May 27, 2009 — Two Earth First! activists were arrested at a Home Depot this morning in Glendale. The arrests followed a banner being hung off the roof of a Home Depot store reading “Dam Home Depot, NOT Patagonia!” Supporters of the arrested activists demand that Home Depot cut all ties and voice their opposition to this project at tomorrow's corporate shareholders meeting tomorrow in Atlanta, Georgia.

The banner-drop action was intended to remind both the public and the company: “We’ve fought The Home Depot before and won.” Almost ten years ago, Earth First! groups around the country joined with Rainforest Action Network and others forced Home Depot to adopt wood product policies that removed old growth from their shelves. But their ongoing economic involvement with the Chilean interests that are proposing to dam wild rivers with the HidroAysen project in Patagonia shows their commitments to ‘green business’ practices to be merely empty Public Relations maneuvering. read more | photo from Earth First! Roadshow | Action in Capitola, CA

related: High Country EarthFirst! Kicks Off "Stop I-70 Expansion" Campaign | PDX Está Presente: Resist Home Depot's prospecting in destruction of Patagonia's Rivers

On May 27th, mayor of Richmond Gayle McLaughlin attended the Chevron Shareholder's meeting, along with delegates representing Nigeria, Burma, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Philippines, and Canada. The delegates introduced to the meeting this year's alternative Chevron annual report: The True Cost of Chevron. The annual report documents the ecological and human damage caused by mismanagement of infrastructure, laborers, and the environment.

Rep. Boucher's Handouts to Coal Lobby Hurt Working Families

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2009-Fifteen concerned citizens were arrested today for peacefully blocking the entrance to Virginia Congressman Rick Boucher's office protesting his efforts to gut strong climate legislation at the expense of American families. Congressman Boucher has driven efforts in Congress to give away billions of dollars worth of free permits directly to coal, oil and other dirty fossil fuel companies under a cap and trade bill.

"The problem is Rick Boucher, the victims are American families, and the solution, as proposed by President Obama during his campaign, is a simple and fair polluter-pays cap that solves the climate crisis while rebating consumers," said Mike Tidwell, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, who was among those arrested today.

New York activists gathered in front of Radio City Music Hall Sunday night during a Leonard Cohen concert to call upon the singer/songwriter to cancel his scheduled September concert in Israel. The protesters sang songs, chanted, handed out leaflets to concert attendees and produced sidewalk art. The call comes in support of earlier calls by Jews, Palestinians, Israeli citizens and residents of the UK, and coincides with the publication of an open letter by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) calling for protests throughout the cities Cohen is touring. Read More | Past Coverage: New York & London protesters call for Valentine’s boycott of Leviev over Israeli

…electing Barack Obama as President isn’t enough. Especially when his political party and too many of its Congressional members get sizeable amounts of campaign contributions from Big Oil and Dirty Coal. It’s virtually impossible to be a self-respecting climate activist and support the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, a corporate-polluter-influenced document. According to an initial analysis by the 1Sky campaign, 58% of the proceeds from the potential sale of permits to emit greenhouse gasses would be “polluter giveaways and fossil fuel industry handouts.” A Dow Jones Newswire story on May 15th stated that “the proposed legislation would give away up to 85% of the carbon allowances to industry and states, leaving only 15% to be auctioned off and for the government to decide what to do with the proceeds.”

Just as we breathe a collective sigh of relief over Time Warner's supposed scrapping of plans to meter internet usage, bend over here it comes again. Like something out of an Orwell book, the company plans to launch a new “Customer Education Campaign” in the fall to “teach the public that high prices and internet caps are good for us.” Expect a propaganda onslaught on how the caps will supposedly lower prices for everyone except those few who “abuse” the system. They will claim that “internet brownouts” will occur if these users are not penalized. At the same time they intend to switch everyone over to “turbo” service and introduce speed-increasing technologies like DOCSYS, which will make everyone exceed their quotas even faster. Does this sound familiar? Recall how corporate America justified $4 a gallon gasoline by claiming that it was all the fault of greedy consumers driving SUV's. That was after they sold us SUV's by convincing us small efficient cars weren't safe.

Additional Information: Rochester Protests Time Warner Internet Pricing Plan

At this years Lilac Festival, park visitors have been seeing a lot about Bank of America. Behind the main stage, Bank of America was able to hang a huge advertising banner based on them sponsoring the festival. In addition, members of the newly-created Genesee Valley Earth First! group have been telling festival-goers about Bank of America in more detail.

One of the more visible members of the group was the Bank Bandit. Dressed in a luchador mask, tights and a cape, the Bandit handed out literature describing how Bank of America funds many destructive environmental practices around the world.

16-year old Safreen Rafat Khan is a 2nd generation victim of the Bhopal disaster, the 1984 industrial accident that killed 8,000 people within a week and exposed over a half million people to industrial poisons. Over the last 25 years, survivors of the disaster have fought a dogged fight for justice, clean-up of contamination, clean water and corporate accountability. Union Carbide, its new owner Dow Chemical and the Indian Government have tried to get people to forget the disaster. Safreen co-founded the children's action group Children Against Dow Carbide to ensure that survivors of the world's worst industrial disaster win the battle of memory against forgetfulness. She is visiting Seattle on May 29th-30th. Meet her. Inspire her. Get inspired.

A motley crew of 35-40 pissed-off Portlanders disrupted the auction of foreclosed homes by bank-fraudsters [Monday] morning at the Multnomah County Courthouse before being removed by Sheriff's deputies from the lobby of the courthouse, some violently. Attendees shouted slogans and made "bids" on properties (e.g., "I bid that you keep people in their homes").

The law-unenforcers outrageously claimed that the courthouse lobby and steps were not "public space", and that they therefore were entitled to grab and shove members of the group away from the building. One deputy said, "I'm the judge" of what's public space.

The banking industry has been obstructing attempts by activists to require pre-foreclosure mediation between themselves and homeowners because such mediation has been shown to keep people in their homes rather than out on the streets, where "unnecessary" people should apparently be. [ Read More | forclosure resistance in portland | Fight the Banks: Foreclosure Prevention Direct actions ]

The Army opens up a hi-tech recruiting center in order to continue adventuring abroad.

On Saturday, May 2nd, the Iraq Veterans Against the War, the Veterans for Peace and the Delaware Valley Veterans for America all joined forces to protest the Army Experience Center, the hands-on, multimedia exhibit designed to sell war to the young as a fun, bloodless, mess-free game. Read More & Photos

More Coverage: Criminal Complaint Served and Seven Arrested at the Army Experience Center in Philadelphia Mall by Elaine Brower | Is Army Abusing Children With its Latest Experiment, the Army Experience Center? by Rob Kall | SHUT DOWN the KILL school by Bill Perry | Confronting Army's Phila. experiment by John Grant

The private military firm formerly known as Blackwater (now known as "Xe") has been increasingly on the defensive: some of the company's guards face manslaughter charges, and the company lost a key Iraq government contract to rival Triple Canopy (originally incorporated in Chicago).

"Blackwater" North, the company's installation in Illinois' Jo Daviess county, has seen peace activists in the Midwest launch vigorous protest activity in recent years. Activists wrote a new chapter in the struggle against Xe, with a recent "Stop Blackwater" conference and civil disobedience action at the Xe site, which saw 22 people arrested.

Video: Blackwater (Xe) Protest, Arrests at Illinois Facilities | From Urbana-Champaign IMC: Four Catholic Workers Among 22 Arrested At Blackwater Site

DIRECT ACTION GETS THE GOODS: Monday, May 11, at 9 a.m., at the Multnomah County Courthouse, 1021 SW 4th Ave. Stop the auction of foreclosed homes by the bank-fraudsters. Support SB 628.

Not active in supporting your neighbors who are facing homelessness because you think Obama will magically make everything all right?

Give up that Ghost....We need grass-roots action NOW, and YOU need to make it happen.... Every Monday morning, foreclosed homes are being auctioned at the Multnomah County Courthouse (1021 SW 4th Ave.). This is being done in spite of the fact that the bankers and their political flunkies are obstructing attempts to require mortgage mediation with the victims of the financial scams that threaten to harm all working class people. (Contact your state representatives about support for SB 628, the pre-foreclosure mandatory mediation bill that the bank fraudsters are attempting to destroy, and see: link to blog.affil.org).

Wear red and bring signs, if you can.

The Home Depot in Capitola was targeted on May 3rd with hundreds of stickers and handbills to publicize their involvement in a controversial development project in Patagonia, Chile. The HidroAysen project involves three dams on the Pascua River and two dams on the Baker River that would flood globally rare forest ecosystems and some of the most productive agricultural land in the Aysen region.

The last day of the International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington DC the was a permitted March from Dupont Circle to The Bank Buildings. Video || tamilsagainstgenocide.org || warwithoutwitness.org

Now, as the economic miracle of Wall Street has degenerated into a nightmare of zombie banks, state bailouts and toxic assets, Kate’s patrons are left to wrestle with a destruction of wealth so monumental that it swept away their stock market illusions.

This past Thursday, April the 24th, hundreds of members of the Communications Workers of America(CWA), were on hand as AT&T held its shareholders meeting at the Dallas Arboretum. Several bus loads of union members from across the state, as well as from Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri were on hand to expose the corporate greed that keeps AT&T from negotiating in good faith and attempting to slash health care benefits for its workers.

The picket was lively, and loud with shouts of NO CONTRACT, No PEACE. For the past three weeks CWA workers have been working without a new contract.

[Read full Article with Photos] Past HIMC Coverage: Communications Workers Authorize strike against AT&T over Health Care and cost shifting to employees | National News on CWA contract with AT&T

Multiple simultaneous marches bring attention to the affairs of the World Bank & International Monetary Fund. It was all fun and games until somebody put an eye out.

IMF protests turned hot and heavy on April 25. Before protesters could even deploy, two banks and a condo got their windows smashed. Hours later, protesters took the streets but were unable to hold barricades against IMF delegates. Cops responded by pepper spraying 30 and breaking one person's leg. Even an armored vehicle was used! Read More | | | Razorwire for April 25, 2009 | | | Video: Cops assault and pepper spray IMF protesters in DC from WSQT-TV | IMF Block Party Beat Down in A Sharp | | | Photos: jakemaydayrva | Anticapitalist actions in Foggy Bottom on April 25

Related: 5k Fun Run on the Bank | LPFM Supporters March On US Capitol; US Capitol Police Have Failure To Communicate

4/29 UPDATE: Video from last day of meetings

A 5k Fun Run and press conference to kick off the IMF meetings in DC this weekend.

Final Public Hearing on Plan to Open US Coast to Offshore Oil Drilling Held in SF

The Obama administration was in San Francisco on Thursday, April 16th, to hold a day-long public hearing on Bush's offshore oil and gas proposal, which would open most of the outer continental shelf of the US to offshore drilling. The plan would allow new drilling for the first time in decades in Northern California's Point Arena Basin as well as three offshore basins in Southern California. A coalition of environmental groups, including Ocean Defenders Alliance and Surfrider Foundation, organized an all-day rally featuring music and speakers outside the hearing on the UCSF Mission Bay Campus... Read More & Photos