Showing posts with label dispatches. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

VIDEO - Occupy the Koch Brothers at DC convention center

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2011/11/249404.php

by Rockero Saturday, Nov. 05, 2011 at 8:24 AM

The following videos are from the "Occupy the Koch brothers" action at the Washington DC convention center on November 4, 2011. Occupy everything!

Dispatch from Occupy DC "Occupy the Kochs" Action

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2011/11/249399.php

by Rockero Friday, Nov. 04, 2011 at 11:12 PM
rockero420@yahoo.com

Friday, November , 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Occupy DC, in support of Common Cause and other organizations, supported a "guerrilla drive-in" at the Washington DC convention center. We followed that with a militant action of our own, detaining Koch supporters for approximately to hours.

Occupy DC has been holding its encampment for over a month now, and has been particularly hospitable to visiting occupiers, including this correspondant.

They do things a little differently here in the nation's capital, but no so differently that they are unrecognizable or foreign. The spirit of resistance is the same.

Today, Occupy DC took part in an action against the billionaire Koch brothers, who, in addition to being part of the 1%, have been particularly vociferous about advancing the ultraconservative agenda. Today, that agenda included a banquet--a tribute to Ronald Reagan--called "Defending the American Dream." It featured such darlings of the American right (and one-percenters) as Rudy Giuliani, Herman Cain, and Mitt Romney. Obviously, Occupy DC had to intervene.

We began with a march from McPherson square, one of two sites currently occupied in the district, and proceeded to the convention center, where a new documentary film about the nefarious siblings was projected onto the convention center's wall.

We then retreated to give distance between the Common Cause action and our own, before returning to occupy one of the center's main intersections. Our idea was to detain the class war criminals at the luxurious banquet.

Soon, however, we realized that there were enough of us to occupy several more locations! We expanded to two, then three, then six neighboring intersections.

We chanted, sang songs, and otherwise entertained ourselves as we held our positions.

But at about 9:30, the 1% became restless and began exiting. Becoming frustrated with our blockade, some of the more militant among them came out to taunt, intimidate, and attempt to provoke us.

We were much wiser than they, however, and refused to succumb to such sophomoric gestures. So their militancy increased. One of the attendees, the driver of a silver Lexus, deliberately knocked down one of our comrades. I was deeply engaged in reading a radical book on loan from the Occupy DC library and so did not see the collision. Nonetheless, I heard a loud thud, a collective gasp, and looked up in time to see the automobile race away at a breakneck pace. I turned to see the compañera, immobilized on the pavement. We called ambulances to aid her, and several occupiers chased down the vehicle and detained it. Approximately three individuals were arrested for this heroic act of self-sacrifice.

Shortly thereafter, the vast majority of the one percent having left under police protection, we returned to our camp, but not before passing by the White House, which we justly declared "Our House."

We ate dinner and commiserated, eager to regroup for further action in the days to come.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

State repression and resistance / Represión estatal y resistencia

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2010/09/242045.php

by Rockero Sunday, Sep. 26, 2010 at 11:00 PM

Sunday, September 26, 2010 MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota and DURHAM, North Carolina - News of FBI raids on the homes of antiwar and international solidarity activists sent shockwaves throughout the activist community and also sparked calls for unity and resistance to these acts of state repression.

Domingo, 26 de septiembre 2010 MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota y DURHAM, Carolina del Norte - La comunidad activista fue sacudida por noticias de allanamientos realizados por el FBI en casas de activistas de los movimientos antiguerra y por la solidaridad internacional, y provocaron un llamado a la unidad y resistencia ante estos hechos de represión estatal.

[Artículo bilingüe - En español a continuación]

In Minneapolis, federal search warrants were served at the residences of human rights defenders affiliated with Freedom Road Socialist Organization. The FBI, allegedly as part of an anti-"terrorism" investigation, appeared to be targeting activists who have been involved with movements in solidarity with liberation struggles in Palestine and Colombia.

In Durham, North Carolina, FBI agents knocked on the doors of at least two activists, harassing them early in the morning and attempting to interrogate them. Conscious of their rights in the absence of a warrant, the activists refused to speak with the agents of state repression.

Community members received word early Sunday morning that messages of resistance had been painted in visible public areas of Durham. The messages included "FBI out of Durham," "Fuera Brutalidad Institucional" (Institutional Brutality, Out!) and "FBI we're watching you!"

Throughout the country, antiwar groups, international justice organizations, and labor solidarity groups have issued a call for unity and are organizing demonstrations at local FBI offices. The Minneapolis community is spearheading the call, and have asked for shows of solidarity tomorrow, September 27 and Tuesday, September 28. The Los Angeles FBI office is located at 11000 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California‎ 90024.

The peace and justice community is also encouraging its members to reread "If an Agent Knocks", which provides helpful information about what to do when targetted by state "security" agencies.

En Minneapolis, agentes ejecutaron cateos en las residencias de defensores de derechos humanos afiliados a la Organización Socialista del Camino para la Libertad, conocido en inglés como Freedom Road Socialist Organization. El FBI, alegando que sus hechos comprenden parte de una investigación "antiterrorista," parecía estar concentrando sobre individuos involucradxs con movimientos en solidaridad con luchas de liberación en Palestina y Colombia.

En Durham, Carolina del Norte, agentes del FBI tocaron las puertas de por lo menos dos activistas, hostigandolxs por la madrugada e intentando interrogarlxs. Consciente de sus derechos en ausencia de cualquier orden de arresto o de cateo, lxs activistas se negaron a hablar con lxs agentes de represión estatal.

Miembrxs de la comunidad aprendieron la mañana del domingo que se habían pintado mensajes de resistencia en lugares públicos y visibles de Durham. Los mensajes incluyeron "Fuera FBI de Durham," "Fuera Brutalidad Institucional," y "¡FBI te estamos vigilando!"

A lo largo del país, grupos antiguerra, organizaciones de justicia internacional, y grupos de solidaridad laboral han emitido un llamado a la unidad y están organizando manifestaciones en oficinas locales del FBI. La comunidad de Minneapolis está encabesando el esfuerzo, y han pedido muestras de solidaridad para mañana, 27 de septiembre y martes, 28 de septiembre. La oficina del FBI de Los Ángeles está localizada en 11000 Wilshire Boulevard, 90024.

La comunidad pacifista y pro-justicia también está promoviendo la lectura del documento "If an Agent Knocks", (Si un agente toca a la puerta), el cual que provee información útil sobre qué hacer cuando unx es el sujeto de investigaciones de agencias estatales de "seguridad."

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Ni una muerta más - International Day Against Violence Against Women in Guatemala

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/11/222563.php

Ni una muerta más - International Day Against Violence Against Women in Guatemala
by Rockero Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008 at 6:58 PM
rockero420@yahoo.com

November 25, 2008 GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala - Guatemalan women's organizations commemorated International Day Against Violence Against Women with a five-kilometer march from the Palacio de Justicia to the city's central plaza. Up to 2,000 women, men, and children from over twenty women's and human rights organizations participated, including a solidary group from Los Angeles.

More than 600 women have been murdered since the beginning of the year in this poverty-stricken Central American country, which makes this year's march against gender violence all the more imperative.

Although the inability to take time off work coupled with the fear of repression against activists to supress turnout, especially in comparison with previous years, the marchers were determined to have their voices heard. Their demand: "Ni una muerte más - Not one more death."

Gloria Trevi blared over loudspeakers as the mobilization began. The irony that the march for justice began in front of the Palacio de Justicia, the building housing the ineffectual court system that has not brought one single offender to justice, was not lost on the crowd.

At about 9:30 the march began. Music continued to play and speakers denounced violence and the lack of criminal prosecution of offenders as we marched. People held banners and signs, waved flags, and distributed literature as the demonstration snaked through the streets.

Children waved from the tops of buildings, passersby asked for literature, nodding their approval. Some even stopped what they were doing to join in with us.

Upon arrival in front of the Palacio Nacional, speakers elaborated on the problem of impunity in their country. They demanded justice for sex workers and sexual minorities. They played music and danced. Vendors hocked water, snacks, and caps bearing the image of Che Guevara, whose efforts to oppose the 1954 CIA coup against democratically-elected Jacobo Arbenz are nationally respected to the point of reverence.

The march was the initiation of the sixteen days of activism against gender violence, a global campaign that, since 1991, "has been used as an organizing strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women."¹

The "sixteen days" begin on the International Day Against Violence Against Women and end on December 10, International Human Rights Day. While Violence Against Women Day is commemorated in 154 countries wordwide, it goes unrecognized in the United States despite the high rate of violent crimes against women, from domestic violence to sex slavery to child abuse.

1. About the 16 Days. Center for Women's Global Leadership.

Los Angeles delegation in front of Palacio de Justicia