On Thursday, July 30, an estimated 2,000 people packed Upper Senate Park to demand that the House of Representatives pass HR 676, a bill to scrap Obama's capitalist health care "reform" and replace it with a single-payer system… Broadcast coverage via WSQT Direct Action Radio.

A crowd of approximately 20 people showed up in city court on July 28, 2009 to watch the proceedings in a case against Jesse Masengale, a member of the Save Haven Tent Community. After a group of homeless men and women had organized a tent city on the property of the Catholic Worker House in Champaign, two police officers arrived on the night of June 8 with a video camera to “investigate.” When Jesse questioned their intentions, he was detained and given two city tickets.

In court, Judge Richard Klaus read a summary of the two charges against Jesse: obstructing and resisting Champaign Police Officer Erik Bloom from “documenting evidence” when he put his hands in front of a video camera after he was told not to; and assault for allegedly throwing a cell phone at Champaign Police Officer Gregory Manzana.

Small crowds gathered on Thursday, July 23, in Denver, Colorado, at the offices of Senators Mark Udall (D-CO) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) to rally for health care reform of some kind, namely between President Barack Obama’s plan enshrined in America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, H.R. 3200, now being debated in Congress, and a universal single payer system.

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Low-income and Sec. 8 tenants held an informational picket Friday morning at 10am (corporate media invited, none attended) against so-called nonprofit slumlord Central City Concern.

With signs that read, "Defend Tenant Rights" and "Greg Must Go!" tenant organizers picketed the $33,000,000 per year, so-called nonprofit landlord, Central City Concern. For a year, tenants have protested, written and organized against CCC management practices. CCC has persistent pest control problems in many buildings (cockroaches, mice, bedbugs), crime and kickbacks inside the buildings to/by CCC staff (prostitution, drugs, etc.), sexual harassment of tenants by managers (the "Greg" in question, above), and lack of transparency and accountability: it is an 'oral preference' that CCC board meetings outlaw tenants attending, or speaking at, CCC board meetings -- and the board minutes are secret.

Today's picket was prompted by the reinstatement after suspension of Greg Green, a building manager who is accused by tenants of sexual harassment of tenants, along with promoting/getting kickbacks on drugs and prostitution inside the buildings. Read More | Related from Colorado IMC: Green Valley Ranch Citizens Confront Corrupt HOA Board

On July 22, 2009 approximately 300 members of the Green Valley Ranch community showed up in force to oppose a special assessment being levied against them by their Home Owners Association (HOA) Board. They also took that time to demand the resignation of long-time president T.J. Stone and all his cronies.

The HOA Board banned everyone, including members of the community and journalists, from covering the meeting. One community member however refused and took this footage clandestinely. read more & video

On Monday, July 20th, Oakland's Street Level Health Project held a community rally and press conference in response to the burglary and vandalism of the center that took place the night before. The perpetrators of the attack broke equipment, destroyed wall paintings and medical records, and stole three computers.The break-in took place while the security cameras were down due to repairs. This has forced SLHP to close down for a week and turn away people seeking health services.

http://denverfairfood.blogspot.com/2009/07/why-were-fair-food-activists-...

By Robert McGoey
Monday, July 20, 2009

The Campaign for Fair Food and the new documentary Food, Inc. share – by any objective observation – a common vision and common struggle.

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A Brief History of Ashland, Oregon’s Green Welcome and Sustainability Center

July 2050:

Looking back over forty years, things have certainly changed. In 2009, our country experienced an extreme shift in thinking as a result of a near financial meltdown and indications of impending climatic and resource consequences. During that time period people began to evaluate their individual and group actions and values and came to understand that they must begin putting back into the environment more than was being taken out.

It was difficult to return to conservative practices after people had grown accustomed to using the plentiful natural resources of the planet in frivolous ways. When the cost of cheap fossil fuels accelerated based on decreasing supply and increasing demand,other solutions became,at first,necessary, and eventually mainstream - even popular.

Advance the Struggle writes:"The murder of Oscar Grant set Oakland on fire, but who put the fire out? The working class people of Oakland, their consciousness set ablaze, found an inadequate set of organizational tools at their disposal to do the work that deep down we all know has to be done - confront the state (government) and its underlying property relations."

In a recent talk Bruce Sterling proposed that the environmentalists of my generation apply the "Great-Grandfather Principle" to their actions. "Stop acting dead," he said.

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On July 5th health care reform advocates counter protested a right wing "tea party" demonstration at a busy intersection in San Jose, California. The Raging Grannies, in colorful costumes and carrying "Patients Not Profits" parasols, joined members of other advocates of a single payer health care system. Angry "tea party" demonstrators, who said they are against any health care reform whatsoever, carried signs with their slogan Taxed Enough Already. Their t-shirts, buttons and placards proclaimed their anti-gay, pro-gun and pro free market health care position. Read More | Related: http://dc.indymedia.org/feature/display/131836/index.php

The national housing crisis has led to thousands of families losing their homes. The rise in homelessness has contributed to the increase in tent communities across the United States as a grassroots solution to the problem.

Even the most optimistic Obama supporter should cringe in response to the White House’s recent “bi-partisan immigration talks.” What could Democrats and Republicans possibly have in common over immigration? Quite a lot it turns out. An enormous sell-out is being prepared for the U.S. immigrant population and Latinos especially — who came out in record numbers in many swing states to vote for Obama last year. Attached to these votes are huge expectations.

The 20th Pastors for Peace Cuba Caravan, taking US citizens and humanitarian aid on a journey of solidarity and goodwill, will arrive in the Rogue Valley on Thursday July 9. Join us in welcoming them at the Bellview Grange, 1050 Tolman Creek Road, Ashland. The schedule is:
6:00--greet the Caravan members
6:30--potluck dinner--share your favorite dish
7:30--program about the Caravan--what it does and why
9:00--close and clean-up

By Linden Gawboy, MN Coalition for a People’s Bailout

On Thursday, June 25, friends and supporters gathered at the home of Rosemary Williams to plan for action after getting devastating news. That morning, in a conference call, Judge Lloyd Zimmerman sided with finance giant GMAC and against Ms. Williams, who has been engaged in an epic battle to save her home. We were trying to appeal the judge’s earlier ruling which had denied us a trial. Turns out we could appeal, if we came up with a $49,000 ‘bond’ in two days.

$49,000 is clearly an impossible amount for anyone to come up with. We should not have to pay almost as much as the house is worth to get heard in the ‘halls of justice.’ Since we don’t have that kind of money, we will have to act.

On May 26, the UN Human Rights Council issued a report titled "Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Including the Right to Development - Report of the Special Rapporteur (Philip Alston) on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions." Alston was damning in his criticism regarding "three areas in which significant improvement is necessary if the US Government is to match its actions to its stated commitment to human rights and the rule of law:"

While the Obama administration and the Treasury and the Fed are bulldozing funds into the coffers of the big banks, allegedly to get them to lend, the banks, from the largest to the smallest, are pulling back, afraid that borrowers will end up going bust on them--and with good reason, given the high and rising level of unemployment So much for economic stimulus efforts.

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 ]

People around the world marched for workers' and immigrants' rights on May 1st. In the United States, labor day has been traditionally celebrated in September, but since 2006 the immigration movement has brought back the tradition of celebrating international workers day on May 1st, in commemoration of the Haymarket massacre in Chicago.

In Washington, DC, the day began with an ICE raid at 6 am. It was reported that one of the ICE officers woke up residents by saying, "Where's all the Hispanic people in this building?"

"Without immigrants this country of ours—because it's ours as well—would not be in any way near as good as it is," said Oscar Chacon, Executive Director of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities. "It is because of immigrants of yesterday, immigrants of today, and immigrants of tomorrow, that this nation is indeed still, in spite of all the difficulties, a beacon of hope."

The message of the immigrant mobilization was simple and direct, end the raids and detentions, and establish a new immigration policy based on human, civil, and labor rights.

LOCAL REPORTS:: Boston, MA, Video | Chicago, IL | Houston, TX | Los Angeles, CA | Miami | Minneapolis, MN | New York, NY, Video | Portland, OR | Poughkeepsie, NY | San Francisco Bay Area 1, 2 | Seattle, WA | Washington DC, Audio | Worcester, MA

Photos & Essay Reports from around the World from National Immigrant Solidarity Network | A New May Day Rises from The Indypendent | May Day Immigrant Rights Retrospective from PepperSpray Productions

RELATED: NACLA Launches Campaign to Send "Open Veins of Latin America" to the White House | James P. Cannon: A Native Son's Revolutionary Road | "Shut Down ICE!" 30 Arrested in Civil Disobedience at Bloomington Facility | Workers Rally for Employee Free Choice

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.

After receiving an eviction notice taped to her door last week at the end of the six month redemption period on her foreclosed home, Rosemary Williams showed up at Housing Court at the Hennepin County Government Center Wednesday morning - along with about 50 of her friends and neighbors.

As the defendant at the preliminary hearing, Rosemary was represented by Jordan Kushner and Bruce Nestor of the National Lawyers Guild, who prepared to argue that in addition to disputing some facts of the complaint against her, the eviction would cause a public nuisance to the community and should therefore not be permitted to continue.   This experimental legal defense was met with skepticism by the housing court referee - but a trial was scheduled to begin Tuesday, April 28 at 9am at the HCGC. 

Read More & Video (Video is from 4/22 press conference and hearing) | The trial has since been rescheduled for May 26.

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.