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RNC Raids Have Been Targeting Video Activists
In the run-up to the Republican convention, Minnesota police launched a series of preemptive raids to intimidate protesters and quash dissent. In the run-up to the Republican convention, Minnesota police launched a series of preemptive raids to intimidate protesters and quash ... more
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Police search homes, seize contraband in advance of RNC
Authorities have searched several homes in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul Saturday ahead of the opening of the Republican National Convention.
These raids followed a search of a former theater in St. Paul being used by an anarchist group. Authorities have searched several homes in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul Saturday ahead of the opening of the Republican National Co... more -
Stand off between riot police and Iraq war veterans
About 50 vets who have served in Iraq marched in full uniform to the Pepsi Center and demanded that the police let them in to speak to Obama. The stand off with riot police and uniformed veteran made for an ironic image. The vets stood their ground and there are reports that two of them were allowed into the convention and were able to deliver their list of demands to someone on the Obama campaign staff. The Iraq war veterans are demanding that Obama, if elected, order an immediate end to the war and bring all troops home. About 50 vets who have served in Iraq marched in full uniform to the Pepsi Center and demanded that the police let them in to speak to... more
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A Summer Camp for Political Dissenters in Israel
At Alternative Camp, draft dodgers and declared conscientious objectors hope to develop a new generation of young Israelis who refuse to fight.
Weeks before her scheduled conscription into the Israeli army, at a time when most other 18-year-olds were gearing up for mandatory service, Saar Vardi was in the forest - talking about pacifism.
One of a small group of Israeli conscientious objectors, Ms. Vardi spent her last days of summer at a unique camp - counseling others who might follow in her activist footsteps.
"A lot of us don't get why we should give up years, not to mention maybe our lives, for what seems like someone else's wars," explained Vardi, a facilitator at Alternative Camp, a program for 15- to 19-year-olds outside Neve Shalom, a cooperative Israeli-Arab village. "Here, we talk about options."
On Monday, instead of reporting for duty, Vardi exercised her option to refuse service and, as expected, was promptly marched into jail.
While the camp is not billed as a conscientious objectors' gathering, the theme hung over the forest as thick as the smoke from the environmentally friendly cookers. Most of the 30-odd counselors were draft dodgers, deserters, or declared conscientious objectors who hoped to foster a greater understanding of their desire not to fight.
For the third year in a row, close to 100 campers gathered here to take part in seminars on subjects ranging from "gender, sexuality, and alternative lifestyles," to "animal rights," and "the alternative history of the occupation." And all this, between vegan meals and field trips to deserted Arab villages.
"No. We are not mainstream," shrugged counselor Hagai Matar, a redhead with thick sideburns and a full beard, who was recently released after two years in jail for refusing to serve. "But we are as much a part of the fabric of this country as anyone else," he said. "Israel is more conflicted and complicated than it may seem."
Military service is mandatory in Israel - two years for females, three for males, and more if one volunteers for certain elite units or stays on as an officer. Afterwards, most Israeli men, and some women, are required to report for reserve duty every year until age 40, and sometimes beyond.
For most of Israel's 60 year history, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was a sacred cow, and the need for everyone to serve in it - part of the national consensus. But cracks in that consensus are apparent.
"Until the 1980s resisting the draft was practically unheard of ... but kids today are thinking differently than [they once were.] Today it is easier, in some circles, to justify not serving," said Ofer Neiman, an activist from Yesh Gvul ('There Is A Limit'), a reservists' resistance movement established at the start of the Lebanon War in 1982. That war saw both the beginning and the peak of the phenomenon, with 3,500 people eventually signing a Yesh Gvul petition pledge not to serve - and 200 ultimately sitting in jail.
Since then, hundreds more have resisted the call to arms on moral grounds. Some refuse to serve in the occupied territories others refuse to serve at all. And while the vast majority of these objectors are reservists, the number of 18-year-old conscripts among their ranks has also grown, despite the general social stigma. *continues* At Alternative Camp, draft dodgers and declared conscientious objectors hope to develop a new generation of young Israelis who refuse ... more -
U.S. protesters describe Beijing detention
Busted in Beijing
The Chinese government was ruthlessly effective in quashing dissent during the Summer Olympics, but few noticed until a group of scruffy American activists were arrested, jailed, and deported for flying the Tibetan flag outside the Bird’s Nest stadium. In an exclusive interview, John Watterberg and Jeremy Wells describe their ordeal at the hands of a repressive regime. Busted in Beijing ... more -
DNC Memorable Moments - Chicago 1968 - Dan Rather Punched (Video)
Much has been written on the 1968 convention, and many argue that the protests and riots surrounding the convention led to Richard Nixon securing his first term in the White House. Not really one moment, but the chaos through the entire convention will be remembered.
Dan Rather is punched while covering the convention:
Several videos and photos at the link. Much has been written on the 1968 convention, and many argue that the protests and riots surrounding the convention led to Richard Nix... more -
In Denver, police and protesters try to prepare for each other
To the uninformed visitor, it has become difficult to tell whether Denver is preparing for a Democratic National Convention or the institution of martial law. Helicopters filled with armed commandos swooped over downtown in a training exercise earlier this summer. A warehouse was converted into a temporary jail with chain-link fences and signs threatening the use of electric stun devices. Travel agents sold getaway packages to locals, with one company imploring residents to "escape town while you still can." To the uninformed visitor, it has become difficult to tell whether Denver is preparing for a Democratic National Convention or the ins... more
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Police detain more foreign activists in Beijing
Swarms of plainclothes police took away four foreign activists who tried to unfurl a Tibetan flag outside the main Olympics venue on Thursday, squelching the latest attempt to demonstrate during the Beijing Games. Swarms of plainclothes police took away four foreign activists who tried to unfurl a Tibetan flag outside the main Olympics venue on T... more
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"HANDLEBARS" BY THE FLOBOTS - ORIGINAL MUSIC VIDEO
This is the original music video for "Handlebars" by The Flobots, directed by Iyabo Boyd. This is the first version of the video for this song that never got official airtime. The video was made by Boyd in 2006 when he was a film student at New York University. Boyd is a childhood friend of the band who let him use the song for this video. When The Flobots were signed to Universal Republic Records, a new "Official" version of the video was created and released in place of this.
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I feel this version is better than the official one . . .but judge for yourself. This is the original music video for "Handlebars" by The Flobots, directed by Iyabo Boyd. This is the first version of the ... more -
'Top secret' weapons to be used at political convention
Home : Police Practices : General
ACLU Sues Denver Seeking Disclosure Of DNC-Related Purchases Of Police Equipment (5/28/2008)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: info@aclu-co.org
Invoking Colorado's open records laws, the ACLU of Colorado filed suit today in Denver District Court, asking that Denver be ordered to disclose records related to budgeting for and purchase of police equipment dating from January 2007, when Denver was selected as the host city for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
The federal government has allocated $50 million to reimburse Denver for security-related expenses connected to the convention. Denver has revealed that $18 million is budgeted for equipment purchases, but most of the details remain secret.
In refusing the ACLU's request for documents earlier this year, the lawsuit says, a representative of Denver's Department of Safety asserted that disclosure "could potentially disclose tactical security information of the Denver Police Department which would be contrary to the public interest."
"We believe the public interest is served by disclosing how the government is spending the public's money," said John Culver, who is handling the case as an ACLU Cooperating Attorney.
In its request to inspect public records, the ACLU asked for documents related to the purchase of such items as "less lethal" weapons, vehicles, personal body armor, restraint devices, and barricades, fencing or netting."
"I do not believe that the public records at issue here contain the kind of ‘tactical security information' that Denver is reluctant to disclose," said Mark Silverstein, ACLU Legal Director. "Even if the requested documents did contain such information, the Colorado legislature addressed this issue in a 2005 amendment to the open records laws. The statute states that ‘specialized details of security arrangements' can be deleted, but the remainder of the documents—the portions that reveal how the government is spending our money—must be disclosed." Home : Police Practices : General ACLU Sues Denver Seeking Disclosure Of DNC-Related Purchases Of Police Equipment (5/28/2008) ... more -
Reflections: Tiananmen Square, 1989, the declassified history
We watch China's finest hour as the success of Beijing's Olympics shines like a beacon of hope.
Let's reflect on the events of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
China has come a long way.
Has it been far enough? We watch China's finest hour as the success of Beijing's Olympics shines like a beacon of hope. ... more -
Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, arrested outside Disneyland!
Cinderella, Snow White, Tinkerbell and other fictional fixtures of modern-day childhood were handcuffed, frisked and loaded into police vans Thursday at the culmination of a labor protest that brought a touch of reality to the Happiest Place on Earth.
Images from the scene showed Peter Pan, with bowed head, being led handcuffed to a police cruiser. Cinderella, Snow White, Tinkerbell and other fictional fixtures of modern-day childhood were handcuffed, frisked and loaded into polic... more -
Huge protests expected at political conventions
Thousands of protesters are expected to jam the streets of Denver and St. Paul at the Republican and Democratic conventions in a noisy counterpoint to the parties' carefully scripted speeches. Thousands of protesters are expected to jam the streets of Denver and St. Paul at the Republican and Democratic conventions in a noisy... more
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10 THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN CONFRONTED BY THE POLICE
If you've had as much trouble as I had with cops and authority figures, this article is a must. Know your rights!
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Denver will deal with arrests "Gitmo style"
If mass arrests happen at the Democratic Convention, those taken into custody will be jailed in a warehouse owned by the City of Denver. Investigator Rick Sallinger discovered the location and managed to get inside for a look.
The newly created lockup is on the northeast side of Denver. Protesters have already given this place a name: "Gitmo on the Platte."
Inside are dozens are metal cages. They are made out of chain link fence material and topped by rolls of barbed wire.
Welcome to 'Generation F'd' If mass arrests happen at the Democratic Convention, those taken into custody will be jailed in a warehouse owned by the City of Denve... more -
Hamas, Fatah Silencing Dissent In West Bank, Gaza
A West Bank professor is thrown into a police jeep and beaten with pipes. Detainees in Gaza are prevented from seeing lawyers. Club-wielding troops in the West Bank break up a peaceful march, and their counterparts in Gaza keep journalists from covering a police raid.
It's all part of a widening crackdown on political opponents, both by the Western-backed Fatah movement in the West Bank and by the Islamic militant Hamas in Gaza. A West Bank professor is thrown into a police jeep and beaten with pipes. Detainees in Gaza are prevented from seeing lawyers. Club-wi... more -
Facebook.fm
The innovative last.fm website which allows members to generate charts, radio stations and communities based on the music they listen had had a major overhaul this past thursday, resulting in a revamped design which has thousands of its members infuriated due to it's less than appealing scheme and navigation. Many are drawing comparisons to facebook and myspace. The innovative last.fm website which allows members to generate charts, radio stations and communities based on the music they listen ... more
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Lies, War, and Empire - Part II
Part II of a talk by Dr. Michael Parenti on "Lies, War, and Empire" given May 12, 2007 at Antioch University in Seattle.
Part I at:
http://current.com/items/89036207_lies_war_and_empire_p... Part II of a talk by Dr. Michael Parenti on "Lies, War, and Empire" given May 12, 2007 at Antioch University in Seattle. ... more -
Lies, War, and Empire - Part I
Part I of a talk by Dr. Michael Parenti on "Lies, War, and Empire" given May 12, 2007 at Antioch University in Seattle.
Part II at:
http://current.com/items/89036361_lies_war_and_empire_p... Part I of a talk by Dr. Michael Parenti on "Lies, War, and Empire" given May 12, 2007 at Antioch University in Seattle. ... more -
REVOLUTION March on Washington D.C. - July 12th, 2008 - Restore the CONSTITUTION!
The Revolution March on Washington D.C. will be on July 12th, 2008!
Our goal is to organize a peaceful, non-violent march on the streets of Washington DC followed by a rally in support of The Revolution that is happening in America. Ron Paul has agreed to be the keynote speaker at the march and rally.
Restore the Constitution for freedom, peace and prosperity! Now is the time!
For more information on the Revolution March go to www.revolutionmarch.com
http://www.revolutionmarch.com/hawkmang The Revolution March on Washington D.C. will be on July 12th, 2008! ... more
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