John — my name is Kat Abughazaleh, and I'm an outspoken progressive running for Congress in Illinois. LeftNet gave me permission to update you on a breaking news situation.
I learned that Donald Trump's Department of Justice has charged six people, including myself, with federal crimes for exercising our First Amendment rights near ICE’s Broadview processing center.
This is a political prosecution and a gross attempt at silencing dissent, a right protected under the First Amendment. I'm asking for your support – will you fill out this form to stay in the loop as I stand up for our First Amendment rights?
While we’ve seen the unhinged and unlawful tactics this administration will try to use, we have to remember that they are doing this because THEY are scared.
Here's the truth: As I and others exercised our First Amendment rights, ICE has hit, dragged, thrown, shot with pepper balls, and teargassed hundreds of protesters, myself included.
This case is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish those who dare to speak up. Because Chicago doesn’t back down from bullies in masks who teargas our neighborhoods, this administration is resorting to weaponizing the federal legal system to scare us into silence.
The Trump administration wants you to be afraid of speaking out against it and its anti-democratic power grabs. And there are plenty of reasons to be afraid right now, but we also must overcome that fear.
THEY know they are wrong, they know that they are inhumane, and they know that history will not be on their side. We cannot diminish ourselves in the face of these tactics; it’s time to unite and show up for humanity, for our rights, for everyone terrorized by Trump’s lawless secret police.
I’ve spent my career fighting America’s backwards slide towards fascism, and I’m not going to give up now. I hope you won’t either.
In solidarity,
Kat Abughazaleh
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PAID FOR BY KAT FOR ILLINOIS |
