Angry White Kid

Support community radio and authentic journalism

Mid-afternoon on May 1, Labor Day, students took over the radio station at the Autonomous University Benito Juarez of Oaxaca, in Oaxaca, Mexico. They explained that they intended to cover two days' events which included a march by the Popular Assembly and Teacher movement.

By seven o'clock that night, the government supporters were already hard at work jamming the university signal. By 10:00 the students were no longer audible.

The government fears that the public might hear honest news, news of real events that affect their lives.

The only available remedy is community radio. Right now, young Oaxaquenos are working to put on the air as many community radio facilities as the communities can afford. The technical support project for them is completely Oaxaqueno in staff and muscle. It's controlled and managed at the base, in a system of democratic participation. But the funding comes in part from people like you.

This is the moment to show Oaxaca communities that they are not alone in wanting the truth as it relates to them, in their towns and villages.

Your donation, of any amount, will help to maintain the vital training and technical support provided by SeComo (SERVICIOS DE COMUNICACION DE OAXACA).

The best way to send money from the USA is to mail a check made out to Jean Rodriguez,  "for the community radio project in Oaxaca". Send it to:

Jean Rodriguez
917 N. Van Ness
Fresno, CA 93728 
Her telephone number is 559.445.0425
Her email address is wabob@earthlink.net

From within the European orbit, money can be wired to:
Frankfurter Volksbank
BLZ: 501 900 00
Kontonummer:  6001801196         (Account number) 
Kontoinhaber:  Kurt Herrmann        (Beneficiary)
BIC (Swift code):  FFVBDEFF               
IBAN:  DE55 5019 0000 6001 8011 96

Notify davies_me@yahoo.com and you will receive confirmation that your donation was received.

Social revolution is not tax deductible.

Thank you from Oaxaca,

Nancy Davies, for authentic journalism

Warriors, warming and awesome kids

Though I was just giving a friend some flack about engaging the spectacle when he tried to convince me how great Obama is, I gotta say, the Golden State Warriors are unreal. Making Oakland proud.

Here's a gem from Arkansas my uncle sent me.  Honestly, I was unaware of this liberal conspiracy.

And these kindergarten kids have just conducted the best May Day/anti-Minutemen protest ever.

I'm off to Wyoming for the weekend, so any comments might not go up until Sunday night.

May Day 2007

The origins of modern May Day. Haymarket, 1886.

Probably don't need to tell readers of this blog that May Day is coming up.

In the U.S., the National Immigrant Solidarity Network is calling for decentralized, multi-tactic actions based around these ten demands:

1) No to anti-immigrant legislation and the criminalization of the immigrant communities.
2) No to the militarization of the border.
3) No to immigrant detention and deportation.
4) No to the guest worker program.
5) No to employer sanction and "no match" letters.
6) Yes to a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
7) Yes to speedy family reunification.
8) Yes to civil rights and humane immigration law.
9) Yes to labor rights and living wages for all workers.
10) Yes to education and LGBT immigrant legislation.

There are marches, strikes and protests planned.  Here's an incomplete national list of events.  In the Bay Area there are actions in Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and more.  Indybay is the place to check.

Woodfin struggle continues

The actions of Woodfin Suite Hotels in the East Bay city of Emeryville epitomize the term "evil corporation." Since September of last year they have been trying to fire immigrant workers who are simply demanding that Woodfin comply with Emeryville's recently-passed living wage law.

Every other hotel in town had no problem complying, yet the Woodfin apparently feels it is entitled to continue exploiting workers - paying them poverty wages and then trying to fire them when they demand what they are due.

In truly vindictive fashion, just ten days before Christmas the Woodfin made good on its threat and fired twenty one workers. A court temporarily blocked the firings and ruled the workers should be permitted to stay on the job until April 20, which is fast approaching.  Woodfin is even suing the city over Measure C, the living wage law.  Seems they're doing everything possible to avoid respecting workers' rights and meeting the requirements of the measure.

An easy thing to do is send an email to the Woodfin CEO telling him to meet the workers' demands and that you'll boycott the Woodfin. Keep an eye on WoodfinWatch.org for further developments. And of course, spread the word.

A protest on April 10 at Emeryville's City Hall, followed by a march to the Woodfin. It's hard to see, but there are about 10 various monks and priests on the stage.  Even god (in its hypothetical christian incarnations) is pissed off at the Woodfin.

Smug Woodfin workers watching the April 10 rally. Apparently they have yet to learn the boss will be more than happy to kick their asses to the curb, too.

A Christmas protest following the original firings.

They didn't like us dropping by.

Grinch is pissed, too.

The Blue Nightmare

Check out this new 19 minute video from Mal de Ojo TV, "The Blue Nightmare."

After police repression against the people of Oaxaca and APPO (People’ s Popular Assembly of Oaxaca) on November 25, more than 200 people were unjustly and illegally taken to various jails, suffering beatings and rape.

"The Blue Nightmare" contains testimony of some of the people that were detained.

These horrifying testimonies and the multitude of other examples of brutality by the local, state and federal forces in attempting (but still failing) to crush the popular movement in Oaxaca, truly help paint of portrait of what colleague George Salzman has appropriately labeled "the face of  Mexican fascism."

End state terror against immigrants

Three children whose parents were kidnapped by federal immigration agents.

Across the country, from Massachusetts to Northern California, undocumented workers continue to be ripped from their homes, families and livelihoods by the racist army of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security. 

Such actions are so revoltingly outrageous and inhuman they leave me speechless.  Immigrant and migrant workers are not the enemy.  The enemy is the neoliberal economic system that forced them from their countries of origin.  The same system that allows greedy corporations to exploit their labor here in the US.  The same system that is imposed - either economically or militarily - on the global south by the US and Europe.  The enemies are ICE, DHS, and the local and state agencies that cooperate with them as they target and attack one of the most vulnerable segments of society.

Only the most depraved of governments kidnap civilians and rip mothers and fathers from their children.  I can only wonder how these thugs with guns whose "job" it is to conduct military raids on innocent, unarmed migrant workers sleep at night, knowing their violent actions have shattered hundreds and thousands lives.  Of course, be it through bombs or prisons or economic policies, the US is well-versed when it comes to destroying families.

As I'm sure is occurring elsewhere, the Bay Area is responding to these raids.  And May Day is coming up.  On these days and every day the horrific war against immigrants and the working class must be denounced and combated.  The actions of ICE and DHS are prime examples of racist, classist state terror and must end immediately.

Marcha Migrante II

The second Migrant March began today in San Ysidro.  Over the next two weeks it'll travel the length of the border with Mexico, demanding the demilitarization of the border and "humane and comprehensive immigration reform."  Five million people participated in last years march - including lots of us in San Francisco.  Check out the schedule at Border Angels:

This coming year MARCHA MIGRANTE II will again start February 2 in San Diego and this time instead of crossing country, they will cross the entire US/MEXICO Border, from San Diego to Brownsville, Texas and back (Feb 2 – 17, 2007) which will culminate with an ALL PEOPLE’S IMMIGRATION HEARING in San Diego on February 17.

The caravan will gather stories along the border journey and share these stories at the February 17th event.

Defend Oaxaca

Radio APPO has been turned over.  The barricades are down.  APPO leaders are in hiding.  People are being arrested, disappeared and tortured.  With Calderon taking office tomorrow and renowned human rights violator Francisco Ramírez Acuña being named Interior Minister, things could get much, much worse.

But the fight is not over, the people of Oaxaca have not surrendered and they are calling for  demonstrations of solidarity tomorrow.  Contact your local Mexican consulate and check your local Indymedia to see what protests and other solidarity actions are occurring.

Locally, tomorrow (Dec. 1)  there is a demonstration in Sacramento all day at the consulate and also at the one in San Francisco at 5pm. 532 Folsom St.

Protests worldwide against repression in Oaxaca

By Latuff

The past few days have seen protests at Mexican consulates around the world against the occupation of Oaxaca by federal police and the murders of protesters by government paramilitaries.  A list is being compiled at Ulises Ruiz Asesino.  Today, the Zapatistas blockaded the roads through their territory and have called for a general strike on November 20.  And the virtual blockade continues.

Though the federal police now occupy the zocalo in Oaxaca, the struggle is far from crushed.  The Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) is maintaining encampments in two locations in the city and are rebuilding barricades in other areas.  Another federal force, the Federal Investigations Agency (AFI) is threatening to invade the Benito Juarez Autonomous University of Oaxaca, under the pretext of looking for weapons, though it is clear they want to shut down APPO's radio station, based in the university.  Word has spread that members of the PRI party may raid the revolutionary CIPO-RFM house tonight.

Mexico's congress has asked Ulises to step down, yet he refuses.  His own party didn't even back him.  The man just can't take a hint.  Until Ulises is gone and the occupation ends, the protests and actions will continue.  Keep your eye on your local Indymedia, Narco News and the Centro de Medios Libres.   Below are some photos from last night's demo at the Mexican consulate in San Francisco.  I'm out for a few days on a trip.

Picture of Brad Will and list of those killed over the weekend in Oaxaca.

Ulises, PFP, everyone needs to get out!

Some "blood" found its way onto the windows and doors of the consulate.

Day of the Dead altar for all those killed in Oaxaca.

Oaxaca under siege

The Federal Preventive Police (PFP) are advancing in Oaxaca City with water cannons and bulldozer equipped tanks. They have now entered the zocalo (the city center) which has been held by the people for the past five months.  Fires have been lit to impede the their advance, while the PFP is using teargas, beatings and intimidation (in the form of helicopters with snipers in them circling above).  People are being urged to remain calm to avoid bloodshed yet defend their positions.  Elsewhere, the PFP is attempting to dismantle the hundreds of barricades.  In at least one instance, 300 police were forced to back down from their advance on a barricade by around 1,000 protesters.

In the city, people are marching with plans to end at Radio Universidad in order to protect it from police seizure.  Others are trying to enter the zocalo. 

There is an electronic blockade now going on against the Mexican consulates in the US.  Join it!

The last minutes of Brad Will's life were caught on his video camera and can be seen at Salon Chingon.  Please note it is very disturbing.  Yesterday, two people were arrested for his murder.

In San Francisco, there will be an emergency demonstration at the Mexican consulate on Tuesday, at 5pm.  532 Folsom St.

UPDATE 5:27: Listen to Radio APPO online. The power has been cut, the radio is not transmitting.  Minute to minute updates are being provided by Centro de Medio Libres.

UPDATE 5:56: Radio Bemba is broadcasting online and reporting one person has been killed today, shot in the chest by government forces.

UPDATE 6:26: There are reports of a 14-year-old and his father being killed by the PFP.  In the San Francisco Bay Area, join us tomorrow at 7am at the Mexican Consulate (532 Folsom) for a demonstration.  (The demo on Tues. is still on as well.)

UPDATE 6:30: CML reports four deaths today.  I received an email that said the Mexican Consulate in Milan was stormed by protesters.  There is a roving demonstration in Mexico City. Radio APPO is supposedly back up, but I can't get it.

UPDATE 7:26: Lots of photos from the police onslaught in Oaxaca at Infoshop.  Solidarity in San Cristobal, Chiapas.  As the caption says, "parece que Oaxaca no esta sola..."

UPDATE 9:48: At the Narcosphere, Dan writes that APPO has confirmed two civilians were killed today by the PFP - "Social Security Institute worker Roberto López Hernández and nurse and APPO safety commission member Jorge Alberto Beltrán."  The PFP are now raiding the homes of APPO leaders.

UPDATE 9:58:  Radio APPO is back online! Listen here.