FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: National Lawyers Guild |
National Lawyers Guild Hotline and “Know Your Rights” Materials Available for Activists Targeted by the FBI
NEW YORK - September 28 - The
National Lawyers Guild (NLG) and its Mass Defense Committee provides
legal defense and educational resources to activists, including those
subjected to the September 24 raids and grand jury subpoenas in
Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. The Guild denounces the attacks on
free speech, freedom of association, and the right to dissent that these
actions represent. The raids and summonses reflect escalating hostility
toward individuals and groups working in solidarity with the
Palestinian and Colombian people and are blatantly political attacks on
peaceful activists.
National Lawyers Guild lawyers, in their continuing efforts to
protect the right to dissent, are coordinating defense of these
activists. The NLG offers several resources for activists who are
subject to similarly aggressive and politically motivated breaches of
their rights.
NLG Hotline: 888-NLG-ECOL (888-654-3265)
-A hotline
for U.S. activists who have been contacted by the FBI. Callers are
matched with NLG defense attorneys in their states who have experience
dealing with similar cases.
Know Your Rights Brochure: www.nlg.org/resources/know-your-rights
-A
two-page brochure that summarizes the rights of citizens when they are
contacted or stopped by the police or federal authorities. Available in
English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Farsi and Punjabi.
Operation Backfire: www.nlg.org/publications/operation-backfire
-A booklet that discusses government attacks on activists and subsequent prosecutions. Available for free download.
The National Lawyers Guild recommends that activists consult and
make use of these resources. The Guild advises anyone visited by the FBI
to assert your right not to answer any questions, to get the card of
the FBI agent and state that you will have an attorney contact the agent
on your behalf.