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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><STRONG><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_0 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_0 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">January 20</SPAN></SPAN>: US <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_1>Human Rights Leader</SPAN> Cheri Honkala Stands Trial for Setting up Bushville <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_1><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_2>Encampment</SPAN></SPAN> to House Homeless Families During RNC</STRONG></FONT></SPAN>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>On the same day that President-Elect <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_3>Obama</SPAN> is sworn in as <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_4>president of the United States</SPAN>, PPEHRC National Organizer Cheri Honkala is </FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>standing trial for setting up “Bushville” an encampment created to house <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_3><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_5>homeless people</SPAN></SPAN> on <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_4 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_6>Harriet Island</SPAN></SPAN> in <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_5><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_7>St Paul</SPAN>, </SPAN>during the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_6 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR:
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Cheri Honkala is a <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421926_0>Minneapolis</SPAN> resident who led the national “March for Our Lives: Money for <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_10>Health Care</SPAN> and Housing, Not for War!” during the Republican National Convention on <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_7><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_11>September 2</SPAN></SPAN>, 2008. The March was one of the largest <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_8><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_12>marches</SPAN></SPAN> of the week. Cheri is the National Organizer of the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_9><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_13>Poor Peoples</SPAN></SPAN> Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC). </FONT>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Of hundreds of cases of <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_14>unlawful arrest</SPAN> during the RNC, Cheri's is one of the only cases still being tried for peaceful protests during the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_10 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">RNC.</SPAN></FONT>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Cheri's trial comes in the context of the foreclosure crisis in the US and <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_15>global financial crisis</SPAN> which has left millions of families in the United States and worldwide homeless, jobless, struggling to keep their homes, and unable to provide for their <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_16>basic needs</SPAN>.</FONT>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT face="Times New Roman">This trial is also occurring a week before Honkala and the PPEHRC will join Hurricane Kartina survivors in the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_17 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">poorest state</SPAN> in the US, <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_18>Mississippi</SPAN>, in fighting to keep their post-Katrina homes. These families are scheduled to be evicted this month from housing they were given after the hurricane.</FONT>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><B><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Contacts: </FONT></FONT></B></FONT></FONT>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#003399><A href="http://us.mc506.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=info@economichumanrights.org" target=_blank rel=nofollow><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421926_1>info@economichumanrights.org</SPAN></A></FONT></STRONG>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#003399><A href="http://www.economichumanrights.org/" target=_blank rel=nofollow><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421926_2>www.economichumanrights.org</SPAN></A></FONT></STRONG>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Manuel Levins Holden/Deeq <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421926_3 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_19>Abdi</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_12 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421926_4 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_20 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">1-612-821-2364</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_13>Peter Cooper</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_14 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421926_5 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_21 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">1-512-924-7561</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Cheri Honkala</FONT></FONT></FONT>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421035_15 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232421926_6 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1232423069_22 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">1-267-439-8419</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT>
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