Monday, February 28, 2011

Dylcia and Cisco on Panthers and Independistas SF8 Hearing on March 2

By Kiilu Nyasha and Angola 3 News

This February 26, 2011 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle features Dylcia Pagan and Francisco Torres.

Dylcia Pagan is a Puerto Rican freedom fighter and Independista, who spent nearly 20 years in Federal prisons on charges of seditious conspiracy for her role in the underground wing of the Puerto Rican independence movement. One of 11 Puerto Rican political prisoners granted clemency in 1999 by President Clinton, she was paroled to Puerto Rico, where she has continued to struggle against U.S. colonialism nonviolently. Born and raised in New York City, Dylcia studied psychology, political science, and Puerto Rican studies at Brooklyn College where she founded the Puerto Rican Students Union. Her culture and politics are expressed through painting, ceramics, poetry, writings, and film.

She has participated in the production of a video about her life and compañeros in the struggle; and while in prison, she helped direct a documentary about Puerto Rican Women Prisoners of War. Her biography has been published in Puerto Rican Women: A History of Oppression and Resistance and she appears in the new film Machetero (view a clip with Dylcia here).

Francisco Torres (Cisco), 58, of New York City, was born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York City. He is a Vietnam Veteran who fought for the grievances of Black and Latino soldiers upon his return to the states. A former Black Panther, he has been a community activist since his discharge from the military in 1969. Cisco continues to work with troubled youth in his Queens community.

Cisco is the last of the San Francisco Eight to still be facing charges. He has an evidentiary hearing on March 2, 2011, and there is an 8 AM rally prior to the hearing, where supporters are urged to attend. For the latest developments in the case and what you can do to help, please go to www.freethesf8.org.




--This episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle is a collaborative project by Kiilu Nyasha and Angola 3 News.

Kiilu Nyasha is a San Francisco-based journalist and former member of the Black Panther Party. Through the end of 2009, Kiilu hosted a weekly TV program, "Freedom Is A Constant Struggle," on SF Live, and many of her shows are archived at www.kiilunyasha.blogspot.com. Kiilu also writes for several publications, including the SF Bay View Newspaper and BlackCommentator.com. Also an accomplished radio programmer, she has worked for KPFA (Berkeley), SF Liberation Radio, Free Radio Berkeley, and KPOO in SF.

Angola 3 News is a project of the International Coalition to Free the Angola 3. Our website is www.angola3news.com where we provide the latest news about the Angola 3. We are also creating our own media projects, which spotlight the issues central to the story of the Angola 3, like racism, repression, prisons, human rights, solitary confinement as torture, and more.

Daniel McGowan back in a CMU

From NYC ABC, via Family and Friends of Daniel McGowan

February 25, 2011:
We are writing with some bad news. Daniel was moved back into a CMU
this week, this time at Terre Haute. We aren't really sure why at
this time, but we are sure we will fight the move. Daniel's holding
up as well as can be expected. He's stressed out, of course, and he
would appreciate your letters, especially at this time. Please write him at:

Daniel McGowan #63794-053
FCI Terre Haute - CMU
Post Office Box 33
Terre Haute, Indiana 47408

We know people will have a lot of questions about this. We do, too. At
this moment, we don't have any answers. We will update you again as soon
as we do.

For updates and ways to help, visit http://supportdaniel org
http://nycabc.wordpress.com


--


Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/nycabc

NYC ABC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

nycabc[at]riseup[dot]net
http://nycabc.wordpress.com
http://myspace.com/nycanarchistblackcross
http://www.facebook.com/pages/NYC-ABCF/156407368654
http://www.abcf.net/nyc

Call for blockade of neo-nazi march in the town of Novy Bydzov

Novy Bydzov is a small town of around 7.000 people located on the east
from Prague, about one hour driving away. Recently it hit news because
of the so-called racial tension between Roma population and white
inhabitants, followed by the official statement of the Major of the town
saying „Roma people rape, steal and loot in the middle of the day“.
Neo-nazis smelt their chance and call for a march through the town.
Their march is organized by the same people as the serious attempt to
mass attack on Roma population in Litvinov two years ago. Translated
call for action follows:

On Saturday March 12th neonazis are trying to march through the town of
Novy Bydzov. The aim of their march is not to propagate nazi ideology in
open or more hidden way nor it is to commemorate the death of one of the
nazi leaders. Their aim is to directly terrorize, chicane and to try to
attack the Roma population of the town.

History and current praxis of neonazi movement teach us that we have to
face it any time it tries to stand up. „Never send to know for whom the
bell tolls; it tolls for thee!“, Ernest Hemingway quoted English poet
John Donne and in this quote he precisely described the essence of the
coming neo-nazi attack on Roma population of Novy Bydzov. Because
tomorrow any of you could be the target of their perverse hate; spectrum
of their enemies is really wide in the end: Roma people, homeless
people, trade unionist, homosexuals, Jews, communists, social democrats
and other leftists, alternative youth, feminists, unemployed,
anarchists, immigrants...

We are not saying that there are no troubles in the town of Novy Bydzov.
But neonazis are coming with the final solution; perverse, inhuman idea
which manifested itself with gas chamber during the World War II. We saw
how their solution looks like in praxis two years ago, when the same
people marched in the town of Litvinov attacking with Molotovs, home
made grenades and bricks. Antifascist movement ignored the event which
we regard as our fault. Short time after that the group of people
attending this kind of events attacked Roma family in the town of
Vitkov, burning small Roma girl almost to death...

Every time nazis attacked some majority without any resistance, they are
stronger. Every time they marched without being faced by the much bigger
group of those who they want to eliminate, they are a step further. In
their heads the self-esteem for some similar attack is growing. So never
ask for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee!

We call all antifascists to come and block the place of gathering of the
nazi demo. The meeting point is Masarykovo namesti in the town of Novy
Bydzov at 11:00 (two hours before announced nazi assembly on the same
place).

There would be no organizers on the place as this action could only be
describe as something like „civil disobedience“. So have a talk with
your friends and come together in bigger or small groups. Have a talk
about to what extend do you want to resist the neo-nazi demo and to what
extend are you ready to resist police. The diversity of tactic doesn’t
prevent the unity in our aim to block the nazi march. Sit-in blockade,
human chain or street barricade do not eliminate each other, but support
each other. Just stick to one simple rule: do not criticize actions of
other antifascists whatever their tactic is. Stay united.

Antifascist solidarity group

Map of the place here:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=cs&geocode=&q=Masarykovo+n%C3%A1m%C4%9Bst%C3%AD,+Nov%C3%BD+Byd%C5%BEov,+%C4%8Cesk%C3%A1+republika&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.724817,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Masarykovo+n%C3%A1m%C4%9Bst%C3%AD,+504+01+Nov%C3%BD+Byd%C5%BEov,+%C4%8Cesk%C3%A1+republika&t=h&z=16

Memorial tribute for NY Panther 21 political exile Michael "Cetewayo" Tabor

Saturday March 12 from 2:00pm - 5:00pm
The City College Of New York-Harlem Campus
W.138th Street (Bet. Amsterdam & Convent Aves)
Media Hall Room 5-100 (NAC) Building
Special Cultural Presentations by Spiritchild & The Impact Repertory Theatre
Bj710nyc@gmail.com, Panthershepcat@aol.com, (212) 650-5008
. . .

Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2011 12:01:43 -0500
From: "nycjericho@gmail.com"
Subject: Memorial Tribute for Cetewayo 3/12/2011 at CCNY Harlem NY

The New York State Chapter Of The Black Panther
Party Comrades, Friends & Family Of Michael
"Cetewayo" Tabor

Invite you to

The Memorial Tribute For NY Panther 21
Political Exile Michael "Cetewayo" Tabor
Saturday March 12, 2011 2:00pm - 5:00pm
The City College Of New York-Harlem Campus
W.138th Street (Bet. Amsterdam & Convent Aves)
Media Hall Room 5-100 (NAC) Building
Special Cultural Presentations by
Spiritchild &
The Impact Repertory Theatre
Contact B.J. or Bro. Shep
At: Bj710nyc@gmail.com or Panthershepcat@aol.com (212) 650-5008

Michael "Cetewayo" Tabor was born in Harlem on
December 13, 1946, to Grace Hunter and Michael
Tabor, Sr.He attended the St. Aloysius Roman
Catholic School on West 132nd Street and Harlem's
Rice High School where he excelled in both academics
and varsity athletics.

Tabor joined the Black Panther Party in 1969 and
took the name Cetewayo, a 19th century Zulu
Warrior King. It was during that time that he
wrote an insightful pamphlet on drug addiction
called "Capitalism Plus Dope Equals Genocide."
According to former members, Tabor was one of the
more well known of the spokespersons for the
Panther Party and was admired for his deep
baritone voice and charismatic personality.

He was among a group of 21 members of the New
York Chapter of the Panthers that was indicted in
April of 1969 for conspiracy to commit
coordinated attacks on New York City Police
precincts and department stores. In February of
1971, while out on bail, Tabor flew to Algiers,
Algeria in fear of his life due to the illegal
FBI COINTELPRO induced internal conflicts that
were developing within the Black Panther Party.
Several months later all 21 defendants were acquitted of all charges.

Tabor arrived in Algiers with his new wife,
fellow Black Panther Party member Connie Mathews,
who had been the group's International
Coordinator. They became part of the
International Section of the Black Party led by
Eldridge Cleaver. For a time, the Panthers were
guests of the Algerian Government, but were
eventually expelled from the country.

In 1972 Tabor moved to Lusaka, Zambia, on a
writing assignment for the Paris-based
Africa-Asia magazine in order to cover the
African liberation movements based there. He
would remain in Lusaka for the next 38 years.
After the death of his wife, Connie Mathews, he
married Zambian national, Priscilla Matanda.
Tabor became a popular and respected figure in
Lusaka and continued writing on politics and
culture for various publications. His distinctive
voice allowed him to transition into radio and
for many years he hosted programs that featured
jazz, African and world music on several Lusaka radio stations.

Deaths in Iraq pro-reform rallies

At least 12 protesters killed by security forces, amid nationwide "day of
rage" against corruption and poor services.

Feb 25, 2011 Al Jazeera

Thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets across the country to
protest against corruption and a lack of basic services in an organised
nationwide "day of rage", inspired by uprisings around the Arab world.

In two northern Iraqi cities, security forces trying to push back crowds
opened fire on Friday, killing at least 12 demonstrators.

In Baghdad, the capital, demonstrators knocked down blast walls, threw
rocks and scuffled with club-wielding troops.

Hundreds of people carrying Iraqi flags and banners streamed into
Baghdad's Tahrir Square, which was under heavy security.

Military vehicles and security forces lined the streets around the square
and nearby Jumhuriya bridge was blocked off.

Al Jazeera's Jane Arraf, reporting from Baghdad, said there was a violent
standoff between the protesters and the riot police on the bridge that
leads to the heavily fortified Green Zone.

Ahmed Rushdi, head of the House of Iraq Expertise Foundation, tried to
join the protests in Baghdad but was prevented from doing so by the army.

"This is not a political protest, but a protest by the people of Iraq. We
want social reform, jobs for young people and direct supervision because
there is lots of corruption," Rushdi told Al Jazeera.

"If [prime minister Nouri] al-Maliki does not listen, we will continue
this protest. He told everyone that we are Saddamists, but that is not
right. We are normal Iraqi people."

Eight years after the US-led invasion which ousted Saddam Hussein, the
former Iraqi leader, development in the country remains slow and there are
shortages of food, water, electricity and jobs.

Protesters confirmed that they were protesting for a better life and
better basic services.

"We are free young men and we are not belonging to a certain ideological
movement but we ask for our simple legitimate demands that include the
right of education and the right of decent life,” Malik Abdon, a
protester, said.

'Al-Qaeda threat'

The Arab world has erupted in protests seeking to oust long-standing
rulers and improve basic services, although Iraqi demonstrations have been
more focused on anger over a lack of essential needs and an end to
corruption rather than a change in government.

Protesters have demonstrated throughout Iraq, from the northern city of
Kirkuk to the southern oil hub of Basra.

A crowd of angry marchers in the northern city of Hawija, 240km north of
Baghdad, tried to break into the city's municipal building, Ali Hussein
Salih, the head of the local city council, said.

Security forces trying to block the crowd opened fire, killing three
demonstrators and wounding 15, local officials said.

The Iraqi army was eventually called in to restore order.

In Mosul, also in northern Iraq, hundreds of protesters gathered in front
of the provincial council building, demanding jobs and better services,
when guards opened fire, according to a police official.

A police and hospital official said three protesters were killed and 15
people wounded. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they
are not authorised to brief the media.

Friday's protests were organised mainly through social networking site
Facebook, echoing mass rallies mobilised by youths through social media
which unseated Tunisia and Egypt's long-ruling heads of state.

In recent weeks, protests had been mounting in cities and towns around
Iraq. Several people have been killed and scores wounded in clashes
between demonstrators and security forces.

Al-Maliki, the prime minister, has affirmed the right of Iraqis to protest
peacefully but on Thursday he advised them to stay away from Friday's
demonstration due to possible violence by al-Qaeda and members of Saddam's
banned Baath party.

A weakened but stubborn campaign of violence by fighters is still capable
of carrying out large-scale attacks in Iraq despite a big drop in overall
violence since the peak of sectarian warfare in 2006-7.

Shia religious leaders, including revered Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani
and Muqtada al-Sadr, had also cautioned their followers about taking part
in the protests on Friday.

Leonard Peltier Update: Medical Treatment

The biopsy that was ordered by a physician last November was finally
performed yesterday, 23 February. Leonard will receive the results
in roughly 7 to 10 days. The feedback from the physician wasn't
positive, however. Everyone must continue to pressure the BOP for
Leonard's transfer so that he can receive timely, quality care.

Please sign the below letter; write your name and mailing address;
and mail or fax your letter today.

Mail to: Federal Bureau of Prisons
Address: 320 1st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20534
Fax: (202) 514-6620

Sample Letter

* Often a handwritten heartfelt letter is quite effective. Remember
to always employ a respectful tone and keep your comments brief and
to the point. If you wish, you may adapt the following text. *

Harley G. Lappin, Director
U.S. Bureau of Prisons
320 First Street, NW
Washington, DC 20534

Dear Mr. Lappin:

It has come to my attention that Leonard Peltier #89637-132, an
inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, is in
dire need of medical attention.

I believe that Mr. Peltier's medical needs are urgent. He needs to be
seen by proper medical staff. Therefore, I respectfully request that
Leonard Peltier be transferred to FCI-Oxford in Wisconsin or
FMC-Rochester in Minnesota. Either of these facilities can adequately
accommodate Mr. Peltier's medical needs.

Thank you in advance for transferring Leonard Peltier and immediately
addressing his medical needs!

Sincerely,



Signature

(Print Your Name)
(Print Your Street Address)
(Print Your City/State/Zip Code)

Thank you for all you do on Leonard's behalf.


Launched into cyberspace by the
Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
PO Box 7488, Fargo, ND 58106
www.whoisleonardpeltier.info
contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info

Gaddafi vows to crush protesters

Libyan leader speaks to supporters in the capital's Green Square, saying
he will arm people against protesters.

Feb 25, 2011 Al Jazeera

Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, has appeared in Tripoli's Green
Square, to address a crowd of his supporters in the capital.

The speech, which also referred to Libya's war of independence with Italy,
appeared to be aimed at rallying what remains of his support base, with
specific reference to the country's youth.

"We can defeat any aggression if necessary and arm the people," Gaddafi
said, in footage that was aired on Libyan state television on Friday.

"I am in the middle of the people.. we will fight … we will defeat them if
they want … we will defeat any foreign aggression.

"Dance … sing and get ready … this is the spirit … this is much better
than the lies of the Arab propaganda," he said.

His last speech, on Thursday evening had been made by phone, leading to
speculation about his physical condition.

The footage aired on Friday, however, showed Gaddafi standing above the
square, waving his fist as he spoke.

Tarik Yousef, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington,
told Al Jazeera that most of the individuals on Green Square are genuine
Gaddafi supporters.

"Most of these people have known nothing else but Gaddafi. They don’t know
any other leader. And many of them stand to lose when Gaddafi falls,"
Yousef said.

"I am not completely surprised that they still think that he is the right
man for Libya. What is striking is that [Gaddafi] did not talk about all
the liberated cities in his country.

"This was a speech intended show his defiance and to rally against what he
calls foreign interference. But even his children have admitted that the
east of the country is no longer under the regime's control."

Gaddafi's speech came on a day when tens of thousands of Libyans in
Tripoli and elsewhere in the country took to the streets calling for an
end to his rule.

Heavy gunfire

As demonstrations began in Tripoli following the midday prayer, security
forces loyal to Gaddafi reportedly began firing on them. There was heavy
gunfire in various Tripoli districts including Fashloum, Ashour, Jumhouria
and Souq Al, sources told Al Jazeera.

"The security forces fired indiscriminately on the demonstrators," said a
resident of one of the capital's eastern suburbs.

"There were deaths in the streets of Sug al-Jomaa," the resident said.

The death toll since the violence began remains unclear, though on
Thursday Francois Zimeray, France's top human rights official, said it
could be as high as 2,000 people killed.
Follow more of Al Jazeera's special coverage here

But Saif al-Islam, Muammar Gaddafi's son, has called on the European Union
to send a fact-finding team to Libya.

"We are not afraid of the facts. We are worried about rumours and lies,"
he said.

Violence flared up even before the Friday sermons were over, according to
a source in Tripoli.

"People are rushing out of mosques even before Friday prayers are finished
because the state-written sermons were not acceptable, and made them even
more angry," the source said.

Libyan state television aired one such sermon on Friday, in an apparent
warning to protesters.

"As the prophet said, if you dislike your ruler or his behaviour, you
should not raise your sword against him, but be patient, for those who
disobey the rulers will die as infidels," the speaker told his
congregation in Tripoli.

During Friday prayers, a religious leader in the town of Mselata, 80km to
the east of Tripoli, called for the people to fight back.

Immediately after the prayers, more than 2,000 people, some of them armed
with rifles taken from the security forces, headed towards Tripol to
demand the fall of Gaddafi, Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri reported.

The group made it as far as the city of Tajoura, where it was stopped by a
group loyal to Gaddafi.

They were checked by foreign, French-speaking mercenaries and gunfire was
exchanged. There were an unknown number of casualties, Moshiri reported,
based on information from witnesses who had reached on the Libyan-Tunisian
border.

Foreign mercenaries

There have been frequent reports of foreign mercenaries working for
Gaddafi against the protesters, but their nationality remains uncertain.

The government of Chad has moved to counter allegations that Chadian
mercenaries were being recruited to go to Libya.

"International media inundates the public opinion with information
alleging some Chadian would be mercenaries currently acting in Libya,"
Moussa Mahamat Dago, the Chad foreign ministry’s general secretary, said
on Friday.

"We want to formally and categorically deny all those allegations that are
dangerous and could pose a material and physical danger to the many
Chadians living in Libya for years and always in a peaceful way."

People in eastern parts of the country, a region believed to be largely
free from Gaddafi's control, held protests in support for the
demonstrations in the capital.

"Friday prayer in Benghazi have seen thousands and thousands on the
streets. All the banners are for the benefit of the capital, [they are
saying] 'We're with you, Tripoli'," Al Jazeera’s Laurence Lee reported.

In the town of Derna, protesters held banners with the messages such as
"We are one Tribe called Libya, our only capital is Tripoli, we want
freedom of speech".

Al Jazeera's correspondent in Libya reported on Friday that army
commanders in the east who had renounced Gaddafi's leadership had told her
that military commanders in the country's west were beginning to turn
against him.

They warned, however, that the Khamis Brigade, an army special forces
brigade that is loyal to the Gaddafi family and is equipped with
sophisticated weaponry, is currently still fighting anti-government
forces.

The correspondent, who cannot be named for security reasons, said that
despite the gains, people are anxious about what Gaddafi might do next,
and the fact that his loyalists were still at large.

"People do say that they have broken the fear factor, that they have made
huge territorial gains,” she said. "[Yet] there's no real celebration or
euphoria that the job has been done."

On Friday morning, our correspondents reported quoting witnesses that the
town of Zuwarah had been abandoned by security forces and completely in
the hands of anti-Gaddafi protesters.

Checkpoints in the country's west on roads leading to the Tunisian border,
however, were still being controlled by Gaddafi loyalists.

In the east, similar checkpoints were manned by anti-Gaddafi forces, who
had set up a "humanitarian aid corridor" as well as a communications
corridor to the Egyptian border, our correspondent reported.

Thousands massed in Az Zawiyah's Martyr's Square after the attack, calling
on Gaddafi to leave office, and on Friday morning, explosions were heard
in the city.

Arms caches blown up

Witnesses say pro-Gaddafi forces were blowing up arms caches, in order to
prevent anti-government forces from acquiring those weapons.

Clashes were also reported in the city of Misurata, located 200km east of
Tripoli, where witnesses said a pro-Gaddafi army brigade attacked the
city's airport with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.

They told Al Jazeera that pro-democracy protesters had managed to fight
off that attack. "Revolutionaries have driven out the security forces,"
they said, adding that "heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft guns" had
been used against them.

Mohamed Senussi, a resident of Misurata, said calm had returned to the
city after the "fierce battle" near the airport.

"The people's spirits here are high, they are celebrating and chanting
'God is Greatest'," he told the Reuters news agency by telephone.

Another witness warned, however, that protesters in Misurata felt
"isolated" as they were surrounded by nearby towns still in Gaddafi's
control.

Protesters and air force personnel who have renounced Gaddafi's leadership
also overwhelmed a nearby military base where Gaddafi loyalists were
taking refuge, according to a medical official at the base.

They disabled air force fighter jets at the base so that they could not be
used against protesters.

Oil terminal

Soldiers helped anti-Gaddafi protesters take the oil terminal in the town
of Berga, according to Reuters.

The oil refinery in Ras Lanuf has also halted its operations and most
staff has left, according to a source in the company.

Support for Gaddafi within the country's elite continues to decline. On
Friday, Abdel Rahman Al Abar, Libya's Chief Prosecutor, became one of the
latest top officials to resign in protest over the bloodshed.

"What happened and is happening are massacres and bloodshed never
witnessed by the Libyan people. The logic of power and violence is being
imposed instead of seeking democratic, free, and mutual dialogue," he
said.

His comments came as UN's highest human-rights body held a special session
on Friday to discuss what it's chief had earlier described as possible
"crimes against humanity" by the Gaddafi government.

Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, urged world leaders
to "step in vigorously" to end the violent crackdown.

The United Nations Security Council was to hold a meeting on the situation
in Libya later in the day, with sanctions the possible imposition of a
no-fly zone over the country under Chapter VII of the UN charter on the
table.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Support Tim DeChristopher, Facing 10 Yrs. for Sabbing an Auction


http://www.peacefuluprising.org

Tim is facing ten years in prison on two felony charges for derailing
an illegal sale of public land from the outgoing Bush administration to
private oil and gas developers.


The government is embarrassed by this very public trial, and wishes
it would go away, but Tim has refused any kind of plea bargain because
he thinks a jury of his peers should decide if he was justified in
defying an unjust system that is dooming us to an unlivable future.

It is this kind of peaceful, powerful, and courageous civil
disobedience that is largely missing from the climate movement. An
outbreak of jury trials (and willingness to serve time if necessary)
could create a political atmosphere that allows a reasonable
governmental response to climate change–while bringing the damaging
injustices of our current system into the spotlight. People pay attention when
others make sacrifices.
Tim forced a trial so we would have
a chance to show the world that if you stand up for a livable future,
others will stand with you. Can you join us?

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Jock Palfreeman’s sentence upheld after an appeal

Jock finally received court verdict on his appeal. In blatant disregard for all
the facts presented to them during the process Bulgarian authorities upheld
Jock’s ridiculous sentence, complete ignoring all evidence in his defense.
There are no words to describe our contempt and disgust we feel towards all
those people responsible for his imprisonment. Jock can appeal the decision
within 14 days and last appeal will take place within next few months. We have
to put more pressure on Bulgarian authorities if we don’t want them to get away
with what they are doing at the moment.

Below is Jock’s comment on the sentencing:

To say I’m dissappointed would be an understatement. But I am not dissappointed
in the Monov family’s demands for unjustified punishment. I am dissappointed in
the judges and legal structure that seems to have the moral backbones of
jellyfish. When I saw the 15 men attack the two homeless men, I was presented
with a choice. Stand back and let the injustice continue or intervene in an
attempt to save human life. The Sofia city court and the Sofia court of appeal
were all presented with a much easier choice than that. Their choice was not
one that could result in their own deaths as mine was. Yet still they chose to
take the easy way. They chose to bow to the political pressure from the
Bulgarian Socialist Party and it’s beaurocrats which float around the Ministry
of Interior and Ministry of Justice like bad smell. Although this latest
decision keeps me with a 20 year prison sentence, it is useful as evidence to
show the depth and width of corruption in the Bulgarian courts and justice
system. As disheartening as this blatantly corrupt decision is, we all must
take encouragement from the 10 neutral witnesses who did have the moral
backbone to come forward and tell the truth. Also from the 5 police who too
eventually told the truth despite overwhelming pressures from their superiors.
To all those who fight against racism, nationalism, corruption and injustice- I
tell you not to loose focus or direction. Do not loose hope. Those who wish to
hide the shame that the 15 skinheads brought on Bulgaria have only been
successful in increasing it and legalizing it. Ironically Andrei Monov was not
ashamed of his nationalism and I doubt he would have lied about actions he and
his family are clearly proud of. “Bulgaria for Bulgarians” was what Dr Monov
said he and his son believed in. “Defending the underdog” is what I believe in,
be it Bulgaria or Bangladesh. The supreme court of appeal will not remedy the
injustice. The head judge of the supreme court of appeal was even present at
Andrei Monovs funeral. My prison sentence although outrageous, will be served
easier now that the evidence is overwhelmingly in concurrence with my
statements and that I know I was correct in opposing racism in it’s most
disgusting form, violence. My gratitude to my family, friends and comrades who
have not supported me as an individual but supported me based on the evidence
in my case and the reason for my involvement with the 15 skinheads.

Jock Palfreeman

www.freejock.com

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Anarchists from Barnaul, Russia need your help!

Anarchist Black Cross Moscow Feb. 23, 2011

On night of February 1st, anarchists of Barnaul (Altai region) undertook
a graffiti-action which ridiculed the members of today’s Russian
“political elite” and compared them with parasites. It did not took long
for state repressive apparatus to react. On the next day the officers of
so-called anti-extremist police (CPE) broke into the houses of two
libertarian activists – Sergey Sandin and Daniil Malishkin.

The guys were took to the police station and held there over 24 hours
without any food, water and sleep. During this time the activists were
exerted pressure (including physical one) for them to admit their guilt
and disclose an information about other anarchists and anti-fascists. As
a result of this pressure Sergey Sandin had an attack of asthma (the
detailed story of Danil Malishkin's arrest arrest is here in Russian
language and here autotranslated).

Later, the policemen searched homes of activists (searches were
conducted with crude procedural violations), and took away some personal
belongings of the activists (including such usual things as teacup,
marker pens, sticky tape and so on), three computers and office equipment.

On February, 14 anarchist and antifascist Vitaliy Leonov was captured
near his work and got to the police station. Now he is the third suspect
in this case.

Although material loss from the graffiti-action was minor (about 25 EUR
for “damaged banner”), and there wasn’t any evidence of the guys’
involvement in illegal activity, the anti-extremist police processed a
criminal case against them. Now our friends are charged with
“hooliganism, committed by a group of people for political reasons”.
Maximum punishment on this accusation is seven years of imprisonment.

In this moment Daniil, Sergey and Vitali need money for lawyers (about
3000 euros all together). This sum is overwhelming for them, because two
of them are still students and their families are not rich.

To get more information you can contact these e-mails and the guys will
answer you themselves:

Daniil Malishkin bonk46@gmail.com

Sergey Sandin enottwentytwo@gmail.com

Vitaliy Leonov leonow85@gmail.com

Just a month ago they organized a hardcore punk concert in order to
collect money for orphanage. And now we ask you for a help, because
anyone of us can find oneself under repressions.

Transfers for Barnaul anarchists under investigation:

Web Money
R883295499137 (RUB)
Z102747368586 (USD)
E329649787161 (EUR)

Yandex Money

41001276209779

Alfa-Bank (euro accounts – only for euros!)
Beneficiaru s bank Alfa-bank, Moscow, Russia

S.W.I.F.T. ALFARUMM

Beneficiaru ms. Gain Olga Aleksandrovna

Account number 40817978308960001123

Correspondent bank of beneficiaru s bank COMMERZBANK AG, Frankfurt am Main

S.W.I.F.T. COBADEFF

Acc. With corresp / Bank № 400886894501 EUR

Alfa-Bank (USD)

Beneficiaru s bank Alfa-bank, Moscow, Russia

S.W.I.F.T. ALFARUMM

Beneficiaru ms. Gain Olga Aleksandrovna

Account number 40817840308960001497

Correspondent bank of beneficiaru s bank WELLS FARGO BANK N.A.

S.W.I.F.T. PNBPUS3NNYC

Acc. With corresp / Bank № 2000193651652 USD

You can also help DANIIL, SERGEY and VITALIY by dissemination of this
information.

Thank you!

SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON!


http://anarhobarnaul.org/barnaulskim-anarxistam-nuzhna-pomoshh/ - here
you can find this information in Russian, English and French languages.


For working links, check version at
http://avtonom.org/en/node/14981

Forwarded by Anarchist Black Cross of Moscow

Anarchist Black Cross Moscow
abc-msk A riseup D net
http://www.avtonom.org/abc
http://www.facebook.com/abcmoscow
http://www.twitter.com/abc_moscow
http://www.myspace.com/abcmsc
P.O. Box 13 109028 Moscow Russia

Initial protests pass off peacefully but bank blaze kills five with scores
injured and detained as trouble flares in deprived suburbs

guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 February 2011

Moroccans demonstrate in Casablanca 20/02/2011 Demonstrators in Casablanca
on Sunday. More than 37,000 demonstrated across Morocco, according to
interior ministry figures. Photograph: Chafik/AFP/Getty Images

Sporadic outbursts of violence have continued in Morocco after Sunday's
peaceful pro-democracy protests gave way to rioting, with five people
killed in a fire at a bank in the northern port of Al Hoceima.

Interior ministry figures showed that the protests were far more extensive
than first thought, with nearly 40,000 people turning out in 57 towns and
cities.

Protest organisers condemned the rioting and looting that followed the
demonstrations, blaming it on thugs and football hooligans returning from
matches.

While the mostly middle-class pro-democracy protesters had pledged to
remain peaceful, there were warnings before the marches that the real
tinderbox in Morocco lay in the poverty-stricken outer suburbs of the
cities, where many of Sunday's rioters are thought to live.

Outbreaks of violence continued on Monday in Fes, with at least three
people injured, according to Morocco's Atlantic Radio.

Clashes were also recorded in the northern towns of Ait Bouayach and
Imzourne, Spain's El País newspaper reported.

Interior minister Taeib Cherqaoui said 128 people had been injured on
Sunday, mostly police officers. A further 120 people were detained. He
said "troublemakers" had vandalised dozens of public buildings, shops and
banks.

Tangier, Larache, Marrakech, Sefrou, Tetouan and Guelmim suffered the
worst violence, with a total of 33 public buildings being attacked or set
on fire.

Cherqaoui said the demonstrations themselves had been peaceful, calling
them an example of "the healthy practise of the freedom of expression".

Moroccan authorities claim the country will prove resistant to the wave of
revolution sweeping north Africa and the Middle East because of the
greater freedoms enjoyed by Moroccans.

It was unclear whether or not the protest movement would call for further
action over the weekend.



Morocco - Five people killed and 128 injured in Sunday demonstration
DPA

Feb 21, 2011 - Rabat - Five people were killed and 128 injured during pro-
democracy demonstrations in Morocco on Sunday as the protest wave sweeping
the Arab world spread to the North African kingdom, according to figures
given by the government on Monday.
The bodies of the five victims were found inside a bank that had been set
on fire by rioters in the northern city of Al Hoceima.
Some 37,000 people attended marches, rallies and sit-in demonstrations in
53 prefectures and provinces, Interior Minister Taieb Cherkaoui said.
Violent incidents occurred in seven cities, including the port city of
Tangier, the tourist destination Marrakesh and Al Hoceima, according to
the minister.
Media reports said demonstrators attacked party offices, police stations
and shops, and set cars on fire. Police dispersed the rioters with tear
gas and rubber bullets.
The unrest damaged 33 public buildings, 24 bank offices, 50 shops and
private buildings, and 66 vehicles, according to figures given by the
minister.
Cherkaoui said the Al Hoceima bank where the five charred bodies were
found had been closed at the time. The victims were looters who had
entered the bank after the demonstration was over. Others then set the
bank on fire, according to the minister.
Cherkaoui said a total of 128 people were injured in the unrest, including
115 members of the security forces, and that 120 people had been detained.
The demonstrations were staged with the support of a Facebook protest
movement, Islamic fundamentalists, human rights and women's groups, as
well as some leftist parties and trade unionists.

Morocco riots leave five dead

Initial protests pass off peacefully but bank blaze kills five with scores injured and detained as trouble flares in deprived suburbs

guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 February 2011

Moroccans demonstrate in Casablanca 20/02/2011 Demonstrators in Casablanca
on Sunday. More than 37,000 demonstrated across Morocco, according to
interior ministry figures. Photograph: Chafik/AFP/Getty Images

Sporadic outbursts of violence have continued in Morocco after Sunday's
peaceful pro-democracy protests gave way to rioting, with five people
killed in a fire at a bank in the northern port of Al Hoceima.

Interior ministry figures showed that the protests were far more extensive
than first thought, with nearly 40,000 people turning out in 57 towns and
cities.

Protest organisers condemned the rioting and looting that followed the
demonstrations, blaming it on thugs and football hooligans returning from
matches.

While the mostly middle-class pro-democracy protesters had pledged to
remain peaceful, there were warnings before the marches that the real
tinderbox in Morocco lay in the poverty-stricken outer suburbs of the
cities, where many of Sunday's rioters are thought to live.

Outbreaks of violence continued on Monday in Fes, with at least three
people injured, according to Morocco's Atlantic Radio.

Clashes were also recorded in the northern towns of Ait Bouayach and
Imzourne, Spain's El País newspaper reported.

Interior minister Taeib Cherqaoui said 128 people had been injured on
Sunday, mostly police officers. A further 120 people were detained. He
said "troublemakers" had vandalised dozens of public buildings, shops and
banks.

Tangier, Larache, Marrakech, Sefrou, Tetouan and Guelmim suffered the
worst violence, with a total of 33 public buildings being attacked or set
on fire.

Cherqaoui said the demonstrations themselves had been peaceful, calling
them an example of "the healthy practise of the freedom of expression".

Moroccan authorities claim the country will prove resistant to the wave of
revolution sweeping north Africa and the Middle East because of the
greater freedoms enjoyed by Moroccans.

It was unclear whether or not the protest movement would call for further
action over the weekend.



Morocco - Five people killed and 128 injured in
Sunday demonstration


Feb 21, 2011 - Rabat - Five people were killed and 128 injured during pro-
democracy demonstrations in Morocco on Sunday as the protest wave sweeping
the Arab world spread to the North African kingdom, according to figures
given by the government on Monday.
The bodies of the five victims were found inside a bank that had been set
on fire by rioters in the northern city of Al Hoceima.
Some 37,000 people attended marches, rallies and sit-in demonstrations in
53 prefectures and provinces, Interior Minister Taieb Cherkaoui said.
Violent incidents occurred in seven cities, including the port city of
Tangier, the tourist destination Marrakesh and Al Hoceima, according to
the minister.
Media reports said demonstrators attacked party offices, police stations
and shops, and set cars on fire. Police dispersed the rioters with tear
gas and rubber bullets.
The unrest damaged 33 public buildings, 24 bank offices, 50 shops and
private buildings, and 66 vehicles, according to figures given by the
minister.
Cherkaoui said the Al Hoceima bank where the five charred bodies were
found had been closed at the time. The victims were looters who had
entered the bank after the demonstration was over. Others then set the
bank on fire, according to the minister.
Cherkaoui said a total of 128 people were injured in the unrest, including
115 members of the security forces, and that 120 people had been detained.
The demonstrations were staged with the support of a Facebook protest
movement, Islamic fundamentalists, human rights and women's groups, as
well as some leftist parties and trade unionists.

Students killed at Yemen rally

Protests turn deadly as the president's supporters open fire on anti-government demonstrators in the capital, Sanaa.


22 Feb 2011 Al Jazeera

Two students have been killed in Yemen after more than 1,000
anti-government protesters rallied near Sanaa University.

Witnesses said supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Yemeni president,
opened fire at the protesters late on Tuesday night.

Tom Finns, the editor of Yemen Times, quoted a doctor as saying the two
students died from bullet wounds and that 20 others were injured, some by
bullets and some by rocks being thrown.

Finns told Al Jazeera that police had surrounded the scene and at least
five ambulances had left carrying the injured.

Earlier in the day, clashes broke out as a crowd of about 4,000
anti-government protesters moved close to where Saleh's loyalists were
bunkered down.

About 1,000 students had spent a second night camped at a square near
Sanaa University, dubbed Al-Huriya (Liberty) Square, where they have
erected a huge tent.

Across the country, tens of thousands rallied on Tuesday calling for
Saleh's resignation.

Continued violence

Demonstrators, inspired by revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, have been
protesting for almost two weeks against the rule of Saleh, in power since
1978.

On Monday, witnesses said a teenager was killed and four people wounded in
a clash with soldiers in the country's southern city of Aden.

Officers stood by as demonstrators marched in the eastern town of
al-Shiher, chanting "Down, down with Saleh".

In Taiz, Yemen's second-largest city, thousands of protesters marched in
the Safir Square. An activist, Ahmed Ghilan, said hundreds have been
camping in the square for more than a week, renaming it "Freedom Square".

In Aden, schools closed, most government employees were not working and
many shops were closed as hundreds gathered for another round of protests.

But mounting pressure has so far yielded little result as Saleh insists he
will only step down after national elections are held in 2013.

He has said protesters demanding an end to his rule could not achieve
their goal through "anarchy and killing".

He said on Monday that he had ordered troops not to fire at
anti-government protesters, except in self-defence, but medical officials
say at least 12 people had been killed in demonstrations before the latest
deaths were reported on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the opposition rebuffed Saleh's offer of dialogue, while
an influential group of Muslim religious leaders called for a national
unity government that would lead the country to elections.

Bahrain king releases political prisoners

By HADEEL AL-SHALCHI and BARBARA SURK, Associated Press Feb 22, 2011

MANAMA, Bahrain – Tens of thousands of red-and-white draped, flag-waving
protesters flooded this tiny kingdom's capital Tuesday, a massive show of
force against the embattled monarchy as the king made another concession
to the marchers — releasing dozens of political prisoners.

Upbeat, determined demonstrators took over Manama for the day, circling
the Bahrain Mall and Manama's financial district, symbols of the country's
recent prosperity, in a march to the heart of the protest at Pearl Square.

"Egypt, Tunisia — are we any different?" marchers chanted, calling for the
Sunni rulers they accuse of discriminating against the island's Shiite
majority to fall as the presidents of two other Arab countries have in
recent weeks.

Helicopters hovered overhead but security forces offered no resistance
after opening fire on protesters last week, and the size of the event
rivaled any of the major demonstrations so far in the eight-day uprising.

At least 50 prisoners were released included 25 Shiite activists on trial
since last year for plotting against the state, according to a leading
member of Bahrain's Shiite opposition, Abdul Jalil Khalil.

The release underlined how much the absolute rulers of Bahrain want to
kick start reform talks with opposition leaders.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United States
welcomed the king's decision to release the prisoners and "initiate a
meaningful dialogue with the full spectrum of Bahraini society."

"As we have said, these steps need to be followed by concrete actions and
reform," she said. "There is no place for violence against peaceful
protesters."

Two of those in the case are being tried in absentia, including prominent
opposition leader Hassan Meshaima, who has been in self-exile in London
since last year. Meshaima's return to Bahrain was imminent, his supporters
said.

The activist's presence could bolster opposition forces seeking a harder
line against the Bahrain dynasty, including some who have called for the
complete ouster of the king and the family that has ruled for more than
200 years.

Meshaima's group, known as Haq, is considered more radical than the main
Shiite political bloc that has taken a central role in the revolt and is
seeking the establishment of a constitutional monarchy.

A small group of Bahraini army officers joined the ranks of protesters to
demand reforms and the resignation of the current government. They
condemned the soldiers who shot at protesters on Friday.

"What we did to the people was not heroic," said Yeussif Najri, an army
officer. "We ask the people to forgive us, we ask the people for
forgiveness."

The government said Tuesday that the overall death toll was seven from
last week's clashes. Previous reports from opposition groups and hospital
officials in the past week set the death toll at eight, but the government
tally now appears accurate.

The government also said 25 people were hospitalized, but it's unclear
what degree of injury authorities used to arrive at that figure.
Opposition groups place the figure at more than 200. Associated Press
journalists at the main state hospital witnessed many dozens of people
being treated.

The attacks on protesters have brought stinging denunciations from
Bahrain's Western allies, including the United States. The U.S. maintains
very close ties with Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Bahrain authorities withdrew the military Saturday and allowed protesters
to reclaim Pearl Square, the gathering point for the uprising and now a
tent city of protesters.

Bahrain's Shiite majority has complained of discrimination and political
persecution in the kingdom. They have staged protests in the past, but the
current unrest is the most serious against the Sunni rulers.

On Monday, Bahrain's crown prince called off Formula One's season-opening
race scheduled for March 13, handing another victory to protesters. Shiite
leaders said it would have been disrespectful the hold the race to which
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa owns the rights

Sabkar told reporters the "immediate priority is to keep the peace and
maintain calm." She said the government, led by the same prime minister —
the king's uncle — for 40 years, was "deeply saddened by the tragic events
of the past few days and its condolences go out to those families who have
lost loved ones."

Statement in Solidarity with the Arrested Zimbabwean Activists (Harare 52

Feb. 23, 2011 Infoshop News

Another dark day in Zimbabwe

Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front Statement

ZACF Statement in Solidarity with Arrested Zimbabwean Activists

Activists gathered in Harare on the 19th February in a closed meeting to
discuss the recent uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, were
arrested after a planned police raid. Currently they are being held
without charge and reports indicate that key members of the gathering are
being subjected to physical assault by their captors.

The ZACF strongly condemns yet another act of aggression against ordinary
Zimbabweans seeking better alternatives to their current state of violent
subjugation to the authority of the state and capital. In a clear show of
force, the state and the predator ruling class has once again shown its
desire to maintain power as the regulator of Zimbabwean society and will
use violence and intimidation to achieve these ends. The present vicious
attacks on protestors in Libya speak to this point as well.

In any society the oppressed classes organized from below are the decisive
forces to end regimes. The ruling classes in the state and capital are
keenly aware of this and always seek to crush dissent.

A call has been sent to all progressive organisations and activists to
join in solidarity and support of the arrested comrades. Solidarity from
abroad should not be seen as a substitute, but is an essential aid in the
struggles in Zimbabwe. Parliamentary democracy would be an improvement,
because of its immediate benefits, but is not a substitute for the
fundamental and radical restructuring of power and wealth needed to really
change daily life and empower the oppressed classes.

The campaign calls on activists to write letters and statements of
solidarity with the 52 and to apply pressure by sending letters and faxes
to key government officials and Zimbabwean embassies calling for the
immediate release of those arrested. Copies of faxes and emails should
also be sent to:

socialismfrombelow@gmail.com
shanthabloemen@gmail.com and
ashley_fataar@yahoo.co.uk

Follow developments at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_178601402184959&ap=1

Join the campaign!
Down with state violence and repression!
Release the Harare 52!

This statement was issued by the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front
Related Link: http://www.zabalaza.net

Congo colonel gets 20 years after rape trial

By MICHELLE FAUL, Associated Press Feb 21, 2011

BARAKA, Congo – One by one, the rape survivors relived their attacks for a
panel of judges: A newly married bride flung her torn, bloodied clothing
onto the courtroom floor. A mother of six dropped to her knees, raised her
arms to heaven and cried out for peace.

Nearly 50 women poured out their stories in a wave of anguish that ended
Monday with the conviction of an army colonel for crimes against humanity
— a landmark verdict in this Central African country where thousands are
believed to be raped each year by soldiers and militia groups who often go
unpunished.

It was the first time a commanding officer had been tried in such an attack.

Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Lt. Col. Mutuare Daniel
Kibibi, who was accused of ordering his troops on New Year's Day to attack
the village of Fizi, a sprawling community 20 miles (35 kilometers) south
of Baraka on an escarpment of mountains covered in banana trees.

Military prosecutor Col. Laurent Mutata Luaba said the men "behaved like
wild beasts," terrorizing defenseless civilians they had orders to
protect.

Doctors later treated 62 women for rape. One woman testified that Kibibi
himself raped her for 40 minutes.

Kibibi and the 10 of his men who stood trial with him were the only ones
identified after the rampage.

As the defendants were being led away in handcuffs, hundreds of people
jeered at them, booed and shook their fists. Some shouted, "Kibibi! You
thought you could get away with this! Now you are going to jail!" and "You
must pay for your crimes!"

Kibibi, 46, who is married with eight children, was convicted of four
counts of crimes against humanity but will serve no more than 20 years in
prison.

Kibibi denies all the charges and says the testimony by his bodyguards was
part of a plot to denigrate him. Defense attorney Alfred Maisha described
his client as a "valiant hero" who had served in the army since 1984 and
had risked his life many times in the defense of the country.

Maisha said many of the troops under Kibibi's command were poorly trained
and included former members of rebel and militia groups.

Witnesses said the soldiers descended in a fury upon the village, where
residents had stoned a soldier to death who had been involved in an
altercation with a local shop owner.

The soldiers smashed down doors and went house-to-house, pillaging,
beating and raping for an entire night, from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next
day, witnesses said.

Three of Kibibi's officers received the same sentences, and five others
got lesser sentences. One man was acquitted and another will be tried in
juvenile court.

But even as the men were sent away, women feared that some attackers had
escaped justice.

"Most of the rapists are still right here in our village," one woman said
as she nursed her baby. "If we go to the river for water, we get raped. If
we go to the fields for food, we get raped. If we go to the market to sell
our goods, we get raped.

"Our lives are filled with danger," she said. "There is no peace."

Rape has long been used as a brutal weapon of war in eastern Congo, which
suffered back-to-back civil wars starting in the late 1990s. The eastern
portion of the country is still brutalized by armed groups.

At least 8,300 rapes were reported in 2009 alone, and aid workers say the
true toll is much higher. The victims have included a month-old baby boy
and elderly women. Even the biggest U.N. peacekeeping force in the world
of 18,000 troops has been unable to end the violence.

During the trial, aid groups said new reports of rapes were emerging, this
time women believed to have been attacked by Rwandan Hutu rebels.

Monday's verdict came only after prosecutors and lawyers were ferried to
this remote corner of eastern Congo, which is accessible from the
provincial capital only by helicopter or a nearly nine-hour road journey.

The mobile court was paid for by George Soros' Open Society Initiative and
aided by several other agencies, including the American Bar Association,
Lawyers Without Borders and the U.N. Mission to Congo.

Activists said they hoped the verdict would serve as a warning to others
who expect to attack civilians with impunity.

"If word about the court is spread around the country, it could have an
enormous impact on deterring future crimes, now that the rule of law is
finally being enforced domestically, to at least some extent," said Kelly
D. Askin of Open Society Justice Initiative.

The total number of victims will never be known. The women who testified
in court were identified only as Female 1 to Female 49 out of fear for
their security and efforts to reduce the social stigma associated with
rape.

The remembered horrors piled up over four days of agonizing testimony. A
35-year-old woman detailed how she was beaten with rifle butts and fists
before five soldiers threw her to the ground, tore off her clothes and
took turns raping her, even as she vomited, urinated and defecated.

The soldiers took all the money she had been saving for more than a year —
60,000 Congolese francs ($650).

A white-haired grandmother described being beaten up and raped by 12
soldiers in front of her husband and children.

Women testified that they later spent up to three weeks hiding in the
nearby forest with their children, building little grass huts and foraging
for berries and roots instead of returning to Fizi.

Their statements were then recounted in open court where hundreds of
people, mainly men and boys, gathered under a burning sun.

Some survivors spoke so softly it was hard to hear them over the sniffling
and whimpers of babies and the occasional drumming of an equatorial
thunderstorm on the tin roof.

The other victims would not testify, fearful they might be shunned by
their husbands and community or be targeted for reprisals by the military.

Others are still coming forward, including one elderly victim who only
emerged Sunday from the forest with a broken rib. Her face remained
swollen out of shape seven weeks later.

The 49 women who testified are to receive up to $10,000 each in
compensation from the government — double the amount given to victims in
previous cases.

Unspecified other damages must be paid for victims' "humiliation,
degradation of their health, social stigmatization, risk of divorce, and
possibility of HIV," presiding judge Col. Fredy Mukendi ordered.

Many complained that the sentences were not harsh enough.

"We are happy that this trial has been held, but we are not happy with the
result," said Oscar Muzaliwa, 26. "The sentences are too low. (They)
should be put to death for what they did."

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Despite denial - write another letter & call for Oscar Lopez Rivera

February 21, 2011

Today the National Boricua Human Rights Network
is continuing the campaign to win freedom for
Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar Lopez
Rivera. On Friday, February 18, the U.S. Parole
Commission issued its decision in the case of
Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López
Rivera, stating "Deny parole. Continue to a
15-year reconsideration hearing in January 2026
or continue to expiration, whichever comes first."

Please continue to call, fax and mail letters to
the USPC. THERE ARE NEW VERSIONS OF THE PHONE
SCRIPT AND LETTER. Please make sure you use those. (see below)

This decision ignores the express will of the
Puerto Rican people and those who believe in
justice and human rights, counting tens of
thousands of voices supporting his immediate
release, the Commission ignored the evidence
establishing that Oscar met all the criteria for
parole, and also ignored its own rules in the
process. Among these many ignored voices are
members of legislatures including the United
States Congress; the state legislatures of New
York, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania; the city
councils and county boards of many locales in the
U.S. and Puerto Rico; the mayors of many towns in
the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including the
Association of Mayors of Puerto Rico; bar
associations including the Puerto Rico Bar
Association, the National Lawyers Guild and the
American Association of Jurists; clergy and
religious organizations, including the Ecumenical
Coalition representing every religious
denomination in Puerto Rico; human rights
advocates, academics, students, artists, community organizations, and workers.

Oscar and his attorney Jan Susler will meet next
week to discuss the decision. Meanwhile, the
National Boricua Human Rights Network in the U.S.
and the Comité Pro Derechos Humanos in Puerto
Rico will continue the campaign to express to the
Parole Commission the depth and breadth of
support for Oscar's immediate release.

Oscar, his family, his attorney, National Boricua
Human Rights Network in the U.S. and the Comité
Pro Derechos Humanos in Puerto Rico want to
express our deepest gratitude for the vast support for his release.

Alejandro Luis Molina
alejandrom@boricuahumanrights.org
Skype: alejandromann

Coordinating Committee
National Boricua Human Rights Network
2739 W. Division Street
Chicago IL 60622
www.boricuahumanrights.org
twitter: olrcat

Comité Pro-Derechos Humanos
www.presospoliticospuertorriquenos.org
************************************

February 21, 2011

Isaac Fulwood, Jr., Chair via facsimile 301/492-5543
United States Parole Commission
5550 Friendship Boulevard, Suite 420
Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815

Re: Oscar López Rivera, 87651-024, FCI Terre Haute

Dear Chairman Fulwood, and Commissioners Mitchell, Cushwa and Wilson Smoot:

We write to ask you to reconsider your decision
to deny parole to Oscar López Rivera, who is
serving a 70 year sentence for his commitment to
the independence of Puerto Rico. The U.S. Parole
Commission has likely never had a case similar to
his, with such overwhelming evidence to warrant granting immediate parole.

In what other case has an entire nation, in one
united voice, supported parole, as Puerto Rico did here?

In what other case has a president of the United
States already declared that the sentence was
disproportionate, and that he should have been released by September of 2009?

In what other case have 11 co-defendants
accumulated eleven years of exemplary conduct after their release?

In what other case has the very same Parole
Commission granted early termination of conditions to those co-defendants?

In what other case has the very same Parole
Commission granted parole to the only other
remaining co-defendant, only six months before
the hearing in this case, after he served 30 years in prison?

In what other case has the Commission received
tens of thousands of letters of support,
including from so many elected officials, clergy
and religious organizations, legal and human
rights groups, and people who seek justice?

In what other case has the Commission had such
conclusive proof meeting the criteria for release?

Yet, you ruled that because of several factors,
his "release on parole would promote disrespect
for the law," apparently ceding to forces opposed
to his parole, who insist that he is responsible
for a 1975 New York City bombing for which he was
neither accused nor convicted, and in which he did not participate.

We ask you to reconsider what promotes disrespect
for the law. The effect of your ruling is that
this 68 year old decorated Vietnam veteran, with
a distinguished record of service to his
community, will be required to serve 45 years
behind bars, when he was not convicted of harming
anyone or taking a life " in other words, cruel
and unusual punishment. No other country in the
world holds people in prison for almost half a century.

It is not too late for you to fulfill your
mission, "to promote public safety and to strive
for justice and fairness in the exercise of
[your] authority to release and supervise
offenders under [your] jurisdiction," by ordering
the immediate parole of Mr. López Rivera.

Very truly yours,
******************************************
Parole Board Phone call-in script 9-5 EST until further notice
US Parole Board phone: (301) 492-5990
Hit 0 to speak to operator.
Sample script is below.

Hi, I’m calling for the release of Oscar López #
87651-024 and I live in Chicago [NY, etc.]
The Parole Commission should reconsider its order
denying him parole, and grant him immediate parole.

IF YOU HAVE TIME, USE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING REASONS:
1) Oscar has the support of a broad sector of
Puerto Rico's civil society as well as Puerto
Rican/Latino communities and those who support
human rights throughout the United States.
2) Oscar was not accused or convicted of causing
injury or taking a life. He was never accused or
convicted of participating in the 1975 Fraunces
Tavern bombing or any other action that resulted in injury or death.
3) President Clinton's determination that Mr.
López Rivera’s sentence was disproportionately
lengthy, and his offer that would have resulted
in Mr. López Rivera’s release in September of 2009.

Response Statement: Police Raid of the SWAMP Collective

Feb. 19, 2011 Anarchist News

In the recent five months, tensions between the Fort Lauderdale Police
Department and Food Not Bombs activists have escalated. Within this time,
The FLPD has not only prevented multiple groups from sharing in Stranahan
Park, but has installed a police surveillance tower in the park amidst
repeated verbal assault against Food Not Bombs activists.

On Thursday, February 17th, an FPL electricity inspection led to the power
being turned off at the home of activists frequently the target of police
harassment. The electricity bill had been paid prior to this. Several
hours later, all tenants had left the house while a few guests remained.
During this time, an unwarranted police raid took place under the premise
of 'uninhabitable' living conditions. The house was deemed 'uninhabitable'
due to the lack of electricity, which had been turned off that morning.
House guests were pulled from the house and searched by over a dozen
officers, who kicked in unlocked doors and, with a K-9 unit, searched the
house with no specific intent. One female guest was frisked and
inappropriately touched by a male officer. More troubling still, officers
were questioning the political orientation of the house guests. They asked
if the house was a 'militant training camp', and whether or not the guests
were "terrorists" or affiliated with "black bloc". Before the FLPD left
the house, they threatened to repeat raids weekly.
[Stop. Lawyer time.]

The Food Not Bombs activists in Fort Lauderdale are not involved in any of
the activities suggested by the police. Rather, activities organized out
of the house include free bike repair, FNB gatherings and sharing of food
with the homeless, animal rights activities, candle making workshops,
foreclosure & civil rights activism, etc. We, Fort Lauderdale Food Not
Bombs, strongly condemn the intimidation tactics which include the police
surveillance tower in Stranahan Park, unwarranted police raids, and the
criminalization of community activism. Broward County officials have
already targeted the poor and disenfranchised. Now the range has been
expanded to include those who dare to help them. We call on South Florida
activists to stand with us in solidarity as we struggle against the city's
efforts to repress the homeless and community-based activism.

In solidarity,
Fort Lauderdale Food Not Bombs

For more information, send an email to WDirect08@aol.com or
SWAMPZine@gmail.com.

UPDATE: Fort Lauderdale Police returned to the activists home on Saturday,
February 19th at around 9:00PM. The two officers did not attempt a repeat
of Thursday's raid, but rather briefly insulted and intimidated one of the
tenants and their guests. The police entered the house, with permission
from the tenant but then left shortly afterward.

The Flames of Phaphamani

Feb 21 2011 Libcom.org

Pedro Alexis Tabensky on recent events in Grahamstown, South Africa, and
the increasing repression of poor people's movements there.

by Pedro Alexis Tabensky

The poor are steadily getting angrier and they are preparing for
something. They have relatively little to lose, except the hope that
drives their movements, informed predominantly by desire for justice for
those who are systematically dehumanized in our country today. These
movements include: Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM), the Poor Peoples’
Alliance, the Landless Peoples’ Movement, the Western Cape Anti-Eviction
Campaign, Mandela Park Backyarders and Sikhula Sonke. And, in my hometown—
Grahamstown—the Unemployed Peoples’ Movement (UPM) and the Woman’s Social
Forum (WSF) are represented.

All these independent movements are communicating with one another, having
conferences such as the recent Conference of the Democratic left in
Johannesburg, and using the courts and the internet, to achieve their
aims. They are organizing themselves, finding moneys here and there that
do not carry strings attached, thinking about possible futures without
economic injustice, rereading Biko and Fanon, and using their feet and
voices. Little will stop them except repression or genuine change for the
better. Sadly, more often than not, their voices are met with police or
grassroots ANC thuggery (such as the widely reported violence met out
against AbM in 2009 and the ANC Youth League sabotage of a meeting
convened by the UPM to discuss the Makana Municipality water crisis in
2010). But this violence only stops them temporarily. In the medium term,
it works as a catalyst. The more they are shot at and beaten in police
stations and on the streets around the country, the more they become
convinced that their fight is a fight to assert their humanity; the more
they are convinced that they are largely alone and that what they hope for
can only be brought about by their own efforts.

And their voices are starting decisively to be heard and taken seriously
by the mainstream, despite countless acts of official and semi-official
violence against them, and despite mainstream condescending portrayals of
them as angry children unproductively venting out frustration or as blind
automata of some mysterious third force.

I will focus here primarily on recent events in my hometown. They are
exemplary of what is happening nationally.

On Wednesday the 9th of this month, tyres started burning in the
Phaphamani informal settlements in Grahamstown after a failed attempt—one
of many—to get the local Mayor, Mr Vumile Lwana, to address the grievances
of the local poor. The first thing one finds when visiting the Makana
Municipality website is its vision statement: “We shall strive to ensure
sustainable, affordable, equitable and quality services in a just,
friendly, secure and healthy environment, which promotes social and
economic growth for all.” If only the municipality acted in accordance
with its own stated commitments, the Phaphamani fires would not have
started.

The flames of Phaphamani were an offshoot of a failed peaceful protest
organized primarily in response to a spate of recent rapes and murders. In
late December last year Ms Zingiswa Centwa, a learner at Nombulelo High
School, was raped and murdered. A few days later Ms Ntombekhaya Blaatjie
was also raped and sustained severe brain injuries from the attack. These
acts, in addition to many other recently reported sexual assaults in
Grahamstown, prompted the WSF and the UPM to join forces to organize a
protest march on the day of the trial of Ms Centwa’s alleged rapist and
killer to demand desperately needed services, such as better lighting,
that would help put an end to the violence met out against women. But the
aims of the planned protests were also more general. The radical lack of
security on township streets is only one sign of many more that point to
the glaring fact that in South Africa today only some of its citizens are
treated as full-blown human beings.

The protest conveners requested permission to protest in a timely fashion,
but the Makana Municipality unilaterally banned the march without
convening a legally mandatory Section 4 meeting, making their banning of
the march illegal. Given the municipality’s disregard for the law, the
organizers decided to carry on with the protest and moved from the
Grahamstown Magistrate’s Court to stage a sit-in at the municipal offices,
demanding to speak to the Mayor, Mr Lwana. They were in the building for
the better part of the day, but the Mayor did not present himself.
Instead, the Municipal Manager, Ms Ntombi Baart, made an appearance
towards the end of the day and assured the crowed that a meeting with the
Mayor would be arranged within 48 hours and then left giving those present
assurances that she would now contact Mr Lwana to arrange the meeting and
get back to them shortly. Soon after she left, the police came, claiming
that Ms Baart had called for them, and they dispersed the peaceful
protest. Residents of Phaphamani, who witnessed the deceit, were incensed
and decided, without consulting the protest conveners, to return to their
settlement, set tires alight and to dig up a recently laid tar road
running through Phaphamani.

The promised meeting with the Mayor never materialized itself. The
commitment made by Ms Baart was broken, lending further evidence that
Municipal officials are not to be trusted.

From the perspective of an outsider, one may think that this gesture of
lighting tires and destroying public property is senseless, but one must
take time to reflect on why residents of Phaphamani decided to do this.
First, they were outraged at the ongoing non-responsiveness of municipal
officials. Second, and relatedly, their needs were not considered when
deciding to spend public moneys on a road that will only advantage the
relatively rich. The residents of Phaphamani are too poor even to make use
of taxis, so the road clearly was not meant for them and, yet, their
demands for better housing, dignified toilets, water, security and jobs
are not being heard.

The flames of Phaphamani went on all night. Next morning when Mr Ayanda
Kota (UPM President), Mr Xola Mali (UPM Spokesperson) rushed to the
settlement upon receiving a call from Ms Nombulelo Yami (of the WSF)
informing them of police violence against the protesters. On arrival they
found that police were firing rubber bullets and rocksalt at the
protestors. They immediately went to speak to them to stop the unnecessary
violence, and were arrested with Ms Yami on the spot, handcuffed and
placed in a police van. While in the van they overheard a policeman ask
the driver to give him more ‘sweets to enjoy himself’. He wanted more
rubber bullets, and got them. Shortly after these arrests one of the
protesters—Ms Ntombentsha Budaza—was beaten and arrested.

The prisoners were taken to the police station and the following day they
were released on bail. The conditions of bail, disturbingly, are
unconstitutional according to Professor Jane Duncan from Rhodes
University. In summary, they are forbidden from organizing and
participating in further public expressions of the right to freedom of
speech. Their trial is scheduled for March 16.

In conclusion, unnecessary violence, dubiously motivated arrests and
intimidation, illegal actions and deceit are being used by state
representatives to suppress the voices of those who may as well be called
the South African untouchables.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Libya: Protesters, security clash in capital

a scene from recent days' unrest in Benghazi, Libya.
The graffiti in Arabic reads 'Down with Gadhafi and the regime'


By MAGGIE MICHAEL and HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Feb. 21, 2011
CAIRO – Libyan protesters celebrated in the streets of Benghazi on Monday,
claiming control of the country's second largest city after bloody
fighting, and anti-government unrest spread to the capital with clashes in
Tripoli's main square for the first time. Moammar Gadhafi's son vowed that
his father and security forces would fight "until the last bullet."

Even as Seif al-Islam Gadhafi spoke on state TV Sunday night, clashes were
raging in and around Tripoli's central Green Square, lasting until dawn
Monday, witnesses said. They reported snipers opening fire on crowds
trying to seize the square, and Gadhafi supporters speeding through in
vehicles, shooting and running over protesters. Before dawn, protesters
took over the offices of two of the multiple state-run satellite news
channels, witnesses said.

After daybreak Monday, smoke was rising from two sites in Tripoli where a
police station and a security forces bases are located, said Rehab, a
lawyer watching from the roof of her home.

The city on Monday was shut down and streets empty, with schools,
government offices and most shops closed except a few bakeries serving
residents hunkered down in their houses, she said, speaking on condition
she be identified only by her first name.

The protests and violence were the heaviest yet in the capital of 2
million people, a sign of how unrest was spreading after six days of
demonstrations in eastern cities demanding the end of the elder Gadhafi's
rule.

Gadhafi's regime has unleashed the bloodiest crackdown of any Arab country
against the wave of protests sweeping the region, which toppled the
leaders of Egypt and Tunisia. More than 200 have been killed in Libya,
according to medical officials, human rights groups and exiled dissidents.

The spiraling turmoil in Libya, an OPEC country that is a significant oil
supplier to Europe, was raising international alarm. Oil prices jumped
$1.67 to nearly $88 a barrel Monday amid investor concern over the
turmoil.

EU foreign ministers said on Monday they will prepare for the possible
evacuation of European citizens from Libya. European firms have taken the
lead in developing Libya's oil industry. About 500 Libyans attacked a
South Korean-run construction site near Tripoli on Monday, triggering a
clash that left five people injured, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said.

The Internet has been largely shut down, residents can no longer make
international calls from land lines and journalists cannot work freely,
but eyewitness reports trickling out of the country suggested that
protesters were fighting back more forcefully against the Middle East's
longest-serving leader. Most witnesses and residents spoke on condition of
anonymity out of fear of retaliation.

In Libya's second largest city, Benghazi, protesters were in control of
the streets Monday and swarmed over the main security headquarters,
looting weapons, after bloody clashes Sunday that killed at least 60
people, according to a doctor at the main hospital.

Cars honked their horns in celebration and protesters in the streets
chanted "Long live Libya." Protesters took down the Libyan flag from above
Benghazi's main courthouse and raised the flag of the country's old
monarchy, which was toppled in 1969 by the military coup that brought
Moammar Gadhafi to power, according to witnesses and video footage posted
on the Internet.

A Turkish Airlines flight trying to land in Benghazi on Monday was turned
away, told by ground control to circle over the airport then to return to
Istanbul.

There were fears of chaos as young men — including regime supporters —
seized weapons from captured security buildings. "The youths now have arms
and that's worrying," said Iman, a doctor at the main hospital who also
asked that her last name not be used. "We are appealing to the wise men of
every neighborhood to rein in the youths."

Youth volunteers were directing traffic and guarding homes and public
facilities, said Najla, a lawyer and university lecturer in Benghazi, who
spoke on condition she be identified only by her first name. She and other
residents said police had disappeared from the streets.

Benghazi has seen a cycle of bloody clashes over the past week, as
security forces kill protesters, followed by funerals that turn into new
protests, sparking new bloody shootings. After funerals Sunday, protesters
fanned out, burning government buildings and police stations and besieging
the large compound known as the Katiba, the city's main security
headquarters.

Security forces battled back, at times using heavy-caliber machine guns
and anti-aircraft guns, according to residents. One witness said she saw
bodies torn apart and that makeshift clinics had been set up in the
streets to treat the wounded because hospitals were overwhelmed. Ahmed
Hassan, a doctor at the main Al-Jalaa hospital, said funerals were
expected Monday for 20 of those killed the day before, but that families
of 40 others were still trying to identify their loved ones because their
bodies were too damaged.

In some cases, army units reportedly turned against security forces and
pro-Gadhafi militias to side with the protesters. Mohamed Abdul-Rahman, a
42-year-old Benghazi merchant, said he saw an army battalion chasing
militiamen from a security compound.

Protesters took over the Katiba, and weapons stores were looted, many
residents said. Inside the Katiba compound, protesters found the bodies of
13 uniformed security officers who had been handcuffed and shot in the
head, then set on fire, said Hassan, the doctor. He said protesters
believed the 13 had been executed by fellow security forces for refusing
to attack protesters.

Protest leaders and army units that sided with them were working to keep
order in the streets Monday, directing traffic and guarding homes and
official buildings, several residents said.

One fear was of regime supporters causing chaos. Amal Roqaqie, a lawyer at
Benghazi Court, said that at dawn, wheat storage buildings were set on
fire, though protesters were able to control the blaze. She blamed Gadhafi
supporters, saying "they want to starve the people and to intimidate
them."

On Sunday night, Gadhafi's son Seif el-Islam took to state TV, trying to
take a tough line in a rambling and sometimes confused speech of nearly 40
minutes.

"We are not Tunisia and Egypt," he said. "Moammar Gadhafi, our leader, is
leading the battle in Tripoli, and we are with him."

"The armed forces are with him. Tens of thousands are heading here to be
with him. We will fight until the last man, the last woman, the last
bullet," he said.

He warned the protesters that they risked igniting a civil war in which
Libya's oil wealth "will be burned." He also promised "historic" reforms
in Libya if protests stop.

Seif has often been put forward as the regime's face of reform. Several of
the elder Gadhafi's sons have powerful positions in the regime and in past
years have competed for influence. Seif's younger brother Mutassim is the
national security adviser, with a strong role in the military and security
forces, and another brother Khamis heads the army's 32nd Brigade, which
according to U.S. diplomats is the best trained and best equipped force in
the military.

Even as Seif spoke, major clashes had broken out for the first time in
Tripoli.

Sunday afternoon, protesters from various parts of the city began to
stream toward central Green Square, chanting "God is great," said one
28-year-old man who was among the marchers.

In the square, they found groups of Gadhafi supporters, but the larger
number of protesters appeared to be taking over the square and surrounding
streets, he and two other witnesses said. That was when the backlash
began, with snipers firing down from rooftops and militiamen attacking the
crowds, shooting and chasing people down side streets. they said.

"We saw civilian cars with Gadhafi pictures, they started to look for the
protesters, to either run over them or open fire with automatic weapons,"
said the 28-year-old, reached by telephone. "They were driving like mad
men searching for someone to kill. ... It was total chaos, shooting and
shouting."

The witnesses reported seeing casualties, but the number could not be
confirmed. One witness, named Fathi, said he saw at least two he believed
were dead and many more wounded. "I could still hear gunfire after 5 a.m.
this morning," he said.

After midnight, protesters took over the main Tripoli offices of two
state-run satellite stations, Al-Jamahiriya-1 and Al-Shebabiya, one
witness said.

On Monday, state TV sought to give an air of normalcy, reporting that
Moammar Gadhafi received telephone calls of support from the presidents of
Nicaragua and Mali. It showed footage of a crowd of Libyans said to be
from the town of Zeltein chanting their support for Gadhafi in a
conference hall. Gadhafi, in flowing black and brown robes, waved to the
crowd with both hands. It was not clear when the scene was taking place.

In other setbacks for Gadhafi's regime, a major tribe in Libya — the
Warfla — was reported to have turned against him and announced it was
joining the protests against him, said Switzerland-based Libyan exile
Fathi al-Warfali. Although it had long-standing animosity toward the
Libyan leader, it had been neutral for most of the past two decades.
Libya's representative to the Arab League said he resigned his post to
protest the government's decision to fire on defiant demonstrators in
Benghazi.

Khaled Abu Bakr, a resident of Sabratha, an ancient Roman city to the west
of Tripoli, said protesters besieged the local security headquarters,
driving out police and setting it on fire. Abu Bakr said residents are in
charge, have set up neighborhood committees to secure their city.