the choice to emigrate to this country is not an easy one. we're not here to take a vacation. we are here out of necessity for survival and a better life. the things emigrants' give up to be a part of that are things most people can't even imagine. s our lands, our language, important parts of our cultures and customs. although it is painful to give these things up, we do so because of the promise of a better life. one thing our communities should never have to give up is the right to security. to live, work, pray and raise families without fear of discrimination or repression. they should not be asked to give up their sense of security, religious practice these, there customs, political views or, the safety of their families. i want to thank the supporters of this ordinance and urge you

to pass it but also remind you this ordinance addresses only a small part of a very large issue that spans across many communities and looks different in each one but is also harmful in each community and has devastating effects on the police community trust which we all know is very necessary to have in order to have a safe and healthy community. thank you. >> i see no speakers lined up, so i'm going to call the rest of the speaker cards. >> if you don't line up, i'm assuming that you might have left. please line up in the center aisle. >> the chair has designated

three minutes. >> i'm speaking as an individual today, but i am the civil rights co-chair of the united auto workers local 1981 retired amalgamated transit union, local 1555. you don't have to go to other countries to see the effects of what could happen with the type of detention laws that are possible under this so-called anti-terrorism defence act. you just have to go to brooklyn or to the bronx to see several examples, daily examples of indefinite detention, exercised

particularly in the black, latino, asian american communities of new york city. japanese detention under franklin roosevelt's executive order was extended to italian americans and more than 10,000 a italian-americans were incarcerated in definitely under the executive order that allowed that tension. the starting point in its san francisco for those tensions were in the excelsior district, on silver avenue, or the bible college is at the top of the hill at silver ave. one of the first victims of the executive order was the mayor,

the person who nominated fdr for president at the democratic party convention of 1932. other examples of the effects of this type of detention law would be what happened in northern ireland during the troubles, apartheid south africa, and palestine. i know people who were affected in all of these places directly by these detention practices. therefore, not only should we call for no collaboration of the san francisco police department with anti-terrorism of the fbi, but also no collaboration with the national security administration, any federal

anti-terror is some of legal organization, no state organizations, no other the danceable security organizations, but not limited their to. [tone] please stop this thing now. here in san francisco in that united states. >> members of the public safety committee, thank you for giving me the time to speak to you today. i am originally from iran but i grew up in the central valley and work in the stanford school of medicine and the department of pathology. if you want to stop me to ask questions, please feel free. i come before you today on

behalf of the iranian community, the muslim community, as a person of color and he would being to briefly describe how the fbi dealt with two of my very dear friends. i hope you will take away from their stories and others as many of the current practices of the fbi and historic we are over- the-top, unethical, not in the interest our security and not in the understanding with the diversity of this community. the first is the story of one of my best friends. he was a double major in economics. his family tried to get the green card for 10 years. his father was a prominent member of the community and a successful engineer. they were approached several times by the fbi asking them to be informants. but he refused like any of standing individual. he said if he saw anything he would report about was not going to be a spy and his community.

his application drag on and on until he sued emigration. they are finally called in to get what they thought were their green cards but instead, they got handcuffed and were detained. my friend was released but his father was detained. they undertook self deportation and are now residing in iran. the second friend is a spiritual mentor from lebanon. he was charged with bank fraud over credit card debt from seven years prior. this was at a time when those on wall street were getting away with billions of dollars, a defaulting on bad investments and getting tarp money on top of that. would you like to know what they asked him during the interrogation? it was not about credit cards. asked about a book he translated from arabic to english. this book was about a muslim

state, the grandson of the profit. they asked him questions like who is the granddaughter of profit month. its top about to asking who is married, but jesus christ's mother. they ask for his family lived with respect to the security barriers and even pulled a gun on him. the agent, an era officer asked him which a lady would prefer to be shot. to which he answered a left. i like my left leg last. he was unwilling to serve as an informant despite his eventual conviction and imprisonment. his friends were intimidated and one of the things you learn as they will do anything. their lawyers will tell you we can't tell people don't talk to the fbi because the fbi might threaten to this party for

obstruction of justice. these cases were a waste of time, money and resources. the amount of money spent to prosecute the case best of that many times with the value of the actual case was. there are many cases for the fbi pursues someone because a neighbor calls in. they call and say this guy is a terrorist and that's how something like this starts. it this is me off because i'm a researcher and i live grant to grant. we get taxpayer money in these guys abuse civil-rights and they do it on the taxpayers' dime. i'm not saying there is not value in coordinating the work of law enforcement. i'm saying in the light of these abuses, the issue proper oversight and it should be written just like one speaker said, the bill of rights was written because that is where we know all of our rights are there and they are preserved.

i urge you to approve this ordinance. thank you. [applause] >> it good afternoon, hon. supervisors. thirst i am directing these words to yourselves, to those in the audience and my fellow workers and citizens and residents of san francisco. i am rising in my capacity in the san francisco labor council. we proudly stand with the affected communities here today and we have taken a very strong stance in the defense of civil rights. it comes from our own experience. we know what these issues are about. we run into them on picket lines and when the police are the protectors of the powerful.

it is easy for me to rise because the fbi came to me and asked me to be an informant in the mid-70s. they were investigating not my activities. they were investigating a co- workers activities. not for anything he did. they did not like what he thought. he was a university student here in northern california. these kind of security apparatus are not just involved though it is significant here. they are directed against those of us who want a clean union. i wanted a union of reform and lastly, speaking personally, we saw the counter terrorism taskforce in oakland.

that's was more appropriate to fascist she lay -- fascist chile that was in our area. what was that we were protesting? we were protesting economic inequality and affect our children or having their future being robbed. we were protesting the fact they were stealing our homes and that is for the counterterrorism task forces for. for those of us standing up today fearless, we will face them again. this was just the first measure. from my point of view, we must take stronger measures to ensure civil rights are not trampled by the powerful to ensure the thievery on the rest of us is accomplished without any trouble

whatsoever. thank you. supervisor mar: i would like to ask you to make a connection with the fbi and the chicano movement. i know there is a hearing tomorrow where it is alleged that it was a frame up for political activity, but he is an activist founder -- could you talk about the targeting of chicano leaders even up to today? >> it was a constant presence and our community in the '70s. the surveillance, i was in the chicano and national movement. it was particularly at the time when the chicano national

movement took a similar direction as the rev. dr. martin luther king of taking a stance against the war machine. we began to get surveiled at a much deeper level. the more that we raise our voices in the chicano national movement, the student movement, i was in at the time the fbi came to visit me at my work. not at home, at my work. these were activities i was present in and these were activities being subject to the surveillance of the fbi. thank you. >> thank you, supervisor and committee. thank you for introducing this

important civil-rights legislation. you have my full support. rim a san francisco poet and i am on record supporting this civil rights legislation. thank you. >> a good afternoon, supervisors. thank you for endorsing this ordinance. i am the executive director of the arab cultural community center in san francisco. i am inspired to have heard all the testimony i've heard today as well as those we have been hearing at the human rights commission hearing throughout the year. i have heard many different things i would like to echo and try to package it in a short synopsis. the first is that we recognize

the policies we are facing today, the injustices we are facing today are extraordinarily rationalized and not specific u.s., but we continue to live on this legacy from a historical relate -- historical racial experience i would like to remind us that inside of san francisco, we take pride in being one of the first to address it and we should take pride in being the first to address it when it comes to our community. the second is that when we are speaking about those who are most hon. in these secret agreements and practices of surveillance and in full trajan and entrapment, at the end of the day, those who know are those who are attempting to speak truth to power, it's not just about being arab, muslim or middle eastern, it is about

being those who threaten what it means to be an american. threaten what it means to be the right kind of san franciscan. our center just held the 18th annual cultural festival in union square west summer. miss america was a lebanese shiite muslim woman. we have television shows showing all american muslims and what does that mean for arab and moslem communities? what about those who want to take pride in speaking their own language are speaking about injustice is happening in my homeland? what if i want to go out and practice my religion in the public's fear or think that it needs to be a private thing i have to hide from the public in order to assimilate in what it means to be an american which is

largely dominated by what it means to be a white american. this is still affecting us today. maybe it is not as explicit as it was in the civil rights era, but it is the same thing happening over and over again. our communities or urge you to pass this ordinance and continue the fight against injustice and racism from here on out. [applause] supervisor kim: thank you. >> such a beautiful day, that nice rain outside, i find it very telling in deed that so many are willing to complain at yet seem unable or unwilling to act together. the last true action worth spit, worth mentioning in this country was when martin luther king led a year-plus we caught. peter alexander, you can google

me -- this was more into the mk alter program, streaming into their brains for the last 30 years, and to every cell phone and computer from our satellites, starting in the reagan era. explaining why americans are unable to present a sustained peaceful boycott. regarding muslims and the 9/11 twin towers, let's make it real simple. there was no plane crash in pennsylvania. there were to drown without people who hit the buildings. the planes that were hit or renumbered and are back in service. the other people on board were terminated at the culpeper crematorium and virginia. if you kill one man in this country, you get prison but if you kill thousands, you get to be present -- president. the surveillance team is far

reaching and complete trade bradley manning should receive the nobel peace prize, but instead, who gets it? how many american soldiers are now dead? the catholic canon law supersedes the bar association which might explain why pedophile priests get a slap on the wrist and he's been on the sidewalk and you get a bunch of years in prison. the fbi, full blooded indian, leonard pelter, the subject of the documentary and represents the 500-year resistance of the native americans, the man to the spirit of the constitution resides in his prison cell is the man to be released. to all truett parts listening to my voice, know this and know it is true. i am peter and i am your servant. under peter we are given the keys, so to the command that

puts the world to its knees and it says of the god, he shall note time standing still until to doors have opened. beyond these stores are the promised land. that will be done by the 40 day strike that begins now that will be made greater in march with thousands of people and by march 8, the full moon, let it be all true americans in heart and spirit, our high noon. it is time to take action. [tone] the 40-day strike puts this together and a freeze leonard pelter who is destined to be the first man --

>> your time is up. supervisor kim: i have to other speaker cards. >> ♪ you are watching closer than close in exciting who is inviting you there? you're watching closer than close in it is exciting it could be a nightmare there you're closer than close too close and the look of spy is in your eyes in your eyes i know you are watching mid there -- me there could be a nightmare oh do not watch so close city private eyes

they are watching you watching your city every move private eye is your watching me and watching everyone so close they are watching you watching you watch out ♪ [applause] >> thank you. if there any more public speakers, please line up in the center aisle. >> there is one more speaker, emily -- >> you just need to line up. >> i am not going to take too long. i came from a country, and arabic country. the first thing that should be mentioned on my did the kitchen is my religion, before the name is written.

i want to live in liberty, and i mean it. i do not want anybody to follow me or surveillance me without my knowledge. if they had a good reason to follow me, it is his right. but without a reason, he has no right to follow me. so we would not have any psychological diseases. and will not make people apart from each other. this is a beautiful country. i received all the services, and had surgery done on me in the

hospital. i have not worked in this country, not even one day. and they treated me and put me on their head. for myself, i love myself. but the harassment, if it continues like this and the surveillance continues, it will separate people. i am talking myself. i hate that. i believe in justice and i like justice. and i worship the ground of this country. i want all my brothers and sisters, the arabic brothers and sisters, to love this country. and how they can love it, they

will love it if we find justice and equality. even if we came from a country that is a dictatorship country. and they have a separation and there is persecution. [bell rings] america is the greatest country in the world. and i loved it. and i have a message to the police, to do their job within their limitations and not to harass people. do not do anything out of your jurisdiction. and do not cause problems to

anyone. at the same time, have the right to keep this country safe. without causing any mental illness to other people. and i thank you. [applause] supervisor kim: thank you. >> hello, supervisors. i am from the arab research and organizing center. i wanted to take a moment to thank you as supervisors who have stood up for this important issue. both supervisor kim as brought forward this ordinance and the bravery that takes, and the other endorsing supervisors. those on the committee, and we have had indications from supervisor chiu and supervisor compost -- supervisor campos

has indicated he will be participating. there are many here that are a symbol of the community organizations who are really concerned about this issue. community united against violence, community service, islamic society of san francisco, people organized to defend environmental rights. the education network, the baker center for human rights, the national center for lesbian rights, and the black alliance for just immigration. to me, this is an issue that really crosses communities. it is just one snapshot within a larger huge problem, and the problem is the federal government's over reach into our communities. and i do not want to sound like a big conspiracy theorist or separatist or anything. but, really, we have a problem

with the federal government here. we have had the problem with the century ordinance. we continue to see a with the joint terrorism task force. you have heard today from people representing not only san francisco residence but bay area residents. that is because all over san francisco and the bay area, we look to this city, to you as supervisors to take the lead on this issue, whether it is immigrant rights issues, human rights issues, police account of it -- accountability issues, housing, things uttermost near and dear to our hearts. i encourage you to take a stand. sometimes people have said in the community, supervisors or city leaders, who have not heard stories like this to have said, well, we do not know that there is a problem. what is the indication? to that, i say to do what you