cross-border solidarity


Nov 27 2009
Ten Years Later: Still No to the WTO!

In late November and early December, a series of events will be held across the US commemorating the 10 year anniversary of the historic protests against the WTO in Seattle in 1999, and opposing the upcoming round of WTO meetings in Geneva, Switzerland. These talks are scheduled to take place November 30th through December 2nd — ten years to the day after the Seattle gathering. At these talks, government officials and corporate lobbyists will be promoting the expansion of business-as-usual trade policies as a solution to, rather than a cause of, the global economic and environmental crises. The commemoration also coincides with an international day of action on Nov 30 in advance of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change taking place in Copenhagen Dec. 7–28. From the Newswire: Northwest still says No to the WTO | D5 in Portland | Southern Oregonians are Heading to Portland | Seattle WTO Anniversary Events | MN Week of Action! | N30 — International Day of Action for Climate Justice

See Also: seattleplus10.org | What I Learned At The WTO Protests | N30: It Still Matters | New Poster Art: "Spirit Of '99" | From climate denialism to activist alliances in memory of Seattle

N30 Action Reports: Reports pouring in from n30 day of climate justice action! Compilation here! | Global Day of Action on Climate Crisis on November 30 | NRDC Protested For Greenwashing and Support of Carbon Trading and Coal! | "Melted glaciers" dumped at DC offices of lobbyists bound for Copenhagen

Commemorations: Ten Years Since Seattle, Ten Years of Indymedia--Another World is Still Possible | UC-IMC Celebrates 10 Years of Indymedia Since Founding at “Battle in Seattle” | The Hint of a New World at RTS
[an error occurred while processing this directive]

local and national features

DC
Aug 21 2010
Free the Cuban 5

The Cuban Five are five Cuban men who are in U.S. prison, serving four life sentences and 75 years collectively, after being wrongly convicted in U.S. federal court in Miami, on June 8, 2001. Audio

Aug 17 2010
RHYTHM AND RAFFLE FOR REFUGEE RELIEF

This Saturday Collateral Repair Project (CRP) hosts an evening of music, food, prizes, and a silent auction to benefit desperate Iraqi families living in squalid conditions in Jordan. All proceeds will go to support CRP operations in Jordan in their ongoing assistance of refugees. Your help and support is urgently needed !!

Aug 13 2010
Report on the Cuba Caravan & Film Screening

Report on the Cuba Caravan & showing of "The Power of Community - How Cuba
Survived Peak Oil"

Monday, August 16th, 6PM Potluck, 7PM Caravan Talk, 8PM video, Peace
House/Friends Meeting, 543 S. Mountain. Come get a first hand look at the 21st annual Cuba Caravan. Hear from two local Ashlanders, Mary Ann Jones and Regina Ayars, who traveled cross country, through Mexico and into Cuba to participate in the 2010 Caravan to Cuba sponsored by Pastors for Peace.

Jul 31 2010
An Appeal to Bolivia: Withdraw from the U.N. Occupying Force in Haiti

On July 20, 2010 members of Women of Color in the Global Women's Strike, GWS/LA and the weekly vigil for Haiti visited the Bolivian Consulate in L.A. Their concern: Bolivia's ongoing participation in the U.N. force that's been occupying Haiti since the 2004 coup which removed the democratically-elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The recent earthquake has been used as an excuse to further militarize most aspects of Haitian society, say sources on the ground there.

[. . .] Bolivia's participation in the occupation has been contrary to the efforts of President Evo Morales to oppose war and exploitation. Bolivia's own constitution is against war (and thus occupation). The delegation asked why Bolivia, which is fighting for self-determination at home, would want to associate itself with the occupation of a country whose president was removed with the backing of the same foreign power which has been trying to topple President Morales of Bolivia and President Chavez of Venezuela?

Full story: An Appeal to Bolivia: Withdraw from the U.N. Occupying Force in Haiti by Ross Plesset

Jul 30 2010
THIS WAS NO ACCIDENT: The BP Oil Spill, Nigerian Rebels, The Meaning of Sustainability...

Like a mine explosion, an outbreak of smallpox, or a chestnut blight, BP's oil spill looked like just another disaster, a tragic mistake made by benevolent capitalists. But like those past tragedies, this oil spill is a predictable consequence of an industrial civilization where risks are not calculated by those who will face the consequences should something go wrong.

Jul 29 2010
Gaza Blockade Halts Kindergarten

Kate Gould has called Jackson County home for the last 15 years. She will be speaking about her 8 months living and working in the Occupied Palestinian Territories from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Gresham Room of the Ashland Public Library.

The following editorial was written by Kate...

"Just got back from Gaza, where I saw first hand the effects of a blockade that continues to deny Gazans the ability to rebuild their war-torn society--including the right to build this much dreamed of kindergarten."

Jul 20 2010
Teach-in on Gaza in Santa Cruz

On Thursday July 22nd at 6pm at the Louden Nelson Center in Santa Cruz, the Resource Center for Nonviolence & the Palestine Israel Action Committee, will host a Gaza teach-in to discuss solidarity with Palestine, including what happened during the Peace Flotilla. Paul Larudee, a co-founder of the Free Gaza Movement to break the Israeli siege of Gaza, will be one of the featured speakers.

NYC
Jul 20 2010
Interruption as Intervention: Why I Fucked with Chuck (Schumer)

Schumer was the special guest at a hipster romp [last] Sunday. I heckled him off the stage.

From Jews Against Israeli Chutzpah: [Last week], as I found myself deep in a sea of Williamsburg hipsters awaiting a "Pool Party" concert at East River State Park, a rather unexpected "special guest" was announced by an entirely too enthusiastic emcee for the artfully apathetic aesthetes who dared not display any sentiment beyond irony. I assumed maybe we'd be graced by some luminary of the scene (spending the last five years in Binghamton, NY prevents me from naming whom that might be)...

Jul 18 2010
Houston sends a bus to Cuba with Pastors for Peace Caravan

by John H. published to the open publishing newswire: Houstonians raised the money to buy a bus and send it with the Pastors for Peace 21st Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba. Local folks gathered to decorate a school bus that will be taken to Cuba by the Pastors For Peace. Local supporters have been raising supplies, along with the school bus, that will very soon be presented to the Cuban people. By the time the bus leaves Houston, it will be full of much needed medical supplies, as well as school supplies. Local artist, Emaniah, laid out the design for the painting. Photos
Earlier, folks came out to help raise money for the Pastors for Peace, caravan to Cuba, which will come through Houston next week. Photos

From IFCO/Pastors for Peace: Many of us hoped that President Obama's election would bring about some changes in many aspects of US policy -- including the ending of the illegal, immoral, and internationally condemned US economic blockade against Cuba...But Cuba is still deemed an 'enemy' under the Trading with the Enemies Act. Sales of US products to Cuba are still severely restricted, and sales of Cuban products to the US are absolutely forbidden. Banks and businesses in other countries are still harassed for doing business with Cuba. The travel ban on US citizens visiting Cuba remains. [read full release]

Jul 06 2010
Pastors for Peace Cuban Caravan Coming to Ashland

On Friday July 9 the Pastors for Peace Cuba Caravan arrives in Ashland, as part of the 13 routes touring 130 cities in the US and Canada, en route to Havana! This annual project is a challenge to the US government's blockade and travel ban aimed at undermining the Cuban government. Caravan members extend the hand of friendship and solidarity to the Cuban people, as ambassadors for a "people-to-people" foreign policy based on mutual respect.

DC
Jun 29 2010
Stand with Honduras

- Photos of Solidarity At the Solidarity Action in Washington, DC One year anniversary street theater action at the Capitol South Metro station

Jun 26 2010
CIMC reporters denied Canadian entry as government steps up massive repression at Toronto G20 protests

World leaders have gathered for the G8 and G20 meetings in Toronto amidst a massive security crackdown that will mark the most expensive three days in Canadian history. Large swaths of Toronto’s downtown core have the appearance of a police state, with an estimated deployment of over 19,000 security personnel—nearly five times the number at the G20 in Pittsburgh last year. The security price tag is around $1 billion, and some predict the total summit cost will surpass $2 billion. More from Democracy Now!

Independent journalists and activists [1 | 2 ] seeking to cross the border have been routinely denied entry, including two Chicago Indymedia journalists who were given the option to either turn back or spend 'weeks' in a Canadian prison.

On June 2nd, 2010, the Ontario provincial government cabinet met secretly to pass a regulation which allows the police to arrest anyone who refuses to identify themselves or agree to a police search within five metres of the G20 security zone in Toronto.

Related Links: G20 ALT Media Center | G8/20 Toronto Community Mobilization Network | Photos from G20 Protests | | | Coverage from Buffalo IMC: 2010 Peoples Summit in Toronto: A report & our aspirations | G20 Summit and Toronto Media Co-op

Jun 23 2010
A Campaign To Divest From Mideast Apartheid

Last week, the group Jewish Voice For Peace kicked off a campaign to divest from Israel's Occupation of the Palestinian territories. Their goal is to convince TIAA-CREF to stop investing in companies that profit from the Occupation, such as Motorola and Caterpillar. Like the South African anti-apartheid divestment campaign on the 1980s, supporters of this recent movement believe that public pressure is an effective way to stop the human rights abuses and bring peace to the Mideast. Read More | Originally published in BlackCommentator.com.

Related: Labor and Community Picket Israeli Zim Line Ship (pictured) | Chicagoan gives chilling eyewitness account of Israeli assault on Gaza aid flotilla

Jun 20 2010
Labor and Community Picket of an Israeli Zim Line Ship

Unions, labor federations and other organizations around the world have condemned Israel's deadly attack against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla on May 31. In response on June 20th, a labor and community picket of an Israeli Zim Lines ship was called for the Port of Oakland. The picket has already succeeded in shutting down the port for the morning shift, after the ILWU refused to cross the picket line. Activists have promised to return today at 4:30pm to stop the next shift from unloading the Zim lines ship.

DC
Jun 15 2010
Col Wright Demands Sherman Arrest Her, For Surviving Israeli Attack on Flotilla

Col. Wright challenges Representative Sherman, who called for executions of humanitarian activists who survived the Israeli attack on the Gaza aid flotilla.

"What Congressman Sherman said was wrong," declared former career army officer and ambassador Colonel Ann Wright (US Army ret.). The colonel, who resigned from the foreign service in protest on the eve of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, was one of 700 humanitarian activists forcibly removed by Israeli commandos from the Mavi Marmara one of the Turkish aid ships making up the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Read More | Video | Related: Al-Awda Responds to Politicians' Attempt to Silence Gaza Flotilla Survivors