Dear Attorney General Carr, District Attorney Boston, and District Attorney Willis:

As concerned citizens, we urge you to drop the charges against all 61 co-defendants indicted on RICO charges. Criminalizing dissent and political action (ranging from distributing flyers to reimbursement for glue) poses a serious threat to the First Amendment and puts everyone’s lives at risk. The RICO charges have been widely condemned by civil liberties and human rights organizations around the nation, as criminalization based on political beliefs and associations harkens back to McCarthyism, a period of US history now generally characterized as draconian and unconstitutional.

Furthermore, the criminalization of bail funds such as the Atlanta Solidarity Fund represents dangerous repression against bail funds, which have long operated as well-respected community organizations, dating back to the Civil Rights Movement. Bail funds like the Atlanta Solidarity Fund provide legal and financial assistance that everyone is entitled to by law, no matter their income, especially when it comes to charges related to protesting and civil disobedience. 

The country is watching. We urge you to drop the charges immediately! 

Donate to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, a bail and legal defense fund for forest defenders: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/contribute-to-the-atlanta-solidarity-fund