January 2011 Archives
The recent turmoil in Tunisia, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern nations has brought the U.S. government's hypocrisy to light. U.S. officials, including the President and the Secretary of State, have made statements of "concern" about the ongoing struggles in the region in the last couple days. What they have failed to mention is the fact that for decades the U.S. has supported the authoritarian governments that are now be challenged by the masses in these nations. The U.S. is now trying to preserve its imperialist interests, while pretending to be concerned about the people in the region. We must demand that the U.S. government keep its bloody hands off the region, while exposing its past and current roles.
above, photo of today's action at Market & Montgomery, San Francisco
The Egyptian government which is shooting its own people has received more than $30 billion in aid from the U.S. government since 1975. The majority of this aid has been military aid. As of the writing of this email, the Egyptian government has just called out it military forces to assist the police forces to suppress the resistance of the Egyptian people. While U.S. officials mouth words calling for restraint or curtailment of abuse, the deeds of the U.S. government allow the abuse to be continued.
We do not know the full extent of U.S. government intervention at this time. But we can be assured that what our government is doing is not in the interest of the people of Egypt or the people of the world. World Can't Wait will continue to follow and report on events in the Middle East and the actions of the U.S. government there.
Kudos to MaryAnn on your hard work! And thank-you Bill Carpenter for capturing the action... you're the best!
UPDATE, c/o ISO Newsletter:
"Several activists are still facing charges stemming from the student protest at the UC Regents meeting on November 18th. We are asking people to come out and show their support for students who are wrongfully being targeted by UC and San Francisco police and their intimidation tactics. Students are being charged with everything from assaulting a police officer to inciting a riot when what really happened was UC police panicked and drew their weapons, including a loaded gun, on unarmed student demonstrators and are looking for someone else to blame for what happened that day. We need to bring to light this miscarriage of justice and defend the right of protesters to stand up for what they believe in without police and court harassment.
Please come and pack the courtroom to show your support for student protesters!
Thursday, January 27th at 9 AM
San Francisco District Courthouse
850 Bryant St., San Francisco
San Francisco District Courthouse
850 Bryant St., San Francisco
UCPD officer... hit a student with his baton with such force that the baton bounced out of his hand. Facing the crowd, the officer panicked, pulled his gun and aimed it at students.
DAVID HERSCHORN/STAFF
The scene outside of Regents' meeting Wednesday. More than a dozen protesters were doused with pepper spray. more on clash, arrests here
On the ninth anniversary of Guantanamo, a circle of "detainees" in jumpsuits and hoods read the names of all 173 detainees still being held at Guantanamo...
We brought the presence of the detainees to the James R Browning Courthouse in San Francisco because it is here that Jay Bybee sits on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, his lifetime appointment a reward for his service on the Bush/Cheney Torture Team. Bybee authored the hideous list of approved torture techniques that includes waterboarding and other sadistic, illegal and deadly methods of torture.
see report on San Francisco Action in support of the January 11 Witness Against Torture campaign here.
photo © Phil Pasquini all rights reserved worldwide
"The total surveillance, fear atmosphere that is taking over this country smacks of George Orwell's 1984 and Hitler's Germany in the 1930s. I don't know about anyone else, but I am not about to give into someone else's unnamed fear and start watching everyone I come into contact with to see if they might be 'suspicious'. - Karen Warnick - The IndependentSo what should we be watching for in everyone else's behavior? According to training manuals put out by the Missouri Information Analysis Center (a state fusion center), a Virginia training manual for state employees, the Phoenix Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and other such organizations, the following types of people and behavior are cause to be a tattle-tale: displaying bumper stickers and other paraphernalia associated with the Constitution or defending the same document, Libertarian parties, anyone supporting Congressman Ron Paul, opposing the implementation of a North American Union, owning gold bullion, displaying historic American Flags, opposing abortion, attempting to monitor the actions of police, communicating mainly by cell phone, email or text, renting a car or storage facility, owning large amounts of medicines, alcohol, or baby formula, possessing or purchasing GPS technology, walking, biking or driving near "potential targets", being a property-rights activist, being an environmental extremist, and believe it or not, using a sketch pad, camera, map, binoculars or scuba equipment.
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