Mass Dissent · 2018-04-06 · January-March 2017 Mass Dissent Page 3 ARTICLES FOR MASS DISSENT The April-May issue of Mass Dissentwilldiscuss the Anatomy of Fascism. If you are interested

Guild Newspage 3

NLG Happy Hourpage 4

NLG Northeast RegionGathering

page 4

NLG Supports Protest atBrandeis University

page 5

NLG Support for PoliticalMovements

page 6

NLG Work in Support ofnoDAPL Fight

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A Victory after the Electionpage 10

Mass DissentJanuary-March www.nlgmass.org Vol. 40, No. 1

Standing for Protest, Standing With Protestors

January-March 2017 Page 1

In This Edition

BOARD MEETING

February 15, 6:00 pm

14 Beacon St., 1st Fl.Boston

Massachusetts Chapter National Lawyers Guild 14 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108

The dark turn U.S. politicshas taken is bringing peopleout into the streets. As thisgoes to press, a firestorm ofprotest is expected to greet theTrump inauguration, with hun-dreds of thousands of demon-strators converging inWashington DC and more inBoston and elsewhere. But, ofcourse, public protest has beenvital all along, as has been theNLG’s role in supporting it.Nationally and locally, stand-ing with peoples’ movements iscentral to the Guild’s mission.

The MassachusettsChapter has consistently repre-sented and supported socialmovements for progressivechange, from Occupy to BlackLives Matter to foreclosureresistance. Guild members,largely through the MassDefense Committee, continueto give their time to conducttrainings, act as legalobservers, and represent thosearrested for civil disobedience.

This issue of Mass Dissentbrings first hand-accountsfrom groups the Chapter hasrepresented, including stu-dents of color protesting

racism at Brandeis University(Rima Chaudry); organizerspushing TD Bank North todivest from the Dakota AccessPipeline (DAPL) (MalloryHannora); and the Massa-chusetts chapter of IfNotNow,an organization led by youngJews seeking to end supportfor Israel’s occupation ofPalestinian land (Shira). Inaddition, we have real time-dispatches from Chapter mem-bers Jude Glaubman andMakis Antzoulatos who wereamong seven MassachusettsChapter members that traveledto North Dakota in support ofthe Water Protectors seeking tostop the DAPL. Finally,Jeffrey Feuer writes about hisexperience representingactivists seeking to close thePlymouth Rock NuclearPower Station who achieved aremarkable resolution to theirtrespass charges.

No doubt the need to sup-port protest will only grow incoming years– and the MassDefense Committee will needyour support more than ever.Read and be inspired.

- Bonnie Tenneriello -

MassDissent 17/02_Layout 1 1/20/17 4:11 PM Page 1

January-March 2017 Mass Dissent Page 2

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CO-CHAIRPERSONSkt crossman, Peoples’ Law ProjectCarl Williams, ACLU of Mass.

CHIEF FINANCIAL ADVISORSJennifer Norris, Petrucelly, Nadler & Norris

Jeff Petrucelly

MEMBERSRebecca Amdemariam, CPCSMakis Antzoulatos, CPCSBenjamin Evans, CPCS

Benjamin Falkner, Krasnoo Klehm & FalknerJudith Glaubman, Freelance ResearcherDavid Kelston, Shapiro Weissberg & GarinJonathan Messinger, LoveYourLawyer.com

Oren Nimni, Peoples’ Law ProjectJosh Raisler Cohn, CPCSBonnie Tenneriello, PLS

LAW STUDENT REPRESENTATIVESElizabeth Horton & Lauren Sposa, BC

Nicole Holbrook, Boston UniversityKatherine Robinson, HarvardDaniel Finn, New EnglandMonica Shah, NortheasternRachel Chunnha, Suffolk

Sarita Manigat & Claudia Quintero,Western New England

STAFFExECUTIvE DIRECTOR/EDITOR

Urszula Masny-LatosLRS COORDINATOR/ADMIN. ASSIST.

Julia WedgleLITIGATION COMMITTEE INTERN

Julia Remotti

Mass Dissent (ISSN 0887-8536) is published sixtimes a year (February, April, June, September,October, December) by the National LawyersGuild, Mass. Chapter, 14 Beacon St., Suite 407,Boston, MA 02108. Second-class postage paidat Boston, MA. POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to Mass Dissent, NLG, 14 Beacon St.,Suite 407, Boston, MA 02108.

NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILDMassachusetts Chapter, Inc.

14 Beacon St., Suite 407Boston, MA 02108

tel.: 617-227-7335 • fax: [email protected] • [email protected]

www.nlgmass.org

Street Law Clinic Project: The Street Law Clinic project providesworkshops for Massachusetts organizations that address legal needs ofvarious communities. Legal education workshops on 4th AmendmentRights (Stop & Search), Landlord/Tenant Disputes, Workers’ Rights,Civil Disobedience Defense, Bankruptcy Law, Foreclosure PreventionLaw, and Immigration Law are held at community organizations, youthcenters, labor unions, shelters, and pre-release centers. If you are a Guildattorney, law student, or legal worker interested in leading a workshop,please contact the project at 617-723-4330 or [email protected].

Lawyer Referral Service Panel (LRS): Members of the panel providelegal services at reasonable rates. Referral Service Committee members:Benjamin Dowling, Sebastian Korth, Douglas Lovenberg, and JonathanMessinger. For more information, contact the LRS Coordinator at 617-227-7008 or [email protected].

Foreclosure Prevention Task Force: Created in June 2008, the TaskForce’s goal is threefold: (1) advocate for policies that address issuesfacing homeowners and tenants of foreclosed houses, (2) provide legalassistance to these homeowners and tenants, and (3) conduct legal clin-ics for them. If you are interested in working with the Task Force, pleasecall the office at 617-227-7335.

Mass Defense Committee: Consists of two sub-committees: (1) “LegalObservers” (students, lawyers, activists) who are trained to serve as legalobservers at political demonstrations and (2) “Mass Defense Team” (crim-inal defense attorneys) who represent activists arrested for politicalactivism. To get involved, please contact the office at 617-227-7335.

Litigation Committee: Established in 2010, the Committee bringscivil lawsuits against large institutions (such as government agencies,law enforcement, banks, financial institutions, and/or large corporations)that engage in repressive or predatory actions that affect large numbersof people and that serve to perpetuate social, racial and/or economicinjustice or inequality. To get involved, please contact the Guild office.

NLG National Immigration Project: Works to defend and extend thehuman and civil rights of all immigrants, both documented and undocu-mented. The Committee works in coalitions with community groups toorganize support for immigrant rights in the face of right-wing politicalattacks. For more information contact the NLG National ImmigrationProject at 617-227-9727.

NLG Military Law Task Force: Provides legal advice and assistanceto those in the military and to others, especially members of the GIRightsHotline, who are counseling military personnel on their rights. It alsoprovides legal support and helps to find local legal referrals when need-ed. For advice and information, GI’s can call 877-447-4487. To getinvolved, please contact Neil Berman ([email protected]) orMarguerite Helen ([email protected]).

Join a Guild Committee



ARTICLES FOR MASS DISSENTThe April-May issue of Mass Dissent will discuss the Anatomy of Fascism.

If you are interested in submitting an article, essay, analysis, or art work (cartoons, pictures) related to the topic,please e-mail your work to [email protected].

The deadline for articles is March 15, 2015.

GUILD NEWSYou

are invited to the “NLG Presents - Think & Drink” HappyHour - an event held quarterly on the 2nd Wednesdayof January, April, September, and November (or June).A report from the most recent Happy Hour is on page 4.If you have ideas for a presentation or would like to bea speaker, please call the NLG office at 617-227-7335.

AllNLG members are invited to the Annual Meeting onWednesday, March 15 (14 Beacon St., ConferenceRoom, 1st Fl., Boston). We will start at 5:30pm with awine & cheese reception, and then continue with short

reports from NLG committees and elections of ChapterOfficers and members of the Board of Directors. NLGMass Chapter members are encouraged to run in theBoard election. If you are interested in running, pleasecall the office at 617-227-7335.

Thisyear’s NLG Dinner will be on Friday, May 12, at theHibernian Hall in Dudley Sq., Boston. We are thrilledto announce that 2017 NLG Honorees are LawyersShannon Erwin and Brian Flynn, Mari Gashaw andStudent Immigrant Movement-SIM (Legal Workers),and Derecka Purnell from Harvard and ClaudiaQuintero from Western New England (Law Students).

Street Law Clinic ReportSince the last issue of Mass Dissent, the following clinicsand trainings have been conducted for community organ-izations and agencies in our area:

November 30, 2016: Legal Observing at an actionagainst white nationalism organized by IfNotNow,by Mariel Hooper (Harvard).December 5, 2016: Direct Action training for stu-dents at Harvard School of Public Health andHarvard Medical School, by Jeff Feuer and LeeGoldstein.

December 7, 2016: Legal Observer training foractivists in Turner’s Falls in Western Massachusetts,by Makis Antzoulatos.December 8, 2016: Legal Observer training forstudents at Harvard School of Public Health andHarvard Medical School, by Jeff Feuer.

December 12, 2016: Legal Observer training forattorneys and legal workers at Fair Work in Boston,by Jeff Feuer.

December 16, 2016: Legal Observing at a protestagainst Governor’s budget cuts, organized by BostonHomeless Solidarity Committee, by Charles Haigh.

December 16, 2016: Legal Observing at an actionin Amherst against TD Bank and its support forDAPL, by Jane Goodale and Andrew St. Jean.

December 21, 2016: Legal Observing at an actionin Boston against islamophobia organized by JewishVoice for Peace, by Mariel Hooper (Harvard), JuliaRemotti (BU) and Urszula Masny-Latos.

January 14, 2017: Legal Observing in Boston at arally against oppression, organized by Trans &Queer Liberation, by Rebecca Amdemariam andAida Fitzgerald.

January 16: Legal Observing at events to cele-brate Martin Luther King’s day, by Mariel Hooper.

January 17: Legal Observing at a rally againstislamophobia, organized by IfNotNow, by RachelBishop (Harvard), Charles Haigh, and JackieJahn (Harvard).

NLG HAPPY HOUR

NLG ANNUAL MEETING

NLG ANNUAL DINNER

Continued on page 4



The January Happy Hour with CairoMendes, lead organizer with theStudent Immigrant Movement(SIM), couldn't have been more timely.Cairo told us his own story of coming tothe U.S. as an undocumented child andgrowing into an activist student. Hedescribed the recent work of SIM, hold-ing workshops with immigrant youthabout how to qualify them for DACA -Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.He said since the election, immigrantyouth are fearful but energized andthere has been a surge of participation and activism. We brainstormed about how the

Guild can work with SIM and other immigrantgroups in this new Trump era.

The Mass Chapter will be giving SIM theLegal Worker Award at our Annual Dinner in May.

NLG “Think & Drink” Happy Hour

(Above) Cairo Mendes leading a conversation about strugglesimmigrant students go through. (Photos by Urszula Masny-Latos)

Continued from page 3

January 19: Legal Observer training for studentsat Harvard Law School, by Lee Goldstein.January 20: • Stop & Search clinic for immigrantstudents at Boston International Newcomer’sAcademy, by Hillary Farber. • Legal Observing atthe Boston People’s Inauguration, by Julia Remottiand Judy Somberg.January 21: Legal Observing at Boston Women’sMarch, by Loreto Ansaldo, Maiyim Baron, AlexaDaniel, Daniel D’Lugoff, Barb Dougan, MarielHooper, Anthony Keber, Yehoshua Komarovsky,Anna Kastner, Lauren Kuhlik, Urszula Masny-Latos, Sara O’Brien, Yatzel Sabat, Karen Salim,Judy Somberg, Marecca Vertin, & Amanda Weber.

January 24: Workers’ Rights training for students atBoston University School of Law, by Mark Stern.

February 5: Legal Observer training for membersof Havurat Shalom community in Somerville, byMelinda Drew and Jeff Feuer.

Street Law Clinic Project

Thank you to Defense AgainstThought Control Foundation

The Massachusetts Chapter of the NationalLawyers Guild would like to announce a dona-tion of $75,000 we received from the DefenseAgainst Thought Control Foundation (JohnScheide, President). The donation was made tosupport the work of the Chapter’s LitigationCommittee.

We are deeply grateful for this generous contri-bution. Thank you.


n November 12th, 2015 hun-dreds of students of color at

Brandeis University came togeth-er to hold a rally in solidarity withprotestors at Mizzou, whodemanded the resignation ofPresident Tim Wolfe for his failureto address a series of racialattacks on their campus. Wemarched into the Brandeis stu-dent center, and for the next 4hours students of color bravelyshared their experiences ofracism from fellow students, staff,and faculty all over campus.

When one black studentshared a disturbing incident ofbeing told to pick cotton by aBrandeis teacher, we held theirpain with them. BrandeisUniversity was founded to providesafe space for marginalized Jewsto engage in academia with thepromise of the same refuge forpeople from all marginalized iden-tities. It was clear Brandeis failedto live up to that promise. Over

the next few days, students drafteda racial equity policy platform forBrandeis and submitted it to thepresident and senior leadership inthe form of demands for change.

When senior leadershipfailed to respond, hundreds ofstudents marched into the presi-dent’s office and began a sit-inthat became known as Ford Hall2015. That evening, I got intouch with National LawyersGuild (NLG) lawyer Carl Williams,who provided us with legal insightand what to expect in the comingdays. I was one of five women ofcolor elected to represent stu-dents during negotiations, and werealized quickly that we wouldneed additional legal representa-tion. Carl put me in touch with hisassociates Oren Nimni and MakisAntzoulatos who agreed to repre-sent us during negotiations.

The next day, Oren andMakis met us in the Bernstein-Marcus building, home of theFord Hall 2015 occupation. Theyprepped the negotiations teamwhile marveling at the self-sus-

taining community that had quick-ly came together within our occu-pied space. We then marched tomeet with senior leadership,flanked by our NLG team. TheNLG drafted a contract grantingimmunity to all student protestorsfrom legal or academic retaliationresulting from their participationin Ford Hall 2015. We spent therest of the day going back andforth on the terms of the contractbut in the end, Ford Hall 2015won full immunity on the first dayof negotiations.

The terms of our immunityagreement stipulated that wewould keep lawyers out of thenegotiations room, but we contin-ued to call Oren and Makis 24hours a day to advise us on theproceedings. Carl and Oren alsoled a civil disobedience training inBernstein-Marcus. But most impor-tantly, when morale was low aftermany sleepless nights and threatsby senior leadership, our lawyersgave us the encouragement weneeded to keep on fighting.

The sit-in wound up being 12days, with most of participantsspending Thanksgiving in thosecramped halls, sacrificing goinghome for the holidays and spend-ing time with loved ones. Weended the sit-in on December 1st,2015, with Brandeis Universityagreeing to full adoption of theFord Hall 2015 policy platform.While we continue to face newobstacles with implementingthese policies, we remain com-mitted to racial justice at Brandeisand are grateful for the continuedsupport from the NationalLawyers Guild.


NLG Supports Protest at Brandeis University: Fort Hall 2015

by Rima Chaudry

O

Rima Chaudry is a student atBrandeis University.Negotiations at Brandeis. (L.-r.) NLG members Makis Antzoulats and Oren Nimni with

Brandeis students Rima Chaudry, Miya Ward, Chinyere Brown, and Joanna Martin.


LG has been invaluable toIfNotNow Boston - a local

chapter of a national movementled by young Jews to endAmerican Jewish support for theoccupation. At no cost to us, NLG

provides Legal Observers atactions to keep protesters safeand expert lawyers at meetings toadvise activists of our rights andprovide information about thepolice and the legal system. NLG'slawyers' ability and willingness tocome to long late-night meetingsand advise us helps us train new

and experienced activists in bestsecurity and protest practices tokeep our movement safe, secureand strategic.

by Shira

The NLG Supports IfNotNow Boston

NLG Supports Boston DAPL Protest at TD Bank North

recently participated in a lockdown action at TD Bank North in

Downtown Boston in response to anational call from Standing Rock tocall for divestment from the DakotaAccess pipeline. We chose to takeaction on #NoBlackSnakeFriday,the day after so-called Thanks-giving which celebrates settlercolonists' genocide of NativeAmerican people. I was moved totake action because I wanted toresist and condemn the extremeviolence of law enforcementagainst Native American peopleprotecting sacred land and fightingfor self-determination. The weekprior the local sheriff's departmentin North Dakota had hosed people

with water in freezing cold temper-atures in what can only bedescribed as attempted murder.

My comrades and I created abanner that read "From PlymouthRock to Standing Rock" in an effortto connect ongoing struggles for dig-nity and sovereignty across thisstolen country. In order for two com-rades to lockdown the outside of thebank it was my role to create a dis-traction. I was arrested by BostonPolice Department for my role andwas then arraigned on charges ofAssault and Battery with a danger-ous weapon, trespassing, disorderlyconduct, and resisting arrest.

My lawyer Oren checked inwith me and made sure I felt sup-ported and prepared. He was clearand compassionate and helped meto feel more courageous. Oren

represents the beauti-ful and powerfulpotential of move-ment lawyers whohelp us activists to notonly navigate our ownsituation but under-stand our connectionto people who arepersecuted andpushed into the crimi-nal punishment sys-tem all day every day.It is essential that par-ticularly white activistsunderstand our

extraordinary privilege even whilewe're exposed to certain risks andconsequences. Oren talked aboutstrategy with me, about how tounderstand the court process as anextension of the action, and aboutthe reality that truth, facts, and jus-tice are simply not possible out-comes of a system that is so racistand punitive and intent on crushingthe spirit of any one who comes incontact with it.

The NLG is so important to meand my community because if Ihad to pay for legal representationevery time I was arrested for politi-cal activity it would not be possiblefor me to take the same kind ofbold action. It empowers activiststo know we can count on the NLGfor principled representation that isaligned with the larger struggleagainst the white supremacistcriminal punishment system. I'mso grateful for lawyers like Orenwho I consider not just legal coun-sel but also a moral compass whohelp ensure the resistance cancontinue even when we're arrestedand prosecuted. I'm thankful inparticular for those lawyers whodefend people who are targetedfor being Black and Brown justliving their lives.

by Mallory Hannora

Shira is an activist with theBoston Chapter of IfNotNow.

N

I

Mallory Hannora is a local activistworking on issues related tooppression of people of color.

NLG Northeast RegionalGathering

Sunday, February 19, 2017Center Church on the Green, 311 Temple St.

New Haven, Connecticut

In conjunction with the Rebellious LawyeringConference in New Haven, CT, aka RebLaw,the NLG Northeast Region organizes a gath-ering for NLG members and friends.

For more info, please call 617-227-7335.



We call for the respect of thesovereign rights of theStanding Rock Sioux Tribeand its peoples, and for theimmediate and permanenthalt of the construction of theDakota Access Pipeline. Inlight of the growing ClimateCrisis, we further call for theBakken oil to be left in theground.

From the NLG State-ment of Solidarity,8/29/16

Introduction

Members of the NLGMassachusetts Chapter -- RitaSebastian, Makis Antzoulatos,Jude Glaubman, kt crossman,Maddie Thomson and JoshRaisler-Cohn -- along with oursister Lauren Carasik fromWestern Massachusetts joinedthe Water Protectors LegalCollective/NLG to work at theOceti Sekowin camp in StandingRock, North Dakota. We arehumbled and grateful for theopportunity to participate in thishistoric struggle.

Supporting Water Protectorsas they come in contact with theU.S. criminal justice system isuniquely challenging. The U.S.government is an occupyingpower whose courts are sites oftrauma-- historic, generationaland contemporary. It has soughtto criminalize being Indian, con-tinues to tear native children fromtheir families and culture, protectswhite predators and advances

the colonial agenda of removingindigenous people to extractresources from their homelands.It is a long and painful story ofbroken treaties, massacres, des-ecration and genocidal policies.Native water protectors atStanding Rock are deeply con-scious of the history of the U.S.government’s enforcement ofwhite supremacy and settler colo-

nialism. It's important to knowthis context, and we encourageeveryone to learn about the histo-ries and presence of indigenouspeople in communities where welive and work.

Over the last five months wehave each been to Standing Rock-- solo or in pairs, pleased to dis-cover a comrade there or happyto learn they were returning.While at camp we supportedwater protectors by serving aslegal observers at actions, givingknow your rights trainings, coordi-nating to get arrestees out of jail,and by collecting declarationsfrom water protectors who werebrutalized by law enforcement.We continue to do legal researchand court support from afar.

We joined the NLG to use ourtraining, talents and access tomake radical change -- and wecan. Hundreds of water protec-tors have criminal cases that willbe litigated in the months aheadand scores of defendants, bothindigent and not indigent, havebeen unable to obtain legal coun-sel in North Dakota. The NDSupreme Court is considering a

petition to allow qualified out-of-state attorneys to provide legalcounsel to defendants. [email protected] tolearn more how you can help.

Dispatch from Standing Rocksent by Makis

Sunday, October 30, 2016Jude and I made it to Bismarck,ND last night. The people’sresistance and community here isbeautiful. When you arrive youdrive along a road lined with theflags of all the nations presentand supporting the camp. Thestate's oppression is horrendous.Dozens and dozens of people

by Judith Glaubman & MakisAntzoulatos

Continued on page 8

NLG Work in Support of noDAPL Movement & theStanding Rock



were brutalized by police onThursday, including elders whowere pepper sprayed while pray-ing. Folks were still gettingprocessed through the criminalinjustice system by late today.There have been nearly 400 peo-ple arrested at this point. Pleasecontinue supporting StandingRock and spreading awareness.

Dispatches from StandingRock sent by Jude

Sunday, October 30, 2016What you are seeing on socialmedia is true--the brutality anddesecration during the attacksand arrests on Thursday are trau-matic and devastating.Understandably, folks arestressed and the atmospheretense. Working with the legalteam, Makis and I have beenscrambling to get folks out of jailand get their belongings back.The worst part is the deliberate

and wanton destructionof sacred objects -- manyhad been passed downfor generations. Themajority of those arrestedwere in prayer circles,singing and praying withtheir chanunpas andprayer sticks. Thismorning, we listened toan elder weeping as hedescribed the destruc-tion. The treaty campwas destroyed, tentsslashed and belongingsconfiscated. All the carsin the camp were towedto Bismarck. We drovean Elder from Rosebudthe hour and half toBismarck to retrieve hissacred items--damagedbut not ruined. Theywouldn't let him into hiscar unless we paid $840in cash to get it out--thanks to allof you, we had the $$ to pay.Tomorrow we'll try to get theremaining 70 cars out...

Monday, October 31, 2016We spent time this afternoon withan elder from Sacred Stone whorecounted the racists taunts andcruelty of the DAPL thugs and

county cops, thetreachery of provo-cateurs wreakinghavoc and we sawthe burned hills froma fire set at 3 am thismorning. As far aswe know, the last ofthe 144 peoplearrested onThursday werebailed out this after-noon adding to the141 arrested on the22nd. As you canimagine resourcesare taxed, bodiesare injured and spir-



Continued on page 9


Solidarity action in mid-December 2016 in front of the Morton County Courthouse in Mandan, NorthDakota to support arrested protectors and Legal Observers.

The Power Behind Legal - A bear mascot wearingthe NLG Legal Observer hat.


its are hurt. People here need toknow that the world is watchingand care about what is happen-ing. Please continue to spreadthe word and take whateveraction you can to support thewater protectors.

Dispatch from Standing Rocksent by Makis

Thursday, November 3, 2016Jude and I spent another dayworking for the Red Owl LegalCollective at Standing Rock.After days of fighting we finallysaw the last three water protec-tors arrested last Thursdayreleased from jail. Three bravemen who spent a week in jail for

their uncompromisingresistance to a pipeline thatwill destroy their water. Yetanother fight against settlercolonialism and it's assaulton indigenous people. I'mso grateful for the longdrive we had together leav-ing the Mercer County Jailin the dust and driving backtowards the Oceti Sakowincamp. In the car I listenedas one man told me "ourvery existence offendsthem." That is why we allmust stand up and supportthis resistance. #nodapl#waterislife #standingrock.

Dispatches fromStanding Rock sent by

Jude

Thursday, December 1, 2016Josh and I arrived inStanding Rock to find abustling settlement--the

winterizing project has accom-plished so much. There arerumours circulating on the inter-net that you can't get supplies inand that people are getting$1,000 fines but I haven't heardactual instances of that happen-ing. It's hard to say what will hap-pen on the 5th but in the mean-time folks are moving freely inand out of the camp. Sendinglove to all. xo.

Saturday, December 3, 2016The prairie has a beauty andgrace unlike anywhere else—seeing it waken in the morning ismagical. On the plane fromBoston we ran into our comrade,Dominic, who is meeting up withhis electrical union sisters andbrothers to join the scores oftradespeople, architects, engi-neers and other builders whohave come to help the tribes builda winter village. It's a privilege to



Continued on page 10


NLG member Rita Sebastian (l.) Legal Observingat Standing Rock.

October action at Turtle Island River, which ended with water protectors being brutallyattacted - maced and tear gas sprayed - by law enforcement forces.



A Victory on the Day After the Election

witness and support the OcetiSekowin reclaiming their home-lands to live in a good way again.I also see the harm done to themand their allies by the state.

This evening, we visited awater protector, a mother ofseven, in the hospital with septicpneumonia after being soakedwith water cannons & tear gasand a concussion grenade to theback when she ran to help peoplecalling out for water. She told us

the most traumatic part was see-ing the police target the medicswho rushed to the bridge to tendto the wounded. Earlier, I spokewith a bone weary medic whosaid she had never seen anassault like Sunday's except inwar. Sending love and solidarityfrom standing rock.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016A blizzard with fierce winds andbitter cold has gripped StandingRock. In this storm you can feelthe spirit of Sitting Bull, assassi-

nated December 15th, 126 yearsago. Following his death, hisbrother Spotted Elk/Big Foot, illwith pneumonia, was bringing theMiniconjou/Lakota people to seekrefuge with their relatives at PineRidge when they were roundedup and taken to Wounded KneeCreek. It's there the U.S. troopsslaughtered them by the hun-dreds, their corpses freezingwhere they fell. Twenty-three sol-diers were awarded the Medal ofHonor for their horrific massacre

Continued on page 11

n November, I was in court forthe second appearance of three

activists who were fighting toclose the Plymouth NuclearPower Station; they were arrestedon trespass charges in Gov.Baker’s office at the State Houseback in September. The AssistantDistrict Attorney (ADA) in theBoston Municipal Court (BMC)who was handling their casesobtained an order for the threedefendants to stay away from theState House while out on person-al recognizance bail. (We wereable to overturn that order withsignificant assistance from MassDefense Committee Co-Coordinator Josh Raisler-Cohn).

In September, the ADA alsosaid that he would only accept aContinued Without A Finding(CWOF) as a plea deal. After Isubmitted a 10-page discoverymotion, that same ADA took atotally different tack with us.Even before reading my motion,he said he had researched my

clients’ issues with the Plymouthnuke plant and their years-longcrusade to close the plant due toits inherent danger to citizens ofthe Commonwealth.

The ADA asked if he couldtalk directly with my clients (withme in the room) about the issueand their case. My clients agreedto do so. He told them howimpressed he was with their com-mitment and how he viewed theissue that they were protesting asan extremely important one!

He explained that he still hada “role to play” in the system. Wereached an agreement that con-verted the case to a civil infrac-tion, with no fine and immediateresolution of the case that day(no filing of the case for futureresolution).

We then presented this pleaagreement to our judge – whoproceeded to grill the ADA aboutwhy he was doing this, why hewasn’t seeking a fine or someadditional punishment, why hewas allowing protestors who hadprevious convictions on theirrecord to get off so easily, etc.

The ADA stood up to thejudge’s often pointed questioningand stated that, in his opinion,after having spoken directly withthe protestors, this was a fair andjust resolution, that their intentwas to raise awareness of animportant public issue and that,though he may disagree with theirmethods, there was no point inseeking any harsher penalty orresolution!

The judge finally relented andapproved the motion! My clientsand I then thanked the ADA forhis integrity and courage in stand-ing up to the judge … and cele-brated an outcome that will allowmy clients to continue their cam-paign to close the Plymouth nukeplant without being further con-strained over the next severalmonths by the legal system!

NLG Work to Support noDAPL MovementContinued from page 9

by Jeff Feuer

Jeff Feuer, a law partner atGoldstein & Feuer in Cambridge,is a long-time member of the NLGMass Defense Committee.

I



NLG Massachusetts Chapter Sustainers YES, INCLUDE MY NAME AMONG NLG MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER

SUSTAINERS!

I, _____________________________________, ammaking a commitment to support the MassachusettsChapter of the Guild with an annual contribution of:

_____ $500 (not including my membership dues)

$ ________ (other above $500)

As a sustainer I will receive:• special listing in the Dinner Program;• 1/8 page ad in the Dinner Program;• acknowledgement in every issue of Mass Dissent;• two (2) free raffle tickets for a Holiday Party raffle;• invitation to special events.

Three ways to become a sustainer:• contribute $500 or more a year (in addition to dues)• pair up with another person and pay $250 each, or• join the “Guild Circle” and pay $50/month minimum.

Please mail to: NLG, Massachusetts Chapter14 Beacon St., Suite 407, Boston, MA 02108

In the spring of 2003, the Massachusetts Chapter of the NLG initiatedthe Chapter Sustainer Program. Since its inception, the Program hasbeen very successful and has been enthusiastically joined by the following Guild members:

2 Anonymous • Mary Lu Bilek • Patricia Cantor& Jeff Petrucelly • J.W. Carney • Howard Cooper• Caroline Darman • Melinda Drew & Jeff Feuer •Roger Geller & Marjorie Suisman • Lee Goldstein &Mark Stern • Benjie Hiller • Stephen Hrones •Andrei Joseph & Bonnie Tenneriello • MartinKantrovitz • Nancy Kelly & John Willshire-Carrera• David Kelston • John Mannheim • JonthanMessinger • Hank Phillippi Ryan & JonathanShapiro • Allan Rodgers • Martin Rosenthal •Shapiro, Weissberg & Garin • Anne Sills & HowardSilverman • Judy Somberg

The Sustainer Program is one of the most important Chapter initiatives tosecure its future existence. Please consider joining the Program.

of unarmed men, women andchildren under the white flag ofsurrender.

We were at Standing Rockfor the extraordinary momentwhen hundreds of the thousandof vets who came to StandingRock to defend the WaterProtectors humbly apologizedfor the U.S. military's genocidalactions. The sorrow andremorse was deep and as ChiefLeonard Crow Dog offered for-giveness, the possibility ofpeace and reconciliation wasfelt by all.

Josh and I passed a monu-ment to Sitting Bull on our wayto visit a water protector in thehospital. He was a brilliant

leader who was murderedresisting the degradation andgenocide of his people. His wis-dom is as on point today as everwhen he spoke of the U.S. colo-nizing settlers:

"Hear me, people: We havenow to deal with anotherrace- small and feeble whenour fathers first met them,but now great and overbear-ing. Strangely enough theyhave a mind to till the soiland the love of possessionis a disease with them.These people have mademany rules that the rich maybreak but the poor may not.They take their tithes fromthe poor and weak to sup-port the rich and those whorule."

For over forty years, theU.S. government has impris-oned another wise and belovedleader of the resistance. Hisname is Leonard Peltier and it isurgent that President Obamagrant him clemency before heleaves office.

(Editor's note: Clemency wasdenied to Leonard Peltier onJanuary 19, 2017.)

NLG Work to Support noDAPL MovementContinued from page 9

Judith Glaubman is a localactivist and a politicalresearcher. Makis Antzoulatosis an attorney with Committeefor Public Counsel Services(CPCS) in Boston. Both aremembers of the MassachusettsChapter’s Board of Directors.


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