ROCIndymedia's blog
Disabled Man Assaulted by Rochester, NY Police Department Officers While Waiting for Bus
Submitted by T. Forsyth, video: Shakur Muhammed on YouTube.com
original article: http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/98871
On May 1st, 2013, Benny Warr was waiting for the bus in his wheelchair at the intersection of Bartlett St. and Jefferson Ave., near his home. As he was waiting for the bus, a Rochester police cruiser rolled up to the intersection. The officers exited the car and according to Warr, asked him what he was doing.
Ending the Fabrication of the War on Terror: Lessons from Africa--a workshop by Horace Campbell
On April 27, 2013, Horace Campbell presented a workshop titled "Ending the Fabrication of the War on Terror: Lessons from Africa" at the Resisting
Drones, Global War and Empire convergence in Syracuse, NY.
Part 1 is Horace's opening remarks.
Watch Now!
Civil Resistance, What is it? and why do we do it?--a workshop
Part 1 is of John and Ellen presenting on the topic.
Watch!
This is part 2 of the workshop. Part two is the discussion portion of the workshop and it is an audio file.
Listen here: http://www.radio4all.net/files/anonymous@radio4all.net/16-1-civ_res_audio_discussion_part_2.mp3
31 protesters arrested for blocking drone base
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.
Bruce Gagnon: Stop the Militarization and Nuclearization of Space!
Submitted by T. Forsyth
On April 22, 2013, I interviewed Bruce Gagnon, the coordinator of the organization Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He 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.)
In this interview, Bruce talks about a component of drone warfare that
happens hundreds of miles above the Earth and all over the globe without much fanfare--namely the satellites and down link stations that give remote pilots real time control over drones. He calls this satellite technology "the trigger." Bruce also talked about the dangers of a nuclear space, capitalism's march toward "opening new markets" in space, the United States Space Command's vision for the future called "Visions for 2020" (a real work of dystopian, global hegemony), among other topics.
Drones are apart of US space warfare, essentially. I call the satellites the triggers on the drones because without the satellites, you essentially aren't able to shoot them; you're not able to really fly them; you're not able to see the pictures back at Creech [Air Force Base] and other places around the country where they are flying these drones from. The satellites are crucial links in the whole program.
Sarah AK Ahmed, an Iraqi, grew up through Decades of War
On April 19th, 2013, I interviewed Sarah A.K. Ahmed who grew up in Iraq and lived through the Gulf War in the early 1990's as well as the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003. While in Iraq, she worked on a number of small projects as well as with a volunteer group, Youth and Educational Development Council. She got a full scholarship to study at the University of Rochester but had to return to Iraq because of family issues. She returned recently to the United States to speak at the United Nation's Commission on the Status of Women and to participate in the upcoming convergence “Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire” happening in Syracuse, NY from April 26th to 28th. Currently, when she is in the US, she calls New York her home. (See the FaceBook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/540569232649914/?ref=22.)
In this interview, Sarah and I spoke about her role in the upcoming Syracuse convergence where she will be speaking on a panel called “The Human Face of War,” her perspective on jobs and the economy in Iraq, the lack of civic awareness about what the US military is doing abroad, and paper air planes, among other topics.
People from China are coming to work in factories and for oil companies and this is sad because Iraqi people cannot work. Why are the companies bringing these people to work from outside the country? It is because they will work for lower wages than Iraqi people would accept. The percent of unemployment is sky high.
An interview with Kathy Kelly from Voices for Creative Nonviolence
On April 19th, 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.)
On Guard! Your Government Isn't Trustworthy! An interview with Col. (ret.) Ann Wright
On April 19, 2013, Rochester Indymedia interviewed Col. (ret.) Ann Wright, a former US Army colonel and diplomat who resigned over the invasion of Iraq. She has since become an advocate for peace and an anti-war speaker and organizer. She 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.)
In this interview, Ann talks about her decision to leave the government, blowback from families of people murdered by drones, the abolition of the war machine, and drone programs in other countries, among other topics. Her prefered sites of information on drones are Know Drones dot com, a Code Pink effort called Drones Watch dot org, and of course, Upstate Drone Action dot org.
It is problematic when the US leads the way in illegal use of weapon systems (drones). You can be assured that other countries will follow suit very quickly.
Watch Now!
Blog #19: Targeted Killing
Monday, February 25, 2013
original article can be found at: http://jalilmuntaqim-behindthewalls.blogspot.com/2013/02/blog-19-targeted-killing.html
We Can Make Change - Debra Sweet Interviewed
On April 18, 2013, Rochester Indymedia interviewed Debra Sweet, an anti-war organizer and director of The World Can't Wait. She 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.)
In this interview, Debra talks about her entry into the peace movement, the problems with drones and the PTSD that pilots experience, the detainees in Guantanamo, who are on a hunger strike, and Bradley Manning, among other topics.
Stopping the Billionaires, the Bombers, and the War Machine--an interview with David Swanson
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.
In this interview, David talks about his entry into the peace movement, the abolition of war, the sequester, and North Korea, among other topics.
Accidental Racism is still Racism
Accidental Racism, Pop Culture, and White Supremacy:
Alykhan critiques the new country-pop record that’s just been released by Brad Paisley, featuring LL Cool J.
Accidental Racism is still Racism by Alykhan Alani (@DJALYKHAN)
(link to original article: bit.ly/16NGEi8 )
Everyone Must Resist! An interview with Elliott Adams
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
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:
As a commentator, educator, public intellectual, and one of the best known anarchist voices in the U.S., Noam Chomsky has become a defining perspective as social movements develop. His analysis of the shift in global capitalism, and our own role in its flux, has seen a recharge of importance as we entered the “new normal” of the post-2008 economy. Like was done with workplace struggles at the birth of the union movement, we are attempting to locate housing struggles out of the abstract legislative sphere and back into the neighborhoods. With the foreclosure crisis and the Occupy Movement that followed, a housing movement that saw occupation and defense as central began to be birthed against all conventional wisdom.
I sat down with Noam Chomsky to discuss the growing Take Back the Land and housing justice movements, the nature of the foreclosure crisis, the Occupy Movement, and what radical politics will look like in this new period of social movements.
Nick Mottern Discusses Drone Warfare and His Consciousness Raising Efforts
On April 4th, Rochester Indymedia had the chance to speak with Nick Mottern--a Vietnam War veteran turned anti-war activist. He runs the website KnowDrones.com and he has traveled nation-wide showcasing his model drone exhibit in order to raise consciousness about the negative moral implications of drones. In addition to his current antiwar activities, he teaches workshops on how to build model drones and will be giving a workshop at the convergence being held in Syracuse, NY—Resisting Drones, Global War, and Empire—from April 26th to 28th.
Snake March, Sept 3, DNC 2012
On September 3, 2012, about 35 protesters marched in the streets of Charlotte causing a huge police response of hundreds of officers. No one was arrested and demonstrators were eventually funneled back to Marshall Park from whence they came.
The March on Wall Street South
It happened! September 2nd, 2012, Charlotte, NC at the Democratic National Convention. The march showcased many organizations working for progressive and radical change in North Carolina and the country.
- 408 reads
Presidential Candidate Vermin Supreme @ the 2012 DNC!
Vermin Supreme gives a status update on his presidential campaign in the streets of Charlotte during the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
- 447 reads
Interview with Carly Campbell on the Southern Workers Assembly at the DNC 2012
On September 3rd, 2012, a southern workers assembly was held at the Wedgewood Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC during the Democratic National Convention. Workers discussed various topics throughout the day including Right-To-Work (for less) & Taft-Hartley laws, low wages, denial of collective bargaining, and workers' human rights connected with the historical demands against the South's legacy of Jim Crow laws, anti-immigrant scapegoating and racism. Carly Campbell was at the assembly and Rochester Indymedia asked her what was going on...
- 328 reads
Holding Duke Energy Accountable: A Rally at the 2012 DNC!
Rochester Indymedia interviewed Maura Cowley about Duke Energy, the DNC, and ALEC.
- 367 reads
