indymedia.us main features
Updated: 3 min 58 sec ago
Saying No to 1070 on the Day It Took Effect
Protests took place on July 29th throughout Arizona, and around the U.S. and Mexico, against attacks on immigrants. These protests happened the day that Arizona's anti-immigrant law, SB1070, went into effect. Three hundred people demonstrated and spoke out at 24th and Mission in San Francisco. There were also actions in the Fruitvale district in Oakland and other cities throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
The day before, a federal judge blocked many of the most controversial parts of Arizona's immigration law from taking effect, delivering a last-minute victory to opponents of the crackdown.
SF Photos | Santa Cruz Responds to SB 1070 | US Judge Blocks Controversial Parts of Arizona's SB1070
July 29th Action Announcements: Napa | Downtown Oakland | Fruitvale in Oakland | Santa Cruz | San Francisco | Petaluma
The day before, a federal judge blocked many of the most controversial parts of Arizona's immigration law from taking effect, delivering a last-minute victory to opponents of the crackdown.
SF Photos | Santa Cruz Responds to SB 1070 | US Judge Blocks Controversial Parts of Arizona's SB1070
July 29th Action Announcements: Napa | Downtown Oakland | Fruitvale in Oakland | Santa Cruz | San Francisco | Petaluma
On the Brink: Judge enjoins parts of SB1070; Law will still lead to broad criminalization. Protests and resistance going forward
Groups in Phoenix are planning demonstrations starting this evening at the Arizona Capitol and a reclamation of Civic Space Park at 4 p.m. today. A suite of civil disobedience actions are planned for tomorrow morning; targets include the federal courthouse and U.S. immigration offices. For more information visit: Alto Arizona.
In Tucson, demonstrators plan to gather at the state building this evening at 5 p.m., followed by an overnight vigil. Protests will kick off again at 8 a.m. at the state building, where perhaps thousands are expected to flood the streets. At 4 p.m. calls have been made for mass direct action, to be joined by a critical mass bike ride that will leave from the University at 5 p.m. A text messaging system has been set up whereby people can send updates and follow the day's events in real-time.
Various groups and institutions across the state are continuing to pledge non-compliance with the law. On Wednesday, July 27th the Tucson Unified School District joined this list of groups, with a 5-0 vote to not allow immigration laws to be enforced on their campuses.
Solidarity actions are planned on July 29th across the country and internationally. Updates from the streets will be posted to Arizona Indymedia as they develop.
Dozens of Tribes Gather to Protest MLPA Task Force Meeting
More than 50 tribal nations peacefully took control of the Marine Life Protection Act’s Blue Ribbon Task Force meeting in California on July 21. Among those gathered were members of the Yurok, Tolowa, Cahto, Pomo, Karuk, Hoopa Valley, Maidu, Hopi, Navajo, and other tribes. Their message to the task force: the state will no longer impose its will on indigenous people. The group of more than 300 met on Main Street in Fort Bragg, CA, and marched a half-mile to the C.V. Star Community Center, chanting, "MLPA, taking tribal rights away!" and, “No Way MLPA!”
“This is about more than a fouled-up process that attempts to prohibit tribes from doing something they have done sustainably for thousands of years,” said Frankie Joe Myers, a Yurok tribal citizen and organizer for the Coastal Justice Coalition. “It is about respect, acknowledgment and recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights. Whether it is their intention or not, what the Marine Life Protection Act does to tribes is it systematically decimates our ability to be who we are. That is the definition of cultural genocide.”
The Marine Life Protection Act Initiative is a publicly and privately funded partnership between the State of California and a few deep-pocketed foundations �" chiefly the Resources Legacy Fund �" to implement the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), which was signed into law in 1999. The MLPA calls for the creation of marine protected areas along the California coastline.
The Blue Ribbon Task Force is charged with making recommendations to the California Fish and Game Commission for placement of the protected areas. The task force has stated that it will view traditional tribal coastal gathers on the coast the same way it does recreational fishing. Indigenous people have gathered resources from the coast for thousands of years, making this a valuable tradition to their communities. Coastal indigenous people collect mussels, seaweed and other ocean resources for sustenance and ceremonial regalia.
Citizens from tribal nations as distant as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma attended the meeting to stand in solidarity with northern California tribes. Dania Rose Colegrove, a Hoopa tribal citizen, states, “The Blue Ribbon Task Force had given us no indication that they were listening to North Coast Tribes’ call to respect our sovereignty. We felt that we needed show them a small symbol of what we are willing to do to pass on our culture to future generations. “
This is the second time indigenous Californians have disrupted a Marine Life Protection Act Initiative meeting. On June 29, a smaller group interrupted the MLPAI’s Science Advisory Team, which was meeting in Eureka. Members of the Coastal Justice Coalition pointed out that there is no scientific data that says tribal gathering has any negative impact on the coastal ecosystem and the act does nothing to stop pollution and off-shore drilling �" the real threats to the health of the ocean and coast.
The Coastal Justice Coalition is a group of concerned tribal citizens and community members who came together to defend indigenous peoples’ right to gather on the coast.
Photos: Photos | MLPA process should address the concerns of North Coast Tribes | Klamath Justice Coalition
“This is about more than a fouled-up process that attempts to prohibit tribes from doing something they have done sustainably for thousands of years,” said Frankie Joe Myers, a Yurok tribal citizen and organizer for the Coastal Justice Coalition. “It is about respect, acknowledgment and recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights. Whether it is their intention or not, what the Marine Life Protection Act does to tribes is it systematically decimates our ability to be who we are. That is the definition of cultural genocide.”
The Marine Life Protection Act Initiative is a publicly and privately funded partnership between the State of California and a few deep-pocketed foundations �" chiefly the Resources Legacy Fund �" to implement the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), which was signed into law in 1999. The MLPA calls for the creation of marine protected areas along the California coastline.
The Blue Ribbon Task Force is charged with making recommendations to the California Fish and Game Commission for placement of the protected areas. The task force has stated that it will view traditional tribal coastal gathers on the coast the same way it does recreational fishing. Indigenous people have gathered resources from the coast for thousands of years, making this a valuable tradition to their communities. Coastal indigenous people collect mussels, seaweed and other ocean resources for sustenance and ceremonial regalia.
Citizens from tribal nations as distant as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma attended the meeting to stand in solidarity with northern California tribes. Dania Rose Colegrove, a Hoopa tribal citizen, states, “The Blue Ribbon Task Force had given us no indication that they were listening to North Coast Tribes’ call to respect our sovereignty. We felt that we needed show them a small symbol of what we are willing to do to pass on our culture to future generations. “
This is the second time indigenous Californians have disrupted a Marine Life Protection Act Initiative meeting. On June 29, a smaller group interrupted the MLPAI’s Science Advisory Team, which was meeting in Eureka. Members of the Coastal Justice Coalition pointed out that there is no scientific data that says tribal gathering has any negative impact on the coastal ecosystem and the act does nothing to stop pollution and off-shore drilling �" the real threats to the health of the ocean and coast.
The Coastal Justice Coalition is a group of concerned tribal citizens and community members who came together to defend indigenous peoples’ right to gather on the coast.
Photos: Photos | MLPA process should address the concerns of North Coast Tribes | Klamath Justice Coalition
Seven arrested outside SB1070 court hearing; Arizona groups call for nationwide day of action July 29
Past Coverage: May 31: Tens of Thousands March in Phoenix Against Arizona Race Laws and the Criminalization of Immigrants | May 21: 1st Nation & Migrants Oppose SB1070, Demand Dignity, Human Rights & End to Border Militarization | May 8: Phoenix Suns protest SB1070, and State Senator Russell Pearce blankets bill opponents as "anarchists" | May 5: Mayday!!! 8,000 March in Tucson, 10,000 in Phoenix; Flagstaff City Council votes to sue state over SB1070 | May 4: Welcome to the New Arizona | April 26: Protests and Resistance Continue Against Arizona's Racist Legislation | April 23: Apartheid in Arizona: Governor Signs "Juan Crow" Bill into Law | April 22: 2,500+ Students Walk-out on Thursday Against SB1070 | April 22: Communities Continue to Mobilize Against SB1070 | April 20: Hundreds of Students Walk Out Tuesday to Call on Governor Brewer to Veto SB1070 | April 20: Senate Bill 1070 Protestors Arrested: Nine Students Arrested for Chaining themselves to AZ Capitol Doors
Interruption as Intervention: Why I Fucked with Chuck (Schumer)
(The article is posted below, but doesn't include the videos and pictures on the full blog post which can be found here: http://jewsagainstchutzpah.blogspot.com/2010/07/interruption-as-intervention-why-i.html)
Yesterday, as I found myself deep in a sea of Williamsburg hipsters awaiting a "Pool Party" concert at East River State Park, a rather unexpected "special guest" was announced by an entirely too enthusiastic emcee for the artfully apathetic aesthetes who dared not display any sentiment beyond irony. I assumed maybe we'd be graced by some luminary of the scene (spending the last five years in Binghamton, NY prevents me from naming whom that might be).
Imagine my surprise when he announced Senator Chuck Schumer.
Now, I have a very visceral reaction to some politicians. I'd like to think it comes from the proud populist tradition of publicly shaming the scoundrels of State who rarely face even the most mild rebuke in their pampered existence, yet see fit to unleash misery on working people throughout the world. But maybe it's not so grand as all that. More likely, I was simply overcome by the need to rebuke this vulture.
Now, Schumer is a widely-known hack. He's taken in more money from hedge fund, private equity and securities and investment industries than any other congressperson in either legislative body - a total of over $2.1 million from the financial sector. And Wall Street has been getting a good return on their investments. According to a December 13, 2008 article in The New York Times entitled, "A Champion of Wall Street Reaps Benefits," Schumer was instrumental in securing the $700 billion bailout for his banking buddies, while NY's working class was being decimated by layoffs and foreclosures. They write,
An exceptional fund raiser — a “jackhammer,” someone who knows him says, for whom “ ‘no’ is the first step to ‘yes,’ ” — Mr. Schumer led the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the last four years, raising a record $240 million while increasing donations from Wall Street by 50 percent. That money helped the Democrats gain power in Congress, elevated Mr. Schumer’s standing in his party and increased the industry’s clout in the capital. But in building support, he has embraced the industry’s free-market, deregulatory agenda more than almost any other Democrat in Congress, even backing some measures now blamed for contributing to the financial crisis.
This is all, of course, totally predictable. A capitalist politician will first and foremost tend to the needs of his greatest benefactors - the good people of Wall Street who see to his re-election every six years. As counter-culture as Chuck might be for "allowing people to pose ironically with him," his presence at the Williamsburg "Pool Party" was probably not so divergent from his generally pro-business stance. With new luxury condos sprouting up around East River State Park, these events - which attract a young, culture-producing populous with expendable income - don't exactly hurt the property values nearly as much as the trash dump that concert organizers claimed was almost put there instead. (The noxious neighbor probably found a different area to collect city refuse where property values were already low).
Williamsburg is friendly turf for the likes of Chuck. For those unfamiliar, the Washington Post describes the neighborhood in "A Condo Tower Grows in Brooklyn,"
Much has been written about gentrification and its discontents, but in few places has the speed and finality of that transformation been more startling than in Williamsburg, a formerly working-class Brooklyn neighborhood of 180,000 people along the East River. A wall of luxury glass towers is rising for 25 blocks along the "East River Riviera." Wander inland and check out the needle condo towers with three-bedroom places retailing at $1,135,000. Overnight, another preserve of working-class American culture is rendered unaffordable to thousands of families -- and to the hipsters themselves. Want to know the next move? Toll Brothers, the nation's preeminent McMansion builder, has built a new luxe waterfront condo. Its ad features a preppy and distinctly unpierced blonde and the line: "Williamsburg, All Grown Up."
The article quotes CUNY anthropologist Neil Smith, a scholar of gentrification. "We are witnessing the corporate and geographical restructuring of cities -- the wealthy are suburbanizing the center and pushing the poor to the fringes, and it's turbocharge," he argues. This process is familiar to the residents of the West Bank, where Israeli settler expansion - funded by generous U.S. tax breaks - pushes the indigenous Palestinians into increasingly marginalized ghettos.
Which brings us back to why I fucked with Chuck.
The aforementioned grievances seem trivial to what the good senator said just weeks ago, in the aftermath of Israel's massacre of humanitarian activists aboard the Free Gaza flotilla.
Only a monster could see the human devastation of Gaza, the suffering of siege, blockade, bombardment and humiliation, and declare - in full sincerity - that the best approach is to strangle them further. Beyond the sheer depravity of it, Schumer should also be aware that it calls for collective punishment of a civilian population, a breach of international law and a crime against humanity. What chutzpah.
So, when Schumer took the stage, I had only one option to prevent the gag reflex from choking me to death. And that was to yell at him. And then yell at him some more. The adrenaline prevented anything particularly articulate but I managed to get the most important parts out. Free Gaza. End the blockade. Strangling a people is a war crime.
Clearly flustered, Chuck first tried to shush me, a task made more difficulty by his mic cutting in and out. A few people in the crowd - anxious for an uninterrupted Schumer opening act - managed to hurl a few shut-the-fuck-ups my way over their stifling apathy. Realizing I would not relent, Schumer finished with something along the lines of, "This is not about politics. It's about enjoying our freedom." He hurried off stage.
With such a high per capita volume of smart phones, I expected someone to take a video, or at least blog about it and my desire for a you-tube-able moment trumped my instinct to ignore the entire scene. While full video is still yet to be found, some internet denizens caught hold of the confrontation. In various posts and comments on Brooklyn Vegan and Sentimentalist Mag, I've been called a "debbie downer," "fat," inciting a "political heckle fest" and - much to the chagrin of the staff of Vestal Parkway's Cost Cutters (can't beat $10 wednesdays) - of having a "bad haircut."
More seriously, interrupting criminals of U.S. and Israeli imperialism has been gaining ground of late among solidarity activists, and while it falls short of a movement strategy, I am inspired by its bravery in confronting demons. This is not because of some crypto-fascist hatred of the first admendment and its blessings of liberty, but because the very politicians who stand behind the bill of rights also position themselves well-above democratic accountability essential to any actual exercise of such a right. Schumer, whose stamp of approval is on every piece of legislation transferring a new batch of weapons to Isarel and providing ideological cover when Israel employs those weapons on Palestinians, is never confronted for his barbarity. The media, in its well-documented subservience to imperial power, asks few relevant questions. And the people, should they be so roused, find the channels of communication to major politicians blocked by insurmountable obstacles. No such problem exists for bankers and CEOs, of course, who always have a friendly ear with Chuck.
So what came of all this? One solidarity-fist from a comrade in the crowd, a few boos and one really pissed off concert organizer whose day was apparently ruined by the Senator's hurt feelings (as she told me before flipping me off and calling me a "little shit"). But I can rest easy knowing I made Chuck's day just that much worse, as he's done for so many others throughout the world.
Yesterday, as I found myself deep in a sea of Williamsburg hipsters awaiting a "Pool Party" concert at East River State Park, a rather unexpected "special guest" was announced by an entirely too enthusiastic emcee for the artfully apathetic aesthetes who dared not display any sentiment beyond irony. I assumed maybe we'd be graced by some luminary of the scene (spending the last five years in Binghamton, NY prevents me from naming whom that might be).
Imagine my surprise when he announced Senator Chuck Schumer.
Now, I have a very visceral reaction to some politicians. I'd like to think it comes from the proud populist tradition of publicly shaming the scoundrels of State who rarely face even the most mild rebuke in their pampered existence, yet see fit to unleash misery on working people throughout the world. But maybe it's not so grand as all that. More likely, I was simply overcome by the need to rebuke this vulture.
Now, Schumer is a widely-known hack. He's taken in more money from hedge fund, private equity and securities and investment industries than any other congressperson in either legislative body - a total of over $2.1 million from the financial sector. And Wall Street has been getting a good return on their investments. According to a December 13, 2008 article in The New York Times entitled, "A Champion of Wall Street Reaps Benefits," Schumer was instrumental in securing the $700 billion bailout for his banking buddies, while NY's working class was being decimated by layoffs and foreclosures. They write,
An exceptional fund raiser — a “jackhammer,” someone who knows him says, for whom “ ‘no’ is the first step to ‘yes,’ ” — Mr. Schumer led the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the last four years, raising a record $240 million while increasing donations from Wall Street by 50 percent. That money helped the Democrats gain power in Congress, elevated Mr. Schumer’s standing in his party and increased the industry’s clout in the capital. But in building support, he has embraced the industry’s free-market, deregulatory agenda more than almost any other Democrat in Congress, even backing some measures now blamed for contributing to the financial crisis.
This is all, of course, totally predictable. A capitalist politician will first and foremost tend to the needs of his greatest benefactors - the good people of Wall Street who see to his re-election every six years. As counter-culture as Chuck might be for "allowing people to pose ironically with him," his presence at the Williamsburg "Pool Party" was probably not so divergent from his generally pro-business stance. With new luxury condos sprouting up around East River State Park, these events - which attract a young, culture-producing populous with expendable income - don't exactly hurt the property values nearly as much as the trash dump that concert organizers claimed was almost put there instead. (The noxious neighbor probably found a different area to collect city refuse where property values were already low).
Williamsburg is friendly turf for the likes of Chuck. For those unfamiliar, the Washington Post describes the neighborhood in "A Condo Tower Grows in Brooklyn,"
Much has been written about gentrification and its discontents, but in few places has the speed and finality of that transformation been more startling than in Williamsburg, a formerly working-class Brooklyn neighborhood of 180,000 people along the East River. A wall of luxury glass towers is rising for 25 blocks along the "East River Riviera." Wander inland and check out the needle condo towers with three-bedroom places retailing at $1,135,000. Overnight, another preserve of working-class American culture is rendered unaffordable to thousands of families -- and to the hipsters themselves. Want to know the next move? Toll Brothers, the nation's preeminent McMansion builder, has built a new luxe waterfront condo. Its ad features a preppy and distinctly unpierced blonde and the line: "Williamsburg, All Grown Up."
The article quotes CUNY anthropologist Neil Smith, a scholar of gentrification. "We are witnessing the corporate and geographical restructuring of cities -- the wealthy are suburbanizing the center and pushing the poor to the fringes, and it's turbocharge," he argues. This process is familiar to the residents of the West Bank, where Israeli settler expansion - funded by generous U.S. tax breaks - pushes the indigenous Palestinians into increasingly marginalized ghettos.
Which brings us back to why I fucked with Chuck.
The aforementioned grievances seem trivial to what the good senator said just weeks ago, in the aftermath of Israel's massacre of humanitarian activists aboard the Free Gaza flotilla.
Only a monster could see the human devastation of Gaza, the suffering of siege, blockade, bombardment and humiliation, and declare - in full sincerity - that the best approach is to strangle them further. Beyond the sheer depravity of it, Schumer should also be aware that it calls for collective punishment of a civilian population, a breach of international law and a crime against humanity. What chutzpah.
So, when Schumer took the stage, I had only one option to prevent the gag reflex from choking me to death. And that was to yell at him. And then yell at him some more. The adrenaline prevented anything particularly articulate but I managed to get the most important parts out. Free Gaza. End the blockade. Strangling a people is a war crime.
Clearly flustered, Chuck first tried to shush me, a task made more difficulty by his mic cutting in and out. A few people in the crowd - anxious for an uninterrupted Schumer opening act - managed to hurl a few shut-the-fuck-ups my way over their stifling apathy. Realizing I would not relent, Schumer finished with something along the lines of, "This is not about politics. It's about enjoying our freedom." He hurried off stage.
With such a high per capita volume of smart phones, I expected someone to take a video, or at least blog about it and my desire for a you-tube-able moment trumped my instinct to ignore the entire scene. While full video is still yet to be found, some internet denizens caught hold of the confrontation. In various posts and comments on Brooklyn Vegan and Sentimentalist Mag, I've been called a "debbie downer," "fat," inciting a "political heckle fest" and - much to the chagrin of the staff of Vestal Parkway's Cost Cutters (can't beat $10 wednesdays) - of having a "bad haircut."
More seriously, interrupting criminals of U.S. and Israeli imperialism has been gaining ground of late among solidarity activists, and while it falls short of a movement strategy, I am inspired by its bravery in confronting demons. This is not because of some crypto-fascist hatred of the first admendment and its blessings of liberty, but because the very politicians who stand behind the bill of rights also position themselves well-above democratic accountability essential to any actual exercise of such a right. Schumer, whose stamp of approval is on every piece of legislation transferring a new batch of weapons to Isarel and providing ideological cover when Israel employs those weapons on Palestinians, is never confronted for his barbarity. The media, in its well-documented subservience to imperial power, asks few relevant questions. And the people, should they be so roused, find the channels of communication to major politicians blocked by insurmountable obstacles. No such problem exists for bankers and CEOs, of course, who always have a friendly ear with Chuck.
So what came of all this? One solidarity-fist from a comrade in the crowd, a few boos and one really pissed off concert organizer whose day was apparently ruined by the Senator's hurt feelings (as she told me before flipping me off and calling me a "little shit"). But I can rest easy knowing I made Chuck's day just that much worse, as he's done for so many others throughout the world.
Nurses Protest at Gubernatorial Candidate Meg Whitman's Home
Nurses in California say that Meg Whitman's election would threaten their meal and rest breaks and put patient care in jeopardy. They decided to take to the streets with a thousand nurses after Whitman mailed letters and fliers to nurses' homes telling them not to believe statements made by the California Nurses Association (CNA).
The CNA, along with other union leaders, say that gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman's agenda would punish the middle class and push the state deeper into recession. They say that Whitman's plans would cut 40,000 state government jobs, dramatically reducing public employee pensions, deregulating industry and cutting welfare benefits.
The day of action started with over 1,100 people chanting in protest in front of Whitman's Atherton home and ended with a rally at Cañada College. At the college nurses were greeted by community members who stand in support of the nurses' position including the Raging Grannies. Speakers urged nurses to stay strong in their fight against what is being called "the Whitman attack".
Read more | Photos: 1 | Video: 1
California Nurses Association
The CNA, along with other union leaders, say that gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman's agenda would punish the middle class and push the state deeper into recession. They say that Whitman's plans would cut 40,000 state government jobs, dramatically reducing public employee pensions, deregulating industry and cutting welfare benefits.
The day of action started with over 1,100 people chanting in protest in front of Whitman's Atherton home and ended with a rally at Cañada College. At the college nurses were greeted by community members who stand in support of the nurses' position including the Raging Grannies. Speakers urged nurses to stay strong in their fight against what is being called "the Whitman attack".
Read more | Photos: 1 | Video: 1
California Nurses Association
