Government

This Week In Pictures, October 14-20

October 21, 2013 Staff, www.popularresistance.org Resist! Food and Agriculture, Fracking, Government, Human Rights

This week we saved pictures of a variety of resistance actions that took place all over the world to give you a glimpse of the global movement for peace and justice. Workers from McDonalds and Walmart went on strike for better wages, conditions and to support co-workers who were fired for organizing. Blockades were ongoing in Argentina to stop Monsanto and in Canada to stop SWN Resources from fracking. Thousands protested in Rome, Italy against high unemployment and budget cuts. In Hamburg, Germany, they protested high rents and in France, students protested in solidarity with two Roma students who were expelled. Farmers in Guanajuato, Mexico blockaded the highway in protest of corn and grain prices and in Spain they gathered to call for "cambiar todo." In the Maldives, people protested for voting rights. In Fort Edward, NY, people came from all over the continent to stand in solidarity with workers protesting General Electric. One participant said that every type of union was present. Thousands gathered at PowerShift, and thousands protested around the world for the Global Frackdown.

VIDEO: Last 48 Hours Delineate Lines Of Struggle In Canada

October 20, 2013 No One Is illegal, www.noii-van.ca Resist! Energy, Environment, Food and Agriculture, Fracking, Government, Indigenous Rights

The lines have been drawn. The Harper government declares that it will stop at nothing to 'develop' oil resources in Canada even though this will destroy the environment, pollute the land, air and water and worsen climate change. Indigenous communities and their allies will peacefully resist this destruction using the treaties, the courts and non-violent tactics. This is the struggle. It is up to the people to unite in solidarity and prevail to protect Mother Earth and our future.

Manitoba Chief Shows Support For Anti-Fracking Protest

October 20, 2013 Staff, www. metronews.ca Educate! Energy, Environment, Food and Agriculture, Fracking, Government, Indigenous Rights

The protest in New Brunswick over shale gas exploration is drawing support from a Manitoba chief. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says Grand Chief Derek Nepinak is travelling to the community of Rexton to stand with the Elsipogtog First Nation and other protesters. The assembly says Nepinak will present medicine and a beaver pelt to the leaders of the New Brunswick First Nation. A meeting of protesters and the community is planned for later today in Elsipogtog. About 50 people are gathered in the rain at the protest site on Route 134, where tents have been set up. The protesters want SWN Resources to stop seismic testing and leave the province.

Heavy-Handed Response To Elsipogtog Blockade In NB

October 20, 2013 Peter Raaymakers, www.ottawacitizen.com Educate! Corporatism, Environment, Fracking, Government, Indigenous Rights, Sovereignty

The Mi’kmaq people of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, including the Elsipogtog First Nation, have never signed a treaty relinquishing authority to the land on which the Route 134 blockade stands today, or that on which SWN Resources is conducting exploratory testing. They signed a Peace and Friendship Treaty in 1761, which was re-affirmed in 1982 with Canada’s Constitution Act and then again in a 1999 Supreme Court of Canada decision, but that agreement included no mention of the surrender of any lands. Although the federal and New Brunswick governments are currently engaged in exploratory discussions to address issues of land ownership, rights, and sovereignty, there has been no agreement yet.

Military Holding Fake “Arrival” Ceremonies For MIA’s

October 20, 2013 Staff, www.stripes.com Educate! Government, Wars and Militarism

The Department of Defense unit charged with recovering servicemembers’ remains abroad has been holding phony “arrival ceremonies” for seven years, with an honor guard carrying flag-draped coffins off of a cargo plane as though they held the remains returning that day from old battlefields. The Pentagon acknowledged Wednesday that no honored dead were in fact arriving, and that the planes used in the ceremonies often couldn’t even fly, and were towed into position. The story was first reported on nbcnews.com. The ceremonies at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii are held up as a sign of the nation’s commitment to its fallen warriors. They have been attended by veterans and families of MIAs, led to believe that they were witnessing the return of Americans killed in World War II, Vietnam and Korea. NBC writes that the ceremonies have been known among some of the military and civilian staff at the base as The Big Lie.

Corporations Using Foreign Tribunals To Attack Domestic Court Rulings

October 19, 2013 Shannon Gough, Eyes On Trade, www. typepad.com Educate! Corporatism, Government, TPP

Should an international tribunal of three private attorneys, sitting outside of any domestic legal system, have the power to overrule domestic courts? That’s the question addressed in the recent analysis, “Investment Agreements versus the Rule of Law?,” published on UNCTAD’s Investment Policy Hub by Todd Tucker, Gates Scholar at the University of Cambridge’s Centre of Development Studies. The piece highlights the little-known but creeping practice of corporations asking foreign tribunals to second-guess domestic court decisions not in their favor and to order taxpayer payment as compensation. These tribunals are the product of the “investor-state” system, a little-known creation of “trade” and investment deals that empowers foreign corporations to skirt domestic courts and directly challenge governments before extrajudicial tribunals for policies and decisions that they claim as undermining “future expected profits.”

Elsipogtog: “Clashes” 400 Years In The Making

October 19, 2013 Dru Oja Jay, www.mediacoop.ca Educate! Environment, Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Government, Indigenous Rights

All those who live on the land governed by the treaty are bound by that relationship, by law and by history. That, at any rate, is how many Mi'kmaq people see it. Non-Native Canadians are more likely to know nothing about the relationship that allows them to live in parts of New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. If they do know, they probably see it as a social studies curiosity rather than the basis of their legal rights in this country. And that's where the media comes in. People who have been reading newspapers and listening to CBC News on the radio for years still have no idea about what should be the most basic self-awareness. It's hard to say why any given reporter or editor chooses to continue not providing this essential information. But we can identify the effects of this ongoing neglect. In the early 1800s, Mi'kmaq people were forced onto reserves.

Success! Palm Restaurant Withdraws Support Of Urban Camping Ban

October 19, 2013 Janet Matzen, www.popularresistance.org Resist! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Government, Housing, Human Rights

The Boycott the Urban Camping Ban Coalition is pleased to announce that The Palm Restaurant has officially withdrawn support for Denver’s Urban Camping Ban Ordinance passed in May 2012. On May 6, 2012, Occupy Denver held their first Boycott in protest of the Urban Camping Ban at Snooze A.M. Eatery.1 It was attended by not just members of Occupy Denver, but activists from Denver and surrounding areas who were concerned about the treatment of their fellow human beings, the homeless. The “Urban Camping” Ban Ordinance was passed by the Denver City Council on May 14, 2012, at which time an ongoing weekly protest lead by Janet Matzen and Occupy Denver began at Snooze A.M. Eatery and later attracted coalition partners. On April 5, 2013, Snooze issued a statement reversing their position in support of the Ban.2 On April 26, 2013, the Boycott was moved to The Palm Restaurant Denver and a weekly Friday night boycott began.

Popular Resistance Newsletter – Fighting Tyranny Of National Security State

October 18, 2013 Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, Newsletter Criminal Justice and Prisons, Democracy, Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Government, Human Rights, NSA, Privacy, Surveillance

This week may be seen as a turning point in the fight back against NSA spying by creating new systems to overcome the surveillance state. There have been protests against the NSA’s spying program but they focus only on legislative solutions. While legislation is needed, many of the technological solutions lie within our own power and often merely require the government to get out of the way. President Obama’s independent commission is anything but independent. We are not going to get a “Church Committee” in the current Congress. The leadership of both parties and President Obama are too tied to the surveillance state – or, perhaps too afraid of it – to challenge it. The director of National Intelligence, James Clapper was not even reprimanded or forced to resign when he committed perjury before Congress about surveillance on Americans. Protests against the surveillance state continue to grow.

November 5th: One Million Masks, Expect Us – Anonymous

October 18, 2013 John Robles, www.voiceofrussia.com Resist! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Government, Human Rights

Although the clear goal of the march has not been announced, it is being held no doubt in support of victims of US oppression: such as Aaron Swartz, Julian Assange, Jeremy Hammond, Edward Snowden, Bradley Manning, and everyone else who has been trampled on by authoritarian illegal governments while fighting for truth, justice, freedom of speech and the finer attributes that make us the civilized and beautiful creations that we all are. Well most of us. Anonymous is an inclusive force, so if on the 5th of November (remember, remember) you want to join forces in support of the fight against evil, check on the net for an activity near year, or plan your own. After all we are all Anonymous. Masks are optional. As the Knights of the Internet say: We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.

Feathers Vs Guns: The Throne Speech & Canada’s Indian War

October 18, 2013 Pamela D. Palmater, www.rabble.ca Resist! Energy, Environment, Government, Indigenous Rights

Canada does not recognize the ownership or rights of First Nations to their lands, waters and natural resources and will expend billions to ensure that no First Nations prevent the extraction of those resources. Canada and its military have referred to First Nations as terrorists before, and will no doubt be labeled as such when they defend their right to say no to mines or hydro-fracking, like in Elsipogtog for example. This aggressive display of power and intimidation in Elsipogtog was not met with an equal display of violence. Instead, the women, elders and children continued to drum and chant and pray for the health and safety of their peoples, their Nation and the lands and waters for all Canadians. Instead of scaring people away, this unconstitutional show of force is being met with solidarity blockades all over Canada and the United States.

Shutdown Solution: Opt Out Of Tyranny

October 18, 2013 David DeGraw, www.daviddegraw.org Create! Democracy, Education, Energy, Finance and the Economy, Food and Agriculture, Government, Health Care, Housing, Human Rights, Poverty

The overwhelming majority falsely believes that we can’t create change, which is why we are in this mess. The mainstream media has propagandized most people into feeling like we can’t do anything to fix the problems we are confronted by. BULLSHIT!! We live in the richest, most technologically advanced society humanity has ever known. We don’t need the plastic puppet politicians anymore. They’re obsolete! It’s time for us to evolve society by starting our own autonomous local communities. Occupy inspired thousands of autonomous camps. What if we reestablished those camps as permanent Sustainable Autonomous Zones? There are already many intentional communities and collectives that are organically growing all over the place. Let’s learn from them. We’ve dedicated our energy to working on a plan to create a decentralized network of Sustainable Autonomous Zones so we can begin creating self-sufficient communities that can model new ways of living that make present ways of living obsolete.

Actions In Solidarity With Mi’kmaq Anti-Fracking Protesters

October 18, 2013 Staff, www.idlenomore.ca Resist! Fracking, Government, Indigenous Rights, Police abuse

Our Mi'kmaq relatives need our support. Members of the Elsipogtog First Nation and supporters of the Anti-Shale, Anti-Fracking Nonviolent Action in New Brunswick (Canada) were under attack today because of state-initiated violence by the RCMP. Idle No More denounces this state violence and calls out to all of our supporters GLOBALLY to light your sacred fires or other peaceful actions to show support and alliance with the people of New Brunswick. Video of Ellen Gabriel Solidarity StatementToday, settlers and Indigenous protestors and Warriors were subjected to violent action from the RCMP for their participation in a legitimate peaceful nonviolent action defending their lands and asserting their sovereign duty to protect the land and the people. Stand in solidarity with the protestors by taking action below!

Big Media Mum On Syria Pundits’ Ties To Defense Industry

October 17, 2013 Sarah Lazare, www.commondreams.org Educate! Corporatism, Government, Media, Wars and Militarism

Media discourse in the buildup to potential U.S.-led attacks on Syria was monopolized by experts and think tanks with links to arms and intelligence industries. Despite this conflict of interest, these financial relationships were not disclosed in a vast majority of media appearances, the non-profit research organization Public Accountability Initiative revealed in areport released Friday. Twenty-two commentators presented as experts during the so-called corporate media debate about military attacks on Syria have ties to "large defense and intelligence contractors like Raytheon, smaller defense and intelligence contractors like TASC, defense-focused investment firms like SCP Partners, and commercial diplomacy firms like the Cohen Group," the report finds. Of 111 appearances in major media outlets, the ties of these 22 commentators were disclosed a total of 13 times. A majority of these commentators voiced support for a U.S.-led attack on Syria.

Activist To Undergo “Forced-Feeding” In Solidarity With Guantánamo Prisoners

October 17, 2013 Jeremy Varon, www.witnesstorture.org Resist! Government, Guantanamo Bay, Human Rights, Wars and Militarism

Andrés Thomas Conteris — on day 103 of a water-only fast — will undergo the nasal tube feeding. “Forced-feeding is torture,” says Conteris, who has lost 57 pounds. “I wish to make visible what the U.S. government is perpetrating against prisoners in Guantánamo and to remind the world that indefinite detention continues.” Conteris, age 52, has held nasogastric feedings at the White House, in Oakland,California, and at US embassies in Uruguay and Argentina. “The nasal tube feeding feels like endless agony,” says Conteris. “It feels like I’m drowning.” Beginning last February, more than 100 men at Guantánamo engaged in a hunger strike to protest their indefinite detention. To try to break the protest, the US military subjected dozens of the hunger strikers to nasogastric force-feeding. “The case before the appeals court goes to the heart of the evil of Guantánamo,” says Witness Against Torture organizer Jeremy Varon, “as it argues that the purpose of force-feeding is to sustain an illegal and immoral policy of indefinite detention.”

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