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One day after addressing more than 1,000 people at the University of Michigan, Gary Tyler, a former political prisoner who has gained international recognition as an artist, made a passionate statement in defense of democratic rights, freedom of speech, and the rights of imprisoned pro-Palestinian graduate student Mahmoud Khalil.

Khalil, a legal permanent US resident, was ambushed and abducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on the evening of March 8 in retaliation for his public, lawful activities in support of anti-genocide protests at Columbia University in New York. He is currently imprisoned in Louisiana.

Tyler himself was the victim of a frame-up on murder charges more than 50 years ago. In 1974, at the age of 16, he was arrested, severely beaten by the police, and falsely charged and convicted for the fatal shooting of a white student in the midst of a Ku Klux Klan-incited demonstration against busing for integration at his high school in Destrehan, Louisiana. At 17 he was sitting on death row at the notorious Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana. Gary won his freedom in 2016.

Louisiana’s courts, as shown in Gary Tyler’s case, have a long history of reactionary political rulings. Today, the state is the home of one of the most right-wing, anti-democratic federal appellate court districts in the country, with six of its 17 judges appointed by Trump.

The following discussion has been slightly edited for clarity.

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Lawrence Porter: Gary, just tell us your feelings about what is happening with Mahmoud Khalil. You have read about his case?

Gary Tyler: Yes, and I would like to speak briefly on Mahmoud Khalil. I feel strongly that this is a matter that should not go ignored, especially in the days and times that we’re living in. If we allow this individual to be scape-goated because of some political beliefs or political favor, then it would have long-term repercussions within every community in this country.

I feel that as people in this country who say that they believe in freedom and liberty—including the freedom of speech—we must stand up for those beliefs. We should not make any exceptions, no matter what an individual’s political or religious beliefs are.

For us to allow this guy to fight alone would be unfair. What’s happening with him is merely a representation of what the government wants to implement in this country. They want to stifle an individual’s freedom of speech. And I think that we shouldn’t tolerate that under any circumstances.

LP: This is a man who was opposed to the genocide in Gaza. He was never arrested. He’s a legal, documented green card holder. He was a negotiator for the students who were involved in protests with the administration. There have been no charges against him, and yet they’re holding him incommunicado. As you know, a lot of Jewish students have been protesting against this arrest and against the genocide.

GT: Even today, you had protests and demonstrations in support of Mahmoud Khalil by Jewish students. They have representatives saying, not in their name. And that itself shows that what’s happening to him is unfair, uncalled for, and basically typical of a totalitarian individual who believes that people should be stripped of their basic right of being able to express the way they feel, regardless of their political, philosophical, or ideological beliefs.

LP: He’s being targeted because he opposes the policies that have been carried out by both the Trump and the Biden administrations in the Middle East and Gaza.

GT: For someone to be falsely accused and targeted because of their beliefs is going against the Constitution of this country. That guarantees you the basic right to be able to express the way you feel regardless of religion, political, or ideological beliefs. So, if it’s now becoming illegal for you to even express your opposition, then if we allow that to happen, then who will be next?

So no, I don’t think that is right, and I feel that people should galvanize and come out in support of not only Mahmoud Khalil, but also everyone who feels differently about the policies of this country. If we allow them to scapegoat Mahmoud Khalil, then we might as well wait in line, because they will be knocking on our doors as well.

If they can take away your basic right to protest, then they feel they can silence you. They may be able to silence the press, because the press seems like that. They fall in line with them and mainly report what they want. But we’re talking about being independent.

So if the papers—who say that they believe in basic freedom of speech—are not willing to do it, then the people must take the lead themselves.

LP: The policy that they’re pursuing is one of genocide, one of mass murder of the Palestinian people. It’s now reported that anywhere from 60,000 to 200,000 people have been murdered, mostly women and children, with 2,000-pound bombs provided by the United States government.

GT: Yes. And just because America is a superpower doesn’t give them or their allies the right to exterminate any race of people in the world.