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AAAN youth protest racial profiling
On August 18, in continuation of its Campaign to End Racial Profiling, the Arab American Action Network's (AAAN's) Youth Organizing Program delivered a letter to, and protested the offices of, the Chicago Division of the FBI.
The letter demands that the FBI end the use of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), refuse to partake in CVE (Countering Violent Extremism) programming, and stop placing informants to entrap young people in our community spaces. It also expresses solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives, which is defending its communities from police killings and mass incarceration, and calling for justice and equality.
Fifty protesters gathered in front of the FBI building's main entrance, with at least 15 Chicago police officers standing off to the side. AAAN youth led energetic chants and held signs demanding that law enforcement #EndRacialProfiling. Youth leaders Ezekiel Montgomery and India Lockhart tried to deliver the letter personally to Michael J. Anderson, Special
Agent in Charge of the FBI in Chicago, but were denied entry. They settled for handing it to the security guards, who said that they would give it to Anderson.
The letter was signed by 10 allied organizations, including
American Friends Service Committee-Chicago, Assata's Daughters, Black Lives Matter-Chicago, The Bluest Lie Collaborative, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), Chicago Desi Youth Rising, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)-Chicago, Korean American Resource and Cultural Center, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)-De Paul University, and SJP-Northwestern University.
Following the delivery of the letter, youth leader Razan Khalil opened up a press conference with a statemen
t on behalf of the AAAN, and solidarity statements from CAIR, The Bluest
Lie Collaborative, and CAARPR followed. The cro
wd passionately chanted, "I Believe That We Will Win," before
closing out the action.
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