Welcome to the Empire Files podcast.

This is your host, Abby Martin.

This is the audio of our show.

You can watch the episodes on our YouTube channel or at the EmpireFiles.TV.

Good morning, everyone.

My name is Edward Ahmed Mitchell.

I'm an attorney here in Atlanta.

I serve as the executive director of the Georgia chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations,

CARES part of our nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization.

I'm here today with several civil rights attorneys and activists from Atlanta and around the country.

We are here today with Mara Verhaden Hilliard, the co-founder and director of the Partnership for Civil

Justice Fund, Gadir Bas, the co-founder and director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund,

Gadir Abbas, the Senior Litigation Attorney with the National Office of the Council on American

Islamic Relations, Islamic Relations, our new legal director here at Kerry Georgia,

Morja Zsaquaja, and perhaps most importantly, filmmaker, activist, and journalist, Abby

Martin. And thank you so much for making

the trip to Atlanta. All of us are here today in defense of the First Amendment's

guarantee of freedom of speech, including the right to engage in political boycotts.

Four years ago, Governor Nathan Deal signed into law SB 327. This bill required that anyone

who wants to contract with the state of Georgia for services worth more than $1,000, sign an oath,

pledging that they will not boycott the Israeli government. That oath applies whether

you are a substitute teacher wants to work for our public school system, whether you are a

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