Right-Wing Terrorism

To the Editors:

A right-wing terrorist group calling itself the Legion of Justice has recently been engaged in acts of physical attack, intimidation, robbery, and death threats against Movement individuals and organizations in the Northern Illinois area. Victims of these harassments have been the Young Socialist Alliance, the Socialist Workers Party, Newsreel, the Guild Bookstore, the IWW, a Chicago Peace Council member, and other Movement people.

The right-wing Legion of Justice was organized by S. Thomas Sutton (also founder of the racist Operation Crescent) and includes members and supporters of the Minutemen. The reactions of the police and the State’s Attorney’s Office to the Legion’s activities thus far have ranged from indifference to outright collusion.

The Committee for Defense Against Terrorist Attacks has been organized in response to the Legion of Justice. To effectively combat fascist attacks and the atmosphere they create, a vigorous campaign must be launched involving a broad range of individuals and organizations. The Committee is involved in such a campaign; and its focus is to defend the right of individuals and organizations to engage in political activities free from right-wing harassment and to expose groups like the Legion of Justice and “official” indifference to their illegal acts.

In order to effectively carry on this campaign to overcome the challenge of these ultra-right-wing elements, we have incurred a great deal of expenses (legal fees, printing costs, mailing costs) that have left us deeply in debt. The Committee needs to raise funds to continue its work to stop this threat to civil liberties by the Legion of Justice. This financing comes through supporters of our defense work. Therefore, we are asking all those who support our campaign to send us a contribution so that we may continue this important work.

Thank you.

Sean Shesgreen

Chairman of the Committee for

Defense Against Terrorist Attacks

Northern Illinois University

DeKalb, Illinois 60115

Sponsors:

Leonard Boudin, NY attorney

Noam Chomsky, MIT

Richard Criley, Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights

Lawrence Grauman, Jr., editor, the Antioch Review

Louis Kampf, MIT

William Kunstler

Sidney Lens, co-chairman, New Mobilization Committee

Bob Lucas, Black Liberation Alliance

Staughton Lynd