An animated Norm Siegel (center), flanked by Michael Meyers (left) and State Senator Eric Adams (right)
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

NEW YORK — Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s recent announcement that he plans to seek a third term - and wants the City Council to change the law to make this possible - is stirring up controversy. Bloomberg has argued that New York needs him to navigate the City through the current financial crisis. Not everyone agrees.

On Sunday, two separate press conferences were held on the steps of City Hall to take up this issue.

At noon, City Council member David Weprin of Queens held a press conference opposing any legislative changes to term limits. Speakers at the conference included Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, former Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, attorney Gene Russianoff from NYPIRG and Council Members Bill de Blasio, John Liu, Eric Gioia and Charles Barron. The diverse group was united in their opposition to legislating any change that would negate two previous referenda in which the people of New York voted in favor of maintaining term limits.

After some council members stated that Mayor Bloomberg wasn’t the issue - the issue is one of process - Charles Barron disagreed.

“It is about Mayor Bloomberg. This is the worst attempt at a power grab — and changing the democracy into an oligarchy. It is Mayor Bloomberg and the rich on Wall Street who got us in this mess in the first place,” said Barron. “The people spoke in ‘93 and ‘96, said they wanted us eight and out,” he added.

Charles Barron (left) with NLN intern Nathaniel
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Barron proposed a different type of leadership for Bloomberg.

“Mayor Bloomberg came into this office worth 5 billion dollars, 65th on Forbe’s list. He is now eighth on the list and is worth twenty billion dollars. Well, Mayor why don’t you do what your buddy Warren Buffet did … Mayor give the City one of your twenty billion and stop coming to us with cuts, and bail out the poor and stop this power grab, this defiance of democracy, it’s a disgrace, it’s an insult to our city,” he said.

A second conference was held later in the day.

Shortly after two o’clock, civil rights attorney Norman Siegel, State Senator Eric Adams, City Council member Letitia James, City Council candidate Debi Rose and NY Civil Rights Coalition Director Michael Meyers joined with many other New Yorkers - individuals and group representatives - in condemning the Mayor’s “power grab”. The large, extroardinarily diverse, group filled the steps of City Hall and the press conference went on well into the afternoon. Speaker after speaker demanded that “the will of the people”, as expressed in the 1993 and 1996 referenda, be respected.

“The people of New York have spoken in favor of term limits … not once but twice,” said Norman Siegel. Commenting on the Mayor’s plan to overturn term limits by legislative mean Siegel said: “You need a public referendum to overrule a public referendum.”

“It’s over,” said Eric Adams, addressing Bloomberg — who was in Europe at the time. “Don’t become a political punch drunk boxer that believes he’s the only that can bring home the crown. New York is filled with competent individuals.”

Eric Adams (left) discusses Bloomberg’s “Napoleonic act”
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

“It was men like Bloomberg and Wall Street billionaires that got us in this mess,” Adams told the crowd. “The same individuals we bailed out are now saying they’re going to get us out — don’t believe the hype, nothing could be more insincere,” he added.

“Shame on the editorial pages of this city. Shame on you,” Adams said, chastising the corporate media as he spoke directly to the assembled press corps.

Returning to his central theme, Adams said that “Mayor Bloomberg cannot duplicate the Napoleonic act of crowning himself as king of New York.”

View Photos/Videos From The Conferences…

Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs

From Support Bill Ayers:

Responding to the McCarthyite smear campaign targeting Barack Obama — and Bill — Chicago’s Mayor Daley said, “I also know Bill Ayers. He worked with me in shaping our now nationally-renowned school reform program. He is a nationally-recognized distinguished professor of education at the University of Illinois/Chicago and a valued member of the Chicago community.” [1]

Because Bill is a gentle soul, a teacher and an inspiration to all of us who know him, I was honored to sign the statement of support. I hope you’ll join me.
Please visit www.supportbillayers.org and sign the statement.

Thank you - See You In the Streets,
Thomas Good, Editor, Next Left Notes

Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs

NEW YORK — On Thursday members of the New York City local of the War Resisters League protested the return of the U.S.S. Intrepid, a World War Two era aircraft carrier, to Manhattan . The Intrepid had been docked in Staten Island for the last two years as it underwent refurbishing. Permanently based on the Hudson River, adjacent to Manhattan’s West Side Highway, the ship is used as a museum - one that glorifies war according to the WRL. Ironically, the warship, propelled by tugs, returned to Manhattan on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. The War Resisters League carried signs referring to the coincidence as a “sad tribute”.

View Photos/Videos From The Protest…

NLN Video

Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs

NEW YORK — The downtown area was on fire Thursday. At lunchtime over 2,000 workers from various unions protested the Bush plan to bail out Wall Street, after making bad investments for the last 5 years.

Hard hats, transit workers, machinists, teachers and other labor unionists railed against the U.S. government’s proposed bailout of Wall Street on Thursday in a protest steps from the New York Stock Exchange.
Several hundred protesters yelled their enthusiastic support as union leaders decried a proposed $700 billion plan aimed at reinvigorating the credit markets by relieving financial institutions of distressed debt.

“The Bush administration wants us to pay the freight for a Wall Street bailout that does not even begin to address the roots of our crisis,” said AFL-CIO National President John Sweeney.

“We want our tax dollars used to provide a hand up for the millions of working people who live on Main Street and not a handout to a privileged band of overpaid executives.”

On the steps of Federal Hall
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Signs read “No Blank Checks For Wall Street” and “Our Hard-Earned Pensions Are Not Up For Grabs.” Protesters cheered repeated calls for the government to spend money on education, health care and housing as freely and readily as it was proposing to do for Wall Street.

“We know that the economic situation has to be solved. But we want a responsible rescue, not an opportunistic bailout,” said United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.

“And that means, just like every single boss says to me, that there should be accountability for the teachers, then there should be accountability for Wall Street,” he said.

“The bailout is a sellout unless it includes the victims of the tyranny,” civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson told reporters after the rally. “The homeowners need long-term, low interest rate loans and the restructuring of loans, not the repossession of homes.” “This is a Roosevelt moment,” Jackson said, referring to former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s program to lift the United States out of the Great Depression. “It’s time for reconstruction of manufacturing law, trade law and banking transparency.”

On the steps of Federal Hall
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

After Wall Street faced the wrath of unions, the streets filled again at 4 PM with other concerned citizens who piled up their “junk” at the famous “Bull” at the foot of Broadway. Over 1,000 people, ranging from children to students and working people, showed up and showed their anger. From the rally at the “Bull” people took to the streets to march up to Wall Street where workers were exiting the buildings. The chants ranged from “You Broke it you bought it!” to “No Bailout for Wall Street,” and some others that signified how angry the crowd really was. One sign read “Jump, f**ckers!”

Students were outraged that they soon they would have to pay more for college tuition since CUNY is now threatening to raise fees, are steeped in college loans, and trying to work to just get buy. New Yorkers who are just working class stiffs showed up to let the I-bankers know that since they had to work hard just to buy food, they wouldn’t agree to bailing out anyone.

On the steps of Federal Hall
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Protesters took over the steps across the street from the New York Stock Exchange enraged over what this government is planning to do with a $700 billion buyout package, no strings attached. One young man was yelling the entire time as we marched screaming that he “had had enough of Bush and the rich” in this Country, and that “they need to go down!”

Bush and Treasury Secretary Paulson are trying to ram the “no strings attached $700 billion” proposal down the throats of hard working people in this Country, who have had just about enough of being told what’s good for them.

It was inspiring to see the crowds and hope that Washington is paying attention because this could just be the beginning of the awakening of the masses.

View Photos/Videos From The Action…

Original post by Elaine Brower and reposted by Radical Blogs

AUSTIN, Texas — Demonstrators protested the continuing occupation of Iraq gathered on Friday, September 19 at Dobie Mall adjacent to the campus of The University of Texas at Austin.

Dobie Mall houses a military recruitment center and has been the site of anti-war protests in the past.

The demonstrators represented MDS/Austin, CodePink and the Campus Antiwar Movement to End the Occupations (CAMEO). The action was part of the Iraq Moratorium, a monthly event during which activities in opposition the Iraq war take place throughout the country.

Original post by Thorne Dreyer and reposted by Radical Blogs

17-year-old Keith Smith - Before His Arrest
(Photo: Paul Demko / Minnesota Independent)

The 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota produced over 800 arrests and numerous complaints of police misconduct: pre-emptive raids, mass arrests, targeting of journalists and police brutality - including violence directed against arrestees held in the Ramsey County jail. It was a smaller, but much more violent version of the 2004 RNC held in New York City. By the end of the convention, eight protest organizers had been charged with “conspiracy to commit riot in the second degree in furtherance of terrorism” - the first to be charged under Minnesota’s version of the Patriot Act. {1} Elected officials in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are pleased the convention is over but for those who protested, and those who reported on the protests, lingering questions remain about police conduct during the RNC. This “Twin Study” is an attempt to put the police behavior in a meaningful context - and to underscore the need to examine that behavior publicly.

Keith Smith - After His Arrest
(Photo: Minnesota Independent)

THINK FEDERALLY, ACT LOCALLY

Recent political conventions have been declared “National Special Security Events” by the Department of Homeland Security. {2} An NSSE designation generally means that security becomes the responsibility of an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) - a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security components (Coast Guard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Secret Service) and state and local law enforcement. JTTFs typically conduct surveillance and interrogations of individuals the FBI suspects of being linked to “domestic terrorism” - which includes protest activity.

Replicating what they had done in 2004, the FBI and its JTTFs increased activity a year prior to the 2008 RNC, surveiling and interviewing peace activists - and recruiting paid informants who were asked to infiltrate antiwar organizations. {3}

IN EVERY DREAM HOME, A HEARTACHE

In 2002, the Justice Department removed regulations put in place after the Church Commission hearings in the 1970s, which exposed evidence of politically motivated spying and obstruction of first amendments rights by the FBI’s COINTELPRO division. {4} Civil rights advocates worry that unregulated JTTF actions may constitute violations of the First Amendment, pointing to a number of questionable police practices that have emerged in the years since the 9-11 attacks.

FROM THE TWIN TOWERS TO THE TWIN CITIES

In Philadelphia in 2000, undercover state troopers posed as activists during the Republican National Convention protests, infiltrating street demonstrations and engaging in illegal activity - acting as provocateurs. {5}

In 2003 a Miami Herald reporter, covering the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) protests, reported that “a judge presiding over the cases of free trade protesters said in court that he saw ‘no less than 20 felonies committed by police officers’ during the November demonstrations.”{6}

The “Miami Model” described by the judge - the police response to the FTAA protests - established a standard procedure for police covering the Republican National Convention in New York City in 2004: surveillance, provocateurs, pre-emptive mass arrests, and extended detentions. And despite the fact that NYPD misconduct prompted several lawsuits - and several victories for protesters - the NYPD consulted with authorities planning security for the 2008 RNC in St. Paul. {7}

THE BRIBE STRIPPED BARE

St. Paul received a $50 million “security grant” from the Department of Justice. While there were restrictions on how the cash could be spent, it did allow for equipment procurement and what former Minneapolis police chief Tony Bouza called an “orgy of overtime”. {8} 3000 police officers from other jurisdictions were brought in to the Twin Cities.

In addition, St. Paul signed a deal whereby the city’s first $10 million in payouts to litigants for civil rights violations would be paid by the Republican Party Host Committee. This allowed the 600 local police and 3000 per diem police to engage in aggressive tactics while working the RNC, creating a crowd control force that functioned more like Blackwater mercenaries than a legitimate law enforcement entity.

THE MOCKINGBIRD MEDIA AND ‘KINKOS JOURNALISTS’

Importing a tactic from the Iraq War, the St. Paul police offered local corporate media a deal: journalists who signed a liabilty waiver were allowed to “ride along”, i.e. be embedded, with the police - after agreeing to not run any stories about police tactics until after the convention. The controversial “ride along” and “embargo” agreement allowed Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) reporter Tim Nelson access to the front lines of the conflict between police and protesters. Unlike many of his colleagues, Nelson was not tear gassed, arrested or beaten. Shortly after this came to light, MPR columnist Bob Collins wrote several pieces about police and their treatment of journalists. Collins argued that it was difficult for police to discern “real” journalists from the “posers” or “kinkos journalists” {9} - and this may have led to journalists being swept up in mass arrests. Collins’ animosity towards citizen journalists, and sympathy for law enforcement, served the police department very well - one reader left a comment on a Collins’ piece stating that, “If I were a bonafide journalist, it would piss me off beyond a bushel of kidney stones that protesters would pose as one of us.”.{10}

Trauma nurse Michael Cavlan worked as a street medic during the 2008 RNC and witnessed a number of confrontations between police and journalists. When asked about (St. Paul) Police Chief John Harrington’s comment that it was very difficult to determine who was a journalist and who was a protester, Cavlan told NLN that, “Chief Harrington is a liar”. Cavlan went on to say that he witnessed a police undercover, with press credentials, “masquerading as a journalist” in order to videotape protesters. {11}

When her staff members were arrested on “suspicion of rioting” on September 1, Democracy Now anchor Amy Goodman approached police officers to verify her crew’s credentials. She was arrested and a Secret Service agent confiscated her convention credentials. {12} This act outraged other journalists - and their readers. On September 2 - day two of the convention - a number of media representatives delivered a petition with 50,000 signatures to St. Paul’s Mayor Coleman demanding that he drop all charges against any journalists arrested during the RNC, many of whom were initially charged with felonies including the vague “suspicion of rioting”. {13}

Neither the 2003 FTAA protests or the 2004 RNC involved the targeting of independent journalists or the bargaining with corporate media to the extent seen in St. Paul - this represents an significant expansion of the Miami Model. Protesters did not fare much better. Police actions against activists began three days before the convention started.

Sign the petition calling for an investigation…

(more̷

Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was arrested in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota yesterday at approximately 5 p.m. local time. Police manhandled Goodman, yanking her arm, as they arrested her. Video of her arrest is available on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ

Goodman was arrested while attempting to free two Democracy Now! producers who were being detained. They are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Kouddous and Salazar were arrested while covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were being arrested on suspicion of rioting. They are currently being held at the Ramsey County jail in St. Paul.

Democracy Now! is asking all journalists and concerned citizens to call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar. Calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman’s office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350, extension 0.

Democracy Now! has condemned this action by Twin Cities law enforcement as a, “clear violation of the freedom of the press and the First Amendment rights of these journalists.”

During the demonstration in which they were arrested law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force. Several dozen others were also arrested.

Amy Goodman is a well-known and respected journalist in the U.S. Democracy Now! has characterized the arrest as, “a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists from the nation’s leading independent news outlet.”

In 2004, the New York Police Department, acting under orders from NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg, arrested 1800 individuals during the RNC. Many were held for extended periods at the infamous “Guantanamo on the Hudson”, Pier 57. Several lawsuits resulted - alleging police misconduct and illegal conditions of confinement. New York City has already paid out several million dollars in settlements. Litigation is ongoing.

The targeted harassment of journalists, legal observers and first amendment activists by police covering the Republican National Convention has apparently become standard operating procedure.

[NLN editor Thomas Good is an alumnus of Pier 57]

Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs

DENVER, Colo. — Starting on Sunday, August 24, 2008, over 700 people gathered in front of the Capitol Building in Denver to kickoff the weeklong events protesting the democratic national convention, as well as the oppression of the militaristic environment those of us who choose freedom of speech have been denied.

At 9 AM the rally began with a lineup of motivational speakers, high up on the Capitol steps. The rally was called by Recreate 68, mostly comprised of local anti-war groups and residents of Colorado. The protesters heard speeches from Cindy Sheehan, Fred Hampton Jr., Ron Kovic, Vietnam vet and author of “Born on the Fourth of July”, Ward Churchill, Larry Hales, Cynthia McKinney, Larry Holmes, and others, and were roused by a performance by performance by Dead Prez.

Ron Kovic in Denver
(Photo: Elaine Brower / NLN)

Ron Kovic, Vietnam Veteran and author “Born on the fourth of July,” Cindy Sheehan, Peace Mom and Congressional Candidate in San Francisco, Cynthia Mckinney, Green Party Presidential Candidate, Fred Hampton, Jr., son of the former Black Panther, Larry Holmes, Troops Out Now Coalition, and were roused by the music of Dead Prez.

The scene in front of the building, although not a replica of Chicago in 1968 where thousands protested and were beat up by the police, was alive and energized with people from all walks of life, from locations all over the Country, and ranged from age 2 to 72. It had it’s own vitality and beat, which set the stage for the day of spirited marches and moments of confrontation.

The March to the Pepsi Center

At about 11 AM everyone stepped off and got into the streets determined to march directly to the Pepsi Center, about a mile away. The Denver Police would not grant a permit to R68 to get as far as the Pepsi Center, where the convention delegates and press were. Instead, they were determined to force protesters into the “Freedom Cage” constructed for “freedom of speech.” The Cage was far enough away from where the delegates were to keep them from actually seeing or hearing the demands being made by the people to stop the wars, end oppression, end torture, and give us our constitution back!

But the activists involved in the march were not going to accept the herding into the Cage. The numbers swelled to over 1,000 as the march progressed. The street was filled with protesters from curb to curb. The march was led by anti-war Vietnam Veteran Ron Kovic, in his wheelchair and joining the chants calling for shutting down Guantanamo to Troops home now. The crowd was so alive and determined it was something that couldn’t be ignored.

Meanwhile, the Denver police, seen earlier with their new troops transport trucks which allow them to ride on the outside dressed in full battle gear carrying machine guns, and police and bicycles carrying cuffs, batons, mace, and sidearms, all followed and surrounded the march. The police were ignored and the marchers were loud and defiant taking time to chant “5, 4, 3, 2, 1″ and some would drop to the streets in a mock-die in, and the chant would resume “Rise UP! Rise UP! For the people of the World are Watching!”

Heading for the Pepsi Center, the police stopped the front line contingent at a spot to direct them into the cage. One of the R68 organizers told the police we were marching directly to the Pepsi Center under our First Amendment Rights. After a conversation, the police broke the line of blue barricade, and let it go. The crowd felt the palpable victory just won, and became more determined to have their voices heard throughout the City.

The media was in abundance, marching and filming the entire time. As you looked up and down the street you could see wall to wall activists, which included some delegates, noticible by their badges and buttons; anarchists, peace activists, pro-choice activists, former soldiers, mothers, fathers and their kids. It was actually breathtaking, and the press knew it.

Fred Hampton Junior (left) in Denver
(Photo: Elaine Brower / NLN)

Even though it had not been exactly a recreation of the Chicago march, it had a new and better life of it’s own.

Once the march stopped at the gates of the Pepsi Center, where the repressivwe forces were waiting, machine guns in hand, Ron Kovic told everyone to sit down, and show determined defiance of the police state. Hundreds did, right in front of the gates, and it remained that way for about 15 minutes. He gave a rousing speech, and activists were chanting and yelling. Rising, the protesters remained directly in front of the Center, demanding they be heard. The standoff with 1,000 protesters and the police became a very tense situation, and both sides were ready for whatever would happen next.

After about 30 minutes of intense eye contact and angry shouts, delegates needing to get inside started mixing in with the protesters showing their badges to get inside, which they couldn’t. The sun beat down, and the heat from the street was extreme. They held their ground, and won the struggle by having their presence felt and known to those inside the DNC, who were flooding out to take pictures, and those who were trying to get inside.

The marchers walked off, slowly in the direction that was not permitted, and kept marching all the way back to the Capitol.

Abbie Hoffman, who was an extreme activist in 1968, would have been proud! He always said you win if they loose and everyone goes home to fight another day!

View Photos/Videos From The Action…

Original post by Elaine Brower and reposted by Radical Blogs

NEW YORK — In November of 2006, City Council member Melissa Mark Viverito spoke out against police commissioner Ray Kelly’s parade permitting rules. Mark Viverito felt the rules would violate the civil rights of activists. Ironically, on Sunday she faced a large contigent of protesters - permits in hand - at her own front door. Calling Viverito a “serpent” and a “sellout”, members of Movement for Justice in El Barrio visited her luxury townhouse to express their outrage with her support of the 125th Street rezoning plan. To many of the protesters Mark Viverito seemed to personify the gentrification going on in Harlem.

According to her website, “Melissa Mark Viverito made history in November 2005 by becoming the first Puerto Rican woman elected to serve District 8 on the City Council” in 2005. District 8 includes Manhattan Valley, East Harlem, and part of Mott Haven in the Bronx.

Council Member Mark Viverito was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She worked for 1199 SEIU in New York City before being elected to the City Council. Her campaign promised greater transparency in city government. But by 2008, Mark Viverito and her constituency were estranged. On April 30th, Viverito and 41 other City Council members approved a controversial rezoning plan that will bring condominiums and 21 story skyscrapers to Harlem’s historic 125th Street. Only two members of the council, Charles Barron and Tony Avella, voted against the plan. Speaker Christine Quinn called in police to remove protesters from the council chambers when tempers flared in response to the vote. The vote was seen as a victory for real estate developers and was supported by Mayor Bloomberg.

Standing against the gentrification of East Harlem is a grassroots organization called Movimiento por Justicia del Barrio (Movement for Justice in El Barrio). MJB is a self described organization of “immigrants and low-income people of color” who have made their views known and presence felt.

In an effort to avoid being displaced from their neighborhood, members of MJB have filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against property investment giant Dawnay Day Group. The London based firm has a stated goal of increasing the rent sharply in its 47 Harlem properties. MJB alleges that Dawnay Day Group has conducted a campaign of neglect and tenant harrassment in an attempt to force the current residents out so that it may raise the rent. In its suit MJB argues that Dawnay Day has charged current residents “thousands of dollars in false fees” as part of its efforts to drive out low income residents.

In the battle for the soul of East Harlem, Movement for Justice in El Barrio has kept up the pressure on Dawnay Day Group and those politicians, including Mark Viverito, who vote against the interests of their poorer constituents. Complementing its lawsuit and a well run media campaign, MJB has taken to the streets to get their message out.

On Sunday a large contingent of MJB and its supporters rallied at 116th Street and Lexington Avenue - not far from Mark Viverito’s office. The rally was the first stop in what MJB called a “March for Dignity and against Displacement.”

The second stop was the home of City Council member Melissa Mark Viverito.

Carrying signs that said, “Harlem no se vende” (Harlem is not for sale), “We will not be moved” and “El Barrio will not be sold”, the protesters marched down Third Avenue to Viverito’s home. Mothers, fathers and young children held vigil outside the townhouse as activists spoke out against Viverito’s support of gentrification. Protesters spoke through a makeshift bullhorn - a rolled up sign - pointing out that, in addition to voting for the rezoning of 125th Street, Mark Vierito also voted for the Columbia University expansion into West Harlem. The announcement was met with jeers and boos.

The final stop of the protest was the Vertical City realty office on Third Avenue and 99th Street. Here protesters spoke out against the ongoing gentrification of their neighborhood - Vertical City rents Dawnay Day Group’s East Harlem properties. Several speakers vowed to defeat those who would gentrify Harlem as other demonstraters held signs that said, “estamos en la lucha” - we are in a struggle.

(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

View Photos/Videos From The Action…

NLN Video

Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs

NEW YORK – On Sunday, August 17, 2008, a press conference was held to announce the joint cooperation of State Senators Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn, 20th Dist.) and Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan, 30th Dist.), to introduce in the upcoming January 2009 State Legislative session, a resolution to stop the federalization of the New York State National Guard.

The two Senators joined with Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace and Peace Action New York State in front of the Times Square Military Recruiting Center on W. 43rd Street and Broadway to declare “We will call on Gov. David Paterson to use his authority to challenge calls from the federal government to use the New York National Guard for service in Iraq.”

Outside the Recruiting Station in Times Square Senator Adams said “The Governor has the power to decide if our National Guard troops are to be used on a federal level.” “Our resolution will call on him to do just that.”

Started in Vermont by a local state legislator Representative Fisher of Lincoln, working directly with attorneys from The Liberty Tree Foundation for Democracy, the campaign picked up nationally. The campaign is based upon the legal authority that the “2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force” or (AUMF) issued by Congress, based on UN resolutions, has expired. The conditions set forth in this AUMF stipulated that (1) “Iraq poses an imminent threat to the security of the United States by having weapons of mass destruction; and, (2) “Saddam Hussein poses an imminent threat to the security of the United States and its allies.” These conditions have been met, there is no “national emergency” allowing the use of our state militia any longer, so therefore it should cease and desist.

Not only does the federalization of any state’s National Guard units pose a security risk to that particular state since they cannot respond to a natural disaster or other situation where they are required as by law, but the equipment taken to Iraq, never returns. Each State is required to spend millions of dollars to replace necessary armaments to protect its citizens. Currently, New York State is facing a grave fiscal crisis and budget deficit.

State Senator Bill Perkins looks on as war resister Matthis Chiroux speaks out.
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Participating national organizations include: AfterDowningStreet.org, Cities for Peace, CODEPINK, Courage to Resist, LIBERTY TREE Foundation for the Democratic Revolution, Military Families Speak Out, Peace Action, U.S. Labor Against the War, Women Legislator’s Lobby, Women’s Action for New Directions, and more.

Participating state campaigns: New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, CA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NH, RI, VT, and others. For more information, please see www.nysavetheguard.com and www.bringtheguardhome.org.

View Photos/Videos From The Action…

Original post by Elaine Brower and reposted by Radical Blogs

NEW YORK – On Wednesday, August 6th, commemorating the 63rd year of the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima, the World Can’t Wait called together a group of New York activists to demand “No Attack on Iran!” at the Whitehall Street Ferry Terminal in downtown Manhattan. Knowing that this administration, as well as both presidential candidates have declared that “no options are off the table, including a nuclear strike” on Iran, about 60 people gathered outside the terminal at 5:00 PM to get ready to “freeze” inside at 5:30 PM.

Like the two others before it, this “freeze” action message focused on informing commuters about the current aggression which could lead to a strike on Iran. The unifying message “No Attack on Iran!” was displayed on t-shirts, banners, posters and messages affixed to clothing.

This 3rd action was set to the backdrop of a more conservative crowd, or at least that is what we thought. Staten Island has been portrayed as the most conservative borough in the City, and the audience we targeted could prove to be a tough bunch.

Heading up the escalators, activists picked a spot to stand in, and when the signal was given, the sound of a “lunchroom” whistle, compliments of a member of World Can’t Wait, everyone froze in position for 5 minutes. Police remained totally unfazed by the action, although they were warned ahead of time and expected us.

(Photo: Donyal Svilar / NLN)

Commuters, on the other hand, were surprised, and honestly did not know what to make of these people who were not rushing to catch the next ferryboat home. Some shouted supporting our message, some took fliers that were held in frozen hands, others stopped to take pictures, but none were confrontational.

Some people in the group participating in the action were members of Peace Action of Staten Island and Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS) of Staten Island, about 8 residents of the borough. We were very surprised by the positive reactions we received, and stunned that the police did not even wander over to watch!

At 5:35 PM, once again upon our signal, all started chanting “NO ATTACK ON IRAN!” to the commuters who were then boarding the ferry. The terminal resonated with the chanting, and it continued until the boat loaded, and we were left standing relatively alone. Everyone cheered and applauded, felt uplifted by the small event, and hope to do it again soon!

View Photos/Videos From The Action…

Original post by Elaine Brower and reposted by Radical Blogs

RAMALLAH, West Bank — 23 demonstrators were arrested yesterday as they protested in front of the house of Colonel Aviv Reshef, commander of the Israeli army regiment stationed in the Ni’ilin region. Reshef resides in Zichron Yaakov, in Israel’s Haifa district.

The demonstrators were arrested while protesting the shooting of two minors in Ni’ilin last week. The two – Ahmed Mousa, 10-years-old, and Youssef Amireh, 17-years-old, were shot and killed by the Israeli border police. The shooting of Mousa is being investigated by the Israeli Police Internal Affairs Bureau and the Israeli Defense Force.

The demonstrators, who were standing on the sidewalk at the time of their arrest, were beaten and detained. Police continued beating some of the demonstrators after they were detained. Witnesses report that the beatings continued inside the police vehicles.

The 23 will remain in custody for the night and will appear before a judge today.

Ten year old Ahmed Mousa was killed by a border policeman in Ni’ilin on Tuesday, July 29th. He was shot in the forehead from a short distance, while on his family’s land — posing no threat to security forces.

On Wednesday, July 30th, only hours after Mousa was buried, Youssef Amireh was shot in the head by a border policeman sitting inside an armored jeep. He was shot as he stood in a yard in his own village. Amireh was not involved in the ongoing clashes between Israeli security forces and local residents. Two rubber coated bullets, shot from a distance of ten meters, struck Amireh in the head, leaving him clinically dead. After five days in a vegetative state, Amireh died from his wounds.

Amireh was buried on 4 August. The funeral procession can be seen on YouTube.

Amireh is the twelfth Palestinian and seventh minor to be killed protesting the wall; thousands of others have been wounded, many seriously. From its inception, the popular struggle has met with severe military violence, despite its civilian and unarmed nature.

Anarchists Against the Wall said that, “in a place where an army allows itself to kill unarmed demonstrators day after day, we are not surprised that demonstrators protesting this acts are beaten up and arrested. Reshef is directly and morally responsible for the murders in Ni’ilin, and we will continue to demand his accountability, as well as continue to stand together with the people of Ni’ilin”.

Oren Ziv and Bill Templer contributed to this article

View Photos/Videos From The Protest…

Original post by Next Left Notes and reposted by Radical Blogs

RAMALLAH, West Bank — 23 demonstrators were arrested yesterday as they protested in front of the house of Colonel Aviv Reshef, commander of the Israeli army regiment stationed in the Ni’ilin region.

The demonstrators were arrested while protesting the shooting of two minors in Ni’ilin last week. The two – Ahmed Mousa, 10-years-old, and Youssef Amireh, 17-years-old, were shot and killed by the Israeli border police. The shooting of Mousa is being investigated by the Israeli Police Interanal Affairs Bureau and the Israeli Defense Force.

The demonstrators, who were standing on the sidewalk at the time of their arrest, were beaten and detained. Police continued beating some of the demonstrators after they were detained. Witnesses report that the beatings continued inside the police vehicles.

The 23 will remain in custody for the night and will appear before a judge today.

Ten year old Ahmed Mousa was killed by a border policeman in Ni’ilin on Tuesday, July 29th. He was shot in the forehead from a short distance, while on his family’s land — posing no threat to security forces.

On Wednesday, July 30th, only hours after Mousa was buried, Youssef Amireh was shot in the head by a border policeman sitting inside an armored jeep. He was shot as he stood in a yard in his own village. Amireh was not involved in the ongoing clashes between Israeli security forces and local residents. Two rubber coated bullets, shot from a distance of ten meters, struck Amireh in the head, leaving him clinically dead. After five days in a vegetative state, Amireh died from his wounds.

Amireh was buried on 4 August. The funeral procession can be seen on YouTube.

Amireh is the twelfth Palestinian and seventh minor to be killed protesting the wall; thousands of others have been wounded, many seriously. From its inception, the popular struggle has met with severe military violence, despite its civilian and unarmed nature.

Anarchists Against the Wall said that, “in a place where an army allows itself to kill unarmed demonstrators day after day, we are not surprised that demonstrators protesting this acts are beaten up and arrested. Reshef is directly and morally responsible for the murders in Ni’ilin, and we will continue to demand his accountability, as well as continue to stand together with the people of Ni’ilin”.

Oren Ziv and Bill Templer contributed to this article

View Photos/Videos From The Protest…

Original post by Next Left Notes and reposted by Radical Blogs

NEW YORK — Although pouring rain diminished the expected turnout yesterday, a number of activists heeded the call to protest a potential U.S. attack on Iran.

Filing into Times Square the protesters carried anti-war signs, banners - and umbrellas. After a rally the crowd made its way down Seventh Avenue as pedestrians looked on. A few jeered, many cheered and some joined the procession. Near the midpoint of the march - the sun came out.

Among those who took part in the march were members of the Granny Peace Brigade, Iraq Veterans Against The War, Veterans For Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Movement For A Democratic Society, the Green Party, CodePINK, World Can’t Wait and the Peoples Organization for Progress.

View Photos/Videos From The March…

Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs

Palestinian mourners watch the funeral procession for Ahmed Moussa
(Photo: Anne Paq / Active Stills - (c) 2008, activestills.org, not for commercial reuse)

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israeli troops mortally wounded another Palestinian youth Wednesday - shortly after the funeral of 10-year-old Ahmed Mousa who was shot an killed by Israeli border police on Tuesday. The shootings happening in the West Bank village of Nilin, near what Palestinians call the “apartheid wall”.

An interview with Hindi Mesleh of the Nilin Popular Committee Against the Apartheid Wall on Democracy Now! (1 Aug 20 gives direct commentary from the struggle in Nilin and reaction among villagers to the killing of 10-year-old Ahmed Hussam Yusuf Mousa on Tuesday, July 29th. Video footage of the demonstration is available at YouTube. The interview also discusses the mortal wounding of 17-year old Yousif Amira by soldiers of the Israeli Border Patrol, “Mishmar haGvul”, in a demonstration following young Ahmed’s funeral on Wednesday, 30 July. The funeral procession for Ahmed began in the city of Ramallah and proceeded westward 25 kilometers to the village of Nilin, where numerous soldiers were positioned in battle readiness at the entrance to the village. They opened fire with tear gas and sound bombs at the mourners, as seen in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84_ePTW6wEE

Villagers were angered by the presence of the heavily armed Border Patrol at the village entrance the entire day.
[see https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/9398/index.php ]

17-year-old Yousif is clinically dead after being shot by Israeli soldiers
(Photo: Anne Paq / Active Stills - (c) 2008, activestills.org, not for commercial reuse)

Yousif was shot twice in the head at close range by rubber-coat steel bullets, destroying his brain. He has been pronounced clinically dead and lies in a coma in hospital in Ramallah.

On 1 August, enraged villagers dismantled the barbed wire barricade placed by the Israeli military on their lands to prevent them from entering the site where bulldozers are active — the same barrier that little Ahmed was near when his friends tried to tear it apart on the day he was killed. A number of villagers were injured in the four hours of confrontation that erupted over the villagers’ determined action to destroy the barbed wire barrier. Five Palestinians and two international activists were injured by rubber-coated bullets. {1}

In the Democracy Now interview, Hindi Mesleh said, “I don’t know the reply of the army. There is no reply. I don’t know what the excuse they will come up. There is no excuse. Whatever the child was doing, throwing stones or whatever, there is no excuse, and there is no right to kill a nine-years-old child or seventeen-years-old child when they are in a protest. The question is, like—the question is, why these children? They are in the protest because they’re aware of what’s happening and what’s going on in their village. They’re protesting against stealing their lands, killing their brothers, shooting at their houses, invading their village.”

View Photos From The Funeral…

Original post by Bill Templer and reposted by Radical Blogs

Reprinted from BeyondChron.

Markos Moulitsas’ new book, Taking On the System, is not really about political blogs. One would expect the founder of Daily Kos to write about the netroots (and his book offers plenty of anecdotes about how they’ve changed politics), but it’s really a guide for how ordinary people can make an impact in the 21st Century. Moulitsas writes about how the Internet has democratized the process – making old gatekeepers like party bosses, media moguls and even record companies less powerful and relevant than before. But modeling himself after the late Saul Alinsky, Moulitsas offers plenty of pragmatic advice for political activists – like “stay on message,” “how to handle your enemies,” and “pick your battles” – that was applicable in an earlier era. In the 21st Century, however, more can play this game. Taking On the System is a resource for progressives hopeful about November – but anxious about how to keep that momentum going in an Obama Administration.

The impact Daily Kos and other blogs have had is so well established that anyone picking up Taking On the System will probably be familiar with it already. But what Moulitsas argues is that he’s really no one special: any citizen can use the Internet to bypass the traditional gatekeepers who once decided which political candidates were legitimate, what wisdom was conventional and even which songs became hits.

Activists don’t need to hold press conferences and hope the media shows up – they can create their own media with a blog. Political candidates getting started don’t have to kowtow to the same rich donors – if they have a compelling grass-roots message, the netroots will embrace them. Even musicians don’t need to be “discovered” by recording executives to make it big – now they can use social networking sites like MySpace.

It’s not about destroying the gatekeepers, says Moulitsas. It’s about using the Internet (along with a compelling product) so you can simply by-pass them. “Technology has unlocked doors and facilitated a genuine democratization of our culture,” he writes. You don’t need anyone’s permission to start an online movement: it was ordinary people who stepped out of their comfort zone to recruit Jim Webb for the US Senate, create MoveOn, and launch an annual blogger convention that culminated with Netroots Nation.

What activists need to understand, said Moulitsas, is what technology medium is most effective in their time period at getting out a message that will influence conventional wisdom. Gandhi used newsreels to push the narrative that the British were exploiting the Indian people. Television helped dramatize the civil rights movement in the 1960’s that galvanized a country to its cause. But the era of mass visual rallies that grab attention on the evening news are over, he says. Another thousand people in the street just isn’t news today.

In fact, Moulitsas is very critical of anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan – because she too quickly fell into the obsolete model of ‘60s protest no longer conducive for the digital era. After activists spent years marching in the streets against the Iraq War without changing public opinion, Sheehan’s plea to meet President Bush in Crawford, Texas put on a human face that most Americans could relate to. But once Camp Casey became a circus for every left-wing group, it devolved into the same type of ineffectual protest we’ve all seen before.

(more̷

Original post by Paul Hogarth and reposted by Radical Blogs

11-year-old Ahmad Husam Yousef Mousa lies dead
(Photo by: Oren Ziv / Activestills.org - used with permission, not for commercial reuse)

RAMALLAH, West Bank — An 11-year-old Palestinian boy was shot and killed in the West Bank village of Nilin on Tuesday, July 29th.

In a tragic sequel to continuing resistance to the separation wall being built in the West Bank, 11-year-old Ahmad Mousa was fatally wounded by a member of the Israeli Border Patrol as he sat with friends. The shooting occurred during the violent dispersion of a demonstration against the wall. More than 18 Palestinians were wounded in the incident.{1}

According to Nilin’s anti-wall committee, Mousa and a group of his friends were sitting quietly under an olive tree when a Border Patrol jeep drove up and a Border Police member, operating under the command of the Israeli Defense Force, took aim at the seated boys from a distance of about 30 meters. He fired a single shot, striking Mousa in the head. Mousa died a short time later while en route to Ramallah Hospital.

This brutal act was apparently an attempt to frighten and intimidate the resistance. Mousa’s death is the most tragic incident in many months of sustained protest at Nilin village.

YNetNews.com is reporting that the IDF and the Police Internal Affairs Bureau are investigating the shooting. {2}

{1} http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3574981,00.html (Hebrew)
{2} http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3574986,00.html (English)

Thomas Good contributed to this article.

Original post by Bill Templer and reposted by Radical Blogs

TOKYO — A photograph of an SDS New York member recently appeared on page one of Asahi, one of Japan’s oldest and largest newspapers with a circulation of 8 million.

Meaghan Linick-Loughley of New School SDS visited Japan recently and took part in the G8 protests. An Asahi photog caught the activist doing her thing and the paper’s editor planted the image on page one. Well done, Meaghan.

Meaghan Linick-Loughley at a counter-recruitment action
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — City Councilman Mike McMahon and community activist Steve Harrison addressed a meeting of the Young Democrats of America on Sunday. Conservative McMahon and progressive Harrison are vying for the Democratic nomination and the right to challenge Republican Party control of New York’s 13th Congressional District. The two congressional hopefuls were each given fifteen minutes to present their respective positions.

McMahon spoke first telling the YDAers that, “we need change, we need change we can trust.” He noted that Staten Islanders are “stuck in traffic..paying too much for gas…paying too much for food.” Making an appeal to the “can-do spirit” of Americans, McMahon argued that “it’s about sending someone to Washington that you can trust, you guys all know me, you know my family.”

McMahon said that the primary election on September 9 is about, “sending someone to Washington that you can trust personally, and morally, but also to do the job, to work hard. You know the City Council. You may not agree with me on everything but you know I went to work everyday, I rolled up my sleeves, put my nose to the grindstone and got things done.”

McMahon listed as his accomplishments, “saving recycyling” in New York, preventing the reopening of the Fresh Kills landfill and working to keep nurses in public schools.

Addressing the issue of why voters should choose him over Harrison, McMahon argued that, “The important thing is that we send a Democrat into this race who can win this race.”

Comparing his positions with Harrison’s, McMahon said that, “when it comes to the issues we pretty much agree.”

But The New York Times’ Jonathan Hicks disagrees.

Political labels aside, there are stark differences between the two. Mr. Harrison opposes capital punishment, while Mr. McMahon supports it. The councilman favors nearly all means of addressing the nation’s energy problems, including offshore drilling, something Mr. Harrison opposes. Mr. McMahon supported Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s ultimately unsuccessful congestion pricing plan, while Mr. Harrison opposed it.

On the Iraq war, Mr. Harrison has demanded an immediate withdrawal of American troops, while Mr. McMahon said he supported “a responsible redeployment of our troops in Iraq.”

Hicks, Jonathan P. (2008, July 28). Despite Fossella’s Exit, Unity Eludes Democrats. The New York Times, retrieved July 28, 2008.

Making the argument that, “this [race] is the front line - in our own backyard”, McMahon emphasized the importance of winning while downplaying his positions on the issues. Positions that haven’t played well with progressives.

“This race is about putting a Democrat in office,” McMahon said.

Harrison disagrees. “I think I represent your values,” he told the Young Democrats. Harrison argued that it’s not enough just to get a Democrat in office. It is important to get a progressive elected.

“This week if you watched ‘President Obama’…there is no question that he is restoring our standing in the world even before he becomes president. What he needs is progressive democrats to support him in the Congress and that’s why I’m running,” Harrison said.

Harrison argued that it is questionable that a conservative or centrist could even win in the 13th CD, pointing out that those Democrats who have done the best in the past have been progressives. He noted that in 2002, the last time a centrist ran, the Democrats got only 28 percent of the vote. When Frank Barbaro ran in 2004 he got 41 percent and Harrison himself got 43 percent in 2006, despite being outspent $1.7 million to $130,000 by Republican incumbent Vito Fossella.

Harrison hammered out his positions in detail, starting with, “I am a progressive Democrat”.

He reminded the audience that, “I have been against this war from the beginning.” Harrison, a co-author of the responsible plan to end the war, said he is for withdrawal while he argued that McMahon favors leaving “residual troops” in Iraq.

Harrison proclaimed that, “I believe in diplomacy with Iran” and “I oppose the death penalty”. He also voiced his opposition to nuclear power and offshore drilling for oil, arguing for solar, wind and geothermal energy. His assertion that the move to green energy has “to be done in a very short period of time” was met with applause from the Young Democrats.

In a question and answer period Harrison told the crowd that, “I oppose NAFTA, CAFTA…any AFTAs at all” and that the U.S. should help Mexico develop its economy rather than outsourcing American jobs there.

Harrison also affirmed his position on gay rights, stating that, “I am in favor of same sex marriage.” In addition to support from peace groups Harrison has also picked up endorsements from gay rights groups such as Stonewall Democrats and Lambda.

In response to the last question of the evening, Harrison said that he would look into Dennis Kucinich’s “Department of Peace” proposal, adding that “it sounds good!”

View Photos/Videos From The Event…

Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Activists who dropped banners at the Staten Island Mall Saturday later issued the following statement.

On Saturday, July 26, 2008, members of Movement for a Democratic Society / Staten Island (MDS), Peace Action of Staten Island (PASI) and World Can’t Wait (WCW) dropped 2 large banners at the Staten Island Mall, in the heartland of one of New York City’s least politically active boroughs.

As Staten Islanders, we are angry that our representatives have too often not only pandered to large corporate interests and the Bush Agenda, but have also promoted an illegal and immoral war from its inception. In a nation where over 80% of the citizenry oppose the war and think the nation is heading in the wrong direction, we are tired of having our opinions summarily ignored and neglected by those who are supposed to represent us.

The banners, hung on opposite ends the 2nd floor balcony in center court read, “STOP THE WAR!” and “NO ATTACK ON IRAN!”. Although shoppers seemed oblivious to the banners at first, Air Force recruiters manning a military recruitment table on the lower level in Center Court did take immediate notice and hurried to alert mall security, presumably to apprehend and detain the activists. Shoppers, eventually took note and seemed intrigued, several stopping to snap pictures with their camera phones.

Why the Staten Island Mall? Our intention was to bring a dose of much needed reality to this sterile environment of wanton consumerism. Our desire, to remind recruiters and consumers that while they aggresively recruit in the center of our shopping malls, and nonchalantly use their American Express and Visa cards on a summer saturday afternoon, thousands are still dying in a war that should have never begun. We as residents of Staten Island, will continue to raise our voice in opposition to this war and any future war with Iran. We will not rest until the bloodshed ends and our representatives are responsive to the opinions and desires of their constituents.

View Photos/Videos From The Action…

Original post by Next Left Notes and reposted by Radical Blogs