Revolutionary Autonomous Communities-LA

Cops In Florida Beat Up 66-Year-Old Man With Dementia

2012-01-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

"A Melbourne police officer reprimanded for deliberately disabling the dashboard camera in his patrol car, before confronting a 66-year-old man suffering from dementia, could face additional scrutiny as the city prepares for a potential lawsuit. Officer Derek Middendorf’s actions — captured on video later salvaged by technicians — are at the center of calls for his dismissal as a lawyer for Albert Flowers says he plans to file suit against the city for false arrest, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. “He should be fired. Anyone who’s being pulled over by this officer should be terrified,” said attorney Paul Bross, who formally notified the city Tuesday of his intent to sue. “It’s clear (Officer Middendorf) tried to destroy all the video in this case. He thought he had turned off the camera, and that’s why he acted the way he did.”" - FloridaToday.COm

2012-01-21T11:16:00.001-08:00

2012-01-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

Occupy Monsanto

2012-01-21T10:46:00.000-08:00

Occupy Monsanto World Headquarters
Protest at Monsanto's Annual Shareholders Meeting
Make Monsanto Pay!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012
12:00pm until 4:00pm

Monsanto, World HQ;
800 N. Lindbergh, Creve Coeur, MO
(The protest is at the entrance on Olive, just West of Lindbergh)

Please join OCA, Pesticide Action Network, and Harrington Investments (a socially responsible investor’s group) in St. Louis to support a shareholder resolution to study the financial risks associated with genetically engineered crops. While an OCA representative is speaking inside the shareholders meeting, another group of us will be outside, peacefully picketing.

- Housing & Ride Share: For questions about Housing & Ride Share, please email: mikedvegan@gmail.com

- Spread The Word; Please, INVITE OTHERs! Forward this email, talk to your friends, Use this Face-Book Event page;http://www.facebook.com/events/340545799304131/
https://www.facebook.com/events/219569998128817/

- Contact:
Mike N. Durschmid
OCA Organizer
mikedvegan@gmail.com
Organic Consumers Association
http://www.organicconsumers.org/

Millions Against Monsanto (OCA)
Support the California GMO Labeling Ballot Initiative
http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/

AGM Protest - FB Event Page; (this page)
http://www.facebook.com/events/create/?eid=340545799304131

---- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ----- -----
Protest at Monsanto's Annual Shareholders Meeting; Make Monsanto Pay! January 24th
Monsanto is consistently ranked among the most evil of all corporations on Earth, wreaking havoc on public health and the environment with its deadly chemicals, but under U.S. law, people and living things don't matter to a corporation, only profits for its shareholders. So, we've teamed up with a group of ethical shareholders led by Harrington Investments, a socially responsible investment advisory firm, that wants to change how Monsanto operates.
What if Monsanto had to pay for its corporate crimes? If it were to be held liable for costs associated with its products, shareholders would see their accounts dramatically reduced. We intend to inform them of this.
Come to St. Louis to Make Monsanto Pay!
Contact OCA Organizer Mike Durschmid [mikedvegan@gmail.com] to join in.
-------------------------- ---------------------- ------------------- -------------------
Article: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_24632.cfm )
Patently Offensive: Trouble with Transgenic Drift

LA Artwalk - Jan. 12th: LAPD officer violently assaults pedestrian just off the curb!

2012-01-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

المجد للشهداء - جمعة رد الإعتبار - Martyrs of the Egyptian Revolution

2012-01-15T20:06:00.001-08:00

Opium Trade Booming In Afghanistan

2012-01-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

"The British are and in the past have been one of the largest drug dealers on the globe. There were wars fought in China over the Brits drug dealing. Yes! Government work in the drug business and let's not forget the banks"

LA Cop Punches Homeless Woman In The Face Then Threatens Iraq

2012-01-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

War Vet That Videoed Him

Police Procedure=Police Violence

2012-01-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

To some of the people watching this seems more like a game. It's obvious they have never experienced police brutality.

NEW CHARGES FILES IN ALLEGED POLICE BRUTALITY ARREST

2012-01-14T14:25:00.001-08:00

2012-01-14T14:01:00.001-08:00

Respect existence or Expect Resistance

2012-01-13T14:14:00.001-08:00

Wall Street : Follow the Money

2012-01-13T14:13:00.001-08:00

2012-01-13T14:11:00.001-08:00

LA Sheriff Punches Special Needs Woman In The Face On A Bus

2012-01-13T14:09:00.001-08:00

LA Sheriff Punches Special Needs Woman In The Face On A Bus

A Metro passenger used his cell phone's video camera to capture a confrontation between a woman and two LA County sheriff's deputies on a bus in Bellflower. The over aggressive sheriff's punch to a young woman's face wasn't even necessary!!! Damn shame! Then the dirty sheriff, wants to take the cell phone of the soldier who recorded it!! Just imagine how much other dirt is hidden, and covered up by dirty cops!!! The world will never know!!

U.S.A. Police Nation 2012

2012-01-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

Obama's Сhange: From kidnapping & torture to assassination

Old Footage of a Young Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture)

2012-01-02T15:05:00.001-08:00

Punks In Turkey Raid to the Indonesian Embassy For Free The Indonesian Punks

2012-01-02T15:04:00.001-08:00

LAPD officers involved in 2 shootings new year's morning

2012-01-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

If this is supposed to be a news article why aren't they able to confirm details about the "suspects" condition or identity?

LAPD officers involved in 2 shootings new year's morning

Los Angeles police are investigating two officer-involved shootings that were reported New Year's Day morning, department officials said Sunday.

The first incident took place in the opening minutes of 2012 when a sergeant driving his patrol car through the intersection of Florence and McKinley avenues was shot at.

The sergeant, who was uninjured and was not immediately identified, returned fire. The suspect, also not identified by police, also escaped injury and was arrested without further incident at the scene.

The second shooting was reported just after 7 a.m. in the 500 block of South Kenmore Avenue, said LAPD spokesman Gus Villanueva. In that incident, LAPD officers were responding to a disturbance call when they got into a confrontation with a suspect.

Both officers fired an unknown number of rounds at the suspect, who was struck several times. The condition of the suspect and his identity were not immediately available.

Neither of the officers involved in the second incident was injured, police said.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/lapd-officer-involved-shootings.html

Words of wisdom from Native American Elders

2012-01-01T17:48:00.001-08:00

Do you give up the right to live by shoplifting a shirt?

2012-01-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

Capitalism= Private Property Before Human Life

Police Brutality: Cops Kills 18 Year Old Female For Stolen Shirt While Handcuffed!!!

Embedding was disabled follow link below to Video.

"The cop's claims that they have Footage. Of this Young Eighteen year old. Trying to kill
herself In the back of the cops Car while Handcuffed. When they were called. To arrested
this Shop lifter to a stolen shirt. They will Not release the tape to the family members.

The mother Is to believe that the cop's should have handled the situation properly. In the first
place. When they asked to see the Footage of the tape they will not release It. All though
The sister Is Upset and distraught by the whole thing, Because this family didn't get the answers that they were looking for."

http://youtu.be/http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ImcKlc1lfpI

http://youtu.be/ImcKlc1lfpI

3.5 Million Homeless and 18.5 Million Vacant Homes in the US

2011-12-31T11:16:00.001-08:00

The National Economic and Social Rights Initiative along with Amnesty International are asking the U.S. to step up its efforts to address the foreclosure crisis, including by giving serious consideration to the growing call for a foreclosure moratorium and other forms of relief for those at risk, and establishing a housing finance system that fulfills human rights obligations.

New government census reports have revealed disturbing information that details the cold, hard numbers of Americans who have been deeply affected by the state of our economy, and bank foreclosure practices:

In the last few days, the U.S. government census figures have revealed that 1 in 2 Americans have fallen into poverty or are struggling to live on low incomes. And we know that the financial hardships faced by our neighbors, colleagues, and others in our communities will be all the more acutely felt over the holiday season.
Along with poverty and low incomes, the foreclosure rate has created its own crisis situation as the number of families removed from their homes has skyrocketed.
Since 2007, banks have foreclosed around eight million homes. It is estimated that another eight to ten million homes will be foreclosed before the financial crisis is over. This approach to resolving one part of the financial crisis means many, many families are living without adequate and secure housing. In addition, approximately 3.5 million people in the U.S. are homeless, many of them veterans. It is worth noting that, at the same time, there are 18.5 million vacant homes in the country.
The stark realities that persist mean that millions of families will be facing the holidays in temporary homes, or homes under threat, and far too many children will be wishing for an end to the uncertainty and distress their family is facing rather than an Xbox or Barbie doll.
Housing is a basic human need and a fundamental human right. Yet every day in the United States, banks are foreclosing on more than 10,000 mortgages and ordering evictions of individuals and families residing in foreclosed homes. The U.S. government’s steps to address the foreclosure crisis to date have been partial at best.
The depth and severity of the foreclosure crisis is a clear illustration of the urgent need for the U.S. government to put in place a system that respects, protects and fulfills human rights, including the right to housing. This includes implementing real protections to ensure that other actors, such as financial institutions, do not undermine or abuse human rights.

There is a link available at the Amnesty International website for anyone who is interested and would like to join the call on the Obama administration and Congress to urgently step up efforts to address the foreclosure crisis, including by seriously considering the growing call for a foreclosure moratorium and other forms of relief, and establishing a housing finance system that fulfills human rights obligations.

http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/35-million-homeless-and-185-million-va

1 NYC Student Arrested By NYPD Every Day In School, 94 Percent Are Black Or Latino

2011-12-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

An average of 1 New York City student is arrested by the NYPD every day, according to a new report. And of those arrested, 88 percent are male and 94 percent are black or latino.

The New York Daily News takes a look at the statistics:

The numbers, released to comply with a new city law, only cover July 1 to Sept. 30 -- two-thirds of which was summer school.
Cops arrested 63 students -- about one a day in 50 days of classes -- and issued 182 summons to students -- three a day for offenses ranging from robbery to riding a bike on the sidewalk.
Of the arrests, 68% of the students were black and 25% were Latino.

Civil liberties advocates say the numbers are indication of over-policing in city schools, and raise concerns of racial profiling (the NYPD is currently facing a lawsuit that says its "Stop and Frisk" policy unfairly targets blacks and latinos.)

"Instead of arresting students who need the most help, the Bloomberg administration should redirect resources from police to services that support student achievement," said Udi Ofer, NewYork Civil Liberties Union advocacy director, in a statement. "Why are we employing 5,400 police personnel and only 3,000 guidance counselors?"

Black children only make up 29 percent of the school system's 1.1 million students and an estimated 37% of summer school students.

Donna Lieberman, executive director of the NYCLU said, "The data raise concerns about black students being disproportionally arrested in the city's schools."

City Council Public Safety Committee Chair Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Queens) noted that 37 of the arrests involved crimes like weapon possession and assault. "I'd rather police officers be handling those than guidance counselors," he said.

The NYPD also noted that the statistics were pulled mostly from summer school, when the student demographics and the number of incidents are different from the regular school year.

The NYPD, however, has yet to release statistics from April to June of this year, as they are required to do by the Student Safety Act.

According to The New York Daily News, Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said he will be looking at the report "to examine disparities in race and ethnicity" while noting that school crime has dropped 49 percent since 2000.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/29/1-nyc-student-arrested-by_n_1119174.html

2011-12-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

Coca-Cola vs Marijuana: Which is more unhealthy for you?

2011-12-31T08:43:00.001-08:00

Is this real? Hackers plan space satellites to combat censorship

2011-12-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

50 years after Russia's first piloted mission, hackers plan to send their own people beyond orbit

Computer hackers plan to take the internet beyond the reach of censors by putting their own communication The scheme was outlined at the Chaos Communication Congress in Berlin.

The project's organisers said the Hackerspace Global Grid will also involve developing a grid of ground stations to track and communicate with the satellites.

Longer term they hope to help put an amateur astronaut on the moon.

Hobbyists have already put a few small satellites into orbit - usually only for brief periods of time - but tracking the devices has proved difficult for low-budget projects.

The hacker activist Nick Farr first put out calls for people to contribute to the project in August. He said that the increasing threat of internet censorship had motivated the project.

"The first goal is an uncensorable internet in space. Let's take the internet out of the control of terrestrial entities," Mr Farr said.

Beyond balloons

He cited the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) in the United States as an example of the kind of threat facing online freedom. If passed, the act would allow for some sites to be blocked on copyright grounds.

Whereas past space missions have almost all been the preserve of national agencies and large companies, amateur enthusiasts have in recent years sent a few payloads into orbit.

These devices have mostly been sent up using balloons and are tricky to pinpoint precisely from the ground.

According to Armin Bauer, a 26-year-old enthusiast from Stuttgart who is working on the Hackerspace Global Grid, this is largely due to lack of funding.

"Professionals can track satellites from ground stations, but usually they don't have to because, if you pay a large sum [to send the satellite up on a rocket], they put it in an exact place," Mr Bauer said.

In the long run, a wider hacker aerospace project aims to put an amateur astronaut onto the moon within the next 23 years.

"It is very ambitious so we said let's try something smaller first," Mr Bauer added.

Ground network

The Berlin conference was the latest meeting held by the Chaos Computer Club, a decades-old German hacker group that has proven influential not only for those interested in exploiting or improving computer security, but also for people who enjoy tinkering with hardware and software.

When Mr Farr called for contributions to Hackerspace, Mr Bauer and others decided to concentrate on the communications infrastructure aspect of the scheme.

He and his teammates are working on their part of the project together with Constellation, an existing German aerospace research initiative that mostly consists of interlinked student projects.

In the open-source spirit of Hackerspace, Mr Bauer and some friends came up with the idea of a distributed network of low-cost ground stations that can be bought or built by individuals.

Used together in a global network, these stations would be able to pinpoint satellites at any given time, while also making it easier and more reliable for fast-moving satellites to send data back to earth.

"It's kind of a reverse GPS," Mr Bauer said.

"GPS uses satellites to calculate where we are, and this tells us where the satellites are. We would use GPS co-ordinates but also improve on them by using fixed sites in precisely-known locations."

Mr Bauer said the team would have three prototype ground stations in place in the first half of 2012, and hoped to give away some working models at the next Chaos Communication Congress in a year's time.

They would also sell the devices on a non-profit basis.

"We're aiming for 100 euros (£84) per ground station. That is the amount people tell us they would be willing to spend," Mr Bauer added.

Complications

Experts say the satellite project is feasible, but could be restricted by technical limitations.

"Low earth orbit satellites such as have been launched by amateurs so far, do not stay in a single place but rather orbit, typically every 90 minutes," said Prof Alan Woodward from the computing department at the University of Surrey.

"That's not to say they can't be used for communications but obviously only for the relatively brief periods that they are in your view. It's difficult to see how such satellites could be used as a viable communications grid other than in bursts, even if there were a significant number in your constellation."

This problem could be avoided if the hackers managed to put their satellites into geostationary orbits above the equator. This would allow them to match the earth's movement and appear to be motionless when viewed from the ground. However, this would pose a different problem.

"It means that they are so far from earth that there is an appreciable delay on any signal, which can interfere with certain Internet applications," Prof Woodward said.

"There is also an interesting legal dimension in that outer space is not governed by the countries over which it floats. So, theoretically it could be a place for illegal communication to thrive. However, the corollary is that any country could take the law into their own hands and disable the satellites."

Need for knowledge

Apart from the ground station scheme, other aspects of the Hackerspace project that are being worked on include the development of new electronics that can survive in space, and the launch vehicles that can get them there in the first place.

According to Mr Farr, the "only motive" of the Hackerspace Global Grid is knowledge.

He said many participants are frustrated that no person has been sent past low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

"This [hacker] community can put humanity back in space in a meaningful way," Farr said.

"The goal is to get back to where we were in the 1970s. Hackers find it offensive that we've had the technology since before many of us were born and we haven't gone back."

Asked whether some might see negative security implications in the idea of establishing a hacker presence in space, Farr said the only downside would be that "people might not be able to censor your internet".

"Hackers are about open information," Farr added. "We believe communication is a human right."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16367042

Mexico vote annulled over Juan Manuel Marquez shorts stunt

2011-12-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

A local election result in Mexico has been annulled, partly because a boxer wore the logo of the winning party on his trunks in a fight on the eve of the vote, breaking campaign rules.

Juan Manuel Marquez sported the tricolour symbol of the PRI during his clash with Filipino Manny Pacquiao.

The fight in Las Vegas on 12 November was watched by millions in Mexico.

A federal court decided it may have influenced voters in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan state.

In its ruling, the court also cited a television appearance by Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) candidates after the official campaign period has closed.

The election for mayor of Morelia will now have to be held again within 150 days.

The court decision has cast doubt on other victories won by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in Michoacan.

President Felipe Calderon's National Action Party (PAN) says the result in the election for state governor should also be annulled.

In that vote, PRI candidate Fausto Vallejo beat President Calderon's sister, Luisa Maria Calderon.

'Unjust'

The PAN has also alleged that Michoacan's powerful drugs cartels intimidated some voters into supporting the PRI, something it denies.

The left-wing Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) also complained, and now wants election results throughout Michoacan annulled.

The PRI called the court decision "unjust, mistaken and disproportionate" but said it would abide by the ruling.

It added that the victory of its mayoral candidate, Wilfrido Lazaro, was legitimate and said it would win again.

Political jostling is increasing in Mexico ahead of next July's presidential poll, with the PRI bidding to return to the presidency which it lost in 2000.

Before that, it had governed uninterrupted for 71 years.

Boxer Juan Manuel Marquez said he was given the shorts emblazoned with the PRI logo by his team, but did not notice their significance.

He said he was focused on the fight and did not know there were elections happening in Michoacan.

Members of the PRI have denied having any involvement in getting Marquez to wear their logo.

In the ring, Marquez lost to Pacquiao on a narrow points decision.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16350747

Call to stop a nazi march in Magdeburg, Germany.Mobivideo für Magdeburg 01/14/2012

2011-12-30T12:21:00.000-08:00

Homeless people "occupy" abandoned US homes

2011-12-30T12:14:00.001-08:00

Dylcia Pagan (former political prisoner) Puerto Rican freedom fighter

2011-12-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

Scott Olsen, Vet Wounded at Occupy Oakland, on Recovery, Protests, Iraq & Bradley Manning

2011-12-30T12:12:00.001-08:00

The Future Belongs To The Few Of Us Still Willing To Get Our Hands Dirty.

2011-12-30T12:02:00.001-08:00

Police State LA: Another excuse for the Police to tax you!

2011-12-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

CHP crackdown includes drivers who eat behind the wheel

As part of a crackdown on distracted drivers, the California Highway Patrol is not just looking for people illegally talking or texting on their cellphones.

Officials also will be on the lookout for those who are eating while driving. And if you're reading magazines or applying makeup, they'll also be looking for you.

From 6 a.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday, the CHP is having a “zero tolerance” cellphone enforcement day.

Although there is no law saying someone can't eat while driving, a distracted driver is in violation of the law.

Under California’s vehicle code, a driver can be ticketed $145 to $1,000 for having “wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.” Officers will also be tracking these distractions and the number of distracted drivers, because there are not very good data on just how many distracted drivers there are.

Tickets for cellphone violations are $20 for the first offense and $50 for the second. But with court costs and other fees, the total cost of a ticket is more than $100.

Since California’s law requiring hands-free devices took effect in 2008, the CHP has written 518,161 citations statewide. They have written 11,634 tickets for texting while driving.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/chp-cracksdown-distracted-drivers.html#more

Gay nativity scene vandalized at Claremont church

2011-12-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

An unusual nativity display at a Claremont church that portrayed gay couples was vandalized over the weekend in an incident authorities are investigating as a hate crime.

Claremont United Methodist Church has a Christmas tradition of unusual nativity displays, intended to carry a social or political message.

Despite some of the controversial topics, the scenes had never been vandalized or defaced, according to church officials and John Zachary, the artist who created the scenes.

But this year, suspects vandalized a nativity scene that included wooden light boxes with three couples holding hands -- a man and a woman, two women and two men -- under a star of Bethlehem and a sign that said "Christ is Born."

Church officials came in before the Christmas morning service to find that someone had pushed over the two gay couples and left the heterosexual couple standing.

The vandalism occurred sometime between 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 9 a.m. on Christmas Day, police said. No suspects have been identified.

The church has never shied away from controversial topics, including a scene of war in the Middle East, a mother and baby in prison and a depiction of the U.S./Mexico border fence.

One year, the nativity depicted a homeless family. The scene prompted an impromptu outpouring of giving, with congregation members leaving donations of food, clothing and money.

"Christ's birth in a stable had a lot to do with poverty and being marginalized," said Pastor Sharon Rhodes-Wickett. "What this church has tried to do through these scenes is say, 'What would that look like today?'"

In 1993, the church made a decision to be a "reconciling congregation" which welcomes gay, lesbian and trasngender members. This year's nativity display was intended to convey that message, Rhodes-Wickett said.

Ed Kania, 60, an openly gay member of the church, called the act of vandalism disappointing, especially because Claremont is a generally seen as a progressive college town.

"It's a reminder that although there are pockets of acceptance, not everybody is accepting," he said. "We're all kind of disappointed, but we're using it as a rallying point."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/lgbt-nativity-scene-vandalized-claremont.html

Occupy's Rose Parade float: 70-foot octopus of corporate greed

2011-12-30T11:41:00.000-08:00

Occupy protesters are busy finishing their float that will run at the end of the Rose Parade: a 70-by-40-foot octopus made of recycled plastic bags.

The octopus, said activist Mark Lipman of Los Angeles, represents Wall Street's stranglehold on political, cultural and social life, with tentacles "that reach into your pocket to get your money and a tentacle to get your house."

"This is the real Rose Parade, and the other is the Rose Charade," said Pete Thottam, 40, an Occupy activist.

Protesters will march the parade route after the floats and marching bands have passed. The group has been working with Pasadena police and Tournament of Roses officials on how not to disrupt the parade.

"Our goal is to put Occupy's best foot forward," Thottam said, adding that activists expect more than 1,000 participants. "We recognize that this is a historic, iconic event geared toward middle America and the family."

The group says the protest will be "G-rated" and will stick to nonviolence in expressing Occupy's messages against income inequality and corporate power.

Though the Occupy movement is leaderless, it has taken some organization to get ready for Monday's event.

During the rehearsal Thursday, activists were assigned roles, such as working with an Occupy peacekeeping team or carrying the plastic pipes that will support two large replicas of the preamble to the Constitution. Each replica — one with the words "We the People," one with "We the Corporations" — requires dozens of people to hold up. Maneuvering the octopus "human float" took some practice in coordination. Protesters spun in circles, moving it through the park. Each tentacle will have several protesters lifting it.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/occupys-rose-parade-float-70-foot-octopus-of-corporate-greed.html

Ten Vegetables You Can Grow Without Full Sun

2011-12-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

When most people picture a vegetable garden, they imagine a spot that bakes in the sun all day. For some vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, and squash, this is the ideal site. What if we want to grow vegetables, but don't have a site like this "ideal" one available? There are plenty of vegetables that will grow well without full sun. Those of us who have shade can grow vegetables, too.

Basically, a good rule to remember is that if you grow a plant for the fruit or the root, it needs full sun. If you grow it for the leaves, stems, or buds, a little shade will be just fine.

Keep in mind that no vegetable will grow in full, dense shade. The following crops will produce with three to six hours of sun, or fairly constant dappled shade, per day.

Salad Greens, such as leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, and cress.
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Peas
Beets
Brussels Sprouts
Radishes
Swiss Chard
Leafy Greens, such as collards, mustard greens, spinach, and kale
Beans

In some ways, growing in a site with part shade is easier than growing in full sun. You won't have to water as often, and crops that are quick to bolt in hot weather, such as lettuces and spinach, will grow quite a bit longer given some shade.

The best thing about knowing that these crops will successfully grow with some shade is that you'll be able to get more produce from your garden. Even if you're lucky enough to have an area with full sun that you can reserve for a vegetable garden, knowing which plants will take some shade will help you get the most out of your space. You can use that sunny space to grow the sun-lovers: peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, corn, and squashes. The other crops, those that do well in the shade, can be tucked in anywhere. Grow some beets or swiss chard in your part-sun perennial border. Grow some lettuce or radishes in a container or window box. Make use of the space you have, in both sun and shade, and you can easily double the amount of vegetables you would usually get.

Having a shady garden doesn't mean you're destined to live a life devoid of fresh garden vegetables. By making the most of what you have, you can harvest lettuces, peas, and other tasty veggies from spring through fall.

http://organicgardening.about.com/od/vegetablesherbs/a/shadeveggies.htm

Deputies fatally shoot man in Rancho Palos Verdes

2011-12-30T11:30:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles County sheriff's detectives are investigating a deputy-involved shooting in Rancho Palos Verdes that left one man dead.
The incident occurred Tuesday at 7:18 p.m. in the 29300 block of Golden Meadow Drive, according to the Sheriff's Department. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scenes. No deputies were injured.
Information was not released regarding how deputies encountered the suspect, or whether the suspect was carrying a weapon.
The Daily Breeze reported that the man was allegedly holding a weapon after assaulting his 85-year-old father. The newspaper reported that authorities said a weapon was recovered at the scene.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/one-dead-deputy-shooting-rancho-palos-verdes.html

Indigenous Women of the Movement Statement on Non-Violence

2011-12-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

"Nonviolence as a mass political strategy was never part of our traditional ways of being on Turtle Island. We laid siege to forts, we picked up arms, we mounted riots and uprisings and full scale guerilla wars against colonial governments, militaries, corporations. We ate the hearts of our enemies. We did not curry favour from rich white men, we fought and killed them."

Posted on:

http://bermudaradical.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/indigenous-women-of-the-movement-why-we-wrote-the-statement-of-apology-we-wish-had-been-written-by-the-defenders-of-the-land-organizing-committee/

Indigenous Women of the Movement: Why We Wrote the “Statement of Apology” We Wish Had Been Written By the Defenders of the Land Organizing Committee

April 28, 2011

It has been seven days since we published a satirical “statement of apology“, from the organizing committee of Defender’ of the Land. A group of women and grassroots land defenders wrote the statement, because our voices had been silenced. We feel that what we have to say here must be heard, and so we will continue to speak.

In Spring 2010, we blocked consensus of a “June 24th Day of Action” call-out for a march during the G20 week in Toronto. We were ignored and silenced. That march was the only indigenous-led event for that important week of public dissent. We had one day for our voices to be heard in the streets. We believe in consensus as a traditional way of guarding against elitism and privilege in our communities, and we believed that by blocking consensus, especially as a group of native women, we would at least be given the chance to speak and be heard. Not only were we ignored and silenced, but the organizing committee blocked communication between us and several native communities. We were told they were “afraid” of us, as though indigenous peoples need protection from each other when our voices speak different opinions.

We blocked consensus because we felt that the call out for the “June 24th Day of Action” (which was sent out by Defenders of the Land) would criminalize and disempower grassroots land defenders and erode our autonomy to defend ourselves and our land and communities. We felt that the heavy use of “non-violence” wording was a slippery slope toward co-operation with the Canadian government and police…who also desire us to be “non-violent” so that we are less of a threat to the realities that we face daily: our children being stolen, our lands being exploited for profit, murder and brutality at the hands of police and racist settlers, the disappearance and murder of thousands of indigenous women.

We felt that this was not an issue of semantics, that this was deliberately being taught to our peoples, our youth and our communities by the interests of government and corporations, who we began finding out more and more, were actually helping to fund well-paid activists who ran well-funded workshops, training and retreats on “non-violence” and “civil disobedience”. Some of this was traced back to funding which came from “ethical oil” strategies, and that’s when we started realizing the sickening accuracy of our premonitions.

The June 24th “Day of Action”, although well attended and successful in bringing people together to demonstrate resistance, was also extremely compromised. Undercover police and informants who came to the organizing meetings were “justified” in being there, people were told that because of “trouble makers”, we should cooperate with the police. These “trouble makers” were several indigenous people who were standing up and questioning the way the organizing was being increasingly straitjacketed.

“Non violence” was used to narrow the parameters of our ability to speak and express our struggle: we were barred from wearing camoflage, barred from wearing masks, barred from carrying the Unity flag or from any “warrior” images or symbols. On the day of the march, undercover police were permitted by the organizers to infiltrate the march, and those of us who had questioned the organizers were told that we would be turned over (by the march’s own security team) to the police.

That has been our experience and involvement with the organizing committee of the Defenders of the Land, a network that began with the dream of a woman: a clanmother and Elder from one of the most exploited communities on Turtle Island which has been devastated by mercury poisoning and logging: Grassy Narrows.

We believe in honouring the dreams of women, in freeing ourselves from judgement and bias, decolonizing our minds and our hearts. We believe in being action-oriented, not paper-oriented. We don’t need Canada’s approval or consent, and we don’t need government or corporate funding. We have always had what we will always need: the Kaianerenkowa, the Medicine Wheel, our teachings, our clan systems, our languages, our ceremonies.

We can empower ourselves, we don’t need to wait for an NGO or a suit to tell us how to feel empowered. We aren’t the ones who need “non violence training”, the ones who need to stop using violence are the ones in power: police, government and corporations.

We absolutely believe in non-violence: when the cops lay down their weapons, the mining and logging companies abandon their industries, when the government returns the land to the people who belong to her, when racist settlers lay down their racism and patriarchy, when we vomit up the internalized racism from generations of abuse and torture at the hands of the government and can feel good in our own skin, can feel loved by each other, comforted, proud of and nourished by our beautiful brown skin, instead of vying for the attention of white thighs, settling for the white lie.

When the violence against us stops, maybe then we can begin to return to a time of peace. But to adopt a strategy of non-violence during a time of war is suicide: and we already have enough children and youth killing themselves because their innate resistance to genocide is stifled by white Canadian education, media, foster homes, jails and poverty food. Native children and youth do not need to be taught how to defend themselves: they need to be given the freedom to do what their spirits already understand is necessary.

Nonviolence as a mass political strategy was never part of our traditional ways of being on Turtle Island. We laid siege to forts, we picked up arms, we mounted riots and uprisings and full scale guerilla wars against colonial governments, militaries, corporations. We ate the hearts of our enemies. We did not curry favour from rich white men, we fought and killed them.

The most successful military campaign against Amerikkka was waged and won by the Oglala Sioux at Little Big Horn in 1876 and in 1973, they defended it again against the FBI, military and goon squads. Our people were often were masked in ceremonies and in battle, just look at the indigenous Zapatista movement–”masking up” is a practice rooted in indigenous movements and indigenous resistance.

Non-violence may be one strategy, and true to our nature, if it works, we’ll use it. If it doesn’t, we won’t. The bottom line is that we defended our land and our families with whatever we could. We owe our very existence to our ancestors who resisted total extermination and genocide by fighting back, and we will continue to honour those who gave us life by resisting the ongoing colonization of our lands and our peoples. If we have breath, we owe each one not only to our ancestors but to the land they fought and died to protect, and to the next seven generations.

-Indigenous Women of the Movement

Paolo @ Occupy Oakland Nonviolence vs Diversity of Tactics

2011-12-22T17:03:00.001-08:00

Retenes Navideños 2011 / Christmas Checkpoints 2011 (22-31/dec/2011)

2011-12-22T16:17:00.001-08:00

¡Felicidades compañerxs! Seguimos en la lucha y en apoyo de todos los plantones de la movida "Occupy" en todo el mundo. Ojo--la revolución ha comenzado y por lo tanto, las autoridades ilegítimas del estado corporativo tomará cualquier pretexto para detener a nuestra gente--seamos activistas o no. Con más razón hay que poner atención a los retenes, evitarlos, y luchar contra ellos más que nunca. Ahí les va la información (incompleta, por seguro) para los retenes de estos días para que nos pongamos listxs y sigamos todxs en la lucha!

Happy holidays comrades! We continue in the struggle and in support of all Occupy encampments worldwide. Caution--the revolution has begun, and therefore, the illegitimate authorities of the corporate state will use any pretext to detain our people--be they activists or not. We have more reason than ever to pay attention to these checkpoints, avoid them, and fight against them. Here is the information (incomplete, certainly) about the checkpoints in the coming days so we can get wise about them and continue in the struggle!
Jueves / Thursday (22/dec/2011)

SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES (CA) - "Sobriety Checkpoint from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Imperial Highway at Main Street in Southeast Area" (http://hollywood.patch.com/articles/sobriety-checkpoint-announced-in-hollywood)

NEWPORT BEACH (CA) - "The checkpoint will operate from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on northbound Dover Drive at 16th Street" (http://coronadelmar.patch.com/articles/dui-checkpoint-scheduled-thursday-in-newport-beach)

SAN LEANDRO (CA) - "The first checkpoint is scheduled from 8 p.m. to early Friday morning in the 14800 block of East 14th Street, near 148th Avenue, in San Leandro." (http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19586299)

SHASTA LAKE (CA) - "The checkpoint will be held from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m." (http://www.redding.com/news/2011/dec/21/dui-drivers-license-checkpoint-be-held-thursday-re/)

Friday/ Viernes (23/dec/2011)

BEVERLY HILLS (CA) - "DUI sobriety/drivers license checkpoint is taking place on southbound La Cienega Boulevard and Gregory Way from 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23. until 3 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 24." (http://beverlyhills.patch.com/articles/dui-checkpoint-scheduled-for-friday-and-saturday)

BUENA PARK (CA) - "Multi-agency DUI TASKFORCE, 2000-0300" (http://egov.ocgov.com/vgnfiles/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner/Content/Press%20Releases/2011/2011-12-15_Winter_2011_DUI.pdf)

CHINO HILLS (CA) - "DUI Saturation Patrol on Friday, December 23, 2011, from 9:00 pm to 3:00 pm" (they probably mean 3:00 am - http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/sheriff/public/pressreleases/PRDetail.asp?PRID=4371)

FOUNTAIN VALLEY (CA) - "DUI/driver’s license checkpoint within the city limits between the hours of 9 p.m. Friday and 3 a.m. Saturday." (http://fountainvalley.patch.com/articles/dui-checkpoint-scheduled-for-friday)

GUAM (US colony) - "Counter Drug & DUI Program (Check Point) 2200hrs-0300hrs" (http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19528:gpd-dui-checkpoints-friday-a-saturday&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156)

HAYWARD (CA) - "The second checkpoint is slated Friday night at an undisclosed Hayward intersection." (http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19586299)

HOLLYWOOD (CA) - "Sobriety Checkpoint from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Santa Monica Boulevard at Bronson Avenue in Hollywood Area" (http://hollywood.patch.com/articles/sobriety-checkpoint-announced-in-hollywood)

IRVINE (CA) - "DUI/CDL CHECKPOINT, 2000-0300" (http://egov.ocgov.com/vgnfiles/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner/Content/Press%20Releases/2011/2011-12-15_Winter_2011_DUI.pdf)

NORTH HOLLYWOOD (CA) - "Sobriety Checkpoint from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Ventura Boulevard at Big Oak Drive in North Hollywood Area" (http://hollywood.patch.com/articles/sobriety-checkpoint-announced-in-hollywood)

PALM DESERT (CA) - " DUI/Driver's License checkpoint on Friday, Dec. 23, from 9 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. within the city of Palm Desert." (http://www.kpsplocal2.com/news/local/story/Police-to-Hold-DUI-Checkpoint-in-Palm-Desert/q1BViwsmz0K-F5F6F1aiiw.cspx)

POWAY (CA) - "DUI/Driver license checkpoint in Poway on December 23rd beginning around 7:00 p.m. to approximately 2:00 a.m." (http://apps.sdsheriff.net/press/Default.aspx?FileLink=47160d3b-63a1-43ad-bc12-5f6eecfcab91)

REDLANDS (CA) - "Checkpoints are scheduled beginning at 10 p.m. Friday through 4 a.m. Saturday in the westbound lane of Brookside Avenue, between Eureka and Grant streets." (http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/news/ci_19595704)

REDWOOD CITY (CA) - "DUI checkpoint this Friday, Dec. 23. The CHP will release the exact location of the checkpoint two hours before the DUI operation begins." (http://redwoodcity.patch.com/articles/chp-schedules-holiday-dui-checkpoint-for-friday-night)

SAN JACINTO (CA) - "DUI/Driver's License Checkpoint on Friday 12/23/11, from 7:00 PM to 3:00 AM" (http://www.riversidesheriff.org/press/hem11-1223.asp)

SAN RAFAEL (CA) - "The roadblock will be set up around 6 p.m. at Grand Avenue and Francisco Boulevard East. The police department said it might move the checkpoint later that night to northbound Irwin Street at Fifth Avenue." (http://www.marinij.com/sanrafael/ci_19601428)

SILVER LAKE (CA) - "Sobriety Checkpoint from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Sunset Boulevard at Coronado Street in Northeast Area" (http://hollywood.patch.com/articles/sobriety-checkpoint-announced-in-hollywood)

SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES (CA) - "Sobriety Checkpoint from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Western Avenue at Slauson Avenue in 77th Street Area" (http://hollywood.patch.com/articles/sobriety-checkpoint-announced-in-hollywood)

TINIAN (Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, US colony) - "8pm to 9:15pm: Westbound lane on Route 201 across from the Tinian Mayor's Office" and "10pm to 11:15pm: Westbound lane on Route 202 by Huang Shung Supermarket" (http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=115193)

Sábado / Saturday (24/dec/2011)

GUAM (US colony) - "Counter Drug & DUI Program (Check Point) 2000hrs-0400hrs" (http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19528:gpd-dui-checkpoints-friday-a-saturday&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156)

TINIAN (Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, US colony) - "10pm to 11:15pm: Southbound lane along Broadway Road by Housing Turnkey" (http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=115193)

Domingo / Sunday (25/dec/2011)

TINIAN (Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, US colony) - "12am to 1:15am: Westbound lane on Route 202 by Huang Shung Supermarket." (http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=115193)

Next week / La semana que entra

MANATEE County (FL) - "checkpoint in Manatee County on Dec. 29. " (http://www.bradenton.com/2011/12/21/3743046/florida-highway-patrol-conducting.html)

ANAHEIM (CA) - "Fri. Dec 30th, DUI/CDL CHECKPOINT, 1900-0300, City of Anaheim, 1200 E. Ball Rd" (http://egov.ocgov.com/vgnfiles/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner/Content/Press%20Releases/2011/2011-12-15_Winter_2011_DUI.pdf)

BUENA PARK (CA) - "Fri. Dec. 30th, Multi-agency DUI/CDL CHECKPOINT, 2000-0300, hosted by City of Buena Park, Beach Blvd. and 10th" (http://egov.ocgov.com/vgnfiles/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner/Content/Press%20Releases/2011/2011-12-15_Winter_2011_DUI.pdf)

HUNTINGTON BEACH (CA) - "Fri. Dec 30th, DUI/CDL CHECKPOINT, 2000-0300" (http://egov.ocgov.com/vgnfiles/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner/Content/Press%20Releases/2011/2011-12-15_Winter_2011_DUI.pdf)

WESTMINSTER (CA) - "Fri. Dec 30th, DUI/DL CHECKPOINT, 1900-0300" (http://egov.ocgov.com/vgnfiles/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner/Content/Press%20Releases/2011/2011-12-15_Winter_2011_DUI.pdf)

JURUPA VALLEY (CA) - "DUI/Driver's License Checkpoint on December 31, 2011, from 8:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. within the city of Jurupa Valley" (http://www.riversidesheriff.org/press/jvs11-1231-1.asp)

NORCO (CA) - "DUI/Driver's License checkpoint on Saturday, January 7, 2012, from 7:00 PM – 3:00 AM within the city of Norco" (http://www.riversidesheriff.org/press/jvs12-0107.asp)

Happy New Crisis of Capital & Prosperous Year of Love, Health and Social War :)

2011-12-22T12:18:00.000-08:00

They Live - The moment of revelation

2011-12-22T12:16:00.002-08:00

Video shows cops mocking critically injured man

2011-12-22T12:16:00.001-08:00

US students struggle with cost of education

2011-12-22T12:12:00.003-08:00

Chomsky explains who U.S. leaders work for and what they have done.

2011-12-22T12:12:00.001-08:00

A master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teaches you self-defense

2011-12-22T12:09:00.001-08:00

Moment of Hope - Malawian kids singing

2011-12-22T12:06:00.001-08:00

"translated into their language, chichewa. The English translation is:" If the only home I hope for is the grave/If life denies the dignity I crave/If all of my tomorrows point to misery and sorrow/This is what I need/ A moment of hope in a lifetime of suffering/A moment of joy in a life full of pain/Hope for the future/Tell me living this life's not in vain." It became one of their favorite songs."

Walk for Human Rights - Leonard Peltier - Opening on Alcatraz December 18, 2011

2011-12-22T12:05:00.002-08:00

Los Angeles Police State : Police Propaganda

2011-12-22T12:05:00.000-08:00

New Military Detention Powers Threaten Basic Rights

2011-12-22T12:00:00.001-08:00

MEXICO DISBANDS PORT CITY'S POLICE FORCE

2011-12-22T11:59:00.001-08:00

Ron Paul Walks Out On Interview With CNN

2011-12-22T11:57:00.001-08:00

2011-12-22T11:48:00.001-08:00

Acteal La Verdad

2011-12-22T11:46:00.001-08:00

Miss Capitalismo

2011-12-22T11:43:00.001-08:00

2011-12-18T21:27:00.001-08:00

Power to the People!

2011-12-18T21:23:00.001-08:00

Throwback 2pac Footage Of The Week: Class Tupac Speech!

2011-12-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

2011-12-18T20:17:00.001-08:00

Monday 12/19/11 Protest at the Indonesia Consulate in Solidarity with the Indonesia Punks

2011-12-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

Bring your own signs and banners. This is a D.I.Y. Protest.
Monday, December 19th, 2011 from 10am-1pm. Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Los Angeles: 3457 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90010. The Banda Aceh government in Indonesia has declared punk rockers as a "social disease" and has begun imprisoning punks in order to "reeducate" them.

Where:
Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Los Angeles

3457 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

- When:
  
  Monday
- Time
  10:00am until 1:00pm

Indonesian Police Raid Punk Concert, Shave off Mohawks and Place Fans in Camp

Pig Education

2011-12-18T19:58:00.001-08:00

2011-12-18T19:56:00.001-08:00

2011-12-18T19:54:00.001-08:00

Organize Your Rage

2011-12-18T19:53:00.001-08:00

2011-12-18T19:43:00.001-08:00

Baby Huey - A Change is Going to Come

2011-12-18T19:40:00.001-08:00

Egypt:What the U.S.A. is funding

2011-12-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

Police Brutality - Officer Beats Special Ed Kid

2011-12-18T19:33:00.001-08:00

DreamTown Documentary Trailer #1

2011-12-17T15:26:00.001-08:00

2011-12-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

Activists Occupy Coca-Cola Factory In Kerala

2011-12-17T14:46:00.000-08:00

By NAPM

17 December, 2011
Countercurrents.org

New Delhi, December 17 : About twenty two members of Plachimada Coca-Cola Virudha Samara Samithi and Plachimada solidarity forum including Vilayodi Venugopal, Sri N. P. Johnson, N Subramanyan, Fr. Augustine, M N Giri, Sahadevan and ors, walked in to the premises of the Coca Cola Factory in Kerala state, India and courted arrest. When produced the Magistrate ordered their release on furnishing personal bond but activists refused to take bail in protest against apathy on the part of state government and the delaying and subverting tactics in favour of Coca Cola. NAPM hails the action of these activists and salutes their courage for choosing to do this to bring home the dire need for quick passage of the ‘Plachimada Coca-Cola Victims’ Relief and Compensation Claims Special Tribunal Bill, 2011.

It needs to be noted that based on the report submitted by Plachimada High Power Committee appointed by Goverment of Kerala, ‘Plachimada Coca-Cola Victims’ Relief and Compensation Claims Special Tribunal Bill, 2011’ was passed by the Assembly on 24 February 2011. The Bill sent by the Governor of Kerala to the President via the central Ministry of Home Affairs on 30 March, and the Home Ministry in turn has sent it to various related ministries for their comments on 17 April. They were then supposed to forward the Bill to the President with the consolidated comments.

The decision to send the Bill to the President was taken by the State Law Department, although there was no issue of repugnance and hence there was no need for Presidential assent. There is no question of repugnance as the law deals, in its operative part, with entirely state subjects, namely, losses in agriculture, health care, animal husbandry, job loss and groundwater contamination.

Very recently, the Union government has referred the Bill back to State government but till date State Law Ministry has not done anything on this. We fail to understand this delay, when in the State as well as at the Centre Indian National Congress Party is in power in coalition. Is this delay part of a larger design ? Is the government trying to serve the interests of the Coca Cola Corporation ? It is extremely shameful that the governments at the State and Centre are neglecting the demands of the suffering communities and the elected Gram Sabha. We all know that continuous Satyagraha has been going on since earth day in 2002, which has now completed almost a decade. How long are they expected to wait ?

Amidst all this Kerala government is planning to give distribution rights to Coco - Cola for providing drinking water to government hospitals in Kerala. Union Minister of State for Food Sri K.V. Thomas declared that months back. It was after sustained people's movements and pressure from the groups across the country which forced the government to enact this special tribunal Bill. It is high time government brought this enactment to force and justice is done to the suffering communities and Coke is held responsible for their Corporate Crimes and made to pay for this. Our struggle to hold the corporations accountable will continue until justice is done to the people.

http://www.countercurrents.org/napm171211.htm

2011-12-17T14:44:00.001-08:00

Slavery: A 21st Century Evil - Bonded slaves

2011-12-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ivory Coast's bittersweet cocoa industry

2011-12-17T12:56:00.001-08:00

Stupid cop drives car up utility pole

2011-12-17T12:55:00.001-08:00

Bradley Manning Heads for Trial; No One Charged for Murdered Civilians

2011-12-17T12:54:00.001-08:00

US poverty on the rise

2011-12-17T12:52:00.001-08:00

Egypt: Protesters throw stones at military police

2011-12-17T12:51:00.001-08:00

Shades of the Border

2011-12-17T12:49:00.001-08:00

Sheriff's Deputy kill man inLincoln Heights

2011-12-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

Deputy shoots, kills man allegedly brandishing gun at firefighters [Updated]

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy shot and killed a man who was brandishing a gun at firefighters responding to a blaze in Lincoln Heights on Saturday morning, authorities reported.

The incident took place shortly before 5 a.m. in the 400 block of Solano Avenue. Firefighters arrived at the scene of a house fire and were met with gunshots.

They flagged down a passing transit services sheriff's deputy returning to his Metrolink office, said Steve Whitmore, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The deputy shot the armed suspect, whose name was not immediately known, Whitmore said. The suspect died a half-hour later at a hospital, he said.

[Updated at 8:45 a.m.: Whitmore said later that the man hadn't fired at anyone, but was brandishing a gun at firefighters and later pointing it at the deputy and ignoring repeated commands to drop the weapon.]

No one else was hurt in the incident.

Los Angeles Fire Department arson-counter-terrorism detectives were investigating the fire, a Fire Department official said.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/deputy-shoots-kills-man-allegedly-firing-at-firefighters.html

HoliD.I.Y Swap Cancelled due to rain!!!!

2011-12-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

HoliD.I.Y Swap Cancelled due to rain!!!!
HoliD.I.Y. Swap cancelled due to rain.

Police Arrest People For Dancing

2011-12-17T11:06:00.001-08:00

LA Human Right to Housing Collective Reclaims Rampart!

2011-12-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, members of the Los Angeles Human Right to Housing Collective, honoring International Human Rights Day, revamped and repurposed the Old LAPD Rampart Police station through clean ups and offering services.

We will be posting a full wrap up of the event, including photos and videos, shortly.

For now, check out this coverage:

“LA collective seeks to repurpose Rampart police station” (KPCC)

“Vecinos renuevan expuesto policial: Bustcan utilizar este espacio para uso de residentes del área” (La Opinión)

“Demonstrators want to reclaim Rampart Station” (TheEastsiderLA.com)

http://cangress.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/la-human-right-to-housing-collective-reclaims-rampart/

Bail-out Bombshell: Fed "Emergency" Bank Rescue Totaled $29 Trillion Over Three Years

2011-12-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

While the 99% suffered hardship, a new study shows that the Fed propped up buddies in the banking industry and a vast shadow banking system far beyond what anyone has guessed.

Speculation about the the Fed’s actions during the financial crisis has made headlines on and off again over the last several years. The latest drama occurred on November 27 when Bloomberg published an article, “Secret Fed Loans Gave Banks $13 Billion Undisclosed to Congress," which gives an account of the news agency’s struggle to bring to light the details of the Fed’s emergency programs. Bloomberg throws out some very large numbers, revealing that as of March 2009, the Fed lent, spent, or committed $7.77 trillion worth of aid to the financial system and that banks used the low interest rates charged on these loans to make an estimated $13 billion in income.

On December 6, the Fed struck back, issuing a four page unsigned memo intended to correct recent “egregious errors and mistakes” found in various reports of its emergency lending facilities. The Fed argues that the “total credit outstanding under liquidity programs was never more than about $1.5 trillion.” While Bloomberg wasn’t mentioned explicitly in the Fed memo, it was fairly clear to whom the response was directed. The following day Bloomberg defended its reporting, and the Wall Street Journal’s David Wessel came to the Fed’s defense, characterizing Bloomberg’s methodology as a “great story,” but ultimately not “true.”

All this may sound like controversy, but it’s little more than a tempest in a teacup.

Here’s the hurricane: In reality, no less than $29.616 trillion is the total emergency assistance provided by the Fed to foreign and domestic entities during the Global Financial Crisis. Let’s repeat that: $29 trillion. This astounding number is over twice U.S. gross domestic product, the nominal value of all goods and services produced for the year 2010. This is the total of the bailout as calculated by Nicola Matthews and myself as part of the Ford Foundation project, A Research And Policy Dialogue Project On Improving Governance Of The Government Safety Net In Financial Crisis. We will be presenting the results of our analysis in a series of papers published by the Levy Economics Institute, the first of which, “29,000,000,000,000: A Detailed Look at the Fed’s Bailout by Funding Facility and Recipient,” is already available here.

The results we have calculated are presented below, and it is important to note that the totals are cumulative and in billions of U.S. dollars. (The numbers in parentheses indicate amounts still outstanding as of November 10, 2011).
http://www.alternet.org/economy/153462/bail-out_bombshell:_fed_%22emergency%22_bank_rescue_totaled_$29_trillion_over_three_years#.TurlWqUJqtE.facebook

NYC Cops Post On Facebook About Brutalizing Occupy Wall Street Protesters (IMAGE)

2011-12-16T09:34:00.000-08:00

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The link to Mr. DeRosa's profile is not meant to be used to harass him. It's meant to show that this status update is public, which is why we're posting images of it, unedited. Don't post comments that are visible to the public if you don't want the public to see them.]

Michael DeRosa, Sr., whose Facebook page is public, posted this about Occupy Wall Street:

Please feel free to contact the NYPD and offer your opinions Michael DeRosa, Sr., George Cruz, Wayne Rhatigan, Rey Hernandez and Michael DeMeo. Please share and ask your friends to do the same. It’s time to toss out some bad apples.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/12/15/nyc-cops-post-on-facebook-about-brutalizing-occupy-wall-street-protesters-image/

Victoria's shameful secret: Luxury underwear is made from cotton picked by 'abused child slaves’

2011-12-16T09:29:00.000-08:00

Victoria's Secret lingerie is modelled by some of the world's most beautiful and glamorous women.

Its designer products grace the shelves of top stores, proudly bearing certified organic labels.

But the billion dollar brand's sexy and sensual image is being threatened by claims that its bras, knickers and lingerie are made from cotton produced by children who are forced to work long hours for no pay.

Child labour: Clarisse Kambire, 13, (centre), collects 'fair trade' organic cotton. The lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret are believed to have used cotton farmed by children as young as ten in its products

Denied an education: Kambire, was reportedly pulled out of school by her cousin with whom she works the fields in desperately poor Burkina Faso

Far away from the glamorous catwalks of New York and London, children as young as 10 were allegedly discovered by investigators from Bloomberg News Agency working under appalling conditions.

In one tragic case a child apparently sneaked off to attend a nearby school, but her older cousin, the farmer for whom she is forced to work, hauled her home and forbade her to return to lessons.

The cotton in question is produced under the seemingly trustworthy Fair Trade programme, in desperately poor Burkina Faso, a land-locked country in West Africa, bordering Ghana, where child labour is known to be endemic.

According to the U.S. Department of Labour cotton is produced with child or forced labor in more countries than any other commodity with the exception of gold.

Burkina Faso recently ranked 181st out of 187 countries in the 2011 United Nations Human Development Index.

The Bloomberg News Agency team spent more than six weeks in the country interviewing child labourers as well as their families, neighbours and village elders.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2074278/Victorias-Secret-Luxury-underwear-cotton-picked-abused-child-slaves.html#ixzz1gigYduZS

Occupy LA mic checks LAPD Chief Charlie Beck at skid row basketball game.

2011-12-16T09:22:00.001-08:00

Statement read: We, the 99%, do not accept the criminalization of the 15,000 homeless people on Skid Row. Shelter is a human right, an by shelter we do NOT mean jail cells under the so-called Safer Cities Initiative. The police presence on Skid Row is highest in the world, with a greater deployment of law enforcement than anywhere but Iraq. We want real community change, not empty public relations efforts. We are here in support of the RESIDENTS of Skid Row, and all those who are doing what they can despite the violent selective targeting of City Council and the LAPD.

2011-12-15T18:33:00.000-08:00

Indefinite Military Detention Measure Passes On Bill Of Rights Day

2011-12-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON -- The Senate passed a defense billThursday that authorizes indefinite detentions of American terrorism suspects, coincidentally acting on the controversial measure on the 220th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights.

The bill, the National Defense Authorization Act, passed 86 to 13 and is expected to be signed quickly by President Obama, who withdrew a veto threat against the bill Wednesday. Six Democrats, six Republicans and one independent opposed the bill.

Though the legislation passed overwhelmingly, several senators argued that it was threatening fundamental provisions of the Bill of Rights, which is celebrated every Dec. 15.

"We as Americans have a right to a speedy trial, not indefinite detention," said Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.). "We as Americans have a right to a jury of our peers, which I would argue is ... not enlisted or military personnel sitting in a jury. You cannot search our businesses or place of business or our homes without probable cause under the Bill of Rights."

"You cannot be deprived of your freedom or your property without due process of law, and that, I would say, is not indefinite detention," added Kirk, who voted for the bill. "I would actually argue that no statute and no Senate and no House can take these rights away from you."

The 13 senators who voted against the bill were Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).

Supporters of the bill argued that current U.S. law is a combination of rulings and precedents that already allow indefinite detention of Americans. But they say that granting the military explicit authority to investigate and detain terrorism suspects -- including Americans -- is vital to ensuring the nation can keep up with an adaptable and changing enemy threat.

They point to court rulings that have found detentions of citizens to be proper. But opponents say the issue of grabbing up Americans on U.S. soil and putting them in military detention without trial has never actually been tested by the Supreme Court.

"This provision would for the first time in American history require our military to take custody of certain terrorism suspects in the United States," said Durbin, who was especially concerned with two sections of the bill -- 1021 and 1022 -- and voted "no."

He argued -- citing FBI Director Robert Mueller's opposition to the provisions -- that there was no reason to mess with a system that has worked well since Sept. 11, 2001.

"Since 9/11 our counterterrorism professionals have prevented another attack on the United States, and more than 400 terrorists have successfully been prosecuted and convicted -- prosecuted and convicted -- in federal court," Durbin said. "Why do we want to change this system when it's working so well to keep America safe? The fact that these detainee provisions have caused so many disagreements and such heated debate demonstrates the danger of enacting them into law."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who added an amendment to the bill that specifies the resulting measure would not affect current law regarding citizens, argued that her provision provides protection for Americans.

Nevertheless, in voting for the bill, she also proposed a new bill that she, Durbin, Kirk and others intend to pursue later in hopes of making her interpretation the law.

"I strongly believe that constitutional due process requires that United States citizens apprehended in the United States should never be held in indefinite detention," Feinstein said. "That is what this legislation would accomplish."

Feinstein offered a similar amendment during earlier debate over the $662 billion defense bill, and it failed. It was not clear that this measure would do any better, although she noted that it built on a law signed in 1971 by President Nixon meant to curb abuses such as the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II.

The bill requires military treatment for foreign terrorism suspects. Defenders of the bill have pointed to one part of the provisions that say U.S. citizens are "exempted" from the requirement to be detained by the military, but legal scholars note that even though that detention is not required, it is allowed.

President Obama had threatened to veto the measure. But after provisions were added that gave him the final say over which suspects stay in military custody, he relented. Those provisions also ensured that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies would still be permitted to investigate and interrogate terrorist suspects. Mueller has called the provisions insufficient, warning that they will create bureaucratic roadblocks in the midst of vital investigations.

Obama could sign sign the bill as soon as Friday.

Civil liberties groups were infuriated that Obama retreated from the veto threat, and called on him to reconsider.

"The NDAA enshrines the war paradigm that has eroded the United States' human rights record and served it so poorly over the past decade as the country's primary counterterrorism tool," said Tom Parker, policy director of Amnesty International USA. "In doing so, the NDAA provides a framework for 'normalizing' indefinite detention and making Guantanamo a permanent feature of American life," he said, referring to a restriction in the measure on closing the Cuba prison for terror suspects.

"By withdrawing his threat to veto the NDAA, President Obama has abandoned yet another principled position with little or nothing to show for it," Parker said. "Amnesty International is appalled -- but regrettably not surprised."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/15/indefinite-military-detention-bill-passes_n_1152114.html

FILM THE POLICE

2011-12-15T14:21:00.001-08:00

Occupy the Ports

2011-12-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

Took them long enough:DOJ Confirms Joe Arpaio is a Racist Sheriff, Demands Reform

2011-12-15T13:56:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Department of Homeland Security and ICE announced earlier today they will end Sheriff Arpaio’s 287(g) agreement. (Thursday 12/15/11, 5:04 EST)

The U.S. Department of Justice Thursday morning accused the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office of engaging in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing, including racial profiling in traffic stops, immigration operations and discriminating against Spanish speakers in the county jails.

In a 22-page letter addressed to Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery the DOJ issued an ultimatum: come to a voluntary court-enforceable agreement to stop the unconstitutional practices, or face a lawsuit under provisions of federal Civil Rights Act.

According to the DOJ letter sent to Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office the investigation found the following civil rights violations, as reported by the Arizona Republic:

Hispanics were routinely targeted for traffic stops without reasonable cause, and subsequently charged with immigration-related crimes. Legal residents were sometimes treated as if they were illegal immigrants and even jailed.
Latino inmates with poor or no English proficiency were frequently punished for not understanding English, were required to fill out forms in a language they did not understand or were denied critical services available to English-speaking inmates.
Community activists and critics who spoke out against the Sheriff’s Office’s treatment of Hispanics were themselves targeted for retaliation.
The Justice Department also found that the Sheriff’s Office did not adequately train or supervise its personnel to avoid civil rights violations and, in fact, permitted the specialized units to engage in unconstitutional behavior.

Julianne Hing, Colorlines.com’s immigration reporter says the news doesn’t come as a surprise.

“For folks who are at all familiar with Sheriff Arpaio’s nasty tactics, none of the DOJ’s revelations are actually brand new,” Hing said about the DOJ findings.

“He engages in racial profiling, condones excessive force from his officers, and retaliates harshly against anyone who speaks out against him,” Hing went on to say. “He ignores actual, serious crime to hunt down undocumented immigrants. This is his brand. His anti-immigrant rhetoric is not just bravado; he will do just about anything for the cameras.”

Hing went on to add the federal government has enabled Arpaio’s actions.

“The federal government contracted Arpaio, with programs like 287(g) to use his police officers to enforce immigraiton law. Now they’re chasing after him to reign him in.”

Below you’ll find the DOJ letter sent to Maricopa County with details of their investigation.

http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/12/doj_confirms_arizonas_joe_arpaio_is_a_racist_sheriff_demands_reform_really.html
PHOENIX (AP) — The federal government issued a scathing report Thursday that outlines howMaricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office has committed a wide range of civil rights violations against Latinos, including a pattern of racial profiling and discrimination and carrying out heavy-handed immigration patrols based on racially charged citizen complaints.

The report, obtained by The Associated Press ahead of its release, is a result of the U.S. Justice Department's three-year investigation of Arpaio's office amid complaints of racial profiling and a culture of bias at the agency's top level.

The Justice Department's conclusions in the civil probe mark the federal government's harshest rebuke of a national political fixture who has risen to prominence for his immigration crackdowns and became coveted endorsement among candidates in the GOP presidential field.

Apart from the civil rights probe, a federal grand jury also has been investigating Arpaio's office on criminal abuse-of-power allegations since at least December 2009 and is specifically examining the investigative work of the sheriff's anti-public corruption squad.

The civil rights report said federal authorities will continue to investigate complaints of deputies using excessive force against Latinos, whether the sheriff's office failed to provide adequately police services in Hispanic communities and a large number of sex-crimes cases that were assigned to the agency but weren't followed up on or investigated at all.

The report took the sheriff's office to task for launching immigration patrols, known as "sweeps," based on complaints that Latinos were merely gathering near a business without committing crimes. Federal authorities single out Arpaio himself and said his office, known as MCSO, has no clear policies to guard against the violations, even after he changed some of his top aides earlier this year.

"Arpaio's own actions have helped nurture MCSO's culture of bias," wrote Thomas Perez, who heads the Justice Department's civil rights division, adding that the sheriff frequently gave such racially charged letters to some of his top aides and saved them in his own files.

"MCSO is broken in a number of critical respects. The problems are deeply rooted in MCSO's culture," he said Thursday.

The Justice Department's expert on measuring racial profiling said it's the most egregious case of racial profiling in the nation that he has seen or reviewed in professional literature, Perez said.

Investigators interviewed more than 400 people, including Arpaio, reviewed thousands of documents and toured county jails as part of its probe, he said.

If the sheriff's office doesn't turn around its policies and practices, the federal government could pull millions of dollars of federal funding.

Arpaio's office did not immediately respond to AP requests for comment.

The report will require Arpaio to set up effective policies against discrimination, improve training and make other changes that would be monitored for compliance by a judge. Arpaio faces a Jan. 4 deadline for saying whether he wants to work out an agreement. If not, the federal government will sue him and let a judge decide the complaint.

Arpaio, the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America, has long denied the racial profiling allegation, saying people are stopped if deputies have probable cause to believe they have committed crimes and that deputies later find many of them are illegal immigrants.

Arpaio has built his reputation on jailing inmates in tents and dressing them in pink underwear, selling himself to voters as unceasingly tough on crime and pushing the bounds of how far local police can go to confront illegal immigration.

The report also said he and some top staffers tried to silence people who have spoken out against the sheriff's office by arresting people without cause, filing meritless lawsuits against opponents and starting investigations of critics.

One example cited by the Justice Department is former top Arpaio aide David Hendershott, who filed bar complaints against attorneys critical of the agency along with bringing judicial complaints against judges who were at odds with the sheriff. All complaints were dismissed.

The anti-corruption squad's cases against two county officials and a judge collapsed in court before going to trial and have been criticized by politicians at odds with the sheriff as trumped up. Arpaio has defended the investigations as a valid attempt at rooting out corruption in county government.

The civil rights report said Latinos are four to nine times more likely to be stopped in traffic stops in Maricopa County than non-Latinos and that the agency's immigration policies treat Latinos as if they are all in the country illegally. Deputies on the immigrant-smuggling squad stop and arrest Latino drivers without good cause, the investigation found.

A review done as part of the investigation found that 20 percent of traffic reports handled by Arpaio's immigrant-smuggling squad from March 2006 to March 2009 were stops — almost all involving Latino drivers — that were done without reasonable suspicion. The squad's stops rarely led to smuggling arrests.

Deputies are encouraged to make high-volume traffic stops in targeted locations. There were Latinos who were in the U.S. legally who were arrested or detained without cause during the sweeps, according to the report.

During the sweeps, deputies flood an area of a city — in some cases, heavily Latino areas — over several days to seek out traffic violators and arrest other offenders. Illegal immigrants accounted for 57 percent of the 1,500 people arrested in the 20 sweeps conducted by his office since January 2008, according to figures provided by Arpaio's office.

Police supervisors, including at least one smuggling-squad supervisor, often used county accounts to send emails that demeaned Latinos to fellow sheriff's managers, deputies and volunteers in the sheriff's posse. One such email had a photo of a mock driver's license for a fictional state called "Mexifornia."

The report said that the sheriff's office launched an immigration operation two weeks after the sheriff received a letter in August 2009 letter about a person's dismay over employees of a McDonald's in the Phoenix suburb of Sun City who didn't speak English. The tip laid out no criminal allegations. The sheriff wrote back to thank the writer "for the info," said he would look into it and forwarded it to a top aide with a note of "for our operation."

Federal investigators focused heavily on the language barriers in Arpaio's jails.

Latino inmates with limited English skills were punished for failing to understand commands in English by being put in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day or keeping prisoners locked down in their jail pods for as long as 72 hours without a trip to the canteen area or making nonlegal phone calls.

The report said some jail officers used racial slurs for Latinos when talking among themselves and speaking to inmates.

Detention officers refused to accept forms requesting basic daily services and reporting mistreatment when the documents were completed in Spanish and pressured Latinos with limited English skills to sign forms that implicate their legal rights without language assistance.

The agency pressures Latinos with limited English skills to sign forms by yelling at them and keeping them in uncomfortably cold cells for long periods of time.

The Justice Department said it hadn't yet established a pattern of alleged wrongdoing by the sheriff's office in the three areas where they will continue to investigation: complaints of excessive force against Latinos, botched sex-crimes cases and immigration efforts that have hurt the agency's trust with the Hispanic community.

Federal authorities will continue to investigate whether the sheriff's office has limited the willingness of witnesses and victims to report crimes or talk to Arpaio's office.

"MCSO has done almost nothing to build such a relationship with Mariciopa County's Latino residents," Perez wrote.

International day of Action for Immigrant Rights December 18

2011-12-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

Join us we will be doing a toy/gift drive for the children of the food program in Macarthur Park @ Wilshire and Parkview from 11a.m. to 4p.m. All are encouraged to donate a toy/gift to be given out the following week 12/25/11. Donation does not have to be store bought handmade toys/gifts encouraged.Share what you can.

Working with comapaner@s we will be compiling Recipes to share experiences and tips for survival within this system. These recipes do not have only to do with food, but also with whatever solutions we create to get through life in this world. For example, these solutions could be how to cook a meal your family loves to eat, or you could share how to live without a refrigerator, how to knit, how to make a blog, or how to use the library . Those are just some examples. We need as many as we can for the big zine. Contribute any experience,tip, advice or recipe to be included in Zine that will be printed after.

Revolutionary Autonomous Communities Los Angeles

Indonesian 'punks' get their heads shaved by police

2011-12-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

Aceh Police and Police Spokesman Gustav Leo: Release 64 teenage prisoners being detained and "re-educated" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16176410

Dozens of young men and women have been detained for being "punk" and disturbing the peace in Aceh, Indonesia's most devoutly Muslim province. They are being held in a remedial school, where they are undergoing "re-education".

Rights groups have expressed concern after photographs emerged of the young men having their mohawks and funky hairstyles shaved off by Aceh's police.

They look sullen and frightened as they are forced into a communal bath.

...
The 64 punks, many of whom are from as far away as Bali or Jakarta, were picked up on Saturday night during a local [Charity] concert [for orphans].

...
Mr Leo stressed that no-one had been charged with any crime, and there were no plans to do so.

They have now been taken to a remedial school in the Seulawah Hills, about 60km (37 miles) away from the provincial capital Banda Aceh.

"They will undergo a re-education so their morals will match those of other Acehnese people," says Mr Leo.

But activists say the manner in which the young people have been treated is humiliating and a violation of human rights.

Aceh Human Rights Coalition chief Evi Narti Zain says the police should not have taken such harsh steps, accusing them of treating children like criminals.

"They are just children, teenagers, expressing themselves," she says.

"Of course there are Acehnese people who complained about them - but regardless of that, this case shouldn't have been handled like this. They were doused with cold water, and their heads were shaved - this is a human rights violation. Their dignity was abused."

And they are still being held!

___________

Update from http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/deputy-mayor-punk-community-a-new-social-disease/484728

Deputy mayor Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal says she doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty in her crusade against the punk community of Banda Aceh, proudly telling of how she has supervised police raids at cafes and city parks in recent months..

“The presence of the punk community is disturbing, and disrupts the life of the Banda Aceh public,” Illiza told the Jakarta Globe.

...

One of the 64 detainees, a punk music fan from Medan, North Sumatra, said he had traveled to Banda Aceh to take part in a concert that aimed to raise money for orphans. “What is going on here? I work as a contractor for a bank in Medan. I’ll probably be sacked for not coming in to work for a week,” said the man, who asked to remain anonymous.

“Their morals are wrong. Men and women gather together, and that is against Islamic Shariah,” she said. She guessed that the number of punks in the town was around 200.

The punks in custody range from teenagers to people in their thirties. Illiza said that there had been some as young as twelve years old at the concert, but that they had escaped the police raid. Fuazan, 20, an Acehnese punk whose head is now roughly shaved, said he was not impressed with his treatment at the hands of the police. “What did we do to deserve arresting?” he asked, looking troubled. “We didn’t steal and we didn’t bother anyone. The punk community in Banda Aceh is not involved with criminality.”

“So what’s the crime that justifies us being brought to this camp? This country hasn’t yet made it illegal to express yourself, right?” “And what of our livelihoods? Please help us,” Fuazan said.

“How are we supposed to support ourselves now that we’ve been brought here?” Illiza, who claimed she has the support of the public, said the police would continue to hunt for punks in Banda Aceh. “We will keep conducting raids until they’re all caught, then we’ll bring them for reeducation here.”

“Aceh is a Shariah region,” Illiza added. “Everyone should obey it and the punk community is clearly against Shariah.” “This training will be an example in Indonesia of the reeducation of the punks.”

_________________________

Concerned musicians and people from all over the world are paying close attention to this!

We are demanding their immediate release and their well-being be confirmed by human rights groups and outside press!

We are demanding that no more punks be detained or arrested for expressing themselves!

I.C.E. Alert in Montebello 10:42a.m.

2011-12-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

Spread the word / Corre la Voz

Message received at 10:42a.m.

WARNING: I.C.E. is between Via Campo and Beverly on Garfield (City of Montebello)

Anonymous attacking creators of indefinite detention bill

2011-12-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

With President Obama read to sign away the freedoms of Americans by inking his name to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, opponents are already going after the lawmakers that made the legislation possible.

The act, abbreviated as NDAA FY2012, managed to make its way through Congress with overwhelming support in recent days, despite legislation that allows for Americans to be detained indefinitely and tortured by authorities for the mere suspicion of committing “a belligerent act." The Obama administration originally decreed that they would veto the bill, only for the White House to announce a change of heart on Wednesday this week.

With the passing of the act almost certain at this point, hackers aligned to the massive collective Anonymous are taking a stab at staking out the politicians that helped put the bill in the president’s hands.

On Wednesday, Internet hacktivists gathered on the Web to find a way to take on the lawmakers, who have allowed for this detrimental legislation to make it all the way to the Oval Office desk. Upon discussion of routes to take to show their opposition to the overwhelming number of politicians who voted in favor of NDAA, Anonymous members agreed to begin with Senator Robert J Portman, a Republican lawmaker from the state of Ohio.

By Thursday morning, an Anonymous operative released personal information pertaining to the lawmaker, and revealed that not only was Sen. Portman among the politicians to vote “aye” on the legislation, but it has also been revealed that the senator had good reason to do so.

According to a OpenCongress.org, Sen. Portman received $272,853 from special interest groups that have shown support for NDAA.

“Robert J. Portman, we plan to make an example of you,” writes an Anonymous operative. The hacktivist has also released personal data including the senator’s home address, phone number and social networking accounts in an attempt to further an infiltration from the Internet to show the opposition to the bill that colossally impacts the constitutional rights of Americans.

According to the information posted by the operative, the nearly $300,000 in special interest monies lobbied at Portman could have helped him purchase around $1.7 million in real estate in Ohio.

The next lawmaker to receive anywhere near as much as Sen. Portman is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada and third-ranked official in Congress, who pulled in more than $100,000 less than his Ohio counterpart with $172,635.

Among the supporters of NDAA are California-based manufacturer Surefire, L.L.C., who won a $23 million contract from the Department of Defense three months ago. Also contributing to the cause (and the lawmakers who voted ‘yes’) are Honeywell (who secured a $93 million deal with the Pentagon last May and a $24 million contract this year) and Bluewater Defense, a longtime DoD-ally that produces, among other garments, fire resistant combat uniforms.

When the military storms down your door for suspicion of “belligerent” acts, you can thank Bluewater and Senator Portman for the lovely flame-proof attire the soldiers will be donned in as they haul you off to Gitmo.

http://rt.com/usa/news/anonymous-ndaa-portman-torture-913/

Pennsylvania police officer filmed firing taser at teenage girl - video

2011-12-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/dec/15/philadephia-police-taser-girl-video?fb=native

Occupy I.C.E. December 15, 2011

2011-12-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

Rise-UP LA! And the Youth Justice Coalition were evicted at 11:30 AM Struggle Continues!!!!!

2011-12-13T12:33:00.000-08:00

Update:
Rise-UP LA! And the Youth Justice Coalition were evicted at 11:30 AM by the Los Angeles Police Department from an abandoned library where youth, children, community supporters, community organizers were cleaning up the abandoned space to be used as a community center. We are committed to staying on Crenshaw Blvd. Rise-Up LA! Still plans on asking LA COUNTY for 1% of Law Enforcement Budget to shift our $$ from suppression to much needed community investments! Stay posted…

Support Your Community Support Your Hood!!! Come down to Crenshaw and 66th and spread the word.

2011-12-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

Freedom Factory:
Young People will be constructing a Youth Center in the middle of South Central to demonstrate what can happen when positive investment is made in our community. People have taken over the abandoned Hyde Park Library 6527 Crenshaw Blvd. police presence as of 10am come out and support 323.235.4243 Youth Justice Coalition

RAC LA Update: Solidarity in action with companer@s from YJC putting thoughts and ideas to practice. As i arrived this morning i was witness to the beauty of our movement youth, elders, babies and adults cleaning up an abandoned lot which was formerly the Hyde Park Library. The lot which has fallen into disrepair and overgrown with weeds and trash was given new life with the energy and effort of those present. The trash was being swept up and the weeds removed.

However the LAPD soon arrived on scene and immediately began to disrupt activities. Initial officers playing good cop role attempt to pacify all participants by smiling shaking hands as they waited for their superiors who arrived shortly with much different demeanor. An officer was soon overheard saying everyone here was trespassing and he closed the fence to prevent many of the arriving youth and community members from joining those inside. Another officer Shea on the phone said,"These people are trying to impose their will and this is illegal and will proceed as such until notified otherwise."

At this point Crenshaw Southbound traffic is closed and police are stationed around the perimeter not allowing anyone else into lot. Youth and community members are on the street energized with love for themselves and their community.

The city of Los Angeles and the capitalists that benefit from the great inequalities of this metropolis cut services while at the same time denying folks the ability to provide for their own. They would rather let abandoned lots sit as a hazard in our community than allow access to space.

In order for things to change we must make a choice to stand with the people. In order to fulfill our choice requires effort. Please support the self determination of the people of South Central LA. Please spread the word and come support!
Schools not jails! Community centers not abandoned lots!

All Power to the People! All Power through the People!

Please forward widely.

Youth Justice Coalition has liberated the abandoned Hyde Park Library at 6527 Crenshaw Blvd.

The Police have surrounded us.

Please come.

Bring Media, bring community.
Rise-UP LA.

YOUTH JUSTICE COALITION & Rise-UP LA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PO BOX 73688, L.A. CA 90003
e-mail: freelanow@yahoo.com
Tel: (323) 235-4243
Contact: Kruti Parekh (323) 490-0601

December 13, 2011

Freedom Factory!
Week of Action!
Taking- back an abandoned space, for community benefit!
Multiple Opportunities for Media Coverage and Interviews throughout the Week; Great Visuals!

What: Over the past four years, the Youth Justice Coalition has been challenging law enforcement spending in Los Angeles City and County. Specifically, we have done a 50-mile march from Sylmar Juvenile Hall to Norwalk’s Department of Juvenile Justice demanding that 1% of money that goes towards policing, courts, and probation be transferred towards creating community youth centers, youth employment, and hiring intervention/peace builders to work in our communities rather than police. (1% of law enforcement budget equals to $100 million). We’ve also conducted research with our students at FREE LA High School around the Los Angeles Police Budget a year ago and we plan on exposing our research during this four day week of action.

This year, the youth and community organizers want to show the city and county that we already have space in our communities for these centers, and that we have assets in our communities to create real transformative youth spaces. So we plan to liberate an abandoned or otherwise non-productive, unused space in the community of South LA for FOUR days. This liberation is in reaction to the Occupy movements. Over the four days we plan to hold school for 40 students of FREE LA High School, provide political and educational workshops, have recreation activities and after school tutoring, and have political movement building where people can dialogue around the historical and political moment we are living in and continue conversations around how we continue to build a movement for the liberation of all people.

Who: The YOUTH JUSTICE COALITION is a growing movement led by young people formerly or currently incarcerated on Probation or Parole (themselves or family members). For most youth, their push out of school was a push toward underemployment and incarceration. We know that violence won’t be ended by “declaring a war on youth”, but through community schools that are open to young people and their families as resource centers after school and on weekends, community and school-based intervention, and job opportunities. Just 1% of the County’s law enforcement budget would provide 100 million dollars a year for positive youth development.
Rise-UP LA is an autonomous collective working towards the liberation of the communities and the people of South Los Angeles. We believe in freedom from all oppression, direct democracy, and community-based living. Our group was initially created in response to the current "Occupy" Movements that have awakened a new sense of community, local organizing and movement-building centered around fighting corporate greed. We are also a reaction to the misrepresentation of community voices and history like that of South LA in the over-all conversations of Occupy LA.

When: Tuesday December 13, 2011 at 9am- December 16th, 2011. Press Conference on Tuesday at 1:30 PM, Candlelight vigil on Thursday December 15, celebration on Friday December 16th, 2011

Where: 6527 Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles, 90043 (in between Hyde Park and 66th).

Why: Four decades ago, California led the nation and the world in operating a quality K-12 and university education system. However, with the rush to incarcerate youth – particularly youth of color, for less and les serious offenses, the state and County transferred larger and larger funds toward police – including school police – and lock-ups. California now leads the nation and the world in prison spending, and is #47 - #50 in education spending, despite our ranking as the richest nation in the world and the 5th riches economy in the world. Most schools in poor and working class communities look and operate more like prisons. And Los Angeles now leads the nation in school push-out, low test scores and school overcrowding. The YJC is urging an end to the School-to-Jail Track, and a re-investment in positive youth opportunities and school safety and success plans that prepare youth for college and living-wage careers rather than incarceration and death.