federation of Teachers, Local 2* (NY)
Prisscilla Cooper, Cleveland community activist (Ohio)
Sharon Danann, Lucasville Uprising Freedom Network (Ohio)
Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality
Detroit Peoples Water Board
Detroit Peoples Task Force
Frances Dostal, Registered Nurse (Ohio)
Greg Dunkel, Chapter Chair, Central Office, AFT, Local 2334* (PSC) (NY)
Phebe Eckfeldt, Harvard Union Rep, HUCTW/AFSCME Local 3650* (MA)
Mike Eilenfeldt, Delegate, NYC Central Labor Council, for New York State United Teachers, AFT, AFL-CIO* (NY)
Bernadette Ellorin, Chairperson, BAYAN USA
Sherry Finkelman, United Federation of Teachers, Local 2* (NY)
Sara Flounders, International Action Center
Steve Gillis, Vice President, USW Local 8751 Boston School Bus Union*
Mike Gimbel, Delegate to NYC Central Labor Council, and Chair, "Labor/Community Unity Committee of AFSCME, Local 375, AFL-CIO* (NY)
Adam Gluntz, Baldwin-Wallace FIST (Ohio)
Martha Grevatt, Chair, Civil Rights Committee, UAW Local 122 * (Ohio)
Derek Grigsby, Chairperson, Detroit Chapter, Green Party* (MI)
Teresa Gutierrez, Co-Coordinator, May 1st Coalition for Worker & Immigrant Rights (NY)
Larry Hales, Fight Imperialism, Stand Together (NY)
Dr. Sue Harris, Co-Director, People's Video Network (NY)
Jill Hill, Professor, Malcolm X College* (Il)
Larry Holmes, Bail Out the People Movement
Charles Jenkins, Transit Workers Union, Newly Elected Vice Chair of Maintenance of Way* (NY)
Dr. Berta Joubert-Ceci (PA)
Ahmad Kawash, Long-time Palestinian Activist (MA)
Dian Killian, author
Peter Kimball, Chicago community activist (Il)
Ester King, Board member, Houston Black Heritage Society* (TX)
Cheryl Labash, U.S.-Cuba Labor Exchange (MI)
Kermit Leibensperger, Instructor, IBEW Local 24* & Electric League of Maryland* (MD)
Barbara Louise, Retired Medical Technologist (Ohio)
Rosie Martinez, Chair, Latino Caucus and Executive Board member of SEIU Local 721* (CA)
Caleb Maupin Baldwin-Wallace FIST, Food Justice Coalition (Ohio)
Dr. Janet Mayes (NY)
Professor Robin McCubbin, Southwestern College, Chula Vista* (Ca.)
Frantz Mendes, President USW Local 8751 Boston School Bus Union*
Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice (MI)
Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions, and Utility Shutoffs (MI)
Mahtowin Munro, Co-Leader United American Indians of New England
Frank Neisser, Stonewall Warriors, Boston (MA)
Dr. Betsy Oakes, Teacher (MD)
Deloyd Parker, Exec. Dir., S.H.A.P.E. Community Center, Houston (TX)
John Parker, West Coast Coordinator, International Action Center (CA)
Bryan G. Pfeifer, Staff Organizer, Union of Part-Time Faculty-American Federation of Teachers,* Detroit (MI)
Betsey Piette, Cobbs Creek West Community Assn.* (Pa.)
Joe Piette, National Association of Letter Carriers, Local 157* (PA)
Andre Powell, Delegate, Baltimore Metro Central Labor Council* (MD)
Abdul Qahhar, Chair, New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, Cleveland (Ohio)
Stewart Robinson, retired math professor (Ohio)
Valerie Robinson, Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor* (Ohio)
Lucha Rodriguez, Houston anti-death penalty activist (TX)
Gloria Rubac, Houston Federation of Teachers, Local 2415* (TX)
Susan Schnur, Board Member, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 268* (Ohio)
Gerry Scoppettuolo, Founder, GALLAN, AFL-CIO,* (Mass.)
Njeri Shakur, Houston housing activist (TX)
Chris Silvera, Secretary Treasurer, Teamsters, Local 808* (NY)
Rev. Thomas Smith, Pittsburgh (PA)
David Sole, past-president UAW Local 2334,* Detroit (MI)
Paul Teitelbaum, Tucson May 1st Coalition for Worker and Immigrant Rights (AZ)
Bishop Filipe Teixeira, OFSJC, Diocese of St Francis of Assisi, CCA (MA)
Clarence Thomas - Co-Chair Million Worker March Movement, member of ILWU Local 10* (CA)
Paul Wilcox, Chapter Chair, Local 107, District Council 1707, AFSCME, AFL-CIO* (NY)
Miya X, Boston FIST, Women's Fightback Network (MA)

*=for identification only