Twin Cities Coalition for Justice Stands with Rick Toledo at Cal Poly Humboldt

The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) stands with Rick Toledo, a Cal Poly Humboldt Students for a Democratic Society member who was arrested on March 6th for protesting against his school’s investment in Israeli apartheid, in support of Palestine, and in support of sanctuary policies to keep ICE off campus.

California police raided Toledo’s home in the middle of the night and arrested him without bail. He is now facing four counts of felony charges that carry up to 14 years in prison. And he has been suspended and fired from his University teaching job. These harsh attacks stem from a one-day building occupation by Cal Poly Humboldt Students.

TCC4J condemns the State of California and Cal Poly Humboldt’s targeting of Rick Toledo based on his support for Palestine and protesting of ICE. Protesting is not a crime, and people should be able to stand up against the murder of Palestinians abroad using our tax and tuition dollars, as well as the murder, kidnapping, and harassment of our community members here in the U.S. by ICE agents.

We have seen that when people are murdered by ICE agents and police, these killers are often not even arrested. Notably, Keith Porter was murdered by an ICE agent in California at the end of last year, and his killer still has not been arrested. When police raid peoples’ homes, arrest them without bail, and threaten to charge them with serious felony crimes for protesting for human rights, yet ICE agents and police who murder our community members are not even arrested, we must call out this dangerous hypocrisy.

We demand justice for Rick Toledo and all other political prisoners. The state must drop the charges against Toledo.