The Right to Dissent: Challenging Political Repression

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

7:00 PM

US Human Rights Network

250 Georgia Avenue SW

3rd Floor Conference Room

Atlanta, GA 30312

Center for Constitutional Rights Executive Director Vincent Warren will join Akinyele Umoja from the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and Azadeh Shahshahani from the American Civil Liberties Union – Atlanta for a panel discussion, "The Right to Dissent: Challenging Political Repression," moderated by the US Human Rights Network. The speakers will address attacks on dissent that have taken place both in recent years and throughout decades of repression and resistance, particularly the targeting of activists, the labeling of dissenters as "terrorists," political prisoners in the US and the creation of new categories of repression, including "enemy combatants."

Vincent Warren will discuss the Center's 100 Days Campaign, that addresses the urgent need to restore, protect and expand the right to dissent, as well as the need to end torture, arbitrary detention and extraordinary rendition, roll back executive power, abolish preventive detention, limit the state secrets privilege, reform presidential war powers, and end warrantless wiretapping.

Akinyele Umoja will discuss the targeting of activists in Black social liberation movements from COINTELPRO through the Patriot Act, as well as recent acts of repression such as the case of the San Francisco 8, and what can be done to combat this repression.

Azadeh Shashahani will discuss the targeting of immigrant communities, particularly Arab and Muslim communities post-9/11 and the urgent need to repeal the policies and practices that threaten these communities.

For more information contact 404.588.9761 or email jwilliams@ushrnetwork.org.