Unfortunately, we put the address of the recent NLG summer retreat in our announcements, and the address was for my home.  As we were gathering, two goons appeared on the sidewalk at the entry to my driveway, young guys with their faces fully hidden with keffiyeh-ish scarves and sunglasses and covering their clothing with orange safety vests.  They stopped people coming to the retreat and handed out a flyer which purported to be from the National Lawyers Guild.  The goons were silent and would not engage, but one wore a body cam, and they later took photos of my house and signs — which included one saying “US Stop Arming Israel” — and the driveway toward our backyard gathering. 

The anonymous flyer claimed (with no evidence) that NLG Legal Observers “since the current war in the Middle East started” have harassed a Zionist, trespassed on private property, verbally abused people perceived as Zionist, used written anti-Jewish stereotypes, etc. The flyer said that their allegations had “nothing to do with the war in the Middle East and everything to do with civil discourse.”

It seems to me that this had everything to do with “the war in the Middle East” and the NLG’s long history of supporting Palestinian human rights. 

Yes, NLG Legal Observers should not do the actions claimed to have taken place in the flyer.  But if they had, why didn’t the goons tell us with specificity and why did they hide their identities?  “Civil discourse” requires, at the very least, honesty.  If they had really wanted us to deal with the claimed situation, they would have told us who they were and exactly who did what. As written, their allegations against our LO’s are just not believable. If there are rogue Legal Observers, we should know.  The whole thing reeks of creepiness and dishonesty to me. 

Judy Somberg