tagged w/ Activists
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Residents of a West Bank village with no electricity have been helped out of the darkness by unlikely benefactors – a group of Israelis who installed solar panels and wind turbines to illuminate the Palestinians' makeshift homes. The villagers of Susya live in tents and caves with power lines darting right above their dwellings, connecting a nearby Jewish settlement to the power grid while bypassing them entirely. It was this lack of basic services that drew the physicists from Comet-ME, a group of pro-peace Israeli scientists and activists, to this dusty, desolate area. Now the entire village of 300 people has access to power that is reliable, free and green. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/your-details/43054-israeli-scientistsactivists-bring-green-power-to-west-bank-village-susya-south-hebron-mountains-Residents of a West Bank village with no electricity have been helped out of the... more
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The six Freedom Riders chose to board a bus that serves Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank on it's way to Occupied East Jerusalem, wearing kuffiyehs (Palestinian scarfs) and t-shirts reading 'Justice', 'Freedom', and 'We Shall Overcome'. They took this bold action to expose the racism and policies of segregation that pervade every aspect of life in occupied Palestine. To send the message to the world that separate is not equal. Not in the United States and not in Israel or Palestine. They also wanted to bring attention to the role of Israeli and international companies, such as Egged and Veolia, who operate these segreated bus lines, in perpetuating and profiting from the occupation. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/recent-news/43025-forbidden-roadsThe six Freedom Riders chose to board a bus that serves Jewish-only settlements in the... more
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The whole Voina lifestyle and narrative are something of a performance; it is about public self-representation, certainly. This is part of what makes them artists, say their supporters. But naturally the police are not to be distracted by such arguments, and when the group overturned the seven police cars, it was decided that it was clearly time for the security forces to play their part. In November 2010, Vorotnikov and Nikolaev were duly arrested in a raid by the Extremism Police – a special police unit active on most towns in Russia – on the flat where they were staying in Moscow. Handcuffed and laid on the floor of a minibus for the ten-hour drive to St Petersburg, Vorotnikov and Nikolaev were then charged with “aggravated hooliganism” and “incitement of hatred of a social group” (the police) and held in a pre-trial detention prison. The pair were freed on bail after three months, following a campaign both in Russia and elsewhere – Banksy raised some £80,000 (US$127,738) to pay for lawyers, bail and to support the group’s further activity. Days later, the Innovation award nominations were announced. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/section-blog/43022-russian-anarchist-guerrilla-artists-from-the-voina-art-collective-The whole Voina lifestyle and narrative are something of a performance; it is about... more
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Journalist and filmmaker Sean McCallister has given an account to Channel 4 News in which he describes witnessing the torture of Syrian activists.
McCallister was working undercover for a Channel 4 News report when he was arrested in a Damascus café and driven to a prison along with activist contact Jihad. While in the prison he saw activists whipped with cables, describing the torture implements as “so heavy, it was so awful, it must have broken bones.”
McCallister says he has not heard from Jihad since he was in prison and he is concerned that he and many of the people he spent time with while filming have become targets for the authorities because of the opinions they’ve expressed.
Hear more about McCallister’s experiences in Syria on the Channel 4 News website.
Source: Channel 4 News
Journalist and filmmaker Sean McCallister has given an... more
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From an Email I received this morning:
"Since Russ Feingold launched Progressives United earlier this year, hundreds of thousands of Americans have joined us in the fight against corporate dominance of government.
Today, to accommodate our rapid growth and take our united activism to the next level, I'm pleased to announce the launch of our brand new website.
This new website, with more tools and more opportunities to take action, will be a big boost as we fight to bring accountability to CEOs like G.E.'s Jeff Immelt, sellout public servants like Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, and influence-peddling corporate front groups like ALEC.
With elections coming up in Wisconsin next week and around the country soon -- and with corporate money already flowing into politics through shadowy front groups like Karl Rove's Crossroads -- we had to launch our new website right now to get these important grassroots tools into activists' hands as soon as possible.
The new site will make it easier to organize collectively to hold politicians, corporations, and the media accountable by providing you a prominent forum -- right on the home page -- to discuss and address new challenges with your fellow progressives.
In fact, right now progressives are discussing their thoughts on the proposed debt ceiling solution.
With an early victory in the Wisconsin recall elections over Scott Walker's corporate-driven agenda, we've got the momentum to make big progress in this fight.
Now, with the launch of the new ProgressivesUnited.org -- and our expanded grassroots organization -- we have a powerful tool to help us.
In all, progressives like you will drive a huge portion of the activism and content on our new website -- because Progressives United belongs to you.
So come on by, kick the tires, get involved -- and let's take our fight against the corruptive influence of corporate power to a whole new level.
Thank you for uniting as a progressive."
More at...http://www.progressivesunited.org/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/01/russ-feingold-progressives-united_n_914525.htmlFrom an Email I received this morning:
"Since Russ Feingold launched... more
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In January 2008 some members of an Internet-based collective known as Anonymous began actions against the Church of Scientology that are continuing. They designated their collective action “Project Chanology.” The originations of Project Chanology, its structure, its decision-making process, and its methods of protesting are collectively unique. Project Chanology shows the new types of social networking and activism that can spring from the instant communication the Internet provides. Understanding Project Chanology will provide a template for understanding such future movements and their actions........ http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/recent-news/42986-the-war-hackers-vs-scientology-project-chanologyIn January 2008 some members of an Internet-based collective known as Anonymous began... more
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Six activists were arrested in Orlando for Sharing food with the hungry. Two young children are being served as close to 20 police officers swarm in and arrest the food servers. This brings to total number of arrest for this horrendous crime up to 21 people in the last two weeks.
Thank God!
The people of Orlando Florida can safely walk down dark alleys at night, now that these people feeding the homeless have been put in jail...Six activists were arrested in Orlando for Sharing food with the hungry. Two young... more
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Anonymous’s rapid rise from the depths of geekdom to becoming a catalyst and nerve centre for real-life revolutionaries is one that has taken even some of its own members by surprise. The loosely-knit hive brings anonymous techies, hackers and, increasingly, activists together under a single appellation, united in their non-violent but often illegal collective action. With high-profile campaigns, centred on “distributed denial of service” (DDoS) attacks that knock target websites offline, it has been transformed from a fringe group of law-breaking pranksters that emerged in 2006 into an international movement that draws new recruits by their thousands. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/free-stuff/42983-anonymous-and-the-arab-uprisingsAnonymous’s rapid rise from the depths of geekdom to becoming a catalyst and... more
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Scandinavian activists in the Gaza-bound flotilla say someone sabotaged their ship’s propeller while the vessel was docked in a Greek port.Scandinavian activists in the Gaza-bound flotilla say someone sabotaged their... more
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June 4, 2011 Austin Activists join forces to form a solidarity dance party in the Texas State Capitol Building, exercising their constitutional rights when the Capitol Police harass and use unreasonable force against free press reporters. The police also refused to help a victim of assault. Facebook event invite: May 28 2011 Adam Kokesh and friends were wrongly assaulted and arrested at the Jefferson Memorial for dancing. They will be back out next weekend and here in Austin we are planning a similar event in solidarity. Come out and dance to make people aware of the recent ruling making it "illegal" to dance at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. and also the brutality of police against peaceful protesters on May 28, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jUU3yCy3uI&feature=youtu.be *Suggested rules (but we don't need any rules to dance)**** -Leave political signs affiliated with political parties at home -Bring MP3 player and headphones -Bring Smiles, good cheer and have fun! -And remember WE CAN DANCE IF WE WANT TO! “Dancing is a healthy and elegant exercise, a specific against social awkwardness.” ~Thomas Jefferson. This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala. http://zgraphix.orgJune 4, 2011 Austin Activists join forces to form a solidarity dance party in the... more
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Walkerville 101
The New Face of Activism and the Strength of solidarity , is more than a mere flash in the pan and my friends at 'Working in these times " have the scoop ... so without further ado...-Figgdimension
By Mike Elk
Members of the Wisconsin Education Association Council rally outside the Wisconsin state capitol on Sunday in "Walkerville," a tent city set up in opposition to Gov. Scott Walker. (Photo by Wisconsin Education Association Council
This week in Madison, Wis., has seen the largest protests since a "budget repair bill" virtually outlawing collective bargaining proposed by Gov. Scott Walker inspired an occupation of the state capitol building and massive street protests this past winter.
Now, thousands are protesting Governor’s Walker drastic cuts to the social safety net and workers’ rights, contained in his 2011-2013 budgets. The budget would cut education funding by $824 million and Medicaid by $466 million. Walker is making these cuts despite giving away nearly $320 million in tax cuts to big corporations.
The Republican governor has also proposed allowing local governments to privatize their highway departments and hire private contractors to maintain state roads in Wisconsin. This upset many highway workers who would be stripped of their union representation if highway work was privatized in Wisconsin. Many claim not having union representation would make highways dramatically more dangerous as it would be more difficult to speak up about safety problems if highway workers did not have union protection.
Also, the budget bill would strip police and firefighters of their right to collective bargain over their healthcare plans. Previously, police and firefighters had been exempted from the ban on public employees collectively bargaining that passed as part of a budget repair bill in March.
Of course, a Wisconsin Court has ruled that that bill’s passage was illegal since it violated the Open Meetings Law. It nullified the bill. There are even rumors that Republicans might try to pass a new, less legally dubious version of the ban of public employee collectively bargain as part of the 2011-2013 budgets, since Republicans expect to lose control of the State Senate in a series of six state senate recall elections to be held this July.
Activists, who have been locked out of the Capitol by Governor Walker’s administration despite numerous court orders telling the administration to re-open the Capitol, have responded by setting up a tent city on the Capitol Lawn called “Walkerville.” More than 300 people have been sleeping on the lawn of the Capitol all week lawn in protest of Walker’s attempt to pass the bill.
On Monday, there was a large march against the budget by more than 1,000 people led by former Senator Russ Feingold. While there has been a lot of coverage of the recent protests in Wisconsin in local media and national progressive outlets, what hasn’t been talked about much is what the protests now entering their 116th day—if you start counting from the initial response to Walker's "budget repair" bill back in February—have done to deepen the militancy of the people involved.
As the struggle in Wisconsin wears on, workers have become engaged not just in acts of protest, but in acts of civil disobedience. On Monday, 25 people were either arrested or cited including two journalists from the media outlet The UpTake, who were covering the protesters breaking into the Capitol.
Activists have also gotten more creative in how they have targeted expanding direct, militant action to other targets of corporate power. After the protesters were pushed out of the Capitol, they went to the local M & I Bank branch, a major financial backer of Governor Walker’s campaign where by protesting it they forced the bank to close for the day. Activists have begun to draw up lists of banks that pay no taxes and look for ways to resist the attempts of those banks to foreclose on homes in their neighbors.
The attack on workers’ rights in Wisconsin has proven to be a training ground for activists in a lot of ways that are going to pay long-term benefits for activism in the state. Unions stripped of their ability to automatically deduct dues from workers’ pay checks have started training activists and shop stewards to collect dues individually from workers each month. Collecting dues individually from workers is a process that involves hundreds, thousands of activists. (more at link) and get involved NOW!)Walkerville 101
The New Face of Activism and the Strength of solidarity , is more... more
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The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are now using the Patriot Act as legal recourse to target and terrorize political, peace and even animal and environmental activists who are not willing to say in line with the status quo!
Read the whole story, FBI using Patriot Act to Target and Squash Peaceful Political Activists, at http://www.conspiracywatch.net/2011/05/fbi-using-patriot-act-to-target-and.htmlThe FBI and other law enforcement agencies are now using the Patriot Act as legal... more
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Activists with a group called Move Over AIPAC protesting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) stranglehold on the US Congress... in style and song in DC's Union Station.
Flashmobs have definitely made a come back in the world of activism, for better or worse.
The US gives Israel $3 billion in military aid a year. That hasn't brought peace to the region. That hasn't made Israel or Palestine safer. Rather it keeps us all on the brink of war.Activists with a group called Move Over AIPAC protesting the American Israel Public... more
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Japan islanders oppose proposed nuclear plant, year after year
For decades, residents of Iwaishima have taken an aggressive stand, turning their backs on negotiation. Graying residents, mostly in their 70s, have allied with young antinuclear activists.
By John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times
May 4, 2011
Reporting from Iwaishima, Japan—
For centuries, Yoshiaki Hashibe's ancestors have chiseled out a natural, no-nonsense existence on this tiny island where farmers and fishermen ride to their labors by bicycle.
Tradition matters here. At 69, veteran fisherman Hashibe does things just like his great-great-grandfather once did, each day venturing out to sea to haul in seaweed, octopus and red snapper.
He barters his extra catch for vegetables from a farmer who lives so close in their town of meandering back alleys that Hashibe can smell his nightly dinner. Villagers are proud of their tightknit camaraderie and historical harmony with nature.
But a utility company plans to build a nuclear power plant just across the bay, at the tip of the Kaminoseki peninsula. After receiving compensation, several nearby communities have hesitantly embraced the project.
Not Iwaishima. Many residents are convinced that the twin reactors will threaten not just their way of life but the long-term survival of the Inland Sea, a national park known as Japan's Galapagos for its range of sea life.
The utility insists that the project is safe, but residents worry about radiation leaks caused by human error. They say the plant's warm water discharge will raise sea temperatures, altering the ecosystem.
So for three decades, since the Chugoku Electric Power Co. unveiled its plans in 1982, islanders have taken an unusually aggressive stand, turning their backs on efforts at negotiation. Graying residents, mostly in their 70s, have in recent years formed an alliance with young antinuclear activists.
Together, they have staged hunger strikes, picketing and sit-ins, using a flotilla of fishing boats and kayaks to block company construction cranes from reaching the site.
As he carved up a fish on the deck of his 40-foot boat, Hashibe said he would continue the fight until he dies.
"There's a graveyard up on the mountain where I'm planning to finish up," he said. "But I won't be able to sleep gently if they build that power plant."
Not everyone is opposed to the plant. About 50 of the island's 500 residents say the plant will bring money and jobs. So much tension has risen between the two camps that many residents here no longer speak to each other.
Then on March 11, a mammoth magnitude 9 earthquake triggered a tsunami that damaged the cooling system at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant along Japan's northeast coast, spilling dangerous radioactive isotopes into the air, soil and sea.
The disaster accomplished what activists couldn't. The utility temporarily suspended plant construction after local officials expressed safety concerns.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has suggested a possible nationwide freeze on Japan's plans to build 14 or more nuclear power stations by 2030. The nation already has 54 nuclear plants, which supply 30% of its energy.
It remains unclear what effect the Fukushima incident will have on Japan's nuclear future, but other communities — stunned by the continuing nuclear fallout from Fukushima — are looking to the Iwaishima battle as a possible indicator.
"Without our protests, that plant would already be running," said Masue Hayashi, 59, who began her opposition to the project when she was 30. "Those people near Fukushima could have been us."
No nuclear plant project in Japan has ever been stopped outside the voting booth, solely by community activism and protest. This one, Hayashi says, could be the first.
*Japan islanders oppose proposed nuclear plant, year after year
For decades,... more
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On April 18, climate activists under the name of Reclaim Power stormed the DC headquarters of the Department of the Interior, protesting leases of pubic land to corporations for oil, gas, and coal mining.
Well over 100 activists rushed the front doors and stormed into the lobbby, which filled with protesters until no more would fit inside! The usual three warnings from police included a chilling More..threat of FELONY CHARGES for "trespassing" and "Unlawful Entry" to be Federaly prosecuted.
Twenty people stayed anyway and were arrested, unknown if the felony charges were actually filed. Of course, the Department of the Interior has a prior record of charging activsts with felonies, most notoriously in the case of a man who bid on oil and gas leases to keep them off the market.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c82_1303180052On April 18, climate activists under the name of Reclaim Power stormed the DC... more
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NPR Morning Edition...
Livestock Farms Could Be Off Limits To Photos
Click on Link to Listen to the Story by Kathleen Masterson
April 13, 2011
Animal rights activists have secretly filmed the inner workings of livestock farms, which has led to some bad press for the industry. Bills introduced in Florida and Iowa would make photographing animal operations without the owner's permission a felony. Supporters say that would help prevent activists from fraudulently being hired. Opponents argue the bills would prevent current employees from reporting abuse.
Transcript...
STEVE INSKEEP, host:
In Iowa and in Florida, big livestock operations are supporting bills that would forbid animal rights activists from going undercover to take photos and document conditions at big farms. Activists are asking what the industry has to hide. From Iowa Harvest Public Media's Kathleen Masterson reports.
KATHLEEN MASTERSON: If livestock industry groups get their way what happened at this farm would be considered a crime. Here in central Iowa amid an expanse of cornfields, Rose Acre Farms has six huge hen houses, each the length of a football field.
Last February, an undercover activist from the Human Society got a job here. He wanted to get inside and film the workings of the facility that houses about a million chickens. He stayed here only two weeks.
Then three months later, the Human Society held a news conference and splashed a video on the Web. It shows scenes filmed at Rose Acre Farms and another company's farm. The footage shows chickens living in cramped cages and some dead birds whose carcasses were left so long they'd been mummified.
Unidentified Woman: The crews just shoving them in the cages, sometimes they'll get their legs slammed in the door or their wings.
MASTERSON: The pending Iowa law would make filming this video without the owner's permission and the mere possession of it a criminal offense, punishable by up to five years in jail.
At Rose Acres, farm manager Andrew Kaldenberg says while the video did show some footage of their farm, the abuses didn't occur there. The media were invited out to their barn within hours of the video being released.
Mr. ANDREW KALDENBERG (Manager, Rose Acres): We welcome reporters, you know, what have we got to hide? If we're not treating our animals right, they ain't going to produce. They're not going to produce, we're out of business.
MASTERSON: So I asked him to show me around the hen houses.
Mr. KALDENBERG: In this house we are ten rows wide, five tier high. That means that we have five cages stacked on top of each other.
MASTERSON: Kaldenberg says the activists' motives are to promote an agenda which is vehemently against how the industry produces food, with thousands of birds living in row after row of small cages.
Rose Acre Farms and other large chicken, hog and cattle organizations say the pending Iowa legislation is being mischaracterized. They say it isn't about stopping whistleblowers from reporting abuse, but argue it's about keeping people who misrepresent their true purpose from getting hired.
Kevin Vinchattle is the executive director of the Iowa Egg Council.
Mr. KEVIN VINCHATTLE (Executive Director, Iowa Egg Council): People are trying to characterize the livestock folks as trying to hide things. We're not. We don't want any animal to be abused. And if it's truly a case where a person thinks that abuse is occurring, that needs to be reported immediately, not six weeks done the road or months later in a video released for PR efforts to raise money for an organization.
MASTERSON: But a whole section of the Iowa bill explicitly bans photography.
There's a similar bill under debate in Florida. Kansas and Montana already have laws that ban taking secret photos of an animal facility if the intent is to damage the owner. And other states across the country are also considering similar legislation.
Humane Society's Paul Shapiro says the bills are an attempt to shield America's food production system from public scrutiny. He says their exposes have been done legally and resulted in convictions for animal cruelty, as well as meat recalls over food safety problems. Without undercover videos, activists say their claims wouldn't be taken seriously.
In Iowa, State Senator Matt McCoy, a Democrat from Des Moines, said a bill like this would set a dangerous precedent. He argues the multibillion dollar livestock industry wants to operate with less oversight.
State Senator MATT MCCOY (Democrat, Iowa): They view animal welfare groups and individuals that take undercover video and release it to the public as a threat to their livelihood.
MASTERSON: Neither side in this fight appears willing to budge yet on a key sticking point, whether secretly photographing farm animals should be considering a criminal act.
For NPR News, I'm Kathleen Masterson in Ames, Iowa.
(Soundbite of music)NPR Morning Edition...
Livestock Farms Could Be Off Limits To Photos
Click on... more
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The Bahraini authorities have beaten and arrested a prominent human rights activist, in another sign the ruling royal family will increase its crackdown against any dissent.
* (Photo: Reuters)Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa speaks to journalists during a news conference in Manama
Abdulhadi al-Khawaja was seized in the middle of the night and detained along with his two sons-in-law.
The Bahraini stated accused them of fomenting unrest and attempting to divide the nation’s Sunni and Shia Muslim communities.
Al-Khawaja’s daughter said she doesn’t know where they were taken on for how long he will be held.
She told Al Jazeera: "They broke the door of the apartment. My father didn't resist at all, he went to them calmly but straight away a policeman told him, 'Down, down, get on the floor' ... They dragged him down the stairs and started beating him. They did not give any reason ... They were beating him very severely, on the ground, maybe four or five of them, kicking him and hitting him in the face."
al-Khawaja, the former president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, is a Shia who has long called for the Sunny ruling monarchy to be overthrown.
Another family member, Salah Al-Khawaja, another human rights activist, was arrested three weeks ago. His whereabouts are unknown.
The Bahraini government believe that Shia-dominated Iran and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militant group, has interfered in Bahrain’s internal affairs and stirred up the revolt that has led to at least three dozen deaths in the tiny kingdom.
The country remains under emergency law, enforced partially by troops from Saudi Arabia who are quelling anti-government unrest.
Opposition figures, as well as Iran, has condemned the presence of foreign soldiers on Bahraini soil as an “invasion” and “occupation.”
Any talks between the Al-Khalifa ruling family and Bahraini opposition figures have been postponed, perhaps permanently.
It is estimated that more than 400 people have been detained by the state, while hundreds more have been fired for their jobs for participating in anti-government protests. Many have been arrested in the middle of the night and detained, without any charges being filed. There are also reports that those arrested have been abused and tortured by security force
Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/132477/20110409/bahrain-al-khajawa.htm#ixzz1JMymbPi3The Bahraini authorities have beaten and arrested a prominent human rights activist,... more
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Director Alison Klayman is currently producing her documentary about Chinese artist and political activist Ai Weiwei. Unfortunately, earlier this week Ai Weiwei was detained at Beijing Capital Airport by customs police while trying to travel to Hong Kong. http://kck.st/fglx97Director Alison Klayman is currently producing her documentary about Chinese artist... more
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