Ecuadorian police detained five journalists associated with Ecuador Indymedia late Tuesday night, May 6th. Four of the five were released from custody on Wednesday afternoon. The government says that the four activists were detained because of their relationship with the fifth detainee, Ecuadorian resident and Colombian national Antonio Alcívar.
The government at first refused to issue a statement on the matter or inform the detainees of the reason for their arrests. The Regional Foundation for Assistance in Human Rights (INREDH) noted that this was a violation of the detainees' constitutional right to be clearly informed of the reason for their detention along with the identities of those who ordered and carried out the arrests.
Since 2001, Euro May Day Parades on the 1st of May have spread all around Europe.
The May Day Parade is a transnational march which expresses the common will to fight the precarity of work and the criminalization of migrants, to make the daily struggles of the precarious visible. Every year hundred thousands of people protest against the precarity of work and life in a context where worktime can be expanded with no limits, and where migrant workers are the most precarious of all workers. This year, the EuroMayDay network called for a joined parade in Aachen, where, on the same day, French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel received the Charlemagne prize. Referring to Charlemagne as the founder of Western culture, it honours people for their contribution to European unificaton. In Hamburg, one thousand nazis tried to recuperate the MayDay, ten thousands antifa met there and cancelled the nazi demo in the most violent riots in Hamburg since 80's. In Milano, there was 100.000 people in the euromayday parade [ video ].
In US, tens of thousands marched and held demonstrations on Thursday 1st of may, calling for an end to war and dignity for immigrants and workers. Dockworkers on the west coast defied their union bosses and staged a one day strike against the war, effectively shutting down all port activity [ pics ]. High school and university students staged walkouts in Venice and San Francisco. Protesters also called out unjust military recruiting and defended public housing.
In New-Zealand, near Blenheim, ploughshares penetrate Waihopai base and deflate satellite dome.
MayDay Parades and Immigrant marches were held all around the world:
Boletín del Centro de Apoyo Comunitario Trabajando Unidos “CACTUS”
Municipio Autonomo de San Juan Copala, Oaxaca--Rumbo a la comunidad de Llano Juárez en la zona Triqui fueron emboscadas y asesinadas dos locutoras de la Radio Comunitaria del Municipio Autónomo de San Juan Copala; “La voz que rompe el silencio”. En el ataque fueron heridas otras cuatro personas, entre ellas dos menores de edad.
Activists across Europe and beyond have dubbed Friday 11th and Saturday 12th April 2008 as days of action for squats and autonomous spaces. Following a meeting in the autonomous space 'Les Tanneries' in Dijon last year, there was a call out for two days of decentralised actions in defence of free spaces and for an anti-capitalist popular culture.
The aim of the days of action is to develop interconnections and solidarity between squats and autonomous spaces and help create more visibility for them as a european/global political movement. Public actions are planned in the Austria, Belarusia, Czech Republic, Danmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden and other places.
At approximately 12:30pm on 2nd April hundreds of Romanian police violently raided a convergence center in Bucharest, the country's capital. The convergence space was set up to facilitate an anti-NATO gathering and was legally rented. It is reported that during the raid at least two protesters were hospitalized. Various reports state people are badly beaten while in custody and even while taken to hospital. Numerous people are reported to be seriously injured and some have been refused medical assistance while in custody.
It is estimated that 46 people have been arrested. No demonstration or action had happened before the raid and all the arrests were made inside the convergence center. Police officers were masked and reportedly very aggressive towards journalists trying to access the scene. The convergence center is located near the center of Bucharest, which is hosting a NATO summit that just got underway today. It is estimated that up to 27,000 police officers, military, snipers and secret police are 'guarding' the city. The security alert code yellow has been announced, meaning that all demonstrations are forbidden in the whole city amongst other restrictive laws.
Em Brasília, a Administração local quer construir um bairro de luxo denominado "Noroeste", no lugar onde vivem indígenas de várias Etnias: Fulni-ô/Thapuwia, Tuxá, Cariri-Xocó, que há mais de 30 anos reocuparam o local (que no processo de invasão lusa lhes foi roubado) . O Santuário dos Pagés é a última área da vegetação nativa do Cerrado na capital do País. É um santuário ambiental de grande valor para a recarga da bacia hidrográfica, sendo ao mesmo tempo a pousada para indígenas em trânsito no Distrito Federal além d@s indígenas que lá vivem, que nestas paisagens se reconectam com a sabedoria ancestral e suas práticas espirituais e culturais.
Rising Tide called for a day of action against the fossil fuel industry on April 1st. People responded by targetting various aspects of the fossil fuel industry. In the UK, offices were targetted, banners dropped and protests held. In Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, protesters halted work at one of the biggest open-cast coal mines in Europe, with the intention to remain on the site for several days. Read reports: [1][2]. Activists also blockaded the UK's largest off shore gas terminal at Bacton in Norfolk and prevented construction workers from entering the site. Read reports: [1][2]. On 3rd April activists succesfully blockaded Aberthaw power station in Wales, causing huge traffic tailbacks. Read reports: [1][2]. In Scotland the tyres of 4x4's were deflated and foolish action took place in Edinburgh and Glasgow. In Nottingham, an office of energy giant E.ON was successfully blockaded. Two people were arrested and their homes raided and searched by police. Read report + audio. Read full reports:UK Indymedia, Notts Indymedia and Scotland Indymedia.
In the US, activists stopped bulldozers at the contruction site of Cliffside coal-fired power plant, Charlotte, North Carolina. Shortly after locking themselves to construction equipment, police arrived on the scene and used pain compliance holds and tazers to force them to unlock themselves. Read report. In Boston, Massachusetts, four activists locked themselves to the front entrance of a Bank of America branch and were arrested. They were protesting the bank's funding of coal and energy companies. Read report. Two people were arrested in New York City after locking themselves to the front door of Citibank's headquarters, protesting at the companies' "socially irresponsible investment strategy, which includes funding environmentally damaging industries". See report and photos. Other protests were reported in Houston, Denver, Berkeley, Portland, Maine and Worcester. Read full reports:US Indymedia.
In Aotearoa (New Zealand), 3 people were arrested at a Fossil Fools Day protest in Otautahi/Christchurch. One report speak of "blatant police harassment, prosecution of activists, with no possible justification for arrests and brutality." A group of climate change activists also presented Air New Zealand with New Zealand's first ever 'Fossil Fool' award. The company was chosen for the award because of their recent eco-branding program which "attempts to give their customers the impression that damage to the climate due to air travel can can be offset". Read report. Read full reports:Aotearoa Indymedia.
Early morning, Sunday 30 March 2008, the day after protests against the US anti-missile missiles (en)(pl) to be placed in Słupsk, Poland, about 23-25 activists were detained (pl)(en) in Słupsk, mainly from Toruń but also from Szczecin and Poznań. It appears that the police raided a private home while people were sleeping and that the human rights activists were brutally treated and beaten. Police used tear gas and one person has a broken hand. Please telephone to the police station in Słupsk at 3 maja Street +48 59 848 0545 and to the police command +48 59 848 0100. The police allege that the intervention was due to disturbance of the peace at night. There are also charges of assaulting a police officer.
Environs 1000 personnes originaires de 17 pays européens ont pris ce matin la direction du quartier-général de l'OTAN à Evere pour participer à l'action internationale non violente NATO GAME OVER. Cinq ans après le début de la guerre en Irak et dix jours avant un important sommet de l'OTAN, des activistes pour la paix de toute l'Europe transmettent un message clair : empêcher les guerres, ça commence ici, en Europe.
On the 5th anniversary of the Iraq invasion, anti-war protesters across the United States stepped up actions of civil disobedience to make their voices heard. From Washington, DC to San Francisco to Boston, hundreds of people were arrested while blockading streets; targeting federal buildings, corporate headquarters and military recruitment stations; and participating in walkouts. Thousands more participated in vigils and support demonstrations. See Below for Roundup of Actions.
These actions followed what is probably most significant and underreported anti-war action in the last 5-years — the Iraq Veterans Against the War's "Winter Soldier" hearings. For four days in Washington, DC, former US military who were in Iraq and Afghanistan testified about US war crimes in the two wars and dramatically condemned the Bush administration and Pentagon for starting the wars. "Winter Soldier" hearings were first held in 1971 in DC by the Vietnam Veterans Against The War and were pivotal in bringing the Vietnam War to an end. This year's hearings were broadcast live on the internet and they were seen by the public at many locations organized by anti-war activists in multiple states; however, the IVAW Winter Soldier was largely ignored by most corporate media. Coverage fromWashington DC | NYC | Boston | Rustbelt Radio | Indybay | Baltimore
Le 6 mars dernier des centaines de milliers de personnes se sont mobilisées dans 24 localités du pays lors de la journée de solidarité organisée par le Mouvement de victimes de crimes d’état, MOVICE. Cette même journée des actes de solidarité ont eu lieu dans 74 villes à travers le monde. A partir du moment ou l’annonce de l’évènement a été rendu public, la dénonciation et les signalements, provenant principalement des hautes sphères gouvernementales et d’autres secteurs d’extrême droite, ont généré un climat de polarisation dont les conséquences ne se sont pas fait attendre. Depuis le 10 février le conseiller présidentiel José Obdulio Gaviria a signalé à travers divers médias que la marche était « convoquée par les Farc ». Le 12 février des pamphlets menaçant les organisateurs de la marche ont été diffusés par courrier électronique. Par la suite s’est déchaîné une vague d’exécutions. Parmi les victimes on retrouve les syndicalistes Leonidas Gómez, représentant des travailleurs de la Citibank, Carlos Burbano, travailleur dans le secteur de la santé, les enseignants Carmen Cecilia Carvajal et Gildardo Gómez, tout comme trois leaders de mouvements sociaux. Le 29 février des coups de feu ont été tirés en direction de la demeure de Luz Adriana González, secrétaire générale du Comité Permanent pour la défense de droits de la personne (CPDH) du département de Risaralda. Cette organisation fait partie du MOVICE et Luz Adriana participait a promouvoir la marche du 6 mars. Le 7 mars, Rafael Boada, président de la UNEB de Bucaramanga, a été victime d’un attentat duquel il est heureusement sorti indemne. Iván Cepeda, du MOVICE, a recu plusieurs menaces par courrier électronique. Parmi 27 autres dirigeants ou activistes menacés on retrouve Antonio Pedrozo, membre de l’organisation Tejiendo Esperanza (Tisserands d’espoir) et coordinateur de la Marche nationale des déplacés; Mauricio Cubides et Guillermo Castaño, dirigeants de Fensuagro; Luz Helena Ramírez, membre du Comité de mise en marche de MOVICE et Marina Gallego de la Ruta Pacífica de las Mujeres(Route pacifique des femmes). Le 11 mars des menaces de mort signées par le groupe paramilitaire Aguilas Negras ont été envoyées par courrier électronique à plusieurs organisations sociales et des droits de la personne. Ces menaces étaient dirigées entre autres aux organisations suivantes Minga, Fundip, Asopron, Andas, Asdego, Asomujer, Fenacoa, Codhes, CUT, ONIC, la Commission colombienne de Juristes, Route Pacifique des femmes, l’Assemblée permanente de la société civile pour la paix, Asomujer, Reiniciar et à d’autres organisateurs ou participants à la marche. Le 15 mars les menaces ont aussi été dirigées à Indymedia. Ces évènements, en plus de démontrer que le para militarisme est encore actif, tentent d’éviter que la cause des victimes de crimes d’état continue de recevoir un appui aussi massif et finisse par dévoiler la vérité et obtenir justice et réparation. Il est l’heure d’arrêter les menaces et de mettre un terme aux assassinats dont sont victimes les organisateurs de la marche du 6 mars.
“[P]eople in Haiti tell us that all of this stuff has an impact. The more people are doing in other counties, even small events like this one, have an impact because the word is starting to get out to people. So any small thing that you can do really helps.” – Margaret Prescod of "Sojourner Truth" Radio
On Saturday, March 1st, as part of the International Day of Action in Solidarity with the People of Haiti, the www.globalwomenstrike.net hosted a showing of the films Haiti: Harvest of Hope (see the trailer here) and What’s Going on in Haiti? at the Eastside Café in Los Angeles. Margaret Prescod of Pacifica Radio and Women of Color in the Global Women’s Strike, moderated the event. "The Reports that I’ve gotten are is that things are going very well, there were events in about 36 cities around the world,” she said. “There were four major events in Haiti yesterday, including in Port au Prince, that were quite large, including a contingent of people who were also demanding the safe return of Lovinsky Pierre-Antione, one of our comrades who’s been missing in Haiti” (see: http://la.indymedia.org/news/2007/11/210199.php). Full Report & PicturesHaiti Event Marks Four Years Since the Coup Against Aristide by Weak from Fasting | | | Video:MARINES OUT! Solidarity with the Haitian People! by Bill Carpenter | | | List of Participating Cities