Angry White Kid

Nakba Day Protest at Ofer Prison

On May 15, 2012, around 1,000 demonstrators gathered outside Israel's Ofer military prison near Ramallah, Occupied Palestine, to mark the 64th anniversary of the Nakba, the ethnic cleansing of more than 750,000 Palestinians during the establishment of the state of Israel. At least 63 protesters were injured as Israeli forces deployed tear gas, plastic-coated steel bullets, "Exact Impact" rounds, skunk water and concussion grenades.

The Murder of Bety and Jyri: We Demand Justice

My translation of a letter from Omar Esparza, the husband of Bety Cariño, assassinated by paramilitaries in an ambush on the way to the Autonomous Municipality of San Juan Copala, Oaxaca, two years ago today. For more background on San Juan Copala and the continued impunity that reigns in Mexico, see my post from the same time year.

The Murder of Bety and Jyri: We Demand Justice
April 27, 2012, Two Years Since the Murder of Bety and Jyri
By Omar Esparza
[Spanish original]
Translated by Scott Campbell

To Felipe Calderón Hinojosa,
President of Mexico

To Gabino Cué Monteagudo
Governor of Oaxaca

To public opinion

Two years could be called easy for those who have not lost a loved one in a violent way; for those who decide the changes that the masses will face, arguing that they do so for the well-being of the country; for those who claim to represent Mexico and who impose, with arrogance, social control strategies in order to generate fear and, with them, militarize the country and strengthen their policies in order to criminalize society until reaching the point of establishing a terrorist state that persecutes, assassinates, jails and disappears those of us who are not in agreement with them.

This war is a smokescreen that hides what is really happening: the displacement from our territories, the looting of our natural resources, the loss of our sovereignty, the dismantling of all resistance, the rupturing of the social fabric and the dismantling of all the forms of organization that the original peoples have maintained for millennia. All of this seeks to turn our free will into obedience, which has created a deep wound in our country, in our peoples, and has left thousands of orphaned children, widowed women, mothers without children or husbands, women disappeared and violated, all victims of a violence which doesn’t stop and continually repeats itself in this country.

Qalandia: Land Day | Global March to Jerusalem - March 30, 2012

More than 1,000 Palestinians gathered at Qalandia checkpoint in occupied Palestine on March 30, 2012, to take part in a demonstration commemorating the 36th anniversary of Land Day and the Global March to Jerusalem. 

Israeli forces repressed the demonstration with tear gas, plastic-coated steel bullets, skunk water cannons, a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), and concussion grenades. More than 150 demonstrators were wounded.

Blocked from the spring in Nabi Saleh & Children demand freedom for Hana Shalabi!

Two new videos from Palestine: 

During the weekly Friday demonstration against land confiscation, settlements and Israel's occupation in the Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh, a group of women tried to reach the village's spring - seized by the illegal Israeli settlement of Halamish two years ago. While Israeli settlers freely visited the spring, the Israeli army and Border Police repeatedly blocked the inhabitants of Nabi Saleh and their supporters from reaching the spring, using force and threats of arrest.

On March 22, a small demonstration was held in front of the Palestinian Authority's headquarters (al Muqata'a) to demand the release of the hunger-striking political detainee held by Israel, Hana Shalabi, and to protest the failure of the PA to act on her behalf.

In their limited English (and my non-existent Arabic) the children at the protest shared their demands for the freedom of Hana Shalabi, previous hunger-striker Khader Adnan, and for a free Palestine.

Four times shot at - Nabi Saleh Friday protest - March 9, 2012

Some of my footage from Nabi Saleh on March 9, where “dozens marched at Nabi Saleh this week, marking Women’s Day and calling for the release of political prisoner Hana Shalabi. One activist was injured by a tear-gas canister, leading to fracture in his knee. Three were injured by rubber coated bullets.” One solidarity activist from the U.S. was arrested.

Women played a lead role in the demonstration and succeeded in repelling one of the army’s invasions of the village. Large amounts of tear gas was fired, as well as rubber coated steel bullets and concussion grenades. On several occasions, soldiers cocked their rifles loaded with live ammunition and aimed directly at demonstrators. Skunk water was sprayed at demonstrators, as well as directly into villagers’ homes.

Footage from Open Shuhada Street Protest

Some of my footage from February 24, 2012, when thousands of Palestinians, joined by solidarity activists, gathered in Al Khalil (Hebron) in occupied Palestine for the 3rd Annual Global Day of Action to Open Shuhada Street. The central road in the heart of the Old City of Al Khalil, Shuhada Street has been closed to Palestinians since 1994, when Brooklyn-born Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein massacred 29 Palestinians while they were praying at Ibrahimi Mosque on February 25, 1994.

Israeli Occupation Forces attacked the peaceful marchers with tear gas (including high-velocity rounds), concussion grenades, pepper spray, LRADs, and chemical water cannons (skunk spray). Six demonstrators were arrested and more than 80 were injured.

Footage from protest at Ofer prison for Khader Adnan

My footage from the Wednesday, February 15, 2012 National Day of Protest for Khader Adnan at Israel's Ofer Military Prison near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. As of Feb. 15, Adnan, a Palestinian political prisoner, had been on hunger strike for sixty days. He is on hunger strike to protest his torture at the hands of his jailers and Israel's practice of administrative detention, where detainees can be held for up to six months without charge and without being allowed to see the evidence against them. After six months, the administration detention order can be renewed indefinitely.

At Wednesday's demonstration, Israeli forces indiscriminately fired concussion grenades, tear gas, plastic-coated metal bullets, chemically-treated water cannons and live ammunition at the hundreds of Palestinians gathered to protest. Some demonstrators responded by building barricades and throwing rocks. More than 20 demonstrators were injured.

Statement from the Communal Autonomous Council of San Juan Copala on the Caravan and Negotiations

While many events have occurred since this statement was issued, I've translated and posted it as it offers helpful insight as to the "official" stance of the Copala displaced regarding the caravan and negotiations. For more info on recent events, see this article on El Enemigo Común.

Statement from the Communal Autonomous Council of San Juan Copala on the Caravan and Negotiations
February 3, 2012
[Spanish original]
Translated by Scott Campbell

TO THE MEDIA
TO THE OTHER CAMPAIGN
TO THE PEOPLES OF OAXACA AND MEXICO
TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS BODIES

Sisters, brothers, painful is the path of return to our village from which we were displaced by the rancor and hate of those who from afar send the owners of power to our region, but we know well that reconciliation can and should come to our lands. More than 500 years of resisting exploitation, repression and misery have given the indigenous of this country the wisdom necessary to resolve their problems through the word. It is because of this that the displaced communicate to those who have accompanied us that we are doing everything in our power to put into action the Triqui word. We are sure that this will help to solve our differences, that it will ensure peace always exists in our region, but we want to state very clearly that we are not asking for impunity for anyone, those who commit crimes  by following the orders of the powerful should and have to pay, as our lands have been dyed with blood spilled by indigenous who have exchanged their dignity for a few coins or for promises of positions of power (in the state congress, for example) but we will speak of these individuals another time in a more detailed manner and we will do it with names and evidence.

Today we merely want to address you to tell you that we are doing everything in our power to find the path to peace through the word and we want to ask for your fraternal solidarity, which you have always shown us, so that today more than ever, the flower of the word does not die.

From Occupy Oakland to Occupied Palestine

Check out the full article at the Occupied Oakland Tribune.

An abridged version of the following article appeared in the print edition (issue 3) of the Occupied Oakland Tribune.

by Scott Campbell

Sitting in solitary in Glenn Dyre jail after being arrested during the first raid on the Occupy Oakland camp at Oscar Grant Plaza, I had no idea what was playing out on the streets just blocks away. Not until getting out the following day did I see footage of the massive police violence that was unleashed on the evening of October 25.

As someone who has worked in solidarity with Palestinians for years, that footage reminded me of scenes that play out frequently in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Villages there whose land is being taken for the construction of Israel’s illegal separation wall hold weekly nonviolent protests against their continued dispossession. As happened on October 25 in Oakland, these peaceful rallies are met with tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets from Israeli forces. Often live ammunition is deployed and since 2004, 22 Palestinians, almost half children, have been killed by Israeli forces while protesting against the usurpation of their lands and livelihoods.

 

The Caravan of the Displaced Returns to Yosoyuxi

UPDATE - February 1:

• After being arrested outside of Copala on Sunday, today David Venegas was released without paying bail and with all charges dropped, again emphasizing the false and illegal nature of his detention.


• Today at 1pm, a delegation from the displaced was to meet with government officials in the city of Oaxaca regarding the implementation of protective measures for the displaced families ordered by the Inter-American Human Rights Commission. The government was mandated to implement these measures by January 20, yet has still failed to do so.


• The displaced have agreed that ten of them would enter Copala under government protection to meet with 10 of the occupiers to see if the displaced would be allowed to enter. This meeting was to occur on Sunday as has still not happened, with the government continually postponing. The displaced have given the government until 2pm on Thursday to facilitate their entry. If the government does nothing by then, the 10 representatives will enter without government protection.

More information at El Enemigo Común.

----------

The Caravan of the Displaced Returns to Yosoyuxi
January 30, 2012
[Spanish original]
Translated by Scott Campbell

As a security measure and to avoid the great risk that remaining isolated and out in the open near La Sabana (UBISORT territory), four kilometers from San Juan Copala, represented, the displaced from San Juan Copala, members of the Autonomous Municipality, and solidarity organizations returned to Yosoyuxi near nightfall.

We woke up here and the displaced and the autonomous authorities decided to establish a blockade of the highway the runs from Juxtlahuaca to Jalatlaco, at the turnoff for Yosoyuxi, while a commission of 20 compañeras and compañeros traveled to the city of Oaxaca to demand information as to the location of David Venegas Reye “Alebrije” and his immediate release. 

We again condemn the state government authorities (deputy secretaries) for their inability to facilitate the arrival of the commission of the displaced, to which they had already agreed, to the assembly that took place this Sunday in San Juan Copala, and who were only able to manage the deceitful and illegal arrest of David Venegas.

It was agreed upon that 10 representatives of the displaced would be at the assembly, but something very shady happened with the government “negotiators,” as with the arrest they prevented the meeting that would have occurred in said assembly.

The displaced have agreed to give the government’s representatives until Thursday one final chance to mediate. If, upon receiving no response, the displaced will enter San Juan Copala that morning, knowing that they are risking their lives and that this is due to the irresponsibility of the government, which has only managed to maintain checkpoints on the highway from Juxtlahuaca to Yosoyuxi, in order to keep watch, as a means of intimidation and surveillance. 

Communal Council of the Autonomous Municipality of San Juan Copala