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Indigenous Riot on Palm Island highlights racism in Queensland
28.11.2004 20:44
"On the 19th November 2004, on Palm Island a community just off the east coast of Townsville, Queensland, Australia an Aboriginal man by the name of Cameron Doomagee was arrested for singing a song on a street in the Palm Island Community, just over an hour and half later he was dead in the police cell." National Indigenous Human Rights Congress Australia from the Melbourne Indymedia Newswire A State of Emergency has been declared with over two hundred police officers sent to the Island to supress the community after the State Coroner's autopsy report found the death to be an accident. Story on Melbourne Indymedia Newsire Palm Island, home to over 4000 indigenous Australians has turned into a crucible for bad race relations in Australia after the death in police custody of indigenous man Cameron Doomagee this week. Last Friday the shock and anger in the community erupted into a 'riot' after release of an autopsy finding that Doomagee death, of "intra-abdominal haemorrhage caused by a ruptured liver and portal vein... (with) four broken ribs" was "accidental", the result of a 'fall' outside the watchouse [Townsville Bulletin article] . The police station, court house and police residence were burnt to the ground as local expressed their disbelief and anger at the judicial system.
Violencia explode contra sem-terras
24.11.2004 20:41
Durante o mês de novembro, a atividade dos movimentos de sem-terra no Brasil aumentou enormemente - e a repressão contra eles, em especial contra o MST, cresceu mais do que proporcionalmente. Em Jandaia, município do estado de Goiás, noventa e três trabalhadores rurais foram presos e barbaramente torturados na manhã de 08 de novembro depois de um ação pela retomada de lotes vendidos no assentamento Paulo Freire. Nove destes sem-terra permaneceram detidos após a liberação de seus 81 companheiros na manhã do dia seguinte, e a juíza local negou seu pedido de liberdade provisória sob o argumento de que a prisão dos trabalhadores sem-terra era necessária para "garantir a ordem pública e a paz social na região". A sede do Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária (INCRA) em Goiás foi ocupada e cerca de 650 sem-terra fizeram vigília com jejum na catedral de Goiânia, em protesto contra a violência policial e contra a inércia do governo federal de cumprir suas promessas de campanha, que incluíam a aceleração da reforma agrária. Em Felisburgo, no estado de Minas Gerais, quinze pistoleiros atacaram no dia 20 de novembro a Fazenda Nova Alegria, sede do acampamento Terra Prometida, matando cinco sem-terra e ferindo outros vinte, incendiando barracos e destruindo bens das famíias acampadas. Em protesto, o MST fechou três rodovias por algumas horas. Paralelamente, foi reaberto o julgamento do massacre de Eldorado dos Carajás, em que 19 sem-terra foram assassinados pela Polícia Militar numa ação brutal de repressão. Nos primeiro julgamento do caso, em agosto de 1999, nenhum policial foi condenado, mas o júri foi anulado por advogados do MST e pelo Ministério Público; em maio de 2002, no segundo julgamento, o coronel Mário Colares Pantoja e o capitão aimundo José Almendra Lameira, dois dos comandantes da tropa responsável pelo ataque aos 1.500 sem-terra então acampados na região do massacre em 17 de abril de 1996, foram condenados, e nenhum dos 145 outros policiais, entre cabos, praças e sargentos, foi condenado. Neste terceiro julgamento, ocorrido em 19 de novembro, a sentença anterior foi mantida, apesar da vigília de protestos organizada pelo MST. Links:
Sem-terra presos e torturados em Jandaia, Goiás | Manifesto pelo fim da impunidade em Eldorado dos Carajás | Cartilha de Eldorado dos Carajás (pdf - 30MB) | Últimas notícias sobre o massacre | Encerrado novo julgamento do Massacre de Carajás
Arizona prepares to resist AFTA
24.11.2004 18:26
Locals have already spent a considerable amount of time organizing resistance. During the week activists have begun to plan protests, teach-ins, press conferences and other actions. NOAFTA has been launched with housing and ride boards, calendars, background info, a newswire and many other features. More information about AFTA and resistance events can be found here. Visit Arizona Indymedia and NOAFTAfor ongoing updates leading up to and during the negotiations.
The U.S. is embarking on yet another mission of economic terrorism. A new bi-lateral trade agreement between America and three South American countries – Colombia, Ecuador and Perú – will be hashed out in Tucson, Arizona. The Andean Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) talks will be held from November 30 through December 4th.
Vanunu re-arrested by dozens of armed police; later released to house arrest.
16.11.2004 22:45
"Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu was released from custody that evening, following his arrest in a dramatic and excessive show of force early Thursday morning, November 18, at St. George's Cathedral in East Jerusalem. He has been punished yet again, and placed under house arrest for seven days. This on suspicion of passing confidential material to unauthorised persons and possibly because he has given interviews to The Sunday Times, the BBC and a Greek radio station, declaring that there are still nuclear weapons materials in Israel. Vanunu was warned that he is still bound by the severe restrictions placed on him by Israeli authorities when he was released on April 21 after serving his complete 18 year sentence. Issues regarding his re-arrest are under investigation, and no formal charges have been filed. However, Vanunu was told that he may face charges for interviews that he has given to foreign media. For more information, see www.vanunu.co.uk | www.vanunu.com | www.vanunu.org
Regula y reinarás: III Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española
, 16.11.2004 17:02
Del 17 al 20 de noviembre se realizará en Rosario el III Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española, organizado por la Real Academia Española y el Instituto Cervantes con el apoyo de los gobiernos nacional, provincial y municipal. La senadora y primera dama Cristina Fernández de Kirchner fue nombrada presidenta honoraria de este evento, que costará 500.000 euros por día y dispondrá de 1.100 efectivos policiales en el operativo de seguridad. Bajo el lema "Identidad lingüística y globalización", no es casual que entre los principales auspiciantes del Congreso se encuentren multinacionales españolas como Repsol YPF y Telefónica, algunas de las empresas que más se enriquecieron durante los últimos años en la Argentina. El presidente Néstor Kirchner y Su Majestad el Rey de España, Juan Carlos I, estarán a cargo de los discursos de inauguración el próximo miércoles. De forma paralela e ideológicamente opuesta, entre el 15 y el 20 de noviembre tendrá lugar en distintos espacios independientes de Rosario el I Congreso de laS LenguaS. Este encuentro, de participación abierta y gratuita, aglutinará a instituciones académicas, agrupaciones culturales y comunidades indígenas para discutir, entre otros temas, las razones y consecuencias de la imposición de políticas lingüísticas y para afirmar que las lenguas no son productos comercializables: sus únicos propietarios son los hablantes. Según detallan los impulsores de este evento, "nosotros no vamos a hablar 'de' los aborígenes, los pobres, los marginales, la gente de las comunidades autónomas históricas del estado español sino que vamos a hablar 'con'. Somos agentes sociales todos, de una realidad absolutamente compleja como es la realidad iberoamericana que declaramos pluricultural y multilingüe".
Camponeses sem terra sob ameaça constante
, 12.11.2004 19:14
No último 4 de novembro frente a um violento desalojamento policial (fotos) numa invasão no departamento de San Pedro (Paraguai) um trabalhador rural, Aurelio Espinosa de 55 anos morreu e mais de 30 foram detidos. Este tipo de enfrentamentos vem ocorrendo em vários departamentos do país, sendo os camponeses e suas famílias mandados à cadeia onde estão em condições infra-humanas. O governo paraguaio expulsou em somente três a mais de 100.000 camponeses de suas terras, depois da implementação de programas agrícolas de monocultivo de trigo, soja e milho transgênicos. Estes camponeses, passaram a ser parte da grande quantidade de famílias sem terras que existe no Paraguai, mais de 400.000. O governo de Nicanor Duarte, assim como os anteriores, tem prometido terras mas não tem cumprido, mesmo reconhecendo publicamente que existem 13 mihões de hectares de terra mal havidas e que 90% das mesmas pertencem a 2% da população do Paraguai.
US government: "We seize - you can't complain"
12.11.2004 07:47
The government response also contains details suggesting that the order may have originated in Italy. While the government refuses to identify which government prompted the court order, the letter cites language from "Article 8" that corresponds to the Italy's MLAT and not to Switzerland's. (As reported earlier, Italy and Switzerland were the two prime suspects.) Meanwhile, more than 10,000 individuals have signed the Indymedia solidarity statement and at least 17 of the downed websites are back up and running. [ previous feature | EFF motion | EFF blog | US government response (pdf) | The Register article (2, 3) | solidarity statement ]
Yesterday, November 9, the U.S. government responded to the Electronic Frontier Foundation's (EFF) Motion to Unseal the court order that led to the seizure of two hard drives that hosted more than 20 Indymedia websites. The government claims that the order to Rackspace should remain secret because: (1) EFF and their Indymedia clients lacked "standing" (the legal right to initiate a claim) to contest the seizure, (2) the request came from a unnamed foreign government pursuant to a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), and therefore was not subject to the protections of the Bill of Rights; and (3) disclosure would endanger "an ongoing criminal terrorism investigation." EFF intends to oppose these arguments and will file a legal brief responding to the government's letter. It's then up to the court to decide whether the court order should be unsealed or not.
Crossing Into Juarez with the International Caravan for Justice
10.11.2004 17:32
previous reports from Caravan: [ 12th Day of International Caravan for Justice in Juarez and Chihuahua (Oct. 29) | Caravan for Juarez Women Succeeds in Raising Awareness of 400 Murdered (Nov. 1) ] [ More from Steev | Mexico Solidarity Network | Juarez feature October 2003]
A Portland indymedia videographer accompanied the West Coast leg of the International Caravan for Justice in Juarez and Chihuahua City. On October 31 the Caravan marched across the border between El Paso, USA and Juarez, Mexico to demand justice in the cases of approximately 400 murdered women, cases neglected and mis-investigated by Mexican authorities. This is part 2 in a series of reports about the Caravan, which visited dozens of cities in the US and Canada and spent 6 days in Mexico meeting with authorities and the family members of the dead. [ read the rest of this report... ]
Protests against Fallujah-attack
09.11.2004 22:34
Since the war was declared over ("Mission Accomplished") the anti-war movement has been fairly quiet, but that is now changing. Protests have been occuring across the U.K. in response to the assault on Fallujah. On Monday 8th, the day the assault started, there were protests in over 30 towns and cities around the UK, including vigils and protests in Swindon, York and Brighton. News from Iraq: Al-Muajaha | Electronic Iraq | Iraqi blog | Juan Cole blog | Empire Notes blog | also see Jo Wilding and her blog.
Four people were arrested in Edinburgh as the US Consulate was spattered with blood red paint and covered in anti-war slogans.
UK Protest + Iraq Info Upcoming London Events | Voices in the Wilderness | Stop the War Coalition | Justice Not Vengeance | Iraq Occupation Focus | Jubilee Iraq.
Polar Regions experiencing severe climate change
09.11.2004 09:10
In Antarctica, while the interior of the continent is cooling, disappearin g sea ice and warmer temperatures around the Antarctic peninsula are causing an 80 percent drop in the numbers of Antarctic Krill. This is causing the food chain to crash affecting fish, penguins, sea birds, whales and other animals, as well as commercial Fisheries. The breakup of the Larsen B ice shelf in 2002 has also released several glaciers, increasing their speed up to eight fold, and dumping their loads into the Weddell Sea contributing to rising sea level. [Melbourne IMC: Climate Change Features | Perth IMC: Warming in Antarctica | WWF: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment | Climate Solutions]
The Arctic and Antarctic are experiencing severe climate change. The Arctic ice cap is melting at an unprecedented rate due to human induced global warming, according to a new study conducted by 300 scientists and elders from native communities in the arctic, released 8 November. Over the last 30 years the ice cap has shrunk 15-20 per cent. In 2003 the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, the largest in the Arctic, broke into two pieces. With the build up of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, the trend is set to accelerate with forecasts that by the summer of 2070 there maybe no ice at all.
Target: US Protesters
09.11.2004 01:38
Tucson: Police made it a point to harass and repress an energetic but peaceful march on November 3. Cops immediately targeted known activists, including Keith McHenry, founder of Food Not Bombs, who was singled out and arrested within the first 15 minutes of the march. Tucson Police Department (TPD) indiscriminately used a new weapon – an air rifle that fires small paint-ball style bullets filled with CS gas – against marchers. Although TPD claims to have only fired four pepper balls, more than four welts have been documented.
Boston: On Thursday, November 4, the Boston Area Faculty Group on Public Issues, the National Lawyers Guild and the Save Our Civil Liberties (SOCL) Campaign issued a public demand for an immediate moratorium on police use of so-called "non-lethal" and "less-lethal" weapons.
Miami: During the November 2003 FTAA protests, less lethal weapons were used entensively to disperse peaceful crowds, including their use on unsuspecting journalists, local citizens and people silently praying. Street medics treated over 100 injuries including at least five serious head wounds caused by police firing projectiles to the head - the same scenario that resulted in the death of Snelgrove.
Oakland: Less-lethal projectiles were also deployed and used during the April 2003 Oakland Port protests when police open fired on peaceful protestors, longshoremen, legal observors, and journalists with rubber and wooden projectiles. Several dozen people were injured, including some who were permanently maimed by the bullets.
Oregon: Recently, police used pepperball projectiles to disperse an anti-Bush crowd in tiny Jacksonville, Oregon when other alternatives were available.
Dia X: Activista anti-nuclear morto em França
, 08.11.2004 13:54
Sebastien, um activista de 23 anos morreu em Avricourt, França, quando tenatava impediar a passagem do denominado comboio “Castor”, que carregava 12 contentores, que continham cerca de 175 toneladas métricas de residuos atómico e que ligava La Hague, em França a Gorleben, Alemanha, tendo sido atropelado pelo comboio. De acordo com as noticias mais recentes o jovem tinha-se algemado aos carris mas o condutor do comboio viu-o tarde demais para parar o comboio a tempo. (1 | 2 | 3. (Informação mais detalhada virá em breve quando outros membros do gurpo possam descrever o incidente) Comícios e manifestações espontâneas surgiram em mais de 25 cidades alemãs para assinalar a sua morte, mas na maior parte dos casos decidiu-se continuar com as acções de protesto. Espera-se que o comboio chegue a Dannenberg/Gorleben na Segunda-Feira. . Acções são esperadas ao longo da linha ferrovária assim como nos últimos 20 km que o transporte tem que fazer na rua. Há uma proibição geral de protestos no percurso actual, proibição que inclui até 50 metros de cada lado da linha. b>[ castor.de | NIX-DA live Ticker (up to the minute information on the location of the train) | Indymedia Germany | Radio Free Wendland (live stream) ]
80 Mulçumanos do sul, assassinados pelas autoridades Tailandesas
, 05.11.2004 03:15
Protestantes em Hong Kong fizeram um protesto a 3 de Novembro e fizeram uma declaração dizendo que o PM Tailandês, Thaksin é culpado pelo massacre de Narathiwat. Mais em: [Manila IMC | Perth IMC | QC IMC]
Pelo menos 80 mulçumanos do sul foram massacrados por autoridades Tailandesas a 25 de Outubro. Os assassinados faziam parte de uma demonstração com cerca de 1000 pessoas na província sul de Naratiwart que se tinham reunido para exigir a libertação dos presos sob acusação de terem roubado armas de um campo do exército, algures no início deste ano. É aceite por quase todos que os presos estão inocentes. Depois da sua prisão eles foram sistematicamente torturados de forma a "confessar". Um conhecido advogado de defesa mulçumano, estava prestes a expôr estas torturas, e também uma série de "desaparecimentos" de mulçumanos do sul às mãos da polícia Tailandesa, quando foi ele próprio raptado e assassinado pela polícia. Claramente, o governo de Taksin Shinawat tem sangue nas suas mãos. No ano passado, ordenaram que a polícia matasse mais de 2000 suspeitos de tráfico de droga, sem para isso recorrerem a tribunais ou a qualquer tipo de provas
Arundhati Roy recebe Prémio Sidney da Paz
, 07.11.2004 19:06
Romancista indiana e activista da justiça social, Arundhati Roy recebeu o Sidney Peace Prizea 3 de Novembro num encontro em Sidney onde discursou sobre a Paz e a Nova Teologia de Liberação Empresarial. Arundhati tem criticado, de forma articulada, a guerra contra o Iraque, a agenda neo-liberal de "comércio livre" e os regimes de investimento. Comentadores conservadores atacaram a vencendora devido ao seu apoio à resistência iraquina contra os E.U.A.. Arundhati Rhoy disse a um repórter da ABC que "não os estava a incitar a juntarem-se ao Exército Mehdi, mas sim a tornarem-se uma resistência, a tornarem-se parte do que deveria ser uma resistência não-violenta que se oporia a uma ocupação muito violenta. Redifinir o conceito de resistência - não podemos assumir que resistência é terrorismo: tal seria jogarmo-nos directamente para as mãos da ocupação."
COBERTURA DAS ELEIÇÕES NORTE-AMERICANAS - 2004
, 01.11.2004 10:04
Além disto, o novo US IMC será oficialmente lançado segunda-feira, mesmo a tempo das eleições.
As eleições do próximo dia 2 aproximam-se cada vez mais, e os vários IMCs ao longo dos Estados Unidos acabam os preparativos da sua cobertura. À medida que as acusações de fraude eleitoral continuam a acumular-se, os activistas preparam uma mobilização nacional de modo a prevenir outra eleição viciada e os IMCistas estarão presentes onde realmente interessa. O Michigan Indymedia terá dois dias de cobertura especial, nos dias 2 e 3 de Novembro, incluindo um webstream em directo (
more), um número verde e um sistema de mensagens escritas de modo a manter toda a gente actualizada. Os IMCs de Portland, St. Louis e Cleveland, entre outros, estão também a planear a cobertura eleitoral. O IMC de Pittsburgh tem um programa radiofónico na WRTC às seis.
Critical Mass Radio Network : Halloween or the US Elections, Which is Scarier?
29.10.2004 22:31
Listen online at criticalmassradio.net. Also, you can join the Critical Mass Listeners announcement list here: CMRN List.
Today, October 29th, 2004 is our third national coordinated broadcast with many more to come. The 2004 US election (a.k.a. distraction/ extravaganza) is only 5 days away. Tune in for commentary and analysis from your peers and neighbors, outside of the corporate stenographers and party hacks, to hear something that isn't for sale. Join the message board and share your thoughts, or call into any of the stations as they broadcast from this decentralized network of resistance to the factions of the USA Business party. In our unofficial poll, what is more frightening: Halloween or this election? Today's schedule, all times are PM and PST:
Iraqi civilian deaths put at 100,000
29.10.2004 19:07
Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed in violence since the US-led invasion last year, according to public health experts who estimate there were 100,000 "excess deaths" in 18 months. The US-based researchers found that the risk of death from violence in the period after the invasion was 58 times higher than before the war.... [ Mortality before and after the 2003 invasion of Iraq: cluster sample survey ]
[ The LANCET REPORT ] The rise in the death rate was mainly due to violence and much of it was caused by US air strikes on towns and cities: "Making conservative assumptions, we think that about 100,000 excess deaths or more have happened since the 2003 invasion of Iraq," said Les Roberts of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in a report published online by The Lancet medical journal.
"The use of air power in areas with lots of civilians appears to be killing a lot of women and children," Mr Roberts said. Mortality was already high in Iraq before the war because of United Nations sanctions blocking food and medical imports. But the researchers described their findings after the war as shocking. The new figures are based on surveys done by the researchers in Iraq in September 2004.
Para que a água siga sendo um direito de todos e todas
, 28.10.2004 17:15
Mais uma vez o povo uruguaio vai se manifestar contra as privatizações. De acordo com as pesquisas, o apoio à reforma constitucional sobre a água já teria maioria. Este plebiscito como o de 1992 pela OSE (Obras Sanitárias do Estado) e 2003 pela Ancap (Administração Nacional de Combustíveis Álcool e Cimento Pórtland) é uma vitória dos movimentos sociais, político e gremial que se conseguiu graças ao enorme esforço feito para juntar assinaturas e uma longa campanha. A mesma teve seu final no fim de semana passado, com o ato na praça Primeiro de Maio e o show de rock realizado no domingo no Parque Rodó [ 
fotos 1 - 2 
videos 1 - 2 ], depois de vários dias de festivais e jornadas de propaganda.
Fascists get run out of town
27.10.2004 07:39
The extreme ring wing/fascist group National Front was confronted this weekend by counter marches, fairies and anarchist blocks. The National front rally at parliament, to support of keeping the current national flag as a symbol of New Zealand's colonial heritage, was met by fairies throwing glitter over the skinheads and an anarchist block, who chanted 'boring' and 'nazi scum' throughout the nationalist speeches. Despite the National Front attempts to leave the area (even with police escorts) before the arrival of the 2,000 strong multicultural march , they found themselves blocked at every entrance. From this point on bockades sprung up spontaneously to frustrate the National Front's every attempt to escape.The National Front were eventually trapped within the station between two lines of anti-fascists. Things got even more heated when one fascist threw a punch at a protestor and got quite a few punches to the face by anti-fascists in retaliation. The National Front leader's car was also jumped on and pieces broken off as he was driving away. At one point the police tried to arrest a girl who punched one of the cops, but was unarrested. Another protestor was arrested following the scuffle. About 40 people occupied the police station to demand his release, resulting in the arrest of one more person. Both prisoners were charged (the other with disorderly behaviour) then released within a couple of hours. Demo reports: Multicultural Aotearoa | Fairies Fighting Fascists | Nazis lose badly in Wellington | National Front run out of town
Multinacional norteamericana instala puestos de control en territorio indígena
23.10.2004 13:01
Desde el mes de septiembre la empresa azucarera Ingenio Tabacal, propiedad de la Seabord Corporation, impide a una comunidad guaraní el libre acceso a tierras vitales para su subsistencia en el departamento de Orán, provincia de Salta. Los retenes están a cargo del grupo de seguridad privada Search, también de capitales norteamericanos. Las recientes restricciones para ingresar a La Loma, un paraje de 5000 hectáreas que son utilizadas diariamente para recolección de leña y plantas medicinales, motivó una nueva denuncia de la Comunidad Indígena Guaraní El Tabacal de la localidad de Hipólito Irigoyen. Mónica Romero - presidente de la comunidad - y Haidee Cuñandipa - vicepresidente - explicaron a Indymedia Argentina que los impedimentos para ingresar a las tierras comenzaron a partir del 4 de septiembre, cuando personal del Ingenio Tabacal derribó algunos puentes que dan acceso a La Loma y construyó muros de tierra. Unas horas antes se había retirado una delegación de diputados nacionales que viajó a la región para comprobar las constantes violaciones a los derechos indígenas. No conformes con lo anterior, los directivos de la empresa azucarera ordenaron a su seguridad privada, a cargo del grupo Search, la instalación de puestos de control y el patrullaje permanente sobre el territorio. La única posibilidad de acceder a las tierras sería firmar documentos que poseen punteros políticos ligados al Ingenio Tabacal - según exigencias de los guardias -, aunque se desconoce su contenido. Las representantes de la comunidad también aseguraron que la comisaría de la ciudad se negó a recibir las denuncias, hasta que intervinieron funcionarios desde Buenos Aires. LINKS: Imágenes del grupo SEARCH atacando en una comunidad cercana (05/08) // ULTIMAS INFORMES DE INDYMEDIA SOBRE ORAN: El Ingenio militariza y cerca territorio indígena (08/09) + Heridos y detenidos en la Comunidad Guaraní Río Blanco Banda Sur (06/08) + El Ingenio Tabacal pretende un nuevo desalojo en Orán (02/08) + El Pueblo Guaraní se movilizó en Buenos Aires (04/05) + Comunidad El Tabacal: "El Gobierno no nos tiene en cuenta" (28/04)