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Iraq War Resisters Seek Refuge in Canada: First Deportee Scheduled for July 10
Corey Glass is a former sergeant from the Los Angeles California National Guard, who arrived in Canada in August 2006. "When I joined the national guard, they told me the only way I would be in combat is if there were troops occupying the United States," Corey said. "I signed up to defend people and do humanitarian work filling sandbags if there was a hurricane; I should have been in New Orleans, not Iraq." Now he faces deportation.
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Longest Held Political Prisoner up for Parole!
Former Black Panther Romaine "Chip" Fitzgerald is the longest held political prisoner in the United States. Sentenced to life with parole he goes before the California Parole Board on July 2, 2008. Listen to these interviews with former BPP Chairwoman Elaine Brown and Stic. Man of Dead Prez. Sign the Petition!!!!! Read More & Audio | freechip.org
Image from ABC Federation
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Rochester's Anti-Racist Movement Visits WHAM
The Rochester Anti-Racist Movement (ARM) went to the offices of WHAM radio today to talk with the station management about Bob Lonsberry's recent racist, sexist and classist remarks. After the meeting ARM gave a press conference, calling for him to be removed from the air. Below is a summary of ARM's position: The recent (June 10, 2008) comments made by Bob Lonsberry on WHAM 1180 were an unacceptable continuation of Mr. Lonsberry?s history of on- air racism, sexism and classism. For far too long Mr. Lonsberry has been permitted to cross the boundaries of decent discourse. It is apparent that he feels entirely comfortable, to say nothing of completely justified, in making hateful, hurtful, and erroneous statements about people of color, women, and people who are poor. His expressed views both tap and reinforce an undercurrent of hostility, which serves to perpetuate the social divisions of our community and calls to question our community?s resolve to eradicate those divisions. Therefore, it is with a high degree of resolve that ARM calls for the removal of Bob Lonsberry from the public airwaves. The offensive content of Mr. Lonsberry?s remarks will not be allowed to hang, unchallenged, in our communal air. No individual should have the sense of entitlement that permits them to continually pollute that communal air.
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Miami Final Dispatch: March on the Mayors Conference
The historic Right to the City March on the Mayors is over. Last week grassroots members of community organizations from throughout the country flooded Miami to launch a national fight for the right to live, work, build community, and govern their cities. After a summit and a rainy march residents and city community members from across the U.S. spent two days discussing strategies to build a national movement. At the end of Sunday people left our tropical city, ready to return home and build a mass movement, bringing with them lessons and new connections to strengthen their work. Read Full Report by Joseph Phelan | | | Previous Reports: J20: The Skys Open Up | J19: The People's Summit | Advance Reports: 1, 2
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ICE Raids detain more than 150 workers, Houstonians organize against repression
MORE than 80 community members and organizations congregated in front of the Federal Building today to denounce the Raid that occurred yesterday at a clothing factory. Today was a success because with this action we are able to show Houston and ICE that we will not stay quiet in the mist of all of these raids which are splitting up families and leaving children without mothers. There will be many more actions like this and as always I thank all of you who came out today in the fight for social justice. Whether there are 10 or 100 people present we must never stay quiet and we must always say that there are those Houstonians like us that will continue to fight for social justice. As long as their is life their is hope! read full story | Photos and report from Xicanopwr.com Around 2 dozen people gathered Saturday Morning at the Houston Processing Center, an immigrant detention facility run by the private corporation Corrections Corporation of America, to protest the raid. Many folks parked on the north side of Greens road, and the protest took place on the south side, right next to the facility, making for quite a spectacle on a busy 2 lane road in north Houston. Photos and Report
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Official Statement from Rebel Diaz on Police Attack
An official statement from Rebel Diaz on the recent armed, warrantless raid on Gonzalo Venegas (aka G1)'s apartment. Read Statement | Original Story
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UN Urges US to Change Policies on Military Recruiting
On June 6, responding to an ACLU report on recruiter abuses, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child issued a report urging the U.S. to make sweeping policy changes regarding domestic military recruitment practices. Although the U.S. signed the UN's Optional Protocol on the involvement of Children in Armed Conflict in 2002, military recruiters still target children under 18 years of age for enlistment with techniques that include false promises and coercion. Read More | Related: UNICEF Cuts Ties with Israeli Billionaire Lev Leviev
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News. It's Not Just for Corporations Anymore.
Update from Indymedia Newsreal: Indymedia Newsreal, a monthly television series, brings progressive grassroots organizing, going on in your backyard, to a national television audience. Each program is comprised of segments submitted by video-makers throughout the world, and covers actions taken in local communities, by ordinary people, to address critical issues like air and water pollution, war, reproductive rights, homelessness, for-profit prisons, sweatshops, racism, police brutality, indigenous struggles, and more. Newsreal is a longstanding collaboration between the Independent Media Center and Free Speech TV, and is shown on Free Speech TV every first Thursday at 5pm PST. Read More about how you can participate | View July 2008 Indymedia Newsreal
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2004 RNC protest videotapes subpoenaed by NYC government
I-Witness Video, which documented the police at the 2004 Republican National Convention in association with the National Lawyers Guild, has received two subpoenas from the City of New York in connection with civil lawsuits related to the RNC arrests. The subpoenas are so broad that we believe the City's true motivation is not defending themselves from lawsuits about false arrests, but rather intelligence-gathering. We have moved to quash the subpoenas and are fighting their demand to turn over the names of individual videographers. Read More | I-Witness
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Don White Presente ? La Lucha Sigue
LOS ANGELES, June 23, 2008 - The Los Angeles activist community is morning the sudden passing of long time local human rights activist, Don White. Don was discovered dead in his apartment by friends this Saturday. The cause of his death is unknown at this time. Public memorial services have not been arranged as of yet but it is anticipated that services will be held sometime in the coming days. Don White was the director of CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador) and for many years active in the local Salvadoran community. Report from the newswire: BREAKING: Local Activist Don White Found Dead
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Philadelphia Activists Still Homeless After Arrests and Seizure of Home
On June 13, 2008, police entered a home in North Philadelphia without warrant and arrested its four residents, whose recent community activities included petitioning against police brutality and new police surveillance cameras in their community. One of the arrestees, Jen Rock recounts that police "said they were responding to a complaint about 'trespassing in an abandoned building'. We have lived in our home for almost 4 years." Read Report Local writer Jeff Rousset summarizes the weeks events and argues that these recent incidents further reveal "the consistent dedication of the Philadelphia Police Department to squash dissent by any means necessary." Read Report Past coverage from PhillyIMC and The Defenestrator.
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Anti-I69 Tree Sit Evicted, Police Recklessly Pull Protestors from Tree Tops
June 20th 7am, Evansville Indiana -- In the early morning hours of June 20th, around 25 police officers from the Indiana State Police (ISP), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Gibson County Sheriff's office descended on the scene of the anti-I69 tree sit, just south of State Road 68 in southern Gibson County (20 miles north of Evansville). Read More | Previous IMC-US Feature | stopi69.wordpress.com
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Briana Waters Sentenced
Briana Waters was sentenced to six years in prison and three years probation. She did receive the terrorism enhancement. The judge recommended her to Dublin. Judge denied appeal bond and also the ability to self surrender.
Judge Burgess commented on the over 250 letters he received on Briana's behalf. Neil Fox, Ms. Waters' attorney, argued that the average of both Washington and Oregon cases was one and a half years per arson. Mr. Fox argued for five years with serving one and half suspending three and a half. The prosecution argued for ten years.
Briana Waters spoke eloquently today on her behalf. There were a dozen supporters in the court room.
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Wedding Bells are Ringing in California
CALIFORNIA, June 18, 2008 ? Hundreds of marriages of same sex couples took place yesterday as the state of California officially ended marriage discrimination based on gender. In San Francisco crowds cheered as newlywed couples exited the steps of City Hall. Couples in Oakland were married by elected officials including the Mayor of Oakland, Ron Dellums, Oakland City Councilperson, Jean Quan and Congresswoman Barbara Lee. In Fresno over 100 gay and lesbian couples waited in line outside the county court house to either marry or to get their marriage license. And from Southern California there is video of marriage ceremonies in Santa Ana. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, more weddings are expected this Summer. In West Hollywood civil ceremonies will be conducted in a day long marathon in the park on Saturday. Although legally married now the future legal status of these marriages may be threatened. There is concern about a proposition on the ballot this November that would ban gay marriage. But for today people are celebrating and wedding bells are ringing throughout the state.
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Rebel Diaz Arrested! Hip Hop youth activists assaulted by NYPD
Looks like the NYPD are living up to their reputation of being bonafide 'dipshits'. We are just getting word that NYC Police located in what was once known as Fort Apache-the 41st Precint in the Bronx, have shown that police terrorism is alive and well. The word is in a unprovoked attack they badly assaulted two members of the Rap group Rebel Diaz.
The story we are hearing is that group Rodstarz and G1 were up in Bronx on Southern Blvd in Hunts Point, when they noticed the police were harassing a street vendor who was selling fruit. The two went over to witness the cops in action and when they saw the police being abusive they pulled out a cell phone to video tape the incident and asked for the officers badge numbers... Read More | 6/25 UPDATE: Police Conduct warrantless raid on Gonzalo Venegas (aka G1)'s apartment
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Juneteenth National Freedom Celebration in Philadelphia
The PA Juneteenth National Freedom Celebration takes place the dates of June 13th 2008 to June 22nd 2008. In tribute to and commemoration of Juneteenth, the oldest African-American celebrated holiday in the United States. Over 30 Philadelphia community organizations will host programs in the City of Philadelphia related to the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, Freedom, and Juneteenth.
"But, if this part of our history could be told in such a way that those chains of the past, those shackles that physically bound us together against our wills could, in the telling, become spiritual links that willingly bind us together now and into the future - then that painful Middle Passage could become, ironically, a positive connecting line to all of us whether living inside or outside the continent of Africa..." Read Full Report by Bob Shipman and Ron Brown | pennsylvaniajuneteenth.com | Related: KBCS's reporting from Seattle's Juneteenth Celebration
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Activist Being Held at Northwest ICE Detention Center in Tacoma
"Jonah" Larrama, a traveler who spends most of his time in SF and NY, is being held at the Northwest ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. He is known locally from Food Not Bombs, Homes Not Jails, and various tenants' rights, homeless rights, bike rights and animal rights activities among other things. He was arrested at the end of May for trespassing to watch the sunset from a roof of a building in Seattle and spent some time in county jail. An ICE raid took place at the jail and he was transported to the Northwest Detention Center because his citizenship status is in question.
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Congress Hotel Strike Marks Fifth Anniversary
Hundreds of people from Chicago labor unions, social justice groups, and religious communities all gathered in front of the Congress Hotel in downtown Chicago on June 12, 2008. They expressed their solidarity with UNITE HERE Local 1, the labor union local which marked the fifth anniversary of their strike against hotel owners who froze employee wages and cut employee benefits.
The strike, which began on Father's Day 2003, stands as the longest-active labor strike in America. Coverage: Press Release | Video Dispatch | | | Additional Resources: Congress Hotel Strike website | Progress Illinois Coverage
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Worcester Residents Join New England Transpride Rally
On Saturday, June 7th, local transgender rights organizers joined others from across New England for the First New England Transgender Pride March, which was held in Northampton, MA.
"Remember Stonewall?" That was us!" stood as the march and rally's theme. Bet Power, Director Sexual Minorities Archives in Northampton, and a event steering committee member highlighted that history, "A transgender woman, Sylvia Rivera threw a bottle at a cop in 1969 after being prodded by his nightstick, and the whole world changed. Her's . . . Sylvia's, was the first act of resistance at the Stonewall Inn, sparking several nights of riots that started Gay pride."
Event participants focused on statewide efforts to pass House Bill 1722, which seeks to end gender-based discrimination and hate crimes. Additionally, Worcester organizers announced plans to hold a July fundraiser for the Worcester's Transgender Emergency Fund. Read More & Video | Earlier: FAE-RYLAND ~ the Transgender Journey
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US Supreme Court Affirms Rights of Foreign Detainees
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay have rights under the Constitution to challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts. The decision comes after years of efforts by legal workers and human rights activists to expose the extreme violations of human and civil rights taking place there.
From ACLU Blog of Rights: In a stunning blow to the Bush Administration in its war-on-terrorism policies, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that foreign nationals held at Guantánamo Bay have a right to pursue habeas challenges to their detention. The Court, dividing 5-4, ruled that Congress had not validly taken away habeas rights. Read Full Entry
From the Newswire: The "not so good" part of the news from the Opposition is that the US Government is looking for other options to avoid the law in order to continue its illegal detainment and torture of the prisoners at Guantanamo. The Court has already ruled twice previously, that people held at Guantanamo without charges have a right to go into civilian Courts to ask that the government justify their continued detention. Each time, the Administration and US Congress have changed the law to try to prevent the prisoners and their lawyers from reaching the Courts. Read Full Report
More: Roundup of Past Coverage from NYC-IMC | Statement by Center for Constitutional Rights
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