"Better This World" Tue, Feb 26 at Electric Maid
Winner of multiple documentary film awards, "Better This World" follows the journey of David McKay (22) and Bradley Crowder (23) from political neophytes to accused domestic terrorists with a particular focus on the relationship they develop with a radical activist mentor -- an informant for the FBI, who manipulated and entrapped them in order to discredit the protesters and justify a massive, militarized police crackdown at the convention. A dramatic story of idealism, loyalty, crime and betrayal, "Better This World" goes to the heart of the War on Terror and its impact on civil liberties and political dissent in post-9/11 America.
Free Admission (donations welcome) on Tuesday, March 26, 7:00pm at the Electric Maid Community Exchange (
map,
facebook event).
Defending Dissent - A Public Forum: April 18, Wheaton
What effect has the “The War on Terror” had on free expression and grassroots political organizing in Maryland and across the United States since 9/11?
Come to a public forum sponsored by Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition and hear from citizen organizers working to advance their causes and protect their rights.
Wheaton Regional Library
11701 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD (map)
Thursday, April 18, 7pm
Speakers and topics include:
-
Kit Bonson (MCCRC) – Overview of civil liberties issues on a national scale and introduction of other speakers
-
Saqib Ali (CAIR-MD) – Police profiling and pre-emptive prosecution/entrapment of Arab/Muslim communities as well as other targeted communities/groups
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Megan Jenny (Chesapeake Climate Action Network) – Harassment/prosecutions of environmental activists
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Max Obuszewski (Baltimore Nonviolence Center) – Maryland State Police infiltration of MD activists and similar events since then.
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Sue Udry (Defending Dissent) – Drawing the connections between movement experiences; future directions and coalition goals, especially regarding MCCRC’s “Rapid Response Network” in case local activists or others are targeted by local, state or federal agents
You can read more about our great speakers
here.
HB558 falls in committee but anti-NDAA coalition endures
The "Maryland Liberty Preservation Act" (HB558)
failed to advance beyond the House Health and Govt. Operations Committee. The bill would have prohibited state and county agencies or the MD National Guard from
“knowingly aid[ing] an agency of the United States in the detention of a person” under the indefinite detention provisions of the NDAA.
While the vote against a bill endorsed by the ACLU of Maryland was regrettable, the coalition formed on its behalf
continues and we look forward to working with groups including the Japanese American Citizens League, Interfaith Religious Coalition Against Torture, the Maryland Greens and the ACLU of Maryland to pass a similar or better bill in the next legislative session. Maryland organizations opposed to the the indefinite detention provisions of the NDAA are encouraged to inquire about joining the coalition by emailing us at
mococivilrights@gmail.com.
Thanks for all you do!
Thomas, Kit, Sue, Martine,
Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition
mococivilrights.wordpress.com
