tagged w/ Activism
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Three lawyers representing two imprisoned Pussy Riot punk rockers have withdrawn – or been fired – from the case amid general agreement that they are not able to effectively represent the women as the atmosphere around their jailing grows increasingly politicized.Three lawyers representing two imprisoned Pussy Riot punk rockers have withdrawn... more
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– Thousands rally outside the White House demanding President Barack Obama to reject the building of the Keystone XL pipeline that will carry crude oil from Alberta, Canada to the United States, on Sunday.
There are rising concerns that if the government approves the Keystone construction, it will cause a surge in greenhouse gases, vast environmental and community degradation.– Thousands rally outside the White House demanding President Barack Obama to... more
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Twelve people were arrested in east Texas today as they blockaded construction of TransCanada’s Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The protesters warn that burning the heavy fossil fuel will emit large amounts of greenhouse gases, warming the planet beyond repair.
Four people locked themselves to heavy machinery used to prepare the route for the pipeline that is planned to carry heavy tarry material called bitumen, diluted with a solvent, from the tar sands of northern Alberta to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Blockaders locked themselves to heavy equipment to interfere with construction of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, November 19, 2012 (Photo courtesy Tar Sands Blockade)
While the trans-border section of the pipeline needs a permit from President Barack Obama, sections of the pipeline within the United States do not.
Those locked to the heavy machinery were joined by several others forming a human chain to block the movement of the machinery, while more than 30 people walked onto the same construction site to halt work early this morning.
Meanwhile, three other protesters put up a new tree blockade at a crossing of the Angelina River, suspending themselves from 50 foot pine trees with life lines anchored to heavy machinery, effectively blocking the entirety of Keystone XL’s path.
Tar Sands Blockade is a coalition of Texas and Oklahoma landowners and climate justice organizers using peaceful and sustained civil disobedience to stop the construction of TransCanada’s Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Organizers of today’s Tar Sands Blockade Day of Action say they are acting in solidarity with local landowners struggling to protect their water and land from pipeline spills.
The Keystone XL pipeline route crosses 16 large rivers in Texas, including the site of today’s tree blockade, the scenic Angelina River. Climbing 50-foot pine trees in forested bottomlands, the tree blockaders arranged their platforms and settled in for a long standoff in protection of fresh drinking and agricultural water.
But within a few hours they were in custody and on their way to jail.
One of the Angelina tree sitters, Lizzy Alvarado, is a cinematography student at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches and a founder of the Nacogdoches Rat Skulls, an all female cycling advocacy organization.
Tar Sands Blockade tree sitter Lizzy Alvarado on a platform near the Angelina River, November 19, 2012 (Photo courtesy Tar Sands Blockade)
“I climbed this tree in honor of all the landowners who have been bullied mercilessly into signing easement contracts and who were then silenced through fear by TransCanada’s threat of endless litigation,” said Alvarado. “That’s not what this country stands for in my mind, and if we don’t take a stand here to secure our rights now, then it will keep happening to everyone.”
“What’s happening isn’t just threatening my community’s drinking water but it will threaten that of all communities along the pipeline’s path,” she said.
Cherokee County sheriffs were caught on tape making multiple threats to cut the support lines of the tree blockaders, which could have been fatal for Alvarado and the other blockaders.
But instead the sheriffs brought in a cherry picker to extract the blockaders. In response, a several dozen ground supporters stood in front of the truck with the cherry picker and pushed up against it in an attempt to stop it. The truck driver refused to stop until the truck hit one of the supporters and almost dragged him underneath the vehicle.
To disperse the blockade supporters, law enforcement officials sprayed people in the face with pepper spray, including Jeanette Singleton, a 75 year old woman with a heart condition.
Eye-witnesses say that Alvarado and another blockader were strip-searched by police after they were arrested. “Lizzy’s flexicuffs were also fastened so tightly that she was brought to tears and begging to have them loosened. When they were finally removed, they left marks on her wrists. Police were also very aggressive about removing Lizzy’s piercings,” said a Tar Sands Blockade spokesperson.
All four blockaders locked to the heavy machinery were also arrested after being pepper sprayed and placed in pain compliance positions by Cherokee County sheriffs. Supporters at the ground blockade and at the tree blockade also were arrested.
Those arrested will not be released until after they see a judge in the morning. Their charges are not unknown.
A tar sands blockader is removed from lockdown by Cherokee County sheriffs after he was peppersprayed, November 19, 2012 (Photo courtesy Tar Sands Blockade)
“Tar Sands Blockade stands with all communities affected by the Canadian tar sands,” said Ron Seifert, a Tar Sands Blockade spokesperson. “From indigenous nations in Alberta, Canada to the besieged refinery neighborhoods of the American Gulf Coast where the tar sands will be refined, there’s a groundswell of resistance demanding an end to toxic tar sands exploitation.”
While these multi-site actions halted Keystone XL construction this morning, local community members rallied at Lake Nacogdoches to further highlight the threats Keystone XL poses to the community’s watershed and public health.
Environment News Service (http://s.tt/1uaGG)
More at the linkTwelve people were arrested in east Texas today as they blockaded construction of... more
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U.S. Activists Demand Obama to Close Military Bases in Latin America
- North America’s largest annual anti-militarization gathering occurs this weekend in Columbus, Ga., in an event drawing thousands to protest a US military school that trains Latin American military leaders in torture techniques.U.S. Activists Demand Obama to Close Military Bases in Latin America
- North... more
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Groups Launch National Initiative To Help All Americans Take Action On Genetically Engineered Foods
WASHINGTON, DC — A new coalition, focused on the right to know whether or not foods are genetically engineered, today denounced the millions of dollars poured into anti-Prop 37 efforts by major corporations. The corporate campaign, financed by agribusiness, food and chemical giants such as Monsanto, Dupont, Dow, Coca Cola and Kellogg’s, was designed to misinform and deceive the public about the cost of labeling.
“Corporations may have misled voters in California about GMOs, but they can’t change the fact that over 90 percent of Americans support the labeling of foods with genetically engineered ingredients,” said Alisa Gravitz, CEO of Green America. “The GMO Inside campaign will make it possible for all Americans to find GMOs in the food products in their homes and communities, label them, and switch to non-GMO foods instead. The campaign will show corporations that people will not complacently serve as lab rats for the testing of genetically engineered foods.”
“We are disappointed but not deterred by this defeat,” said John W. Roulac, CEO and founder of Nutiva—world’s leading organic superfood brand. “GMO Inside was created to catapult the energy from the fight for Prop 37 to the next level. Our goal is to bring greater awareness to consumers nationwide about the dangers of GMOs and educate on what they can do to make a change.”
The GMO Inside campaign launched today on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/GMOInside; Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/GMOInside; and Pinterest, http://www.pinterest.com/GMOInside, and is signing up supporters at www.GMOinside.org. GMO Inside steering committee members include Food Democracy Now!, Green America, Institute for Responsible Technology, Foodbabe, Nature’s Path and Nutiva.
The GMO Inside campaign will provide Americans with actions they can take in their homes, grocery stores, and communities to call attention to genetically engineered foods. It will provide tools and resources for Americans to find the GMOs in a wide-range of products and brands on grocery shelves, and give people organic and non-GMO alternatives. It will also create communities of people who are concerned about GMOs and who will support each others’ efforts to label GMOs and avoid products containing them.
more at the linkGroups Launch National Initiative To Help All Americans Take Action On Genetically... more
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WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files – more than five million emails from the Texas-headquartered “global intelligence” company Stratfor. The emails date from between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal’s Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defense Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor’s web of informers, pay-off structure, payment-laundering techniques and psychological methods, for example :WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files – more than five... more
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Fracking for gas not only uses toxic chemicals that can contaminate drinking water and groundwater — it also releases substantial quantities of radioactive poison from the ground that will remain hot and deadly for thousands of years.Fracking for gas not only uses toxic chemicals that can contaminate drinking water and... more
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Fracking and Radium, the Silvery-White Monster,How Google Is Helping the Gas Lobby Support Fracking,Fracking will destroy the environmentFracking and Radium, the Silvery-White Monster,How Google Is Helping the Gas Lobby... more
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Martha Plimpton is known for her work on the big screen and in television shows such as The Good Wife, Raising Hope, and Goonies, but there is another side to her that is making headlines. Plimpton has been a women’s rights advocate since she was a teen, and she played a large role in the recent election in bringing attention to the GOP's War on Women. In a recent interview, Plimpton was asked if we could possibly be seeing Senator Martha Plimpton in the future...
http://veracitystew.com/?p=45815Martha Plimpton is known for her work on the big screen and in television shows such... more
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Massive anti-austerity strikes and protests swept across Europe as millions took to the streets to express their frustration over rising unemployment and dire economic prospects. Many rallies ended with violent clashes with police.Massive anti-austerity strikes and protests swept across Europe as millions took to... more
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by Marie Gage,WWH/CJE - So – the election is over. According to the pundits, we are in approximately the same position as we were two years ago. Or maybe they mean four years ago. I am not so sure. Maybe the number of GOPers to Democrats is the same ratio, but they are DIFFERENT people.by Marie Gage,WWH/CJE - So – the election is over. According to the pundits, we... more
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Maybe I should have waited a day or so before bringing everybody down after the election. But Glenn Greenwald brings us back to reality with this piece. SS and Medicare will likely receive cuts as a part of some "Grand Bargain". We're going to hate it, but should have known it was coming.
My apologies again.Maybe I should have waited a day or so before bringing everybody down after the... more
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“Don’t Talk to the Police” by Professor James Duane-Rant ‘N’ Roll: Frank Zappa Is Back-Once Again, Hippies & Punks, Beatniks & Bums to the Rescue!“Don’t Talk to the Police” by Professor James Duane-Rant... more
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Actress takes East Texas anti-pipeline protest national after arrest
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein charged with trespassing in Keystone XL protestActress takes East Texas anti-pipeline protest national after arrest
Green Party... more
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Greece: Extremist Group’s Blasphemy Protest Raises A Stir-UPDATE 1-Kuwait’s AA rating threatened by political protests-Fitch-Turkish police fire tear gas at banned secularist march-More than 50 detained in China pollution protests-Fishermen confront BP spill deadline-Protests banned by Bahrain governmentGreece: Extremist Group’s Blasphemy Protest Raises A Stir-UPDATE... more
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OK, Hippies… These stories keep coming up on my news feeds. Main stream media won’t report them.
These guys are not stupid people they do have some creditability. (More then the US Government or the main stream media.) So you dear reader, decide.OK, Hippies… These stories keep coming up on my news feeds. Main stream media... more
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John Konopak,CJE – Julian Assange, embedded in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, and the rest of those mischievous sprites at WikiLeaks have gone done stuck another grubby thumb in the eye of the National Security State.John Konopak,CJE – Julian Assange, embedded in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London,... more
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Russell Means spent a lifetime as a modern American Indian warrior. He railed against broken treaties, fought for the return of stolen land and even took up arms against the federal government.
A onetime leader of the American Indian Movement, he called national attention to the plight of impoverished tribes and often lamented the waning of Indian culture. After leaving the movement in the 1980s, the handsome, braided activist was still a cultural presence, appearing in several movies.
Means, who died Monday from throat cancer at age 72, helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee—a bloody confrontation that raised America's awareness about the struggles of Indians and gave rise to a wider protest movement that lasted for the rest of the decade.
Before AIM, there were few national advocates for American Indians. Means was one of the first to emerge. He sought to restore Indians' pride in their culture and to challenge a government that had paid little attention to tribes in generations. He was also one of the first to urge sports teams to do away with Indian names and mascots.
"No one except Hollywood stars and very rich Texans wore Indian jewelry," Means said, recalling the early days of the movement. And there were dozens, if not hundreds, of athletic teams "that in essence were insulting us, from grade schools to college. That's all changed."
AIM was founded in the late 1960s to demand that the government honor its treaties with American Indian tribes. The movement eventually faded away, Means said, as Native Americans became more self-aware and self-determined.
Read more:http://bit.ly/SFE6wISIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Russell Means spent a lifetime as a modern American Indian... more
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ay rights in the US, state by state
Gay rights laws in America have evolved to allow — but in some cases ban — rights for gay, lesbian and transgender people on a range of issues, including marriage, hospital visitation, adoption, housing, employment and school bullying.ay rights in the US, state by state
Gay rights laws in America have evolved to allow... more
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UPDATE 9:00AM – Cherri Chains Herself Keystone XL Pipeyard Gate
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WINFIELD, TEXAS – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012 – Drawing connections to all coastal communities threatened by toxic tar sands development, Cherri Foytlin, an indigenous South Louisiana mother of six and wife of a Gulf Coast oilfield worker, chained herself to the gate of a Keystone XL pipeyard. Effectively blocking pipe from being shipped to construction sites along the controversial pipeline’s route, Foytlin’s action coincides with the Defend Our Coast activities in British Columbia, where more than 60 Canadian communities are protesting a proposed tar sands pipeline through their region. Hers marks the 32nd arrest since Tar Sands Blockade’s actions began over two months ago and today marks the 31st day of sustained protest at its Winnsboro tree blockade.
“This pipeline is a project of death. From destructive tar sands development that destroy indigenous sovereignty and health at the route’s start to the toxic emissions that will lay further burden on environmental justice communities along the Gulf of Mexico, this pipeline not only disproportionately affects indigenous frontline communities but its clear that it will bring death and disease to all in its path,” Foytlin declared.
Refusing to accept the Gulf Coast’s designation as the Nation’s Energy Sacrifice Zone, Foytlin, along with many Gulf Coast residents and indigenous activists are dismayed but not surprised to find the conversations regarding Keystone XL as a whole from national environmental groups to the Presidential campaigns have made little to no mention of the damage TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline will heap upon Gulf Coast communities like Houston and Port Arthur, TX, where Keystone XL will terminate. Already overburdened with oil refineries and other dirty energy related industry, this neglectful attitude dovetails neatly with TransCanada’s reckless disregard for the health and safety of families in the refinery communities and elsewhere along the pipeline’s route.
The Rayne, Louisiana resident, who in the Spring of 2011 walked 1,243 miles from New Orleans to Washington D.C. as a call for action to stop the BP Drilling Disaster, has been a constant voice speaking out for the health and ecosystems of Gulf Coast communities.
She continued, “This fight is also about the personal freedoms given to us through the blood of all of our combined ancestry. Conservatives believe government is too big, that they are choking out our freedoms. The Occupy Movement believes corporations have kidnapped those same rights in the pursuit of profit over humanity. I believe both groups are right, and this pipeline and the use of eminent domain by a foreign company to seize and lay claim to American land, aided by the silence of the government, is an epic example of those truths.”
More at the linkUPDATE 9:00AM – Cherri Chains Herself Keystone XL Pipeyard Gate
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WINFIELD,... more
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