A-Infos (en) US, Statement regarding MSU Administrative, Police, and FBI scare tactics

["fighttowin@email.com" <fighttowin@email.com>]

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Statement regarding MSU Administrative, Police, and FBI scare tactics

Students for Economic Justice (SEJ) is Michigan State University=92s (MSU)
affiliate of the national organization United Students Against Sweatshops
(USAS).  Since our founding meeting on February 19, 2000, SEJ has been
engaged in a campaign to end MSU=92s affiliation the Fair Labor Association
(FLA), a government created and corporate controlled monitoring body, while
pushing for MSU to join the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC).  At the time o=
f
our founding, SEJ was known as United Students Against Sweatshops @ MSU
until we became an officially registered group in August of 2000.

Our campaign to drop the FLA and join the WRC has been causing considerable
problems for President McPherson and the MSU Administration since our first
meeting was announced in the State News in February of 2000.  Mirroring
struggles that USAS has engaged in across the country, the issue of
sweatshop labor has moved to the forefront of University discussion.  The
Administration, which is only interested in pleasing corporate licensees,
has stalled for three semesters on the issue of joining the WRC and has
continually defended its membership on the FLA.

After confronting President McPherson on the use of an undercover officer i=
n
SEJ, which he blatantly denied, the MSU police and administration have come
up with a verity of reasons (after the fact) to justify mounting an
undercover investigation into SEJ.  These reasons include allegedly
=93violent=94 protests in Seattle, and a =93violent=94 sit-in by USAS membe=
rs at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Their reasons do not hold up to any kind
of scrutiny, and some are blatant lies.

It is clear that the Administration and President McPherson had an interest
in knowing SEJ=92s campaign, schedule, arguments and tactics we would use.=
=20
While they will always deny that they received such information, the MSU
community should recognize that this is a lie and an insult to our
intelligence.  Our organization was targeted for investigation because we
have effectively challenged the MSU Administration=92s refusal to support
workers=92 rights, and have popularized the sweatshop issue within the MSU
community.

The MSU police and US Attorney=92s office as of April 17, 2001 are now
claiming an additional reason for the investigation by saying that an
individual in our organization is a suspect in the ongoing investigation
into the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) arson of Agriculture Hall.  They also
have admitted to infiltrating Lansing Anti-Racist Action to obtain
information on this alleged suspect.

These accusations are unfounded and just plain ridiculous. This is a blatan=
t
lie aimed at slandering and discrediting our group, and to turning us into
"dangerous terrorists" because the Michigan State University Police need to
turn the focus away from themselves.  If they have a name of the person
responsible (and the whole country's agents working on the case) why have
the police made no arrests?  Because they have no evidence, and none of us
are guilty.  If they do have one of our names in mind, it is only a
fabrication to single someone out, discredit our groups message, and to dra=
w
the focus away from themselves.

What becomes obvious is that the MSU Administration, Police, and now the FB=
I
are attempting to justify their exposed undercover operation by claiming
that it was just interested in a few members of SEJ who are allegedly
involved in illegal activity. The fact that some members of SEJ are known
anarchists (members of the Brighter Days Collective and Active
Transformation Newspaper) is being used to justify police repression.

This is all political.  The MSU Administration, Police and FBI are painting
a picture that says that SEJ should be infiltrated because its members
politics are largely leftist and allegedly similar to those of the ELF.=20
They don=92t care who actually committed the arson, because all activists a=
re
their enemies.

The FBI is engaged in a modern day witch-hunt to destroy the growing
movement against globalization and the earth's destruction. They see the
movement that has been growing exponentially since the WTO meeting
disruptions in Seattle as a significant threat to the existing power
structure. The FBI is working with other law enforcement agencies across th=
e
country to use trumped up charges and threats of significant jail time
against activists to make people afraid to join the movement. They want the
movement to stop. The FBI is acting as the armed mercenary of the corporate
world order, protecting their "right" to destroy all that is living. It is
up to everyone out there to resist their efforts and push forward.

We are calling on all students, faculty, and community members to voice
their disapproval of the Michigan State Administration=92s attempt at
discrediting the work of Students for Economic Justice.  What this
investigation is clearly showing is that a group can, and will, be
infiltrated because of their political beliefs.  This is a clear violation
of our First Amendment rights, and we should all work together to send a
message that it will not be tolerated.

For workers=92 rights,
Students for Economic Justice
Michigan State University

Contacts:

Michael Krueger (517) 337-3121 , cell (517) 410-8954
Steven Germic (517) 333-0974


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