Drop the Charges Against the Anti-NATO Defendants!
Tell Cook County State's Attorney Alvarez, Cook County Sheriff Dart, Chicago Police Superintendent McCarthy, Chicago Mayor Emanuel, President Obama, Attorney General Holder, DOJ Inspector General Fine, the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, Congressional Leaders, U.N. Secy Gen Ban, and members of the media to DROP ALL CHARGES AGAINST THE ANTI-NATO PROTESTERS AND RELEASE ALL PROTESTERS NOW! Initiated by the Committee to Stop FBI Repression stopfbi.net stopfbi@gmail.com
Sign the petition below! (scroll down to see petition text)
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Petition Text:
To: State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart,
Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
cc: President Obama, Attorney General Holder, DOJ Inspector General Fine, Secretary of State Clinton, the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, Congressional Leaders, U.N. Secy Gen Ban, and members of the Chicago and National media
** Drop all charges against the NATO 5 and all anti-NATO protesters!
** Release all protesters still being held in Cook County Jail in Chicago NOW!
Eight people continue to be held in jail in Chicago, arrested before or during the protests against the
NATO summit in Chicago in May.
Four of the men face terrorism-related charges and the other four serious felonies, while the NATO
generals responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands have left town to return to their occupation of
Afghanistan and plotting for their next war.
Brian Church, Jared Chase, Brent Vincent Betterly and Sebastian Senakiewicz have been charged under
a State of Illinois anti-terrorism law passed after 9/11 that has never been used. Together with Mark
Neiweem, they’ve been called the NATO 5 for the seriousness of their charges and because they were
all targeted by undercover officers exposed by the National Lawyers Guild. The agents went by the
nicknames “Mo” and “Gloves.”
The NATO 5 were arrested without any evidence of their involvement in violence, other than the
statements of undercover provocateurs. The first three arrests took place in an unlawful police raid
of a home on Wednesday night, May 16, during which the police kicked in doors without presenting a
warrant, beat up people, shackled protesters hand and foot, and then “disappeared” 11 people for up
to 40 hours. The National Lawyers Guild and Occupy Chicago activists faced repeated denials by the
Chicago Police in their attempts to locate those arrested.
The next two were arrested several days later. Again, no evidence has been presented other than the
statements of the undercover police. Both of those men were held longer than the 48 hours required by
law before being given access to use of a telephone or to speak with an attorney.
The remaining three who are still being held were involved in a protest action at the point which the police turned
violent, causing over 70 injuries from baton blows, including many serious head injuries. Over 24
protesters had to be treated at area hospitals for broken bones, knocked out teeth, concussions and
wounds requiring stitches or staples.
On top of the arrests and charges, the protesters are being held with outrageous bails: $1.5 million
each for the first three facing terrorism charges; $750,000 for the fourth charged under the same state
terrorism law; $500,000 for the last of the NATO 5; and as high as $250,000 for the rest.
It is the Chicago Police Department that is responsible for the violence that took place during the anti-
NATO protests. The Chicago Police Department and the State’s Attorney are violating the law and the
Constitution.
Charges of terrorism, preemptive raids and prosecution, charges based on entrapment and violence
against protesters are all standard procedure when the U.S. government declares a National Special
Security Event, as they did with the NATO summit. These tactics were employed at the Republican
National Convention in 2008, resulting in the cases of the RNC 8; the 23 anti-war activists raided by the
FBI and subpoenaed to a grand jury for investigation of support for foreign terrorists; and the trial of
Carlos Montes in Los Angeles. Now in Chicago, they’ve added the element of excessive bail.
The charges against the NATO 5 and the other defendants are false. Drop all these charges immediately, and release all those still being held, NOW!
Sincerely,
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