WWH/CJE– Welcome to CITIZEN DISPATCH.

News and Commentary from Citizen Journalist around the globe.

This Edition; Citizen journalist John Konopak; In which Y’r Streetfightin’ R’p't’r recounts his experiences in the demonstrations which shook the country in the aftermath of the infamous murders of four, innocent students on the campus of a tiny, Ohio school, Kent State University, in May, 1970

Submitted by Repost from the Syracuse Peace Council on Sun, 2013-04-28 22:10

(Ed. Note: This article is taken from the Syracuse Peace Council website. As soon as we get more info from Syracuse, we will update this piece. Rochester Indymedia will be posting plenty of video re: the workshops, interviews, and the march and protest today in the coming weeks.)

More than 250 protesters challenge drones, war and empire at Hancock Field Air Base
31 protesters arrested for blocking base entrance and other civil resistance

The protest started in front of the Thompson Road entrance to the base. After speeches, music and poetry, the protesters marched down East Molloy Road in a dramatic funeral procession to the base's main entrance, where several were arrested for laying down and blocking the main entrance to the base. Others were arrested for various acts of civil resistance. Sunday's rally was part of the three-day weekend event Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire: A Convergence to Action. See the Post Standard photo collection.

On April 19^th, 2013, I interviewed Kathy Kelly—a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, which is a campaign to end United States military and economic warfare. The website is VCNC dot org. Kathy has lived in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen and one of the roles she will play at the convergence is to relay those experiences and give a human voice to the lived reality of people over seas who deal with drone surveillance and are murdered by drone attacks on a daily basis. Kathy, and many others, will be attending “Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire" convergence, April 26 - 28 in Syracuse, NY. (See the FaceBook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/540569232649914/?ref=22.)

One of the objectives of the false flag Boston Marathon bombing terror attack, was to create fear, confusion, anger, and hatred, in the subconscious minds of the masses, the millions of people who absorb and accept the "New Normal", whenever the people in power implement a tactic or agenda (Problem).

On April 11, 2013, Rochester Indymedia interviewed anti-war organizer, journalist, and blogger David Swanson who will be going to Syracuse, NY on April 26-28th for the “Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire" convergence. (See the FaceBook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/540569232649914/?ref=22.) David runs the website David Swanson dot org and writes, in a coalition effort, on War Is A Crime dot org. Currently, he works for Roots Action dot org and Veterans For Peace.

Submitted by T. Forsyth on Sat, 2013-04-13 08:48
Original article: http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/98758

Elliott Adams is a very reasonable and easy person to talk with . A Vietnam War Veteran and past-president of Veterans For Peace, Adams put his body on the line to defend this country against communists only to realize that communists and the Vietnamese were not his enemies, but rather that his own governement was the enemy. To that end, Adams has put his body on the line in the way of the military industrial complex being arrested numerous times for civil disobedience against the unconscionable and immoral actions of the United States government. And now they have drones.

  It is important to understand that drones are being used to commit war crimes... It will not be stopped unless we the people make it stop.

On April 10, 2013, Rochester Indymedia had the chance to interview veteran and peace activist Elliott Adams who will be going to Syracuse, NY on April 26-28th for the “Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire" convergence. Check it out!

For more about the upcoming, anti-drone "Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire" convergence in Syracuse, NY, please go to Upstate Drone Action dot org.

Direct Action, Occupy and the Power of Social Movements: An Interview With Noam Chomsky

Submitted by Shane Burley of Rochester Red and Black on Thu, 2013-04-18 19:37

Shane Burley of Rochester Red and Black interviewed Noam Chomsky for his upcoming housing documentary "Expect Resistance."
Original article can be found here:

Corporate-Approved State Bills Kick Low-Wage Workers While They’re Down

WS – You didn’t really think Obama would raise the minimum wage without  giving Big Businesses a few loopholes and more profits off the low wage workers sweat. Get ready for the big spin folks. 

President Obama called for a modest raise in the federal minimum wage to $9 in his State of the Union Address, and several Democratic legislators have upped his bid with a proposed increase to $10.10.

But an insidious effort to lower the wage floor is already underway much closer to the ground—in the state legislatures where right-wing lobbyists have been greasing the skids for years for an onslaught of anti-worker policies.

An extensive analysis recently published by labor advocacy organization the National Employment Law Project tracks more than 100 bills introduced in 31 states since January 2011 that “aim to repeal or weaken core wage standards at the state or local level.” Each bears the fingerprint of notorious super-lobbying organization the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which acts as a forum for “private sector leaders” to advise public officials. Most of the anti-worker bills were proposed by lawmakers directly linked to ALEC and include language that echoes that of “model legislation” developed by ALEC. Among the proposals are measures to undercut minimum wages for teenage workers, restrict overtime pay and repeal or ban local laws to improve working conditions.

A group within Anonymous known as FreiheitSec have recently been doing mass website defaces in support of #OpInnocence. #OpInnocence was initiated when Tyler Graham, 19 years old, of Weirton, West Virginia was arrested for raping and giving a STD to a 2 year old little girl, he was later released on a $50,000 bond. The accounts that are behind the defaces are known on Twitter as @FreiheitSecAnon & @Python_Inj3ct. As of this moment it looks as if at least a couple hundred websites have undergone defaces by this team.

The #OpInnocence rally is on Saturday 2 March 2013 at the Hancock County Courthouse in New Cumberland, West Virginia.

We will continue to keep on top of #OpInnocence as it unfolds.

Click to view Slide Shows

US sees ‘biggest-ever’ climate protest over Keystone XL pipeline
Tens of thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Washington, DC, on Sunday to protest the controversial Keystone XL project, which would see an oil pipeline run across the US Midwest.

­The march’s organizers, environmental movement 350.org, estimated that 40,000 people from 30 states took part in the ‘Forward on Climate’ rally, described as the biggest climate march in US history; police have not yet provided an official estimate.

Protesters chanted "Keystone pipeline? Shut it down," as they marched around the White House, calling on President Obama to reject the Keystone proposal and follow through on climate pledges made during his inaugural

•  Scott Crow “Solidarity Not Charity: A Story of the Common Ground Collective in New Orleans”
•  Jamie “Bork” Loughner On learning opportunities of the Common Ground Story
•  Jordan Flaherty “Community Organizing Against the Prison Industrial Complex: Lessons from New Orleans to the NYPD to the Jena Six”
• Moderator: Yasin Frank Southall

Followed by a "lively" Q&A

MORE perspectives behind the Images click & find

One year ago, I was living at Freedom Plaza in Washingon,DC. I was a part of Occupy Washington DC. In February of 2012, our encampment was forcibly shut down. I know many of the people I lived with in D.C. and met at OWS, Occupy Boston and many other 'Occupies' are still out there fighting for the rights of all people. We (SearchingforOccupy) are going from Maine to D.C. to St. Louis to Wichita to Denver to San Diego to find the people who continue to work for peace, justice, the environment and humanity. Please watch for us, and let us know what's happening where you live. We'd love to visit you.

Searching for Occupy hits the road Jan.13th with Occupy Boston!

Visit us on the web at http://www.searchingforoccupy.com/

Donate at :http://www.gofundme.com/Searching-for-Occupy

Contact us at : searchingforoccupy@gmail.com

Follow us on Twitter:https://twitter.com/S4Occ

Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/SearchingforOccupy

Activist throw a pizza party Christmas Carol Sing Along in Congressman Bill Young's office after he refuses to meet with constituents.

Buffalo Point First Nation, Manitoba, Canada.

Thursday, November 15, 2012.
(Repost & Dispatch from Margaret Gray, Manitoba)

Just north of Warroad, Minnesota, on the Canadian side of the border, there lies an Indian Reservation known as Buffalo Point. The sign that welcomes you reads "Buffalo Point International Resort" but one day myself and other band members hope that it will read "Buffalo Point First Nation."

Buffalo Point First Nation protesters
Ernest Cobiness and Elder Charles "Sam" Gibbons.

The sign itself foreshadows the priorities set by the past two non-aboriginal chiefs. A reserve that is picture-perfect and pristine as a tourist destination, but failing in representation of and responsibility to the Anishinaabe, the aboriginal people to whom the reserve belongs.

One year ago a small group of predominantly Anarchists sparked a horizontally organized movement to level the playing field in the game of Corporations -vs- The People of the United States.  Today we celebrated our success and contemplated our future.  We licked old wounds and created new ones.  We turned a critical eye to the process that has guided us and acknowledged it's short comings so that our second year of existence will be one of effectiveness even if it means dropping the verb.  To Occupy.