Free Jaggi Singh

FREE JAGGI SINGH

>From Tampa Bay Action Group –

Temporary north american co-convenors- Peoples' Global Action!

JAGGI, a member of CLAC ("Anti-capitalist convergence), the north american co-convenors for Peoples' Global Action, has been arrested in Quebec at the FTAA protests.

His arrest is just another example of the criminalization of the anti-globalization/anti-capitalist movement. As Jaggi was quoted in a recent article, "Don't worry about the Black Bloc; worry about the Blue Bloc [the police]". "These leaders are not committed to non-violence. They have bombed Baghdad, Belgrade, and they have refused life-saving drugs for people with AIDS," he says.

This is why Jaggi is in jail! He has uncompromisingly stood with the oppressed and refused to be intimidated or silenced by those who would want to silence the movement. He has always articulated the reality of the dominant class - and has proudly been an organizer in the struggle against oppression.

Many of the people who saw the arrest have testified that it was premeditated by the police.

We must remember that although we are meeting to protest the FTAA, that "trade negotiations" are just one side of the capitalist's reality. When "trade laws" don't work - the naked arm of imperialism is used in the form of disappearances, arrests, and death squad executions. Jaggi's arrest is one of many examples.

This criminalization of the anti-globalization/anti-capitalist movement is imperative for the capitalist to create. This must be seen within the same context as what is happening in the US in the communities of color with the criminalization of these communities under the cry ' the war on drugs". Just as it happens in the US and Canada this same strategy is being implemented in Colombia under the guise of "Plan Colombia". Criminalize the country and then they have the basis to create public opinion.

The dominant press will try to create public opinion to support their bankrupt system. We must use this arrest to further our determination to build this struggle on all fronts and with all possible allies.

We call on all of our brothers and sisters throughout the world to raise the call:

Free Jaggi now!
a.. Release all those in Quebec and throughout the world who have been arrested protesting the capitalist exploitation.
b.. Stop the criminalization of the anti-globalization/ anti-capitalist movements now!
c.. Stop the criminalization of communities of color and poor working class communities now!.
d.. Stop Plan Colombia and the criminalization of the people of Latin America now!.

We call on our bothers and sisters from throughout the world to take a stand and say ' Ya Basta!"

eric rubin
Tampa Bay Action Group/ pga workgroup
Temporary north american co-convenors Peoples' Global Action

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