Oakland police preventing the reoccupation of a property in the process of foreclosure. 90% of Oakland’s foreclosures are concentrated in 3 largely black and brown zip codes, 94621, 94603, 94605.
Here are some fun little quotes if you don’t like clicking or reading things:
“Daniel Chong, a 24-year old student at UC San Diego, was taken into custody during a drug raid and abandoned in a holding cell for five days without food or water”
“drank his own urine in hopes of staying hydrated. After days without any human contact, he tried to kill himself by breaking his glasses with his teeth, and using the glass to cut himself.”
“Surprisingly, Chong allegedly found a bag of methamphetamine in the holding cell, which he used to stay awake.”
“The DEA has not apologized to Chong. He has not been charged with any crime.”
While Spain will consider any peaceful protest as a violent one, in Portugal two people can be considered enough to stage a protest. An activist protesting the lack of jobs in Portugal has recently been arrested by the police with charges of making an unauthorized protest. He was caught distributing pamphlets and now he apparently can be charged with not only making an unauthorized protest BUT being caught with a weapon, the weapon apparently being the pamphlet.
http://expresso.sapo.pt/para-a-psp-duas-pessoas-sao-uma-manifestacao=f722121
The Capitalist Fallacy
Mass famines are really not the kind of thing a capitalist should bring up as an attack on an economic system either, given the examples of Ireland and India.
“Communist societies had the two most major ones though.” - Capitalists
There’s also the infamous American Dustbowl, but capitalism never has to answer for its own famines. It’s kind of like how communists constantly get the excesses of Stalin and Mao thrown in their faces, while the horrors of poverty and wage labor and deliberate inequality are a thing capitalists are never asked to answer for.
Or, to be a bit more on the nose, here’s Mark Twain on the Terror:
Mark Twain wrote:
“There were two ‘Reigns of Terror’, if we could but remember and consider it; the one wrought murder in hot passions, the other in heartless cold blood; the one lasted mere months, the other had lasted a thousand years; the one inflicted death upon a thousand persons, the other upon a hundred million; but our shudders are all for the “horrors of the… momentary Terror, so to speak; whereas, what is the horror of swift death by the axe compared with lifelong death from hunger, cold, insult, cruelty and heartbreak? A city cemetery could contain the coffins filled by that brief terror that we have all been so diligently taught to shiver at and mourn over; but all France could hardly contain the coffins filled by that older and real Terror - that unspeakable bitter and awful Terror which none of us has been taught to see in its vastness or pity as it deserves.”
“We Are This Far From A Turnkey Totalitarian State” - Big Brother Goes Live September 2013
George Orwell was right. He was just 30 years early.
In its April cover story, Wired has an exclusive report on the NSA’s Utah Data Center, which is a must read for anyone who believes any privacy is still a possibility in the United States: “A project of immense secrecy, it is the final piece in a complex puzzle assembled over the past decade. Its purpose: to intercept, decipher, analyze, and store vast swaths of the world’s communications as they zap down from satellites and zip through the underground and undersea cables of international, foreign, and domestic networks…. Flowing through its servers and routers and stored in near-bottomless databases will be all forms of communication, including the complete contents of private emails, cell phone calls, and Google searches, as well as all sorts of personal data trails—parking receipts, travel itineraries, bookstore purchases, and other digital “pocket litter.”… The heavily fortified $2 billion center should be up and running in September 2013.” In other words, in just over 1 year, virtually anything one communicates through any traceable medium, or any record of one’s existence in the electronic medium, which these days is everything, will unofficially be property of the US government to deal with as it sees fit.
The codename of the project: Stellar Wind.
As Wired says, “there is no doubt that it has transformed itself into the largest, most covert, and potentially most intrusive intelligence agency ever created.”
![Homelessness in Sacramento
In Sacramento California, over 12,000 people suffer from homelessness. Many men, women, and children live with the grim reality of no access to clean water, restrooms, and food. A more horrifying statistic states that more then 7,500 children are homeless or displaced with living accommodations in Sacramento CA. Only 2,000 of these children make it into a shelter every night.
This abhorrent tragedy in Sacramento has made national headlines numerous times. In 2009 Lisa Ling from Oprah visited Sacramento, stating, “My fear is that we’re going to see more than 7,000 children homeless in Sacramento schools. Two months later, the Tent City was hosed out, and the homeless community was sprawled throughout the city of Sacramento. More recently, on December 28th 2011, Sacramento Police Department destroyed “Tent City 2″, trash compacting over 100 days worth of living supplies. Police claim that the site was unsanitary, but after a 24 hour investigation into the eviction, we witnessed a clean camp be flipped inside out by the Police right before the news vans arrived. We learned that the police lied about the retrieval of their goods (trash compacted them), did not provide motel vouchers they assure would be distributed, and were quick to run individuals name if they were being a nuisance to remove them from the scene. You can learn more about that from the Police Plan left at the scene. No motel vouchers were provided, no social workers arrived, no bags were taken as evidence, everything was compacted in the trash. A complete contradiction to what the Police “Plan” intended.
The story continued when UN Special Rapporteur Catarina de Albuquerque wrote a letter to the City of Sacramento that stated: “The United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, must ensure that everyone [has access] to sanitation which is safe, hygienic, and secure […] and which provides privacy and ensures dignity…”, “The UN has delivered a powerful message: the U.S. doesn’t get a free pass on its human rights violations. Sacramento must take immediate steps to address the needs of its homeless population,” said Eric Tars, our human rights program director. “Access to water and sanitary facilities is one of the most fundamental of human rights – essential to everyone’s health, dignity, and continued life.”
The dramatic rise of camping citations, and regularly televised evictions have become only a societal norm in Sacramento. Apparently the City can pay $260,000 to plant 25 trees. The original 200 trees were cut down without authorization to clear out a Tent City, resulting in an embarrassing waste of public funds. In addition to that, over $200,000 invested into arena plans that ended last week was officially wasted after the Maloofs declined continuing to work with Mayor Kevin Johnson.
What can we do to change all of this? It’s as easy as caring.
In response to the unfolding of this tragedy in Sacramento, a group of us will be taking the streets this weekend. 24/7 searching for food, water, bathrooms, and shelter; with naught on our backs besides a sleeping bag and a tent.
SCHEDULE:
Davis CA
5:00PM Tune into 90.3 KDVS Speaking in Tongues
Sacramento CA
6:30: Live – 24/7 Homelessness Awareness feed.
10:00PM – Finding restrooms, water, and a place to sleep.
8:00AM – Loaves and Fishes (Food Kitchen Meal Time)
9:00AM Jim Gibson Interview, lost business to recession.
10:00PM John Krantz – Memeber of safegrounds.org Speaking on the plight of homelessness.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2ui14TncO1r2am86o1_500.png)
Homelessness in Sacramento
In Sacramento California, over 12,000 people suffer from homelessness. Many men, women, and children live with the grim reality of no access to clean water, restrooms, and food. A more horrifying statistic states that more then 7,500 children are homeless or displaced with living accommodations in Sacramento CA. Only 2,000 of these children make it into a shelter every night.
This abhorrent tragedy in Sacramento has made national headlines numerous times. In 2009 Lisa Ling from Oprah visited Sacramento, stating, “My fear is that we’re going to see more than 7,000 children homeless in Sacramento schools. Two months later, the Tent City was hosed out, and the homeless community was sprawled throughout the city of Sacramento. More recently, on December 28th 2011, Sacramento Police Department destroyed “Tent City 2″, trash compacting over 100 days worth of living supplies. Police claim that the site was unsanitary, but after a 24 hour investigation into the eviction, we witnessed a clean camp be flipped inside out by the Police right before the news vans arrived. We learned that the police lied about the retrieval of their goods (trash compacted them), did not provide motel vouchers they assure would be distributed, and were quick to run individuals name if they were being a nuisance to remove them from the scene. You can learn more about that from the Police Plan left at the scene. No motel vouchers were provided, no social workers arrived, no bags were taken as evidence, everything was compacted in the trash. A complete contradiction to what the Police “Plan” intended.
The story continued when UN Special Rapporteur Catarina de Albuquerque wrote a letter to the City of Sacramento that stated: “The United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, must ensure that everyone [has access] to sanitation which is safe, hygienic, and secure […] and which provides privacy and ensures dignity…”, “The UN has delivered a powerful message: the U.S. doesn’t get a free pass on its human rights violations. Sacramento must take immediate steps to address the needs of its homeless population,” said Eric Tars, our human rights program director. “Access to water and sanitary facilities is one of the most fundamental of human rights – essential to everyone’s health, dignity, and continued life.”
The dramatic rise of camping citations, and regularly televised evictions have become only a societal norm in Sacramento. Apparently the City can pay $260,000 to plant 25 trees. The original 200 trees were cut down without authorization to clear out a Tent City, resulting in an embarrassing waste of public funds. In addition to that, over $200,000 invested into arena plans that ended last week was officially wasted after the Maloofs declined continuing to work with Mayor Kevin Johnson.
What can we do to change all of this? It’s as easy as caring.
In response to the unfolding of this tragedy in Sacramento, a group of us will be taking the streets this weekend. 24/7 searching for food, water, bathrooms, and shelter; with naught on our backs besides a sleeping bag and a tent.
SCHEDULE:
Davis CA
5:00PM Tune into 90.3 KDVS Speaking in Tongues
Sacramento CA
6:30: Live – 24/7 Homelessness Awareness feed.
10:00PM – Finding restrooms, water, and a place to sleep.
8:00AM – Loaves and Fishes (Food Kitchen Meal Time)
9:00AM Jim Gibson Interview, lost business to recession.
10:00PM John Krantz – Memeber of safegrounds.org Speaking on the plight of homelessness.
In 1918, Eugene V. Debs visited three socialists in jail for dodging the World War I draft. Afterward, he walked across the street to give an impromptu speech that enraptured onlookers for hours. Because of this speech, Debs was eventually found guilty of violating the Espionage Act, a deeply un-American set of laws that are still in effect (in fact, the Obama administration is using the laws against Bradley Manning, who leaked secrets to WikiLeaks). These laws are designed to crush criticism of the state.
The irony of Debs’ time may be the irony of ours: “They tell us we live in this great free republic; that our institutions are democratic; that we are a free and self-governing people,” Debs said to his audience. “That is too much, even for a joke.”
Police, groups clash at Nevruz celebrations
Groups clashed with police today in Istanbul and the southeastern city of Diyarbakir during Nevruz celebrations.
Turkish authorities had rejected a Kurdish demand to mark Nevruz earlier on Sunday instead of Tuesday, the actual day for Nevruz, so it would come on a weekend and would allow larger crowds to gather.
Police fired tear gas and used water cannons during clashes with the unauthorized groups in Diyarbakır, an AFP correspondent said.
But the crowd of more than 5,000 pressed on despite the police action and assembled at the city center.
Many wore clothes sporting the colors of the outlawed The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — green, red and yellow.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.
In Istanbul, groups stoned the policemen when they were prevented to gather at a specific venue, who had set up barricades, Anatolia news agency reported.
Police here too used water cannons and tear gas, Anatolia said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ni4_RhbJNY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZQsrqoz7ao
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fKxtoxQtZo
Karayılan: A new period has begun
A new process has begun, it is a process of freedom, says KCK leader
In a statement to ANF, Murat Karayılan, head of Kurdish Communities Union’s Executive Council, has evaluated this year’s Newroz celebrations where hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets. Karayılan remarked that a new process has begun last February and added; “I evaluate this new process as the process of freedom. We refuse the system of the Turkish state and we should also stop joining the army, speaking Turkish and paying tax. If the system doesn’t recognize us, we won’t recognize it either.”
The freedom struggle of the Kurdish people is intended to be prevented, underlined Karayılan and pointed out to the suppressions of the fascist system which –he said- has also put a ban on Newroz celebrations this year with an aim to prevent the riot of the Kurdish people. The isolation imposed on Leader Öcalan, the sexual abuse that Kurdish children are subject to in prison, the arrest of around seven thousand politicians and slaughters against the Kurdish people are all the results of the suppression of the system, noted Karayılan.
According to Karayılan, “The participation in this year’s Newroz celebrations is a significant attitude and resistance of the Kurdish people who have broken the police barricade in Amed and Istanbul. People have displayed a great will despite all obstacles put before them and fascist attacks they were subject to. Despite all the calls we made before the Newroz, celebrations witnessed a state terror and violence.
However, we cannot ermain silent in the face of the cruelty and colonialist attacks.”
Karayılan indicated the discrimination of the Turkish media against hundreds of thousands who joined celebrations and added that the same attitude is also displayed by Turkish judiciary as well as state authorities and politicians. Remarking that the news of the Turkish media mainly consisted of scenarios made up by media directors and members, Karayılan added that the Turkish media exhibited a hypocrite approach towards the Kurdish people and the actions they perform.
“They don’t see the developments, truths and slaughtered Kurds in Kurdistan. I condemn this approach which doesn’t see Kurds as people. They don’t accept that the PKK is the people themselves”, said Karayılan referring to the members of the Turkish media.
KCK Executive Council President Karayılan continued as follows; “Erdoğan applies cruelty on the people in Kurdistan under the name of advanced democracy. Numerous politicians, human rights defenders, union members, lawyers and artists have been put in prison while young people have been abused in prison and slaughtered in the village of Roboski.
They intend to blacken the future of the Kurdish people. however, we will not accept these unlawful practices any more. The rebel of the Kurdish people which has begun in this year’s Newroz in Amed will be enhanced with our honor and dignity. The historical 2012 Newroz will be the beginning of the rising and freedom struggle by our people. ” The Newroz tradition, which was started by Mazlum Doğan in Amed prison 30 years ago, will be kept alive with the same spirit from now on as well. Newroz is the day of rebellion, freedom and unity. Our people shall raise their voice against the AKP fascism and exploitation, underlined Karayılan.
Eli had his own business doing building remodeling and was an associate minister at a church for over 20 years. Because of the economy he lost everything, and when he shares about losing his books and jazz records I can feel his pain. I hope you can, too!
“When we had jobs we were important. When we had homes we were important. When we had cars we were important. When we had bank accounts we were important” ~ Eli
Trust me, Eli’s interview is very powerful. Please watch it in it’s entirety. Near the end, when Eli talks about rest being his 3rd wish, and that police keep threatening the campers with arrests, know that Eli stood up for what he believes and went to jail today.
Eli ends the interview with an emotional remembrance of the American Dream and what it would be like if he had a home.
RIOTING broke out in Barcelona on Wednesday, Feb 29 after cops attacked people protesting against neoliberal cuts to public education.
Angry rebels barricaded streets, burnt cars and smashed up a bank as the Catalan city showed its revolutionary spirit is still alive.
Tooled-up cops attacked crowds with batons and rubber bullets. The Guardian quoted one student as saying: “We did not expect this degree of repression. Nobody broke anything until they charged.”
There were also protests outside a TV station as the authorities tried to exonerate the police and blame the activists for the violence which left a dozen people injured.
Thousands more took to the streets across the Spanish state, including in Valencia where students were last week similarly attacked by violent police.
1 of 8 clips of documentary video about the Move Organization entitled “MOVE: Confrontation in Philadelphia.” Brief history and onsite footage outside the MOVE headquaters in Powelton Village.
Middle school girls hoops player benched for a game for saying ‘I love you’ in native language
As reported by the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Associated Press and Green Bay NBC affiliate WGBA, among other sources, Sacred Heart seventh-grader Miranda Washinawatok was disciplined in class in front of her peers and then held out of a January basketball game because she had the temerity to tell two of her classmates “I love you” in the language native to the Menominee tribe, of which the Washinawatoks are a part.
When Washinawatok used the phrase in a class to two of her friends who she had taught it to, one of her teachers — Julie Gurta — reportedly threw her hands down on her table angrily and said that Washinawatok would not be allowed to speak in the Menominee language because doing so would keep the teacher from knowing what she was saying.
“She sort of threw her hands down on her desk and said don’t be talking like that,” Washinawatok told WGBA of her teacher’s reaction to the Menominee language. “How would you like it if I started talking Polish?”
The point, of course, is that Washinawatok wouldn’t stop her teacher from speaking in Polish if it didn’t distract from class. Similarly, Washinawatok’s mother, Tanaes Washinawatok, is lobbying for Gurta to be fired after a letter that allegedly served as an apology from Gurta instead read more as an accusation of Miranda Washinawatok’s guilt.
“Unfortunately, the actions of your daughter were not brought to your attention as quickly as they should have been, and for this I apologize,” Gurta wrote, according to the Press-Gazette.
Meanwhile, assistant girls basketball coach Billie Jo DuQuaine, principal Dan Minter and the Green Bay diocese’s director of education, Joseph Bound, all also offered up apologies to the Washinawatoks, all of which seem to have been well received, with the exception of Gurta’s letter. The Green Bay diocese also issued a more broad apology to the entire Menominee nation on Tuesday.
