On November 30th, more than a hundred activists in Santa Cruz demonstrated in front of a Chase bank, before marching to and occupying a vacant bank building on River and Water Streets. A communique handed out shortly after the building was entered states, "This building is being re-purposed in solidarity with Occupy Santa Cruz. Formerly a Coast Commercial Bank, the building was bought by Wells Fargo, closed, and has been vacant for the past three years. The company leasing the building manages foreclosures for Wells Fargo."

The International Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil was held at City Hall on November 20, 2011. The event remembers people who have been murdered due to anti-transgender prejudice. The event honors those who have been killed and raises public awareness of hate crimes. More information about the event can be found at transgenderdor.org and through the Transgender Education Network of Texas at transtexas.org.

Photo: The Theraphy Sisters perform "Color Esperanza/Color of Hope" by Lopez/Sorokin/Torres

this [is] from Oregon Opportunity Network, a group that works to establish and maintain decent affordable housing. Sounds fun, easy, and meaningful.

"Hello Portland-area Oregon ON community, NeighborWorks America is looking for about 80 volunteers to help staff an important family foreclosure-prevention event happening in Portland on Saturday, December 3. They are a great, effective organization so we are helping them get the word out. If you're feeling thankful for a warm roof over your head this rainy week, please consider grabbing your senior/student/community/church/business group and joining them (individual volunteers are welcome too of course)! They are holding this event in conjunction with the U.S. Treasury, HUD, Fannie Mae, and major lenders. Homeowners in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure can meet with their servicer and/or a housing counselor in an attempt to resolve their issues. They hope to see at least 500 families."

NeighborWorks America

oregonon.org calendar of local events in Oregon and Washington

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) would ruin so much of what's best about the Internet: They will give the government and corporations new powers to block Americans' access to sites that are accused of copyright infringement, force sites like YouTube to go to new lengths to police users' contributions, and put people in prison for streaming certain content online.

There's a good chance this legislation will pass - but Senator Ron Wyden is a steadfast opponent, and he says he'll try to block it by filibustering if it comes up for a vote.

Sometimes filibusters last hours - or days - leaving Senators reading out of the dictionary or cookbooks to pass the time. But we've got a better idea:

Members of occuy DC and occupy Freedom Plaza and occupy Portland come together to provide the Latino Media Collective a discussion on the occupation movement The Latino Media Collective Wednesdays from 7:00pm-8:00pm WPFW 89.3 FM,

Hours after lawyers for the city of Boston argued in court that the Occupy Boston camp should be shut down because of unsanitary and unsafe conditions, Boston police intercepted and confiscated a sink which was to have been used to make the camp more sanitary.

There were no broken windows. So that particular liberal defense is off the table. Those who have decided to side with the state instead of this new and radical social movement will find that it is now their illusions that have been shattered. The conditions of social life in Santa Cruz involve a visible homeless population, and they have not been absent at Occupy Santa Cruz... It's easy for the media to dismiss occupations as a collection of bums, but the truth is that the homeless need a place to sleep; and now, with chilly nights and fierce winds, the activists at the occupation, like the homeless every year, need more than tents.

This morning a comrade stood on the roof of the new occupation looking out for police, who he had seen hovering around the encampment at City Hall. He doubted that they would make a scene in daylight. "Downtown business is too important." But every indication is that they will return at night, in greater number and with more instruments of violence. They will return to literally do the bidding of Wells Fargo, draining public funds to pay for repression, adding to the $13 million spent in other cities.

Occupy a building near you.

[Related: Building Occupied in Santa Cruz! Riot Cops held off! - From Indybay ]

On the night of November 28th, 2011, we sabotaged a rail line in Southern Oregon as part of a coordinated effort to disrupt the flow of commerce on the West Coast. We got tired of watching trains pass through our towns loaded with lumber, ore, cheap commodities, and other resources pillaged from the earth without consequence. We didn't do this out of a desire to create a more green, sustainable or humane civilization--we want nothing less than to see the total failure of this sick and rotten society. This action was not only easy to carry out, but positively satisfying. We used 4AWG copper wire with the ends stripped of insulation and wrapped around the two sides of the track with the rest of it buried in the middle, which falsely indicated to a sensor that there was a train stopped on the railway.

We did this in solidarity with currently imprisoned members of the Long-Live Luciano Tortuga Cell/Indonesian FAI, to whom we send our most passionate revolutionary greetings. We would also like to send our love to ALF prisoner of war, Walter Bond.

Towards an end to this nightmare world.

 http://www.anarchistnews.org/node/19534

We've all seen the recent images of the police brutality against Occupy, but this conduct hasn't occurred overnight. For years, US police abuse has been spiralling upwards, this article sharing a uniquely insightful vision of what that's meant, how it's occurred, and an amazing effort to awake America.

Excerpt: When we see these brutally nightmarish visions of police violence against innocent protesters, we're shocked because we haven't been aware that our police have behaved this way for many years now. Of course, that's also why we see -- despite the video evidence -- some people blaming the Occupy supporters for their own brutalization, refusing to believe that our police could do such harm without good reason. Even worse though, our 'authorities' are well aware of this tendency, and play upon it, i.e., the claims that the UC Davis police felt 'threatened' in an attempt to legitimize the brutal pepper spraying videotaped there.

Attempts to somehow 'demonize the victim' are an old story, and it's far easier to blame most victims than face the far harsher reality of what our society has become, how empty some of the assumptions about our police, about our own safety, are.

Continue Reading: link to www.opednews.com

stop animal cruelty, fight speciesism, and combat gentrification On the night of Wednesday November 30.2011 anarchists vandalized Paxton Gate Portland, a wealthy boutique inhumanely supplying non-human animals and their parts. Windows were splashed with buckets of paint and on the side walk in front of the store was written "Fuck Paxton Gate". This was in solidarity with non-human struggles everywhere, and against the fight of inherent racism--gentrification.

We're not free until we all [including non-humans] are free.

[ Related: Fur Free Friday video ]

November 30th is the 12th anniversary of the week long World Trade Organization (WTO) protests in Seattle. Attended by tens of thousands of people from all over the world, this event began the process of putting a face on the 1% seeking to control the trade, the economies, the food, the energy sources of the planet. Not from the streets of Seattle, but a similar protest here in Portland.

Here's a couple videos I edited of my experiences in the streets of Seattle, taken from a six part series produced through Portland Public Access stations soon after the event. Watching the videos now, I could easily mistake the action for current nationwide Occupation events. Though perhaps some of the names have changed, it is the same resistance, with the same desire for a true Democracy, being met with the same brutal response by corporate power, law enforcement and governments.

And nothing has changed in the demands of the people of this planet: PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS.

Each is about 7 minutes in length......
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V86yfGCeqdM
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyCuDGVRFcg

When Questlove of The Roots chose to introduce Michele Bachmann's appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon with a few chords from punk band Fishbone's "Lyin' Ass Bitch," he was going for an easy joke. But true Fishbone fans, while elated that the fading, three-decade-old band was experiencing a pop cultural revival (and new dowloads) were also aware that "Lyin' Ass Bitch" was one of the less political songs of an extremely political band.

Born in the late seventies when its members were still in high school in the San Fernando Valley, Fishbone always crossed boundaries. They were a black punk band that incorporated rock, funk, reggae, and ska. Many have noted the irony that an African American band that influenced white musicians like Gwen Stefani, Flea, and even Kurt Cobain is now virtually unknown, while its proteges have surpassed it. (This is the topic of a new documentary on the band called Everyday Sunshine that I plan on seeing.) Fishbone was alt rock before the term existed. Questlove and his bandmates would be among the first to acknowledge the debt they owe to Fishbone, with whom they have toured.

 http://www.amysohn.com/?p=163

Watch the video and comment!
I believe this is what is in Americas future soon.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exuGv3HsV-U

[One comment: "Just like these people were fooled so is majority of america. Until you learn that Federal Reserve is the problem the problem want never go away. Look up 1913 federal reserve Act. They cause the depression and the economic bubble's."]

A first person account of the Nov 14th raid on Occupy Oakland on November 14...

We expected a raid that night, most likely just before dawn. So after concluding our General Assembly of the evening, the Events Committee announced an emergency dance party, calling it "The Occupocalypse."

 http://danielborgstrom.blogspot.com/2011/11/occupocalypse.html

Oregonians across the state “Occupy” Congressional District 2 to demand People’s Town Halls with Rep. Walden!

Powell Butte, OR – In the largest, unified public demonstration to address a specific member of Congress in recent history, the Occupy movement will convene throughout Congressional District 2 in eastern Oregon Monday, December 5, to demand Rep. Walden hold accessible town halls. In Bend, La Grande, Medford and Hood River, church groups, educators, and labor unions will join the “99%” in simultaneous mid-day rallies and marches calling for a more representative democracy.

SOUTHERN OREGON'S RALLY IS IN MEDFORD!
12 noon, Dec. 5, Vogel Plaza, Main & Central

(click photos to make larger)

On the first of December, a march issued forth from McPherson Square, bound for a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The fundriaser was a dinner with a minimum "donation" of $5,000 and a maximum of $75,000.

The Washington Post give credit for an estimate of 100 protesters, and the front door of the 15th st office building where the fundraiser was in progress was essentially blocked off by a crescent of protesters for about 1/2 hour, maybe a bit more. During this protest, one person managed to get up to a third floor window with a sign reading "Housing is a Human Right."

Read More & Photos | Video | Audio: Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD)

A few weeks ago, ASOL received a phone call from “N.” - a part-time employee of Key Lime Pie Hair Salon. She expressed, over the voicemail, that she had heard of ASOL from a friend and really needed support:

DJ, the owner of Key Lime Pie (as well as Belly General Store, if you remember from an earlier fight we had) owed her about $250; the remainder of her last paycheck.

N. had been employed by DJ at Key Lime Pie for about a month doing odd tasks like sweeping and rearranging display items. She was asked by the owner to work there and that she would be paid $7.00/hr (less then minimum wage) because it was an easy job. Having no other option at the time, N. accepted the job and worked dutifully at it for several weeks.

read more

From occupyphillymedia.org: This report includes updates from Occupy sites and related efforts across the country and the globe. It includes big wins, local organizing efforts, protests/events, police activity reports and calls to action where additional support from allies/general public may be needed. Read More | Give Feedback

Related from OccupyPhillyMedia: David Harvey Speaking at Occupy Philly Jail Solidarity | Occupy Philly Post-Dilworth Plaza | City leaders show their true colors: The suppression of the First Amendment its goal | Occupy Philly: "Eviction - What the Mainstream Media Failed to Show the World"

Related from Indymedia: Interview with Cindy Milstein from Indymedia On Air | Let Your Demands Be Your Leader: Perspectives from Tahrir Square | The occupation movement in the US is here to stay

RIVERSIDE - Wed. Nov. 30, 2011 - While all eyes were on the destruction of the Occupy LA camp Tuesday night. In Riverside police evicted the Occupy Riverside mall encampment. 3 arrests have been reported from the raid. There are also reports of police violence. One person, an Iraq war veteran, is said to have sustained a spinal fracture when police bashed his head into the roof of a police car.

Excerpts from an eye witness account: At 6:15 am, the Riverside Police marched approx. 40 troops to the 9th St. sidewalk, lining them up, and then marched approx. 40 troops onto the University Ave. sidewalk to create a sort of loose perimeter such as in a battlefield, leaving the remaining 24 or so of the 104 troops (as stated by Chief Diaz) to organize the removal, demolition, and hauling away of all tents, signs, and personal belongings not claimed. From the Newswire: Report of the eviction and dispersal of the tents and belonging at Occupy Riverside by John Dingler | Occupy Riverside Also Raided Tuesday Night

PASADENA, December 2, 2011 - Much of the San Gabriel Valley area was hit with a wind storm of unprecedented force Wednesday night. At this time 100,000s of people in the area effected are still without power. Some people are unable to leave their home by car due to fallen trees blocking the street. Wind gusts of up to 100 miles per hour brought down trees and cut power lines. Large hundred year old trees have fallen on some homes causing serious structural damage. Many cars parked on the street have also been crushed by fallen trees. No fatalities have been reported.

• Report with photos: Massive Wind Storm Hits San Gabriel Valley Area

Statistics released Friday, December 2 by the U. S.  Department of Labor show the nation¹s unemployment rate dropped by .4 percent to 8.6 percent, but the number of long-term unemployed people was ³little changed² at 5.7 million and the unemployment rates for blacks and Hispanics remained the same.
 
The City of Atlanta¹s high unemployment rate (11 percent in October) has been dismal for over a year, and Georgia¹s has exceeded the national rate for 51 months in a row. In fact, Georgia is the fourth most distressed state in the nation, according to CredAbility¹s Consumer Distress Index. At a news conference at the Capitol Friday, Atlanta Jobs with Justice (JwJ) speakers asked why some Georgia officials and legislators are now seeking to demean and punish the state¹s unemployed instead of supporting job creation and benefits that could put money back into the economy and relieve the suffering of families. read more

Video

 November 17th was the national day of action in support of Occupy Wall Street.  There were several events in Atlanta that day.  This video covers an action that was organized by a coalition between O.A. and local labor activists.  The targets: Home Depot and Verizon Wireless.  An anti-union video has recenty surfaced that Home Depot uses as a training video for it's employees warning them to stay clear of any union members or organizers.  Home Depot also has spent millions on killing the Employee Free Choice Act.  This bill would make it easier for workers across the country to join or form a union.  Their next stop was Verizon Wireless, a corporation that uses unionized workers, but have demanded massive consessions at the barganing table while making record profits.

read more

On Thursday, December 1st, 2011, Human Rights Activist Martina Davis-Correia lost her hard faught battle with breast cancer.  She was 44.  Martina was the sister of death row inmate Troy Davis, for whom she waged a twenty year battle to save his life and exonerate him from prison.  Troy was executed by the state of Georgia on September 21st.  Martina was able to turn a local issue into a global movement to save her brother's life and focus the worlds attention on the Death Penalty in America.  Both Troy and Martina mantained their claim of Troys innocence to the end, both with resolve and grace.  VIDEO | READ MORE

A few photos of today's Re-Occu-Fest March, starting at Salmon Springs Fountain, winding through downtown Portland and finishing up at Shemanski Park.... The March began much later than scheduled, and left Salmon Springs in high spirits with no law enforcement in sight. I don't think that the march stuck with the advertised route, possibly because of the late start.

The crowd marched along the river and then headed into downtown Portland with the bike swarm in the lead. Though they immediately took to the streets, the marchers were extremely respectful of buses and the Max train, which, unfortunately, forced a break in the march at several occasions. There was absolutely no police in attendance, at least within sight of the March.

The energy remained high and gathered momentum as they walked up the hill to Shemanski Park, where folks spread out, some setting up tables and tents. It was only here at the Park that law enforcement showed their faces. Salmon and Park re-re-occupied at 11:19PM LINKS - from Occupy Portland Dec 3 Action; Occupy Portland is in Shemansky Plaza Park on SW Main street

‘We will not allow corporations to profit off the brutality against our people in the US or abroad! Egyptian revolutionaries have asked for the movements in the US to shutdown the manufacturing and shipment of weapons and we heed their call in solidarity. We are calling for a targeted campaign against the corporations that profit off the use of these chemical weapons.’

Late Saturday night, the 3ed of December, Occupy DC began erecting a "People's Pavilion" that could have provided better shelter from the coming winter, had it ever been fully enclosed. Video covering 2:45PM until the demolition of the pavilion around 8:30 or 9 PM

Christopher Turner, an 11 year old student from Bowden, Georgia, is your every day kid.  He plays basketball down the street with his friends, he is a straight A student, and he likes to go to church every Wed. with his friends because he finds it fun and like to socialize.  What makes a straight A student who loves school to be fearful of returning to school?? Bullying, plain and simple.

When bullying happens it is usually taken care of by the school, but what happens when a mother's cry for help gets no answer? What happens when the faculty at the school are the ones doing the bullying?  Nothing apparently, except for even more discrimination and harassment.

read more

Medford, Oregon 12/5/11 — Occupation of the Second Congressional District in Oregon was a smashing success today. On a foggy frozen day, the sun broke mid-morning in Medford and even though the temperature stayed in the thirties 99 percent folk like you and me gathered. We occupied downtown Vogel Plaza and we occupied our Congressional District office, too. We all showed up to ask one unified question: W H E R E ' S * W A L D E N ?

The photos were all shot at Monday's Where's Walden? Occupation Rally downtown in Vogel plaza, or 1/2 block away at Representative Greg Walden's Medford field office. Occupation of the office landed six arrests for trespass. Pictures show support activities on the sidewalk out front, while other shots are inside Walden's office where occupiers sat-in from 11am until after 6pm refusing to leave unless Congressman Walden agreed to start having regular public town hall meetings around the district, something that he refuses to do. The sit-in act of civil disobedience ended with the six arrests by by the Medford City police [...] Keep on reading to learn about other Walden Occupiers around Oregon's Second Congressional District. Eight were arrested in Bend about the very same time as were the Medford Six. Read More & Photos | Previous Feature: Occupy Greg Walden -- D2 on D5!

The Nation Magazine's favorite tennis champ, John McEnroe, has lent his name to Sportime Corporation, which in 2010 illegally (without land use review) acquired a large portion of public park land that had been used by East Harlem and South Bronx residents for over 50 years. McEnroe's Sportime Tennis Center now charges thousands of dollars to be a member of the private tennis club.

Datum Construction bulldozed the community park on the corner of Spruce Street and Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz the morning of December 6. The garden is gone, but supporters hope that an even better, more vibrant park will be created in its place. Owners of the lot have plans, as of today, to install corporate landscaping, but community members aren't satisfied with that because the plans are to simply have a few small ornamental bushes next to parking spots, while the rest of the 40x60 lot will continue to remain barren.

Video

 Today, December 6th, 2011, Occupy Atlanta took the movement from Troy Davis Park to a local home facing foreclosure.  This home has been owned by the same family since 1953.  O.A. set up tents, banners, and stood with this family in their time of need.  As the family fights to save their home, O.A. plans to stay on the premises and defend this family from foreclosure and eviction.  A press conference was held at 3:00 PM today, and this film presents what was said by La'Dae Mansfield, Occupy Atlanta spokesperson, family members, and Senator Vincent Fort.  It runs 15 minutes.

Press Conference held in North East Portland as part of a National Day of Action to Resist Foreclosure.

The event was organized by We Are Oregon; Speakers include two homeowners whose families are facing eviction; a representative from Occupy Portland; a Catholic priest from a neighborhood church; and a neighbor of the family where the Conference was being held.

From the statement by Occupy Portland:
"Unsettle Portland is a grassroots organization, and a local affiliate of the Take Back the Land movement, dedicated to community control of land and housing.
We are here as part of the evolution of Occupy Wall Street as it shifts into supporting the people who are on the front lines of the premeditated mortgage crisis. People who are facing imminent eviction, even as thousands of houses remain empty in every major city."

Video: Portland Oregon National Day of Action to Resist Foreclosure

RIVERSIDE - Tuesday, Dec. 06, 2011 – A coalition including Occupy LA, Occupy Riverside, ACCE, Refund California, and SEIU teamed up to defend two families who are facing eviction by sheriffs who protect the profits of JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo.

Fraudulent mortgages and a refusal by bankers to negotiate with families struggling to get by has resulted in a huge wave of foreclosures. As people are driven from their homes and neighborhoods, their homes are left empty for months and even years at a time. The banks and the capitalist class have shown over and over that they don't care about anything but their profits and their property.

Ana Casas Williams, her husband James, her mother, and her son reached out to community organizations for help in defending their foreclosed home in South Gate after Wells Fargo refused to modify the conditions of their mortgage. Ana has been fighting stage 4 breast cancer which forced her husband to quit his job to provide full time care for her.

Art D. and his family have been refused the opportunity to modify their mortgage by JPMorgan Chase on their home in Riverside. Art is still employed although the recession has cut into his ability to make the payments at the previous rate.

Today, people from around LA stood up for the right of all people to homes by rallying, speaking out to the media, and taking direct action by setting up their tents in the yards of people facing eviction in order to physically defend the families from the sheriffs who will come to evict them. From the Newswire:

• Occupy Our Homes: L.A. Joins a Nationwide Day of Action Against Foreclosures by a wobbly
• They Are Not Going to Steal Another Home! by LizardQueen

On the 7th of December, Occupy DC and union protesters under the "OurDC" banner both swarmed onto downtown K st, with Occupy DC setting barricades at 15th st, Vermont Ave, and 14th st. K st was shut down for over three hours, and a total of 62 people were arrested, some of them roughly. Meanwhile, there was a report that one occupier had to be take to GW hospital for treatment after a police horse stepped on her foot. Read More & Picx | Video of Occupy DC on K st and the police reaction | WSQT Radio coverage

Video

On December 6th, 2011, Occupy Atlanta (OA) disrupted the auctioning of foreclosed homes. On the first Tuesday of every month, from 10am to 4pm, on the steps of the Fulton County Courthouse, stolen homes are sold to investors, speculators, landlords, and anybody looking for cheap property. OA protestors created noise with drums, whistles, harmonicas, bullhorn, clapping hands, and shouting. For most of the auction the protestors were so loud that firms representing banks were unable to effectively do business.

Unfortunately, one protester was arrested before Fulton County Sheriff and the stairs were cleared of anybody suspected of being with OA. At one point, Indymedia reporters were harassed by police and told to leave the stairs while corporate news outlets were allowed to remain.

read more

Occupy Philly was only in place for a little under two months, but the echoes of it will remain. Here is a round up of the perspectives that were posted to the phillyimc newswire.

NYC Students Stand Firm After CUNY Police Bully Them During Occupy CUNY Protest Over Tuition Hikes. With Occupy CUNY Student Members Hector Agredano & Emma Francis-Snyder, Barbara Bowen, President of CUNY Professional Staff Congress. Building Bridges: Your Community and Labor Report — National Edition is regularly broadcast live over WBAI, 99.5 FM in the N.Y.C Metropolitan area on Mondays from 7-8pm EST. Produced by Ken Nash and Mimi Rosenberg. To Download or listen to this 27 minute program, go to:
 http://buildingbridgesradio.blogspot.com/2011/12/occupy-city-univeristy-of-ny-students.html

CodePink Austin, along with allies from Veteran's for Peace and Women in Black staged a Don't Buy War "freeze" at Barton Creek Mall on Saturday, December 3rd.  The strategically chosen mall location was between the Santa photo station and the Gamestop store, which prominently advertises the 'Modern Warfare 3' video game.

The goals were to raise awareness about the continuing wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, to educate shoppers about the costs (both human and economic) of the wars, and to dissuade parents from purchasing war toys. The creative action was well received by shoppers, and several veterans approached the group to thank us. All was peaceful until mall security and APD arrived, and an APD officer brutally attacked a young woman who had joined the group spontaneously. She was seriously beaten and ended up with three cracked ribs and bruises all over her body!

Close the Ports this Monday!

Meet up at 6am at Kelley Point Park. The #16 goes straight there. Stop the first shift, which starts at 8am.
Meet up again at 4pm to stop the evening shift, which starts at 6pm.
Workers show up half an hour before shifts start.

There will be meet up points for folks to car pool and catch buses from SE and NE. Also, bike swarms leaving at 2pm from all sectors of Portland.

Check the website for details. We need numbers! Come out!
homepage:  http://shutdowntheport.com/

Early this morning I recieved a call from "US GOVERNMENT" which I recieved and was one of those chosen to attend a live town-hall teleconference with Congressman Earl Blumenauer. This live session was part of a move by congress to gather public perspective of decisions that are being made behind closed doors in Congress.

Here in this video podcast, I confront him on the issue of Occupy Wall Street and the local Occupy movement and stress the similarities of Blumenauers' ideology of taxing the 1% and the views of the 99%.

VIDEO:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQZTfYngVEA&feature=colike

Friends, neighbors, and comrades gathered early in the morning on Saturday, December 3rd to transform a vacant lot on the south-end of Santa Cruz's main street into a vibrant community park. Folks worked throughout the day breaking up hunks of concrete, created five large raised garden beds (with plans for three more), filled them with soil, and planted dozens of plants. Curious people passed by asked questions, offered up complements, and even joined in. By the end of the day, approximately 40-50 people had helped in creating North America's newest squatted park. At the end of the day, a statement was released. It described the process of construction and explained the motivations behind it.

On Monday morning, a worker from Datum Construction came across the street into SubRosa (the anarchist infoshop) to say that if they knew the gardeners, let them know they only had a few hours to remove the plants before he bulldozed the newly erected park. He said he "didn't want to be the bad-guy," but he had orders from Datum Construction HQ to destroy the park.

On December 8th at about 7 a.m., approximately 100 police from across Santa Cruz County outfitted in riot gear raided the Occupy Santa Cruz encampment in San Lorenzo Park. Six people were arrested and are being held in jail. Arrestees are each being held on $25,000 bail (one exception being held on $50,000) for the charge of obstructing a police officer.

On Wednesday, Dec.7, DA Seth Williams announced that he would not seek the reinstatement of the death penalty by calling for a new sentencing hearing for death row journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal. Read more in the new article by David Love in The Grio, entitled From Troy Davis to Mumia: Have we turned a corner on the death penalty?

Today is the 30th anniversary of Mumia's arrest on Dec. 9, 1981. An historic event for Mumia featuring Cornel West, Michelle Alexander, and many others, will held tonight at 7pm at the Constitution Center, 5th and Market (watch the live stream here.). Earlier in the day, there is also a press conference at 11am, Friends Center, 1515 Cherry Street and a Honk for Mumia, 4pm – 5:45, East Side of City Hall.

The December 2011 episode of Chicago Independent Television features segments about the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with dueling demonstrations squaring off at ground zero, the sordid history of Chicago's new mayor Rahm Emanuel, and reaction from Chicago media activists to the "hackergate" scandal rocking the media empire of News Corporation's Rupert Murdoch.

Read more about Episode 73 | CIMC TV Podcast | CIMC Video Page | CITV on YouTube | CITV on Free Speech TV | CITV on iTunes

On October 8, 2011, Chicago activist Pat Hunt was arrested over two alleged ordinance violations during the Chicago grassroots protest over the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan.

On December 6th, the City of Chicago dropped the charges against Hunt. National Lawyers Guild attorney Jeff Frank said that the violations were simply a cover for harassing protesters, and Hunt was targeted because she was the signatory of the protest permit application. Indeed, an attorney with the city even admitted: "You know, this is just practice for G8/NATO." Read more

A 15 minute video from the press announcement outside of the World Trade building on 2nd street. A half dozen speakers talk about the upcoming West Coast Port Closing on Monday 12/12/11. Members of the press and community attended this, and one police officer.

Occupy Portland: West Coast Port Shut Down on 12-12-11

This was recorded on 12/9/11 "Press Announcement for WEST COAST PORT BLOCKADES in Portland Oregon ((( i )))

@occupytheport http://westcoastportshutdown.org/

Mt. Hood National Forest has released a Preliminary Assessment (PA) for the Jazz Timber Sale and comments are due by Monday, December 19th.

The Jazz Timber Sale is proposed by the Forest Service to log 2,000 acres in the Collawash Watershed, the most geologically unstable watershed in Mt. Hood. The sale would require 11 miles of roads that have been previously decommissioned to be re-opened to facilitate logging and has prevented still more miles of roads that are damaging water quality and aquatic habitat from being decommissioned while the Jazz Timber Sale has been in the planning stages.

All citizens of the United States may comment on activities which take place on public land
Comments on the Jazz Timber Sale are due by Monday at 5:00 on December 19, 2011. To send a comment, go to Bark Jazz Timber Sale Action Page

Bark Appeal for Comments on Jazz Timber Sale

December 11th Bark-About Hike to the Jazz Timber Sale starting @ 9am

Video

Day 64 at Occupy Atlanta. Two families from different parts of Atlanta find they have two things in common...one is a bank that want's to take their homes through predatory lending schemes. The other is a grass roots organization trying to fight illegal foreclosures and "too big to fail" banks. Occupy Atlanta comes to the aid of the Pittman family and Brigette Walker, a disabled veteran from Riverdale, Ga. Both families find themselves fighting banking giant Chase, and discover that united together with other Georgians results in a small holiday miracle.  This film runs 47 minutes. 

In solidarity with those arrested when the Occupy Santa Cruz encampment at San Lorenzo Park was raided by authorities the previous morning, community members held a noise demonstration and rally at the Santa Cruz County Jail on the evening of Friday, December 9. Approximately 50-75 community members brought percussion instruments and five gallon plastic water jugs and proceeded to drum in mass to communicate to the prisoners inside of the jail that community members would not give up support of their cause, and also to show the "compassion and fire" felt for those interned, and to stand strong when faced with police repression locally.

“There were a great number of women that were on the front line hurling stones at the police and pro-Mubarak thugs.” said revolutionary Sama El Tarzi told Al Jazeera.

Filmed at the "Stop the F-ing War" protest on Friday, Mike stops by to tell us about the West Coast Port Blockade and hand out fliers for the Monday protest/strike.

This is a short informative video about the Monday protest / strike at a dozen west coast ship yards.

Mike (who just lost his job due to union organizing) tells the Individuals For Justice protesters, on the Hawthorne bridge, what the Port Strike is about and how to get more information.

Mike tells about West Coast Port Blockade in Portland on 12/12/11

And Mike had one more thing to say about organizing and union solidarity around labor justice and injustice at OSPRIG.

Mike starts a Union and gets fired - Portland Rally planned for 12-15-11
A 2 minute video clip.

He was fired from his job, after 4 years, for organizing a union at OSPIRG.

Community pickets and mass mobilizations to blockade ports have been planned for December 12th by Occupy movements in San Diego, LA, Oakland, Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Vancouver, and Houston. Occupy Anchorage, Occupy Denver, and Occupy Wall Street are targeting Goldman Sachs and Walmart on the 12th. Solidarity actions are being planned as far away as in Japan. In Oakland, marches to the port will begin at 5.30am at West Oakland BART. At 3pm, there will be a rally 14th and Broadway, followed by a 4pm sharp march to the port. A 5pm march to the port will leave from West Oakland BART.

The mood was both celebratory and angry among a 1000-plus overflow audience packed into the balcony space of the Constitution Center in Philadelphia on the evening of Dec. 9. The crowd, surely the largest to attend an event in support of Abu-Jamal in years, had thus come both to celebrate the end to the death threat facing the veteran journalist and world-renowned symbol of America’s obsession with state murder, and also to demand that he not instead be “left to rot” in a regular prison for the rest of his life. Read More by Dave Lindorf

Related Coverage: Dr. Johanna Fernandez of Educators for Mumia Abu Jamal Speaks on the Latest Developments in the Mumia Abu Jamal Case by ontheblockradio | From Troy Davis to Mumia: Have we turned a corner on the death penalty? by David A. Love | Why freedom for Abu-Jamal makes even more sense now by Mark Lewis Taylor | Over 1000, Cornel West, Immortal Technique and Others Pack the Philly Constitution Center by freemumia.com

In fact, in the United States, black people of African descent, or rather those born in this country and whose first language is English, comprise an estimated 12.2% to 13% of the American populace. However, black males make up about fifty percent of the American prison population and, as of January 1, 2011, about 41.8% of America’s total death row population. […] In Maryland, where black males make up about 14% of the state population, and where the total black population constitutes no more than about 28% of the state populace, the total prison and jail population equals about 23,285 people, with about 77% of that number being black. In the meantime, Maryland’s death row imprisons five men, 80% or four of whom are black. Similarly, in Virginia, where black people constitute about 20% of the state’s population, we make up about 68% of the state’s prison and jail population of about 35,564. Furthermore, black males, who constitute about 10% of Virginia’s population, make up at least 45.4% of the condemned on Virginia’s death row. more

About 150 union members and supporters picketed the port of Longview today and shut down the port in support of ILWU members' fight against EGT. Supporters from Occupy Longview, Occupy Astoria, Occupy Vancouver, and many union members from Portland and southwest Washington picketed and sang for several hours in front of the port gate. At around 9am, word came through that all ILWU members would not be going in to work and would be paid for the day.

LONG BEACH, California - Heeding the call of Occupy Oakland, which called for a shutdown of west coast ports in response to the brutal eviction of occupy encampments nationwide, and in solidarity with expolited port workers and truckers, about 500 militant occupiers and their friends shut down Terminal J of the Port of Long Beach, the home of SSA Marine, an investment of the criminal enterprise Goldman Sachs and the main stakeholder of the US government.

Full report: Occupy the Ports - A Day without Goldman Sachs by Rockero

Hundreds of Occupy Portland protestors, activists and workers blocked entrances to shut down Terminals 5 & 6 around 6 AM today. This was a collective effort by the Occupy movement to shut down "Wall Street on the Waterfront" on the west coast.

Hundreds of Occupy Portland protestors, activists and workers blocked entrances to shut down Terminals 5 & 6 around 6 AM today. This was a collective effort by the Occupy movement to shut down "Wall Street on the waterfront" on the West Coast including ports in Seattle, Tacoma, Longview, Anchorage, Oakland, Los Angeles and San Diego. This action was meant to show solidarity with ILWU and longshore workers in Longview and the other port cities on the west coast in their fight against corporate bosses, including Goldman Sachs, for the right to organize, and for fairness, safety and real democratic workplaces. However, protestors in Portland had agreed at planning meetings prior to the action to allow workers and vehicles to cross the picket line, if they chose to do so. On Monday morning, a few trucks and cars were allowed to pass, including trucks delivering supplies for Millbank Materials, after the general manager talked to protestors and convinced them that his company was not doing any business with the ports.

Shortly before 8 AM, protestors cheered when they learned that Port of Portland officials had already shut down the terminals, and that the ports in Oakland had been closed. However, according to Mike Gardner, ILWU Local 8 in Portland, ILWU workers had been sent home without pay by Port officials.

"How We Won Health Care for All," a presentation by the Vermont WorkersCenter
Wednesday, December 14, 7:00 p.m.
Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 87 Fourth St., Ashland

In June 2010, Vermont signed into law a plan to create a statewide, universal health care system. Now the spirit of Vermont is coming to Oregon. Come hear from two members of the Vermont Workers Center, whose three-year campaign convinced the Vermont legislature to declare health as a human right. This presentation will be followed by break-out groups of local folks to get involved in the continuing campaign for universal health care in Oregon. Suggested donation, $10. No one turned away.

(click on photo for larger view)

On December 12, 2011, an autonamous group, in solidarity with the West Coast Port Blockade, successfully shut down a BNSF railway. The flow of commerce headed for two of the blockaded ports, Seattle and Vancouver, was effectively stopped. This action was in solidarity with the Bellingham community's fight against earth-destroying industries including the struggle against the Gateway Pacific Coal Terminal. We are in solidarity with #Occupy and union actions from San Diego to Anchorage. Our allegaince to oppressed humans and non-humans is foundational to our struggle.

We draw inspiration from the five-hundred + years of ongoing Indigenous resistance to the corrupting agents of colonization. We recognize that we are living on stolen land, and that the railway industries have always facilitated genocide against the native peoples of this land through land theft, displacement, and habitat destruction. In the coming months and years, we call upon communities from the Powder River Basin to the Pacific Coast to take direct action against SSA Marine's proposed Gateway Pacific Coal Terminal. Only through sustained and coordinated community opposition and direct action, can we permanently disable this arm of the capitalist machine.

We are the front-line workers who haul container rigs full of imported and exported goods to and from the docks and warehouses every day.
We have been elected by committees of our co-workers at the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, Tacoma, New York and New Jersey to tell our collective story. We have accepted the honor to speak up for our brothers and sisters about our working conditions despite the risk of retaliation we face. One of us is a mother, the rest of us fathers. Between the five of us we have 11children and one more baby on the way. We have a combined 46 years of experience driving cargo from our shores for America's stores.

We are inspired that a non-violent democratic movement that insists on basic economic fairness is capturing the hearts and minds of so many working people. Thank you "99 Percenters" for hearing our call for justice. We are humbled and overwhelmed by recent attention. Normally we are invisible. Today's demonstrations will impact us. While we cannot officially speak for every worker who shares our occupation, we can use this opportunity to reveal what it's like to walk a day in our shoes for the 110,000 of us in America whose job it is to be a port truck driver. It may be tempting for media to ask questions about whether we support a shutdown, but there are no easy answers. Instead, we ask you, are you willing to listen and learn why a one-word response is impossible?

 link to cleanandsafeports.org

The November 2011 episode of From The Trenches features presentations from Media Democracy Day 2011, held in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, featuring presentations on the history of Chicago's media, the leading media democracy stories of 2011, and a depiction of community media involvement. Plus headlines from the worldwide Indymedia network.

Download November 2011 episode | Chicago Indymedia's radio page | CIMC / FTT Radio podcast feed | From The Trenches on iTunes

Candlelight Vigil to Support Bradley Manning
Friday, December 16th 4:30 til 6pm
Downtown Ashland at the Plaza

After 560 days of confinement the Military has finally announced the pretrial hearing for PFC Bradley Manning. The hearing will commence on December 16th at Fort Meade, Maryland. This will be PFC Manning’s first appearance before a court and the first time he will face his accusers after 17 months in (mostly solitary) confinement.

PFC Bradley Manning is accused of releasing to Wikileaks video depicting the killing of journalists and wounded civilians by an Apache helicopter in Iraq as well as the Afghan War Diary, the Iraq War Logs, and U.S. Diplomatic Cables. In short, he has been charged with telling people the truth. Vigils and Protests will be held worldwide to stand in solidarity.


Bring candles, signs, and your solidarity

Live Music! And food! All for a great cause - PDX Books to Prisoners. Right now we have dozens of packages of books wrapped and addressed, but no money for postage :( So come on down and get wild and silly in a warm setting that ain't heternormative. Everyone invited - queers, non-queers and the like. No experience necessary. All dances and moves are taught gradually through the night. It is a good idea for your first dance or two come within the first hour, as the night progresses the review of previously taught moves becomes brief.

Friday, January 6, 2012, 7:00pm until 10:00pm

In Other Words Books
14 NE Killingsworth St
Portland, OR 97217

PDX Books To Prisoners is an all-volunteer collective working to distribute books free of charge to prisoners. We are dedicated to offering people behind bars the opportunities for self-empowerment, education, and entertainment that reading provides.

facebook page

pdxbookstoprisoners.org

The statement from Occupy's unnamed "media team" says a 4 p.m. march and 10 p.m. assembly are planned "for camp defense and witness." It also says:

The Occupy Movement manifested as a direct response to the social and economic injustices caused by a corrupt and heartless financial system. Occupy Olympia did not create the problems faced at camp. These are the same problems faced in communities around the country. Occupier Kyle Tanner states, "It's disappointing that the state chooses to continue to sweep the realities of budget cuts under the rug rather than face the systemic inequities." Since the early days of the occupation, Occupy Olympia has provided the community with free medical services, food, and shelter, all of which are needs the state has failed to meet. "While Occupy Olympia has been offering social services, it's important to remember that the Occupy Olympia encampment is, and continues to be, a political encampment. Any attempt to discredit that would be a false representation of what the Occupy movement is all about," states Occupier Owen Prout. Though the future of the physical camp may be uncertain, the community that camp has built will continue to fight the atrocities committed to benefit the 1%.

In El Barrio, NYC, a convergence of struggles against the inhuman system of capitalism and politics.

On December 4, 2011, Movement for Justice in El Barrio, a grassroots, immigrant-led organization that fights against gentrification and displacement in East Harlem—fights for social justice—hosted the “New York Encuentro for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism” with community organizations, activists, and Occupy Wall St. participants.

Coinciding with the International Day of the Migrant, immigrants and allies will take to the streets in a permitted, family-friendly rally and march. This will be an opportunity to join with the Occupy movement, and send a strong message against the racist laws, policies and institutions that are systematically targeting immigrant communities, such as Secure Communities, E-verify, wage theft, free trade agreements and increased detentions and deportations.

We reject the scapegoating of immigrants in the same way we refuse to blame Muslims, the poor, public sector workers, women, and other victims of this recession. We blame the recession on those who caused it, the most wealthy 1%. The 1% want immigrants to have zero rights so that they are easily exploitable and can be paid slave wages, thus lowering the wages of all working people.

When: Saturday, December 17 | 10 am Rally & 11 am March
Where: South Park Blocks between SW Salmon and Main

homepage:  http://www.pcasc.net

PAINTING BANNERS SIGNS

Thrown away into dumpsters by riot police.

Like of remains of soldiers killed in Iraq, for the ideas of Amerika's ruling class. It all ends up in a landfill somewhere.

Bring the Troops home, throw the dead ones in the trash. Workers at the Port weaponize a bulldozer, smash the ground with its garbage plow. Threaten the people, disenfranchised. They treat the people like garbage. Whether anyone has a job or not, these actions are happening. These protests will continue. A riot cop pushes me down, I jump up and I push back. Even days later, I fell the sting of his stick, a reminder of the ones he's paid to protect.

I am a worker, reduced to a beggar. Whether anyone wants my help or not. So a Union Worker looses a day of pay. So those out of work lose a day of pay everyday. And the worker becomes one of those bums in the park, that the riot police have to deal with, blue rubber gloves. They throw your tents and blankets, your protests, your ideas into a dumpster. They hire a trucker, to weaponize their trucks and send your remains to a landfill somewhere.

Unity, Solidarity is dead, so society falls apart. General Assembly consensus says, "Sell your comrade out!, Let that soldier, stopping business get run down. Throw her under the wheels of capital." The General Consensus says, "Better her than you. Let her stand up and get run down." Block the tracks, get crushed up, it's all bad press, as society rips itself apart.

Another Union Leader's day of pay. I won't sympathize with any worker that can weaponize a bulldozer. To use a workers equipment, against desperate people, trying anything they can to save the world. I have no sympathy for the General Consensus, to let a person be run down by a workers truck. A worker's locomotive, a workers bulldozer. These actions are not a personal attack. These actions will continue, whether any one person, one Union Leader, or one spokes council likes it or not. Long will live people's struggle. For we are becoming workers reduced to beggars.

Video

 Meet Brigitte Walker and her neighborhood. Brigitte is an Iraqi War vet, a disabled Iraqi War vet. She has served in the military since she graduated high school in 1985. Now her and her partner face foreclosure of their home. But help is on the way in the form of Occupy Atlanta. This film shows how O.A. is helping not only Brigitte, but is organizing her entire neighborhood where almost every homeowner is underwater, and crime is rising because of the many empty homes in the community. Can you save community when you save a home? This film shows that the first step is just talking, and listening, to the neighbors. It runs 28 minutes.

Eighteen months after he was first detained on accusations of revealing information to WikiLeaks, PFC Bradley Manning appeared before an Article 32 investigating officer for a pre-trial hearing on December 16th at Fort Meade in Maryland. Supporters gathered outside the gates of Fort Meade to call for Manning's freedom and denounce the proceedings as unjust. Supporters have long argued that PFC Manning could not receive a fair hearing due to unlawful command influence from President Obama, who publicly declared in April that the former Army intelligence analyst "broke the law."

El 18 de diciembre es el Día Internacional del Migrante y nos hacemos solidarios con aquellos que a nivel mundial proclaman los Derechos del inmigrante y los Derechos Humanos.

On the evening of December 14, GOP Presidential candidate and former one-term Massachusetts governor Mitt Romeny had a fundraiser, plates from $100 to $10,000. The event was foolishly held at the Lincoln restaurant, just three blocks from Occupy DC's campsite at McPherson Square. Read More & Photos | Video | Edited Audio (for broadcast)

Carolers greeted shoppers for the fifth consecutive year with favorites including “We Wish You a Loss of Business” (We Wish You a Merry Christmas), “Boycott, Boycott, Boycott” (Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel), & “Lev We All Can see the Folly” (Deck the Halls).

Sixty New Yorkers sang parody holiday carols calling for a boycott of Israeli settlement-developer and diamond magnate Lev Leviev this afternoon outside Leviev’s Madison Avenue jewelry store. Twenty-five protesters continued on to the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) where they sang, chanted and distributed flyers in front of Daphne Guinness’ clothing exhibition there, which is sponsored by “Leviev Extraordinary Diamonds.”

'Please mobilise urgently to demand that Egypt's military rulers immediately stop attacking protesters. Call on governments worldwide, and especially the Mubarak regime's main backers, the USA, UK and other western states, halt arms sales to Egypt and end their financial and material support for the repressive apparatus of the Egyptian regime.'

Yesterday's preliminary hearing shed new light on Joe Paterno's minor, but important, role in reporting allegations of sexual molestation up the chain of command, but also to the person in charge of the University police. Read Full Report by Walter C. Uhler

Previous Reports:
* Part Four: New, Previously Suppressed Grand Jury Testimony and Joe Paterno
* Part Three: DeLillo's Jesuit Priest, the Media Jackals, the Incited Mob and Joe Paterno
* Part Two: The Grand Jury Report
* Part One: What did Joe Paterno know and when did he know it?

This twelfth and final profile in the series "Hidden in Plain Sight," by Peter M, concerns Jose Manuel Martinez, whose creative life has been story telling. As a recording artist-a singer-songwriter-he made his mark in Rock, Latin Rock and Salsa. Now having just completed a Master's degree in Education at Stanford University, he is an English teacher, relating to young people how stories can empower, and the ways they can bring people together.

With over 1,700 people in Portland living without shelter (2011 Street Count), sleeping bags provide crucial protection from discomfort, illness and death.

The Sleeping Bag Drive is now an ongoing organization, and Portland's houseless population need your help!

The Red & Black & Laughing Horse Book collectives have teamed up to collect sleeping bags and donations (which will go directly towards sleeping bags as well as weatherproof tarps to protect from the weather) to be distributed in the local area.

With so many Portlanders living without adequate shelter and vulnerable to the dangerous, harsh winter conditions sleeping near our homes and businesses, it's our duty to provide what resources we have to assist those in need.

Visit www.sleepingbagdrive.com to donate online now, or drop off new or clean sleeping bags at one of the following locations in Portland:

The Red & Black
400 SE 12th Ave
Open 10AM-10PM
(503) 231-3899
www.redandblackcafe.com

Laughing Horse Books
12 NE 10th Ave
Open Mon-Sat 11AM-7PM
(503) 236-2893 (volunteer run, please call for availability)
www.laughinghorsepdx.com

The 'Occupy' movement is one of several in American history to be based on anarchist principles.
London, UK - Almost every time I'm interviewed by a mainstream journalist about Occupy Wall Street I get some variation of the same lecture:

"How are you going to get anywhere if you refuse to create a leadership structure or make a practical list of demands? And what's with all this anarchist nonsense - the consensus, the sparkly fingers? Don't you realise all this radical language is going to alienate people? You're never going to be able to reach regular, mainstream Americans with this sort of thing!"

If one were compiling a scrapbook of worst advice ever given, this sort of thing might well merit an honourable place. After all, since the financial crash of 2007, there have been dozens of attempts to kick-off a national movement against the depredations of the United States' financial elites taking the approach such journalists recommended. All failed. It was only on August 2, when a small group of anarchists and other anti-authoritarians showed up at a meeting called by one such group and effectively wooed everyone away from the planned march and rally to create a genuine democratic assembly, on basically anarchist principles, that the stage was set for a movement that Americans from Portland to Tuscaloosa were willing to embrace.

I should be clear here what I mean by "anarchist principles". The easiest way to explain anarchism is to say that it is a political movement that aims to bring about a genuinely free society - that is, one where humans only enter those kinds of relations with one another that would not have to be enforced by the constant threat of violence. History has shown that vast inequalities of wealth, institutions like slavery, debt peonage or wage labour, can only exist if backed up by armies, prisons, and police. Anarchists wish to see human relations that would not have to be backed up by armies, prisons and police. Anarchism envisions a society based on equality and solidarity, which could exist solely on the free consent of participants.

The days of the immigrant rights movement's maintaining a safe distance from the Occupy movement are long gone as throughout Southern California, "Occupy ICE" actions have brought the movements much closer together. In Los Angeles, mainline labor and immigrant rights leaders spoke alongside mic-checking occupiers as tents were set up outside the downtown federal building, which features an ICE detention facility.

Eastward, Occupy Riverside's Latino Forum held a "Latino Day," designed to celebrate the struggle of the immigrant and highlight Latino issues in the Inland Empire.

From the newswire: "Día del Latino" en Occupy Riverside / Occupy Riverside's Latino Forum Celebrates by/por Rockero

A Franchise and Concession Review Committee (FCRC) hearing on the proposed Randall's Island tennis expansion hearing was abruptly cancelled an hour before the meeting after a number of elected officials were expected to oppose the expansion A Walk in the Park has learned. The Parks Department and Randall's Island Sports Foundation pulled out according to several city sources.

Last story: Tennis pro John McEnroe Confronted for Privatizing Randall's Island

On December 17, approximately 75-100 community members protesting the desecration of Rattlesnake Island, the spiritual center of the Elem Pomo community, marched to the Piedmont mansion of John Nady, the owner of Nady Systems, who has been one of those pushing for the development of the island as the location of two luxury-style vacation homes. Community members first circled up and held a rally near the Lakeview library branch in Oakland, then proceeded to march two miles up and into the hills of Piedmont where Nady owns a large home, and a short demonstration was held that featured speeches as well a spirited singing of the AIM song.

Tune into Joy of Resistance Multicultural Feminist Radio on WBAI from 9 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, December 21, when the program continues its examination of women's experiences in Occupy Wall Street and the 1960s civil rights movement. WBAI can be heard at 99.5 FM and streams live at www.wbai.org.

Vermont Workers’ Tour give hope for universal coverage in Oregon.

One on five Oregonians do not have health insurance. Among those living without insurance, some are able to establish relationships with health clinics such as the Community Health Centers in Jackson County and get rudimentary care on a sliding scale basis, but many are forced to use emergency rooms for medical care. Recently Southern Oregon Jobs With Justice brought Sarah Weintraub and Kate Kanelstein, two organizers from the Vermont Workers Center to the Unitarian Church in Ashland to discuss how Vermont won a single payer health care system for their state and learn what Oregonians can do to organize a similar campaign. The event was facilitated by Debbie Herzog, a retired school teacher and local activist.

The Vermont Center workers outlined five key elements in building a campaign for universal health coverage. Read More

Related: Single Payer Health Insurance Would Give Everyone A Very Merry Christmas | Medical Self Defense & the Black Panther Party -- An interview w/ Alondra Nelson

The Occupy movement in West Coast port cities called for shutdowns of their ports. In solidarity OWS, NY targeted Wall Street giant, the owner of half of one of the world’s largest transportation and shipping outfits, Goldman Sachs. The ports were targeted because of the firing of port truckers organizing at SSA terminals in LA, owned by Goldman Sachs and the attempt to rupture ILWU union jurisdiction in Longview,WA by EGT, an exporter led by Bunge Ltd, owned by 1% bankers which reported a $2.5 billion profit last year while impoverishing workers in Argentina and Brazil. These economic blockades were in response to the nationally coordinated attacks on the Occupy movement.

Listen:  http://www.buildingbridgesradio.blogspot.com/2011/12/occupy-west-coast-shuts-down-ports.html

BUILDING BRIDGES RADIO, produced by Ken Nash & Mimi Rosenberg broadcast Mondays 7-8 PM EST WBAI 99.5 FM. Our National Edition is carried on over 45 broadcast & internet radio stations.

[On] December 19, 2011, Bradley Manning Support Network sent a representative into the courtroom to take notes for the public on what happened at Bradley Manning’s hearing. No recording devices (like cell phones or audio recorders) were allowed, so all these notes are hand-written and as accurate as written notes and memory allow. Notes were taken by Rainey Reitman, any omissions or inaccuracies are entirely her fault and not reflective of the Support Network positions. Please send corrections to rainey@bradleymanning.org

For updates see bradleymanning.org

class war

New Year's Eve noise demo outside juvie in response to the international call-out for actions against prisons!

This New Year's Eve join us for a noise demonstration outside Portland's Donald E. Long juvenile detention center. This is in response to the international call-out for noise demos and other actions against prisons, jails, and detention centers on New Year's Eve. Bring signs, banners, pots and pans, drums, and anything else to make lots of noise. It's time to let imprisoned folks know that we haven't forgotten them!

Meet at 8:30 pm at the Rose Quarter Transit Center to take the MAX out there as a group or meet us there.

[Address]:Donald E. Long Home
1401 N.E. 68th Street
Portland, Oregon 97213
(503) 988-3475

Human Resources Director Irene Chrest, fired Luke after demanding private information regarding a medical condition that causes him to fall asleep. Combined with having to work two jobs, this medical issue is a serious issue for him. Management's cruel, heartless firing of Luke is one more example of the lack of respect this employer has for their workers.

Vancouver Hilton, 301 W. 6th Street, Vancouver, Washington, United States 98660 Tel: 1-360-993-4500 Fax: 1-360-993-4484
email HR Director Irene Chrest at  Irene.Chrest@hilton.com

The best gift of all is good health and this can be done with single payer health insurance... Good health is what everyone in this country desires and needs. The best way to achieve this goal is to have affordable health insurance. Unfortunately what stands in the wsy is private health insurance companies who value monetary greed over peoples health by always raising premiums and by charging outrageous deductibles and co-pays. The solution is to give the wonderful present of single payer health insurance and you can do this by visiting the internet site of ( Single Payer Action) which is working for single payer health insurance.
Here is the mailing address of ( Single Payer Action) if you wish to contact them by snail mail.
Single Payer Action
P.O. Box 18384
Washington D.C. 20036

I just don't understand why some americans do not want single payer health insurance. What we have now are insurance company pirates who take all of our hard earned cash and then refuse to pay their fair share of your medical bill.

On December 8th, the California Coastal Commission voted 10-1 to approve the controversial $5 million Arana Gulch Master Plan. The vote was expected to resolve a fifteen year long battle between cycling advocacy groups and environmental groups that oppose a bike path through the Santa Cruz greenbelt. But in a move that has some long time Sierra Club members crying foul, cycling advocacy groups are running a slate of three candidates for the board of the Santa Cruz County Group of the Sierra Club in the December election. This would be the second cyclist-sponsored candidate slate in two years, and is expected to decide control of the Santa Cruz Group Executive Committee.

Ever since The Associated Press began revealing New York Police Department spying programs on mosques, student groups, Muslim businesses and communities, those activities have been stoutly defended by police and supporters as having foiled a list of planned attacks.

“This case began with the police packing the courtroom when Travis was on the stand and included some even making threatening gestures towards him,” Zayid Muhammad, of the New Black Panther Party who organized community protest over the incident and over a later incident in October 2010 when Rattray’s mother, Erika Lesa Hankerson, was also assaulted and wrongfully arrested by the police.

An ongoing protest in Newark, NJ is building focus and numbers.

On December 6, the People's Organization for Progress (POP) held a spirited rally and march calling for "jobs, peace, equality and justice." The protest marked their 163rd consecutive day of protest in front of the Essex County Courthouse in downtown Newark, NJ. POP plans to protest for at least 381 consecutive days, because this is how long the Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted.

Read More & Pics | POP is inviting the public to join the "Daily People's Campaign" again on Sunday, January 15th in honor of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | More Coverage: Newark Unemployment Protest in 6th Month is a Model for the Nation by Ken Nash and Mimi Rosenberg

Video

For the past month our friend has been followed home from work, harrassed by phone and text, threatened verbally and physically, by a former partner. In support and solidarity 28 of us confronted him at his home, dressed in black with masks over most of our faces. Our goal was to read a letter of demands to him and then turn around and leave silently. This was not going to be a discussion or a dialogue. This was an ultimatum and a warning.

When we approached him with our demand letter he ripped it out of our comrade's hand and spat at them before yelling "call the police" to his roommate and running inside. We used the people's mic to continue reading the letter, making sure he could still hear our thundering voices inside his house.

read more

This year's version of the National Defense Authorization Act, in addition to allocating massive amounts of tax dollars to war, contains provisions that will allow the president to indefinitely detain anybody he determines is part of Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, an "associated group," or has committed "belligerent acts" against the United States until such a time as he declares an "end to hostilities." The wording of the bill is vague enough to create the potential for the detention of peaceful activists for positive change, and eliminate the rights of due process and trial by jury.

From the LA newswire: Banner Drops Urge Veto of NDAA and Occupy Riverside Challenges Indefinite Military Detention by Rockero | | Is The Passed Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (retroactive) To Detain Americans? by Sue Riley | | Obama Year Three: Continuing His Rogue Agenda by Stephen Lendman

Around the world, women were an integral part of the transformations that took us by storm in 2011--demanding economic justice in New York City, calling for democracy in Egypt, protecting women's shelters in Afghanistan and working toward the peaceful creation of South Sudan, among others. Let's take a look back at all the wins of 2011.

Located about an hour south of Buffalo, the Bank of Cattaraugus is the state's smallest bank with one location and eight employees. It doesn't base loans on credit scores. Knowing community needs well, it operates supportively to help.

Working cooperatively with responsible community banks like B of C and non-profit credit unions, establishing public banks across America is vital at a time of financialized power, casino capitalism, depression-sized unemployment, socialized losses, privatized profits, and Wall Street crooks operating an unprecedented money making racket.

Alondra Nelson, the author of 'Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight Against Medical Discrimination,' writes that "the Party's focus on health care was both practical and ideological." On a practical level, the BPP provided free community health care services, including preventative education. Simultaneously, the BPP railed against the medical-industrial complex, declaring that health care was "a right and not a privilege."

One of the lessons that the BPP offers today's activists is that they should be more loyal to the desired outcome than to the tactic. The sit-in came to be associated with the southern civil rights movement just as the mic check is now emblematic of the Occupy movement. But these groups also used other tactics: marching, occupying, sermons, etc. Social movements are dynamic phenomena; circumstances are constantly changing. So too should tactics. Full Report & Interview | www.angola3news.com

A South African militant reflects on Frantz Fanon

Fifty years after Fanon’s death in Bethesda, Maryland new generations of young people encounter his books with electric excitement.

Re-posted from NYC.Indymedia.org | More from Richard Pithouse: video | syllabus

We've been waiting 4 weeks for NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly to decide the fate of Detective Gescard Isnora, who has cost the City US$7 Million in a settlement over the shooting of Sean Bell. On Nov. 30th, Deputy Commissioner Martin Karopkin recommended that the detective be removed from the force, but only the commissioner can decide. Meanwhile, there seems to be a tacit statement that the incident was the result of policy and protocol.

Closing of DC School The Latino Media Collective Wednesdays from 7:00pm-8:00pm WPFW 89.3 FM, Washington Please listen to the audio attached

Shortly before 9 PM on December 20, marchers from both Occupy camps converged on the White House, demanding that President Obama veto the NDAA is he wants to be re-elected. The NDAA is the Pentagon funding bill with attached military indefinate detention clause. Video

On Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 6:30pm, DC's Zoning Commission will continue to hear testimony regarding a proposed deal between the City and corporate developers to sell three public parcels — properties in the West End neighborhood of Ward 2. The deal would sell the land to the developer so they can build proximately 175 high-end million-dollar condominiums and luxury rentals.

DC Teaching for Social Change The Latino Media Collective Wednesdays from 7:00pm-8:00pm WPFW 89.3 FM, Washington Please listen to the attached audio

On December 28th, dressed in riot gear, the Bellingham Police Department forcibly evicted Occupy Bellingham's permanent encampment. The cops showed no remorse as dozens of protesters attempted to negotiate for more time to finish clearing out the camp and to re-vegetate disturbed areas. The officers in charge initially refused to communicate with the police liaison from the group and gave almost no notice before sweeping the encampment. Streets surrounding the encampment were barricaded as cops began flooding the parking lot adjacent to the camp. Throughout the process, the cops chose to enforce the agenda of the power elite, disrupting a peaceful protest, trampling first amendment rights and forcing the public out of a public park. The Bellingham police demonstrated their allegiance to the corrupt state by placing property over people's needs. We expect nothing else from the fascist men in blue.

After the protest was disrupted, the crowd came together to march to City Hall and then held a General Assembly inside the building to discuss our next steps as a movement. The encampment had been a home to over a dozen Occupiers since October 23rd, 2011, several of which have now been left with nowhere to go. Although Occupy Bellingham may no longer have a physical encampment, our ideals of solidarity, resistance and autonomy only grow stronger with each day that we face the realities of our corrupt nation and witness the abusive display of power from the police.

 http://occupy-bellingham.org

There have been predictions in the Washington Post and elsewhere that the wooden frame of this art display might provoke the same sort of police response the "People's Pentagon" structure did back on December 4.

A musical fundraiser, starring the Rogue Suspects, for the ‘Medford 6’ Occupiers, arrested 12-5-11, for seeking representation from their Congressman, Greg Walden

6:30 p.m. January 5th at Roscoe’s BBQ in Phoenix

Who: The Rogue Suspects, Pete Herzog and Patrick Tovatt for "Occupy Walden"
What: A fundraiser for the “Medford 6” to help cover fines and future actions
When: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, January 5, 2012
Where: Roscoe’s BBQ, 117 S. Main St., Phoenix, OR
Why: Because we, the 99%, are not being represented by Rep. Greg Walden, R-OR, the sitting U.S. 2nd District Congressman, and we need to expose the fact that he only listens to and votes for the 1%, the wealthiest Americans and those who run the largest corporations in the U.S.

Baba Bob Shipman is a longtime community activist in Philadelphia. He’s involved with various organizations around the city including the Institute for the Study of Civic Values, Phillyneighborhoods, the Philadelphia Parent Partner Yahoogropus Community, as well as Philadelphia IMC. He is currently the "Social Media Ambassador" for newsworks.org and website administrator for xoffendersofpa.ning.com and x-offenders.org.

WHYY recently highlighted Bob's work in their "Citizen Spotlight" Program. In the interview, Bob speaks of his sense of servanthood, the roots of his activism, how the internet has affected him, and his hopes and fears for his city. Read Interview | Bob's Reflections on his Work

In a call-out for a march from 14th Street & Broadway to a rally at the Fruitvale BART station on January 1st, 2012, organizers write: "The movement that touched ground in January 2009 — the organizing to address police terrorism — laid the ground work for the movement against the 1% here in Oakland. The polarizing disparity of wealth and the numerous police killings in our communities are inextricably linked. To unravel a system that forecloses homes, pushes our families into poverty and criminalizes our youth while gentrifying our neighborhoods, we need to not only address a system based on greed but a system that needs police brutality to survive and thrive through state terror. On this 3rd anniversary of Oscar's murder, lets take to the streets to show that Oscar Grant is gone but not forgotten. Oscar lives on in the memories of his family and friends and in our resistance to the police." Read More

Related: Sean Bell Case is Not Over | Remembering Mohamed Bouazizi