Outrageous Attack by University of Chicago

Stand with Maya Thursday, March 8, 1:30 pm at 51st & Wentworth—demand an end to this travesty of justice!

March 7, 2018 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

On March 1, University of Chicago police brutally attacked and arrested Maya, a member of the Revolution Club Chicago, for participating in a SILENT protest in support of undocumented immigrants. On top of this outrageous attack, they are now charging HER with felony battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. She goes to court on Thursday, March 8, International Women’s Day, for a hearing on whether the felony charge should stand. On International Women’s Day, stand with our heroes like Maya: sign the petition and come to the courtroom to demand the charges be thrown out of court.

Maya took part in 11 minutes of silence for the 11 million undocumented immigrants who are now being terrorized in an escalating ethnic cleansing by the Trump/Pence regime. She, together with three other members of the Revolution Club, walked into the University of Chicago student center dining hall, held up sheets of paper announcing 11 minutes of silence for 11 million undocumented immigrants and stood silently for 11 minutes. Almost the entire dining hall fell silent for the 11 minutes. At the end the Revolution Club thanked all who participated, gave them ways to learn more and get further involved, and headed towards the exit. At the exit, they were stopped by police who then attacked Maya, grabbing her roughly and then arresting her, dragging her down the stairs out of the building.

This is the same University of Chicago that has invited to speak, and in fact rolled out the red carpet for, the fascist, oops we mean “populist,” Steve Bannon, who has done all he can to fight for fascism, not just in the U.S. but in Europe as well (traveling last week to Italy to help out his fascist allies there, who have now come to power). Then they bring down the police against people silently protesting against the demonization and persecution of those same immigrants Bannon is attacking, not only threatening them and forcing them out of the building, but then as the demonstrators were peacefully leaving, these University of Chicago cops—with a whole history of suppressing speech—attacked Maya, who had to go to the hospital for her injuries, then charged her with a bogus felony.

On top of this, Maya, who has been volunteering with the Revolution Club Chicago project since last spring, was further targeted by the state at what should have been a routine bail hearing. The Assistant State’s Attorney arrived with a lengthy, distorted, and utterly irrelevant political dossier on Maya, implying that Maya should not be released—on the basis of her alleged political views and associations, and the fact that the police have previously attempted to suppress her while she was engaged in lawful speech. In other words, the evidence of past attempts at police suppression of her right to expression is now being brought to bear to try to keep her behind bars and unable to speak, either about politics in general or her case in particular. Hence, the repressive power of the state—in close cooperation with the University—is being brought to bear against someone who is peacefully protesting the ongoing raids against and attacks on immigrants, while this same university is bending over backwards to give Steve Bannon not just a large platform but the intellectual legitimization afforded by that platform. What is being done now to immigrants is nothing short of ethnic cleansing and there is a clear message here that those trying to fight this will be silenced.

NO! As Bob Avakian says in the Q&A of his crucial talk, THE TRUMP/PENCE REGIME MUST GO! In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE To Accept a Fascist America—A Better World IS Possible, in speaking about what it is going to take to protect those who are vulnerable to attack by this system, “Other people have to get involved, other people… who are not directly affected in this or that thing, including deportations, have to take the stand that this is intolerable and we won’t allow it.” And he also goes on to say, “We cannot protect people from what the people in power are intending to do to them, other than by driving out the people in power.”

Maya has been part of standing up to say this is intolerable and we won’t allow it. She is part of the movement to drive out the fascist Trump/Pence regime, and she has been telling people everywhere they need to see this film by Bob Avakian. She is also a revolutionary who is fighting for the emancipation of all humanity. Stand with her, and like she did on March 1, take the stand that what is happening to immigrants is intolerable and we won’t allow it.

Pack the Courtroom! Drop the Charges!

Thursday, March 8

1:30 pm—Rally to Demand the Charges be Dropped!

2:30 pm—Pack the Courtroom!

Courtroom: Branch 48, 5101 South Wentworth Ave., Chicago, 60609

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