#defend j20

[crimethinc]

Seven years ago, on January 20, 2017, police surrounded and arrested over 200 people in the vicinity of a confrontational march against the inauguration of Donald Trump. Prosecutors brought identical felony charges against almost every single arrestee in one of the most dramatic escalations of state repression of the Trump era. For a year and a half, people around the United States mobilized to support the defendants and beat back this attempt to set a new precedent in repression. The J20 case was one of the most important court cases about the freedom to protest in modern US history—and the defendants won.

Now, in response to the movement to #StopCopCity, prosecutors in Georgia are trying something similar, pressing RICO and domestic terrorism charges against dozens of people who were arrested at random. We strongly recommend reading this overview of the legal support strategy that defeated the J20 prosecution.

"We’ve Got Your Back: The Story of the J20 Defense"

https://crimethinc.com/J20legal

[radicalgraff]

‘Drop da Charges #J20′ graffiti in Seattle.

On Jan 20th 2017, more than 200 protesters were mass-arrested, detained, and prosecuted in Washington DC, during the Trump inauguration ceremony. Dozens still face criminal charges.

[fuckyeahanarchistposters]

Now that the J20 trials have begun, it is up to us to support these folks.

For more info on the case check out:                                           

Nine Things to Know About the J20 Court Cases

Follow @defendj20 for consistent updates from court, and please share this fundraiser:

https://fundrazr.com/j20resistance

[pyrophantom]

Via https://www.instagram.com/chrisnumber2

[katjohnadams]

There is consideration to be had for the tendency in leftist spaces to get so overwhelmed with what should be done that nothing actually happens. If you’ve ever organized within larger groups or coalitions, you’re well acquainted with everything coming to a grinding halt as people get bogged down in the minutiae. You may also be familiar with that moment of clarity that comes after someone gets fed up and says, “Fuck it, I’m going. Who’s with me?”

FUCK IT, I'M GOING. WHO'S WITH ME?

[leftpress]

IWW Call for June 25th Actions in Solidarity with J20 Defendants

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) | It's Going Down | June 8th 2018

The post IWW Call for June 25th Actions in Solidarity with J20 Defendants appeared first on It's Going Down.

Call from the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) for worldwide solidarity actions in solidarity with J20 defendants. For over a year, the US has been pressing felony charges–including “riot,” “inciting a riot,” and “conspiracy to riot”–against protesters who were arrested at the inauguration of Donald Trump. After a revelation that they had been withholding […]

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[antifainternational]

As the J20 defendants go to trial, The International Anti-Fascist Defence Fund steps in to help make sure they have what they need to defend themselves in court.   If you’d like to do your part, you can help the J20 defendants by making a donation right here.   If you’d like to help The International Anti-Fascist Defence Fund continue to back antifa like we have for the last 2.5 years, you can make a donation right here.  

[notsoterriblymisanthropic]

Call-in Campaign to #DROPJ20: May 10th-11th

We’re asking you to keep the following people busy listening to our demands all day long on May 10th and 11th:

Jennifer Kerkhoff – Lead Prosectuor on the case, Deputy Chief of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section (202) 252-7380

Lisa Greene – The Deputy Chief of the Superior Court Division, Kerkhoff’s direct supervisor (202) 252-7485

Richard Tischner – The Chief of the Superior Court Division, Kerkhoff’s direct supervisor (202) 252-7274

US Attorney for DC Jessie Liu – The person in charge of the US Attorney’s office, a Trump appointee (202) 252-7566

Rizwan Qureshi - Assistant J20 prosecutor (general line - use directory/operator) (202) 252-7679

John Gidez – The Chief of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section, Kerkhoff’s colleague (202) 252-6752

John Borchert - Assistant J20 prosecutor (esp. Dreamhost and Facebook warrants) (202) 252-7679

Here’s a sample script to get you started!

Hello. My name is __________. (first name is fine)

I am calling about the inauguration day protesters still facing trumped up criminal charges. Your office needs to drop these remaining charges. There is no good reason your office should be pursuing these charges when six people have already been found NOT GUILTY on all counts in the first trial.  Again, your office should drop the remaining charges.

Over the last year these prosecutions have pushed all limits:

Intimidation to coerce plea deals by making inflated charges.

Shielding law enforcement from public accountability by issuing gag orders.

Disrupting people’s lives by making overblown charges and using those to justify intrusive, extensive investigations meant to build those cases.

This overall strategy to intimidate activists, disrupt social movements and silence dissent by weaponizing the use of trumped up charges is not going unnoticed. Your office has the power to end the repression and intimidation. Drop the charges now.

[anarchopuppy]

I’ve already reblogged a link to this entire article by @crimethinc, but I wanted to highlight the excellent ‘resources’ section on its own as we approach the election. For an anarchist take on the current climate, a list of upcoming actions, and a dope-ass poster to print and distribute, please do check out the full article as well

Trump’s term is ending as it began, with a likelihood of street conflict. The following guides offer a great deal of information about how to participate in effective protests while protecting yourself and your community.

Getting Connected

How to Form an Affinity Group

Find a Local Mutual Aid Network

Where to Find Your Local Medic Collective—This is not comprehensive, but offers a good starting point.

Security Culture

What Is Security Culture?

Bounty Hunters and Child Predators: Inside the FBI Entrapment Strategy

When the Police Knock on Your Door—Your rights and options: a legal guide

If the FBI Approaches You to Become an Informant—An FAQ

You can find a lot of important information about general security in protest situations here.

Digital Communications and Security

Your Phone Is a Cop—An OpSec/InfoSec primer for the dystopian present.

Communications Equipment for Rebels

Burner Phone Best Practices—A user’s guide

Doxcare—Prevention and aftercare for those targeted by doxxing and political harassment

This thread spells out how to protect your privacy via proper phone safety at demonstrations—before, during, and after the protest.

Dressing for Success and Security

Fashion Tips for the Brave

The Femme’s Guide to Riot Fashion—This season’s hottest looks for the discerning femme.

Staying Safe in the Streets

Blocs, Black and Otherwise

Safety Gear

A Demonstrator’s Guide to Helmets

A Demonstrator’s Guide to Gas Masks and Goggles—Everything you need to know to protect your eyes and lungs from gas and projectiles.

You can read some more tips about protest gear from protesters in Hong Kong here.

Strategy, Planning, and Tactics

A Step-by-Step Guide to Direct Action—What It Is, What It’s Good for, How It Works

Tools and Tactics in the Portland Protests—This text offers an overview of a wide range of options from leaf blowers and umbrellas to shields and lasers.

Creative Direct Action Visuals—Making banners and more.

Blockade Tactics—courtesy of the Ruckus Society

Tips about Blockading—from Beautiful Trouble

Lock Boxes—How to blockade with

Jail Support

Jail Support

Jail Support form from Rosehip Collective—Fill this out in advance of any event at which you might be arrested and leave it with your attorney or a support contact.

NLG National Support Hotlines and Other Resources

When Things Go Badly

Making the Best of Mass Arrests

How to Survive a Felony Trial—Keeping your head up through the worst of it

I Was a J20 Street Medic and Defendant—How we survived the first J20 trial and what we learned along the way.

Basic First Aid in the Streets

First Aid for Protestors

Eye safety at protests—You can read more on how to do an eye flush here

How to Protect Yourself from Audio Attacks—LRAD, sirens, etc.

COVID-19 Safety at Protests

You can obtain more graphics on this subject here.

For Experienced Medics

Protocols for Common Injuries from Police Weapons—For street medics and medical professionals treating demonstrators.

A Demonstrator’s Guide to Responding to Gunshot Wounds—It can also be useful to read these accounts from people who have experienced gunfire at demonstrations.

These four zines from the Rosehip Medic Collective include a range of useful information.

This collection of resources that appeared shortly before Trump took office includes more topical material, addressing non-violence, solidarity, white supremacy, colonialism, patriarchy, capitalism, and more.

[rienfleche]

nonblacks catch a break in a legal system designed by & for them while black people continue to get condemned to slavery for anything & everything…shocking. fuck the left & what it stands for, y'all are no better than the right when it comes down to it.

chris hayes is among those denouncing the j20 prosecution as "an insult to the constitution", that says plenty about the ~radical politics~ on display here. lmfao

[radicalgraff]

Ithaca, NY: Graffiti in Solidarity with J20 Defendants

 July 28, 2017 - As a small act of solidarity, we decorated a box truck in Ithaca, NY one romantic, moonlit evening. We hope this circulates beyond the area and raises visibility for the J20 defendant’s’ case and the struggle against authority.

[fuckyeahanarchistposters]

The J20 Case: What You Need to Know

On January 20, 2017 (J20), President Donald Trump was inaugurated with all of the typical fanfare and political opposition that we have come to expect on Inauguration Day. In a stark contrast to previous years and even other contemporary protests, the Trump administration has chosen to aggressively pursue and prosecute over 200 people for these protests,, signaling a new era of political repression.

MASS ARRESTS

Designated a National Special Security Event, as presidential inaugurations have been since the turn of the century, the state response to political protest that day was under the command of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and overseen by the FBI and US Secret Service. It was estimated that as much as $200 million was spent on security, including the purchase of massive amounts of weaponry and ammunition.

That morning, among many other political actions opposing the new adminstration taking place in DC, hundreds of protesters gathered in Logan Circle for an anti-capitalist and anti-fascist march. Within a half hour, a few windows of corporate storefronts were broken and, instead of making individualized arrests, police moved in to “kettle” – indiscriminately surround and detain – anyone in the streets at the time.

Those trapped in the MPD kettle included protesters, journalists, medics, and bystanders. MPD arrested 234 people, charging them all with felony riot. A later, superseding indictment from the US Attorney’s Office charged the more than 200 defendants with eight felonies each, including rioting, incitement to riot, conspiracy to riot, four counts of destruction of property, and assault on a police officer. These charges are levied against all of the defendants, even though, as Natasha Lennard wrote in an April 2017 article for Esquire, “[N]o one—neither the police nor the government—suggests that that most or even many of the arrestees directly engaged in property destruction or violence.”

If convicted, each J20 defendant faces more than 70 years in federal prison. Notably, neo-Nazi James Alex Fields Jr. who killed antifa activist Heather Heyer in August in Charlottesville is facing less prison time than each J20 defendant.

At no time in the past 20 years have so many people been charged with this many felonies. This represents a troubling departure from historic prosecutions where property damage or “black bloc” activity is involved. The state is using extremely harsh legal measures to signal a new level of intolerance to protest and may represent a new norm for political repression in the US.

POLICE MISCONDUCT

In addition to these unusual and serious felony charges, the J20 event stands out as an egregious example of police misconduct. For example, when the police want to break up a political protest, law enforcement is typically required to make a “dispersal order” which allows folks to leave the area before being arrested. However, on J20, before any dispersal order was given, dozens of people were subjected to a violent attack when police indiscriminately deployed chemical and projectile weapons, including Stinger Grenades, which blast rubber pellets and chemical agents over a 50-foot radius. After the mass detention of the group, many were made to wait for hours without food, water, or toilets before being transported to the local jail.

The police misconduct on J20 was egregious enough that the Mayor’s Office of Police Complaints (OPC) issued a report that criticized the MPD for violating its own Standard Operating Procedures for Handling First Amendment Assemblies as well as misuse of chemical agents, failure to provide proper dispersal orders, and making questionable arrests. As a follow-up to this report, the OPC began an independent investigation in October into MPD misconduct on Inauguration Day. More than 10 years ago DC Police Chief Peter Newsham and the MPD were sued for conducting an unconstitutional mass arrest of political activists.

In March, after refusing to turn over communication and documentation related to the police response on J20, Newsham and the MPD were sued by the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, claiming that police “are standing in willful disobedience of their lawful obligations to disclose information” even where such information disclosures is mandated by law.

Seeking to push back against widespread police misconduct, the DC chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in June against the District of Columbia, the MPD and Newsham himself, accusing the police of committing several human rights violations including the use of sexual assault against arrested protestors as a punitive measure.

INVASIVE INVESTIGATION TACTICS

The J20 cases are unprecedented not only for the number of people charged with felonies and for the quantity of felony charges levied against each defendant, but also for the extremely invasive investigation tactics of the prosecution.

In August, the Department of Justice issued a warrant seeking private information on as many as 1.3 million visitors to DisruptJ20.org, the website used as a clearinghouse of information in advance of the Inauguration Day protests. Judge Robert Morin ruled that the web-hosting company DreamHost did not have to comply with the government’s request for IP addresses and other private data, but the judge ruled that DreamHost must turn over website communications to prosecutors in an effort to search for incriminating evidence against organizers of the protests.

CURRENT STATUS OF THE DEFENDANTS

Most of the J20 defendants have chosen to work together collectively on their legal defense and have agreed to ‘points of unity’ which include not cooperating with the state or testifying against any of their co-defendants. Approximately twenty defendants have taken non-cooperating, no-jail plea bargains, but many have refused and the vast majority has decided to take their cases to trial.

One defendant—Dane Powell—who took a plea in April for rioting and assault on a police officer was sentenced in July to 36 months in prison but was required to serve only four months. Powell has remained resolute while incarcerated and is clear about his politics and the reasons why he was out on the streets that day.

Defendants and their supporters established the website DefendJ20Resistance.org to build public support and have also mounted political campaigns to drop the chargesand garner support for an independent police investigation.

In September, Judge Lynn Leibovitz, a former federal prosecutor, denied a motion to dismiss the charges against J20 defendants, paving the way for the first trials on November 15 and December 11, 2017, with additional trials to be held through the fall of 2018.

Also in September, the government dropped its demand that Facebook not tell its users about search warrants it issued for the accounts of three political organizers allegedly involved in planning for #DisruptJ20. The three organizers are fighting the warrants in court.

Update: On November 1, Judge Leibovitz issued an order reducing the ‘riot’ and ‘conspiracy to riot’ charges from felonies to misdemeanors. Each defendant is still charged with at least six felonies and two misdemeanors and faces as much as 60 years in prison.

MORE INFORMATION

The defendants’ support website: http://defendj20resistance.org/

Recent and notable media:

The Prosecution of Inauguration-Day Protesters Is a Threat to Dissent, Oct 20, 2017, The Nation https://www.thenation.com/article/the-prosecution-of-inauguration-day-protesters-is-a-threat-to-dissent/

How the Government Is Turning Protesters Into Felons, April 12, 2017, Esquire http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a54391/how-the-government-is-turning-protesters-into-felons/

Know Your Rights: We limit our resistance to fascism by relying on liberal conceptions of human rights, June 18, 2017, The New Inquiry https://thenewinquiry.com/know-your-rights/

The Whimper of Democracy, May 31, 2017, The Baffler https://thebaffler.com/the-poverty-of-theory/whimper-of-democracy-alvarez

Document Shows D.C. Police Threw More Than 70 Grenades at Inauguration Protesters, undated, The Real News http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=20169

[christianstepmoms]

Trumps "I'm not leaving the White House" stunt is going to lead to a very televised, very forcible, and very dramatic removal from the White House by Secret Service or who the fuck ever on J20, which is absolutely going to sound the alarm for his deluded militant microdicked pissant fans to kickstart some sort of half assed civil war, which is really going to just be massacres of anybody they see left of center, most of which who cant defend themselves because they all tricked themselves into thinking they don’t need guns for exactly fucking that.

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Minneapolis J20 Inauguration Protest: We Demand a People’s Agenda!

Wednesday, January 20 - 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

32nd St & 21st Ave, Minneapolis 55407

Hosted by Anti-War Committee, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, and many more

Join us to rally and march. You can join us on the route as a marcher or in your car.

No War with Iran! Sanctions Kill! End Sanctions Against Iran and Venezuela! End Aid to Israel! Community Control of the Police Now! No More Killer Cops! Stop the deportations! End separating families at the border, no more concentration camps! End the Muslim Ban! Defend DACA! Defend TPS! Legalization for All! Immediate Release and Reunification of Separated Families at the Border Reparations to All Peoples Affected by Inhumane Immigration Practices Criminal Prosecution of Donald Trump and All Responsible for Illegal Practices at the Border (forced hysterectomies, family seperations) Terminate Border Wall Project Defend the Right to Protest! #646DroptheCharges Fight climate change through action now, we can’t wait until 2050! No new oil or fossil fuel pipelines! Respect Indigenous sovereignty! Strengthen the social safety net for those most in need! No more bailouts for the rich! We demand immediate economic relief for all workers impacted by the pandemic! Student loan relief now!

[leftpress]

May 10th-14th: Take Action in DC to Stand in Solidarity with J20 Defendants

It's Going Down | It's Going Down | May 9th 2018

The post May 10th-14th: Take Action in DC to Stand in Solidarity with J20 Defendants appeared first on It's Going Down.

The next round of J20 trials is starting. If you are in the DC area, please consider coming out to these upcoming events. On May 10th and 11th, please also take part in the call-in campaign for J20 defendants no matter where you are. May 10th: The Green Scare & the J20 Case with former […]

→ READ MORE ←

Get your Latest News From The Leftist Front on LeftPress.News → Support Us On Patreon! ←

[cock-holliday]

Trump’s term is ending as it began, with a likelihood of street conflict. The following guides offer a great deal of information about how to participate in effective protests while protecting yourself and your community.

Getting Connected

How to Form an Affinity Group

Find a Local Mutual Aid Network

Where to Find Your Local Medic Collective—This is not comprehensive, but offers a good starting point.

Security Culture

What Is Security Culture?

Bounty Hunters and Child Predators: Inside the FBI Entrapment Strategy

When the Police Knock on Your Door—Your rights and options: a legal guide

If the FBI Approaches You to Become an Informant—An FAQ

You can find a lot of important information about general security in protest situations here.

Digital Communications and Security

Your Phone Is a Cop—An OpSec/InfoSec primer for the dystopian present.

Communications Equipment for Rebels

Burner Phone Best Practices—A user’s guide

Doxcare—Prevention and aftercare for those targeted by doxxing and political harassment

This thread spells out how to protect your privacy via proper phone safety at demonstrations—before, during, and after the protest.

Dressing for Success and Security

Fashion Tips for the Brave

The Femme’s Guide to Riot Fashion—This season’s hottest looks for the discerning femme.

Staying Safe in the Streets

Blocs, Black and Otherwise

Safety Gear

A Demonstrator’s Guide to Helmets

A Demonstrator’s Guide to Gas Masks and Goggles—Everything you need to know to protect your eyes and lungs from gas and projectiles.

You can read some more tips about protest gear from protesters in Hong Kong here.

Strategy, Planning, and Tactics

A Step-by-Step Guide to Direct Action—What It Is, What It’s Good for, How It Works

Tools and Tactics in the Portland Protests—This text offers an overview of a wide range of options from leaf blowers and umbrellas to shields and lasers.

Creative Direct Action Visuals—Making banners and more.

Blockade Tactics—courtesy of the Ruckus Society.

Tips about Blockading—from Beautiful Trouble.

Lock Boxes—How demonstrators can lock themselves together to create a blockade.

Jail Support

Jail Support

Jail Support Form from the Rosehip Collective—Fill this out in advance of any event at which you might be arrested; leave it with your attorney or a support contact.

NLG National Support Hotlines and Other Resources

When Things Go Badly

Making the Best of Mass Arrests

How to Survive a Felony Trial—Keeping your head up through the worst of it.

I Was a J20 Street Medic and Defendant—How we survived the first J20 trial and what we learned along the way.

Basic First Aid in the Streets

Protest Safety—An excellent safety and care guide for actions.

First Aid for Protestors

Eye safety at protests—You can read more on how to do an eye flush here.

How to Protect Yourself from Audio Attacks—LRAD, sirens, etc.

COVID-19 Safety at Protests

You can obtain more graphics on this subject here.

For Experienced Medics

Protocols for Common Injuries from Police Weapons—For street medics and medical professionals treating demonstrators.

A Demonstrator’s Guide to Responding to Gunshot Wounds—It can also be useful to read these accounts from people who have experienced gunfire at demonstrations.

These four zines from the Rosehip Medic Collective include a range of useful information.