On April 12th grand jury resister Steve Martinez was released from the custody of the Federal Government and has returned home to his partner and community, after over 60 days in custody. Early in Steve’s case, those of us engaged in movement defense and providing support to Steve were in direct communication with his attorneys.

However, since the end of February, neither his attorneys nor Steve himself have been at liberty to speak with anyone about Steve’s legal situation or the court proceedings.

Anti-repression efforts are a crucial tool for our movements and communities. The Federal government is hard at work to repress powerful social and political movements that are working towards the liberation of the earth and all of us who inhabit it.
As our movements become more effective or gain power, the government’s tools of repression often become more divisive and cruel. We can look to the hard won lessons of movement elders and ancestors and see this to be true. The Grand Jury is one such divisive and cruel tool

Our power to combat such cruelty is rooted in a deep care for one another and the belief that a more liberatory future is within our collective reach.

We continue to stand in our solidarity with Steve and are working to ensure he can soon share his story with those who have shown their support over the past months of his resistance.  We will share future updates through our social media accounts and on the website.