News Flash

UCLA4 Case Going to Trial THIS Week
Dragged Into Court for Speaking Out Against Fascism

Updated | revcom.us

 

The case against members of the Revolution Club and Refuse Fascism for speaking out during Steve Mnuchin’s speech at UCLA in February 2018 is on a fast track, going to trial THIS week. 

These revolutionaries exposed the role Mnuchin is playing as a member of Trump’s fascist cabinet and called on the audience to act: “he is part of a regime that is hell-bent on consolidating fascism... don’t stand aside.”  For this, they were brutally arrested.  Two defendants are facing up to two years, nine months in jail and over $3,000 in fines and the other two are facing between three to nine months in jail!  (One of the defendants in the same case is also being charged for speaking loudly in an event with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel who was instrumental in the cover-up of the police murder of Laquan McDonald.)

Jury selection is beginning Wednesday, September 25 and opening arguments could be as early as Friday or next Tuesday, October 1.

For regular updates on the trial, and what YOU can do, follow @revclub_la or @refusefascismla on social media.

These charges are criminalizing anti-fascist speech on a public university and are completely unconstitutional.  While the Trump/Pence fascist regime threatens humanity, gutting the rule of law, stacking the courts with fascists, rounding up immigrants—consolidating a fascist America—it is the people working to STOP this that are being dragged into court.

These charges are part of a pattern of political targeting of the Revolution Club at UCLA.  In the pre-trial phase, it came out that the UCPD was stalking the Revolution Club, recording their activities and even license plates when on campus carrying out constitutionally protected political organizing.

While universities have spent 100s of 1000s of dollars protecting the free speech of fascists, speaking out against fascism is being criminalized. Professors are reported by right-wing students, amplified by hysterical fascist media unleashing a swarm of internet trolls—all working to drive critical thinking out of academia. Evolution, climate science, the truth about American history and its role in the world today, Ethnic Studies and anything evidence-based are under assault.  Instead of saying NO, the universities are facilitating the suppression of dissent and normalizing a fascist remaking of the country.

Which side are YOU on?

Join Refuse Fascism, organizing to drive this regime from power through mass, sustained, non-violent protest in the streets, growing week-by-week and day-by-day until our demand is met:

Trump/Pence Must Go NOW!

Raise your voice to demand: Drop the charges on the #UCLA4!

* * *

For more on the unconstitutionality of these charges and the stakes, watch THIS speech from the retired constitutional lawyer, writer, and political activist Stephen Rohde. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

  • Donate to the Refuse Fascism legal defense, including urgently needed travel funds at donate.refusefascism.org
  • Pack the courtroom and stay tuned for trial updates: Airport Courthouse Dept 90, 11701 S. La Cienega (Just south of Imperial Hwy/105 Freeway). Stay tuned at @revclub_la or @refusefascismla
  • Call UCLA Chancellor Gene Block’s Office (310) 825-2151 to demand they issue a statement that the charges be dropped and to protest UCPD spying of the Revolution Club.
  • Demand City Attorney Mike Feuer Drop the Charges! Call 213.978.8100
  • Spread THIS video on social media.
  • Make a public statement on your social media and send to revclub_la@yahoo.com or SoCal@refusefascism.org.  Write an op-ed!

  • If you’re a professor, send students to court and have us speak in your class.

Clip: "Order or Justice?"

Follow the trial on Twitter

 

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