This weekend protestors confronted the International Monetary Fund and World Bank delegates in Washington, DC. In solidarity with a national call to action against the IMF and World Bank, about 50 young anarchists marched in the financial district of Dallas, Texas. The march consisted of strong contingents of the area Anti Racist Actions.



Check out the Music Video

Check out an Audio Piece

4/19/05 UCSC Vice-Chancellor of Communications lies to the media about police brutality at Tent University.



"'No, no, there were no batons, there were no Tasers. Someone said there was a Taser (gun) used. No, there was no force of that sort,' UC Santa Cruz spokeswoman Elizabeth Irwin said."



Video: Monday Night Arrests at TUSC



4/18/05 A couple hours after the University of California police began carrying people away one by one, a deal was struck between some of the TUSC organizers and members of the UCSC administration. The deal was that the UC administration would call off the police and allow TUSC to continue during the day on Tuesday if people began to disperse and no more than five people spent the night at the base of campus. The TUSC organizers accepted the deal causing a surreal scene where suddenly, the cops ran away and the people rejoiced! More coverage from SC-IMC

4/18/05 10:17 pm (pst): The arrests have begun, the police are employing pain compliance techniques. At least one person that was not involved has already been arrested.

4/18/05 9:53 pm (pst): The police and administrators have descended on the Tent University, and are going to begin arresting people soon. There are people locked down and chanting loudly. There are alot of tents currently erected. An estimated 50-100 campers are in a position to be arrested.

4/18/05 8:34 pm (pst): There are over 150 people gathered at the base of the University of Santa Cruz, where students staff and faculty have committed themselves to the creation of Tent University Santa Cruz (TUSC), and to keep it maintained for five days of workshops, resistence, and festivities.

Camping on campus grounds is a violation of university policy, however some folks have held out and made a final decision to camp at the base of the university. Some university officials offered the Quarry Amphitheatre as an alternative place to camp, however the offer was rejected because the organizers chose the base of the UCSC campus becasue of its visibility to the greater Santa Cruz community and that would be lost by moving to the amphitheatre.

The university has declared that if folks are sleeping or camping illegally, they will be arrested. Some folks have pledged to stay where Tent University currently exists, regardless of the consequences. There are others that have committed to support those that engage in civil disobedience.

related: Tent Universtiy Santa Cruz I TUSC Direct Democracy Forum Votes To Stay Put (7:23pm 4/18/05) I some photos from today I some audio from today

Catch up with the rest of the story at: Santa Cruz Indymedia

While anti-CAFTA demonstrations in Guatemala go unheeded by the oligarchy and government, the atmosphere in the U.S. surrounding this flawed trade agreement seems to have taken a bad turn. As activists take their message to the streets in New York City, Santa Cruz and elsewhere, the so-called Central America Free Trade Agreement may have a hard road ahead in the U.S. congress. Recent testimony before the Senate finance committee found that many questions were critical and represented for some analysts, a growing opposition to the agreement in Congress. Anti-corporate globalization activists, environmentalists, Labor unions and, as some polls show, a majority of most U.S. citizens oppose CAFTA. Even the extreme rightwing John Birch society opposes CAFTA! Perhaps the U.S. Congress will follow.

See also: UCSC Students Oppose CAFTA! | Sam Farr Opposes CAFTA | Stop CAFTA | bilaterals.org | Public Citizen | ALCA CMI::FTAA IMC

On April 14, staff and students at the University of California held a statewide 1-day strike. The strike effected campuses throughout the UC system (Picket Info for all campuses), including UCSF, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley. The union that called for the strikes, AFSCME, represents service workers, who are among the lowest paid workers on the campuses. The union is struggling for a fair contract and for workers' (especially immigrant workers') rights. A recent report issued by the National Economic Development and Law Center found that 46% of UC service workers earned wages too low to support a family. It also found UC workers earning much less than workers at California State University (CSU) and many community colleges.



In Berkeley, over a thousand labor activists, staff and workers engaged in flying pickets and rallies all day culminating in a rally in front of International House where Robert Birgeneau was being sworn in as chancellor.

Photos: 1 | 2



In Santa Cruz, workers and students gathered starting as early as 4:30 AM to set up a strike line at the Base Entrance to UCSC. More than a thousand people took part in shutting down UC Santa Cruz for the entire day. Read More

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

Audio: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Video: UC Santa Cruz. We Shut It Down!



In Santa Barbara AFSCME Local 3299 was by joined CUE, students, faculty and more for a strike demanding livable wages and respect. Read More



In San Diego, around 1000 workers went on strike at UCSD. Several hundred protesters gathered for a solidarity rally At 4pm. Audio | Read More



Read More On Indybay's Labor News Page

On April 14th at approximately 9:05 a.m. a 20x30 ft banner featuring an anti-IMF/World Bank slogan (que se vayan todos; corporate corruption) was dropped in downtown Dallas. Due to the heavy police presence across the street and the happy guy in a Mercedes almost running over the banner, the local activists responsible express regret that all the words were not fully visible. This banner commenced the weekend's anti-globalization solidarity celebrations to be continued with a mass demonstration on April 16th in the financial district of Dallas.



A16 Event Coverege: DC Indy Media | North Texas Indy Media | Portland Indy Media Web Radio | Free Radio Dallas



Resources: A16 DC | Mobilization For Global Justice | Dallas A16 Flyers

At 7pm EST, NY State District Attorny Robert Ferrari announced he would drop all charges against Josh Banno who was wrongfully arrested during the RNC. Ferrari called Banno's NLG laywer to say that he planned to drop all charges.



Banno was wrongfully arrested in connection to the "green dragon fire" that occurred in front of Madison Square Garden during the 1/2 million person march on August 29.



[ Early Coverage on AZ IMC: Fuck this courtroom!! || NYC IMC Debate: Who Burned the Dragon? || Video ]



Portland IMC: NYC prosecutors caught altering video in RNC protest case

Congratulations! After nearly four years of hard work by the Living Wage Coalition, we won! Today at about 8pm the city council voted 5 to 4, Brian Maienschein, Jim Madaffer, Scott Peters and Mayor Dick Murphy dissenting (no surprise there) to adopt a Living Wage Ordinance for the city of San Diego. Two thousand workers and their families will be lifted out of poverty with passing of Living Wage Ordinance.



Brief Report from Students for Economic Justice



Protesters gathered today and the San Diego Concourse at Civic Center Plaza to demand a living wage ordinance in this years City Budget. The motley Coalition was comprised of a variety of organizations: San Diego Organizing Project, San Diego Democratic Project, Old Women's Project, NAACP, Environmental Health Coalition, American Friends Service Committee, Service Employees International Union, Interfaith Community for Worker Justice, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, ACORN, International Painters and Allied Trades, American Federation of State and County Municipal workers, Nurses Unite, Justice for Janitors, and United Food and Commercial Workers to name a few. The Living Wage Ordinance includes a wage increase to $10 per hour plus health care or an additional $2 for the health care differential.



Tune into radioActive Radio on Thursday at 6:30 for an interview with the coalition's press contact.



Radio coverage live from the rally - including an update on the hunger strike for a living wage in St. Louis.



For More information Go to: universallivingwage.org | Economic Policy Institute | LivingWageCampaign.org | San Diego Union-Tribune

At Washington Universtity, in St. Louis Missouri, 14 students sat in an admissions building to demand a living wage for the food, janitorial, and service workers of the university.

DAY 10, 4/13:

2pm: A dozen students remain in the admissions building, despite repeated written warnings for violation of the Student Judicial Code. Anticipated disagreement over tactics is occuring among the folks sitting-in. Rallies will still proceed, despite increased pressure.

Ongoing Coverage: Big Muddy IMC

On April 13, the annual Caterpillar shareholders meeting in Chicago will vote on a groundbreaking resolution that calls on CAT to investigate bulldozer sales to Israel.



Human rights groups charge that Caterpillar equipment has been used by the Israeli Defense Forces to destroy roads, orchards, greenhouses, agricultural land and the homes of over 50,000 Palestinians since 1967. Dozens have died as a result, including Nabila al-Shu’bi, [2] who was seven months pregnant when she was killed with seven other family members in an illegal home demolition. Rachel Corrie, a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, was murdered on March 16, 2003, in Rafah when she was crushed underneath a Caterpillar bulldozer as she attempted to stop an illegal home demolition. While U.S. taxpayers foot the bill, activists assert, Caterpillar is making a killing in Palestine.



An International Day of Action centered around the CAT shareholder meeing -- with protests planned in 40 cities worldwide -- has been called to demand that the Illinois equipment manufacturer halt equipment sales to Israel that enable these human rights violations against Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. In Chicago, the Stop CAT Coalition will gather on the sidewalk outside the April 13th shareholders meeting at Northern Bank, 50 S LaSalle St. at noon.



Related Sites: Stop CAT Coalition | Stop Caterpillar | Palestine Solidarity Group - Chicago | Jewish Voice for Peace | International Solidarity Movement | US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation



Related Articles: Drawing Caterpillar Out Of Its Corporate Cocoon: Company Should Examine Its Role in Mideast Violence | Human Rights Watch: "Caterpillar Should Suspend Bulldozer Sales" | Democracy Now!: Family of Rachel Corrie Sues Israeli Government and Caterpillar Inc. Two Years After She Was Crushed by Military Bulldozer | BBC News: US bulldozer firm in Mideast Row | Caterpillar: The Alternative Report - War on Want [PDF format, 715K]

Walmart has finally started responding to public criticism as citizens from around the world have stepped up actions against them in the last year. However, they have chosen to respond with a high dollar PR campaign run by the infamous Hill&Knowlton public relations firm. Announced during last years Shareholders Convention, which was met with Arkansas opposition, Walmart’s planned reforms have amounted to spending more money on image management and political lobbying than actually paying its employees a living wage or listening to communities it invades.



Walmart’s media campaign culminated in a two-day, invitation only media blitz in their home region of Northwest Arkansas. Two Arkansas Indymedia Correspondents have the story from outside the press conference, where they met up with another group excluded from the event, The Coalition For a Better Inglewood, who have the distinction of being one of the most successfull anti-Walmart community groups ever.



Indyemdia Coverage of Anti-Walmart Activity

Kansas City | Madison | Austin | Las Vegas | Tennessee | Twin Cities | New Jersey

In Washington today local peace activists who appeared to be with the group Code Pink disrupted the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing of John Bolton. Bolton has been nominated by President Bush to be the next Ambassador to the United Nations.

The activists held up banners, among those, one stated "John Bolton = Nuclear Proliferation" highlighting a frequent criticism of the Proliferation Security Initiative, an extra-UN "multi-lateral" agreement many see as run by the United States and being myopic an a means to more subtle and covert ends. At one point near the beginning of the disruption someone stood up and blocked the camera view of CSPAN briefly. From the CSPAN broadcast 3 separate individuals or sets of individuals with pink banners were dicernable, standing up in different parts of the public gallery. They were all removed. One participant squeezed in a D.C. representation issue, vocally noting there was no Senator for D.C. to possibly participate in this hearing and represent their views.

Many people know the Red Cross as a humanitarian organization that collects and distributes blood, providing a valuable service to the community, as well as providing disaster relief. What many people in the tri-state region do not know, is that workers have been trying to organize and form a union. Red Cross workers say that management is racist, denying African-American workers promotions and is forcing them to work long hours on irregular shifts with little pay. Workers trying to unionize claim they have been intimidated and threatened for their Union activities.

On April 5, about 300 UC Santa Cruz students led by Students Against War (SAW) kicked Army, Navy and Marine Corps recruiters out of the annual Career Center Job Fair, marking yet another success for the nation-wide counter-military recruitment campaign. (Call to Action!)



Joined by Watsonville’s Brown Berets, SAW protesters gathered for a rally at the campus bookstore and occupied the streets in a traffic-stopping procession up to the Stevenson Event Center where the Job Fair was being held. Students were motivated by fiery speeches about the racist, sexist, classist and heterosexist biases of the military, all of which are in violation of the UC Santa Cruz’s non-discrimination policies.



As the march began, a small group of students infiltrated the Job Fair and surrounded recruiter’s tables, chanting and linking arms. This small group was soon joined by more students from the march who pushed their way through front and side doors, chanting, “Whose Campus? Our Campus!” as Job Fair administrations attempted to literally shove them out the door.



Ultimately, 100 students were able to surround recruiters’ tables while the remaining 200 marchers stayed outside the Event Center, blocking the entrances and chanting in support of those on the inside.



Audio: FRSC: Santa Cruz Kicks out the Marines!! | FSRN: Military Recruiters Forced From UCSC | Anti Military Recruitment PSA



Photos: Military Recruiters Off Campus 1 | 2 | 3 | UCSC Kicks OUT Military



Reportback and Photos from the Inside: UCSC Students Kick Military Recruiters Off Campus

The homeless population of the public park at Main and Pierce, and Food Not Bombs which served food there three nights a week for five years, were both fenced out on March 14th to make room for a Houston Metro parking lot. The location was the hub for churches, assistance agencies, employers and others to find the homeless. Food Not Bombs temporarily moved up a few blocks, but starting April 4th, are serving at a new location, the Downtown Public Library (flyer, map).

When cops in December began indicating that the homeless population would be moved out forcibly in accordance with the civility ordinance, Food Not Bombs activists and homeless began organizing protests, meetings with the Midtown Management District and City Hall (audio, text, photos). Houston's civility ordinance comes in the context of a nationwide criminalization of homelessness. Though the cops had indicated that February 2nd would be the final day of homeless being allowed to sleep at Main and Pierce, they were met that day by activists and media (photos, videos: 1, 2, 3), and backed off from their threat. One ABC cameraman, perhaps concerned that he wouldn't get a good shot, called in a charge against a homeless man, and filmed his arrest.



City Council and member Gordon Quan, president of the Downtown Houston Management District Bob Eury, The Midtown Management District and others raised / allocated $190,000 for a 30 day program to get the Main and Pierce homeless out and offer better alternatives. Similar tactics had been used in the past to get the homeless out of Root Square Park. Rumors that a move was coming were heard on the street for weeks. The money was given to the Coalition for the Homeless which coordinated multiple agencies to take the 172 people off the street in one morning. Director Anthony Love stressed that the relocation was purely consensual, but it was clear for those who chose to remain on the street, that they would not be staying at Main and Pierce, as the trucks with the fencing were waiting. Some signed up for chemical dependency and mental health programs, some were put into hotels in town and some were put into really lousy hotels which are far out of town.



The 30 day program is supposed to be a pilot program for a ten year plan, but the location was clearly chosen for its proximity to yuppie lofts. Perhaps some of the homeless in the program are benefitting from it, and the relocation has been less brutal than a straight up displacement by force. It is a relocation of a community nonetheless.



KPFT News, The Houston Press and ABC 13 have also been covering the relocation. The Houston Chronicle has not.



(((Audio))) look back by KPFT Local News: Early resistance to police harrasment | Homeless say they've got nowhere else to go for the holidays | Homeless challenge civility ordinance | Homeless take concerns to City Hall | City council approves funding for relocation | Homeless respond to news of pending relocation efforts |

Last weekend, March 25-27, radical people of color from across the nation gathered in Asheville, North Carolina. There, at the Southeastern Regional Conference of Anarchist People of Color, we breathed a collective sigh of relief and turned that shared breath into shared struggle: personal, social, and organizational relationships; histories, hopes, and plans for social change.

One of the very first questions asked in the opening discussion of the Southeast Regional was “What is anarchism?” Over the course of an hour, almost everyone present threw out their own definition, idea, or perspective on anarchism. The list of definitions began with “working to end all systems of domination” followed by “complete and total freedom, with a sense of responsibility, respect and collective effort.” Some said anarchism is simply no single, central doctrine; or simply the act of organizing outside of any institutions or system. A reoccurring definition that persisted throughout the conference was that of anarchism as self-definition and self-determination. This perspective seemed pressingly salient to the attending people of color, with the idea voiced repeatedly in many different ways, such as autonomia, zapatismo, hybridity, and recognizing/recreating who we are.

In all of these definitions, many emphasized that anarchism is very importantly something we do; the actions of our lives individually and collectively.