Global day of action against state terror in Aotearoa / New Zealand

02 Sep 2008 Indymedia

Trade Unions for Tino Rangatiratanga

Demonstrations and protests were held around the world on August 30th for the global day of action to 'Drop the Charges' against the 20 people arrested in the nationwide State Terror Raids of 15 October 2007 in Aotearoa / New Zealand. The deposition hearing (i.e. the pre-trial) starts in the Auckland District Court on Monday, 1 September 2008. [ Report | Photos ]

On Monday, October 15th 2007, more than 300 police carried out dawn raids on dozens of houses all over Aotearoa / New Zealand. Police claim the raids were in response to 'concrete terrorist threats' from indigenous activists. The reality, however, included heavily armed police terrorising an entire township. To date, no evidence of the so-called terrorist plot has been revealed.

Police arrested 17 indigenous, anarchist, environmental and anti-war activists, including people from T¨±hoe, Te Atiawa, Maniapoto, Ng¨¡ Puhi and Pakeha. Police wanted to charge 12 people under the Terrorism Suppression Act (TSA), however the Solicitor-General denied the police permission to proceed. After four weeks in jail everyone was released on bail. On Tuesday, February 19th 2008, police raided further properties, arresting 3 more men. All were released on bail with strict conditions that same day. A woman was arrested on Thursday April 17th, 2008, and also faces charges under the Arms Act.

Links: October 15th Solidarity | Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe | AoCafe | Civil Rights Defence | Te Kotahi a Tuhoe | T¨±hoe: History of resistance | Tu Kotahi - Freedom Fighting Anthems

Aotearoa / New Zealand demos

Auckland: On a cold and miserable day, the cries of "No More Police State!" echoed through central Auckland's as over 200 Maori, trade unionists and left wingers joined a rally to defend the Urewewa 20, and remember the State Terror Raids of October 15th last year. People left in high spirits, with the movement that began last October 15th re-ignited and ready to fight. [ Report | 1 | 2 ]

Palmerston North: Images and Sounds were projected against the court house in support of the Global Day Action. International indigenous support was present with First Nations manuhiri (guests) from Turtle Island (Americas). Korero focussed on supporting Tino Rangatiratanga and Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe and the opposition to the Terrorist Suppression Act. [ Report and and ]

Wellington: 150 people went on a lively march through and stopped at the police station for a shaming history of their violence, and a pass-by of Labour Party candidate Grant Robertson's office nearly resulted in a very large broken window. Verbal abuse of the Labour Party was hurled at staff inside the office, calling the government 'racists scum'. Duncan Allan from Unite compared the struggles of working people around the world to the raids and expressed the solidarity of the union. The demo closed with a beautifully scribed piece by local musician Imon Starr who called on everyone to keep fighting and keep loving. [ Report | 1 | 2 ]

Overseas Actions

Banners were hung and fliers were handed out in several countries in support of the call to drop the charges: Hamburg | Basel | Lausanne | Freiburg | Berlin | Congo | Melbourne

Solidarity messages from around the world

Hamburg/Congo

Participants at the recent anti-racist and climate camp in Hamburg, Germany posted a solidarity greeting to the political activists arrested in the October 15 police terror raids last year, on Aotearoa Indymedia. They also added:

Victor Nzuzi, a member of the farmers movement Via Campesina from Congo is one of the guests in the camp and ran a number of workshops around land rights and european corporations who, by means of privatisation, steal land and water of the Congolese people. He stands in solidarity with Maori around the foreshore and seabed struggle. In the Congo, fresh water is owned by Coca Cola. And in his words: "We can see power lines in the sky like birds - but we don't have any electricity in our homes. International Solidarity! Globalise our struggles!"

Philipines - Progressive Igorots for Social action

"Warm Greetings with peace and solidarity! On behalf of the Progressive Igorots for Social action we would like to extend our tight supoort and sign the solidarity statement and condemn state terrorism in your community and all the communities around the globe which are suffering from this kind of violence against our fellow advocates for tino rangatiratanga.Our solid participation in activities like this will further bring us to victory against Imperialism and to attain our so longed long for self determination!!! Viva Tino Rangatiratanga!!!!!"

Solidarity Statement

We demand the unconditional freedom of the people who are facing charges as a result of the state terror raids on 15 October 2007.

Attempts by the Police to lay charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act (TSA) failed but people are still facing politically motivated charges under the Arms Act. These charges are the result of a racist operation.

Police used the Terrorism Suppression Act and over $8 million to harass and punish political activists who they saw as supporting Tino Rangatiratanga.

The Police have arrested a few people but we're all targeted. The arrests of 15 October are aimed at intimidating and frightening all of our communities and cannot be tolerated.

We therefore call on everyone to stand up against this attack on our communities. We support the global day of action on 30 August 2008 and are mobilising to demand the unconditional freedom of the people facing charges as a result of the state terror raids.

The solidarity statement was signed by many groups and individuals from around the world. The following groups from outside of Aotearoa / New Zealand have expressed their support:

• Friends of Jeffrey Free Luers (USA)
• Anti-Privatisation Forum (South Africa)
• Systemoppositionelle Atomkraft Nein Danke (Germany)
• Mutiny Collective (Sydney, Australia)
• Ongoing G20 Arrestee Solidarity Network (Australia)
• Swarna Hansa Foundation (Sri Lanka)
• Progressive Igorots for Social action (Phillipines)

These groups from within Aotearoa / New Zealand signed the statement:

• Socialist Aotearoa
• Workers Party
• 128 Abel Smith Street Collective
• Anarchist Black Cross Wellington
• Garage Collective
• Global Peace and Justice Auckland
• Communist Workers' Group of New Zealand/Aotearoa
• International Bolshevik Tendency
• Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe
• Wellington Animal Rights Network
• Opportunity for Animals collective
• Citizens Against Privatisation (CAP)
• Auckland Animal Rights Collective
• The Freedom Shop
• Wellington Palestine Group
• Militant Anarcha-Feminists in Auckland
• National Distribution Union
• Unite Union
• Palmy Panthers
• Conscious Collaborations
• Te Ata Tino Toa

Check out the October 15th Solidarity calendar!

All the Austrian Prisoners are FREE!!!

ELP Information Bulletin (2nd of September 2008)

Dear friends

ELP has just heard the wonderful and fantastic news that ALL of the Austrian Animal Rights prisoners have been bailed.

This is brilliant news and ELP is delighted to see our Austrian friends returned to us.

It is ELP's understanding all ten still face trial, but for now, it is good news as all the Austrian prisoners are free!!!

+++++++++

ELP Support Network
BM Box 2407
London
WC1N 3XX
England
www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk

Services for Bashir Hameed - tributes

From:    "Political Prisoner News" <ppnews@freedomarchives.org>
Date:    Tue, September 2, 2008 12:44 pm
To:      undisclosed-recipients:;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Salaam Aliakum from Florence Hameed

Services for Bashir Hameed will be held on
Thursday, September 4, 2008 at 9:30  a.m.
Dar Ul Islam of Elizabeth
602-616 Salem Ave
Elizabeth, NJ 07208
908-469-4323

BASHIR HAMEED was born and raised  in New Jersey. In 1968, Bashir Hameed
joined the Black Panther Party while residing in  Oakland CA. Once he
returned to New Jersey, he became  Deputy Chairman of the New Jersey
Chapter of BPP. Bro. Bashir Hameed was  currently serving a sentence of 25
years to life.

For those who may not  know:
FBI documents obtained during the 70's reveal that during this time Bashir
Hameed [born James D. York on  1940-12-01 – 30 August 2008] was a member
of the Black Panther Party and the  Black Liberation Army.

He became a COINTELPRO target. He was charged and convicted of the murder
and the attempted murder of two police officers in April 1981. This
conviction came as a direct result of his political activity. Bashir
Hameed and his co-defendant, Abdul Majid, aka Anthony LaBorde,  were tried
three times.

There first trial ended in a hung jury divided along racial lines, The
second trial was declared a mistrial by the  judge immediately after the
jury rendered a decision that acquitted Bashir on the murder charge. At a
third trial, they were eventually convicted for murder.

Family members ask that all  sympathy & condolence cards be sent to the
Hameed Family at 511 Winton Street, Philadelphia, PA  19148

For More Information Please See:
MXGM: _http://mxgm.org/web/biographies/bashir-hameed.html_
(http://mxgm.org/web/biographies/bashir-hameed.html)
Wikipedia: _http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashir_Hameed_
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashir_Hameed)

***************************************************************

LONG LIVE BROTHER BASHIR HAMID!  LONG LIVE REVOLUTION!


It is with great sadness that we join the different organizations that
have paid tribute to Brother Bashir Hameed who made his transition this
past Saturday night, August 29th.  Some of us first met Bashir in these
last months of his life and were moved by his spiritual strength,
intellectual clarity, and love for his family and people.  We had hoped
that the video that Bashir so wanted to do would be approved by the
Department of Corrections before he passed, but that was not to happen.

Bashir's history as a militant activist in the Black Panther Party
parallels so many of the other histories of our political prisoners of
African descent.  Born in New Jersey, after confronting the racism of the
colleges he attended and that of the US Army, he moved to the Bay Area and
in his own words "fell in love with the Black Panther
Party".  Later, he was sent back to New Jersey to try to rebuild the BPP
which had already been decimated by the US government and local police.
Within two years, he was either in jail or facing imprisonment for up to
20 years, all for doing regular BPP work, distribution of the party
newspaper, the breakfast program, and political education.  He ended up
spending four years in Trenton State Prison and upon release was
immediately again targeted.  The Queens 2 case, which included Abdul Majid
and himself, involved the alleged killing of two policemen in Queens.
Their first trial ended in a hung jury, the second was declared a mistrial
with 8 to 4 for "not guilty", and the last involved very questionable
witnesses and finally led to the conviction the state wanted, and a
sentence of 30+ years to life, with the recommendation that Bashir and
Abdul never be paroled.

We say to Bashir's family, to his wife, and to all those who loved and
admired him, that Bashir will not be forgotten.  Just this past Sunday, at
the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement hip hop concert, hundreds of young
people learned about who Bashir is, were very moved by Brother Dhoruba's
tribute to him, and cheered with great respect as each hip hop artist
began his/ her performance with an individual dedication to Bashir.  Would
that Bashir had heard this in his lifetime, but he knew he would be
remembered, and showed that confidence in his last days.  Revolutionaries
never die!

We extend our condolences to Bashir's devoted mother, Mrs. York, to his
son, his sister, his niece (who became a doctor with the
encouragement and prodding of her incarcerated uncle and who monitored his
medical care in the last years of his life when he faced several serious
medical conditions), and to his wife, Florence, who left her home in Texas
to spend these last months by her husband's side.

In loving revolutionary memory,

International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal

Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977

Bashir Hameed passes

From:    "Political Prisoner News" <ppnews@freedomarchives.org>
Date:    Mon, September 1, 2008

August 30, 2008 11:30 p.m.

Dear Friends and Comrades:

Florence Hameed, wife of Bashir Hameed, called to say Bashir passed into
paradise this evening (08/30/08) around 8:30 p.m.

Florence knows his prayers have been answered. Bashir is now in paradise and
Allah the Most High has bestowed his blessing and mercy upon him.
*******************************************************

> From Queen Sis. Iyaluua Ferguson

The news of Bashir's passing is too sad for me to comprehend. It   saddens
me but it also angers me. We have said over and over again   that the
beast intends to only release our political prisoners in a   pine box. And
what is our response? We don't have yet a coordinated   plan to bring
about their release on our terms. We continue to be   static, to treat
gov. paterson with kid gloves, and to make speeches,   but have no real
plan for action. MalcolmX has told us that it is not   sadness that will
free us, but legitimate, heartfelt anger (and rage)   that leads to action
that will set us free.

I mourn the passing of my brother. My prayers and my heart go out to   the
Hameed family and particularly to Mrs. York, that very courageous   woman
who never stopped working for the release of her son. But my   sympathy
and condolences also go out to all of us who have lost a   warrior, a
brother in our struggle, who we cannot replace and who we   are not yet
able to redeem.

Bashir, I miss you. Jericho, we must not let his life be in vain.   Please
let us find a way to stop this genocide, this murder of our   best and our
bravest.

                                   Iyaluua

Sunday 8/31

Dear Friends & Comrades;

I spoke with Florence this a.m. and she asked that all sympathy &
condolence
cards be sent to the Hameed Family at 511 Winton Street, Philadelphia,
PA 19148

Thank you
Paulette
*****************************************************

BASHIR HAMEED was born and raised in New Jersey. In 1968, Bashir Hameed
joined the Black Panther Party while residing in Oakland CA. Once he
returned to New Jersey, he became Deputy Chairman of the New Jersey
Chapter of BPP. FBI documents obtained during the 70's reveal that during
this time Bashir became a COINTELPRO target. He was charged and convicted
of the murder and the attempted murder of two police officers in April
1981. This conviction came as a direct result of his political activity.
Bashir Hameed and his co-defendant, Abdul Majid were tried three times
(Queens Two). Their first trial ended in a hung jury divided along racial
lines, The second trial was declared a mistrial by the judge immediately
after the jury rendered a decision that acquitted Bashir on the murder
charge. At a third trial, they were eventually convicted for murder.
Bashir was serving a sentence of 25 years to life, and recently suffered
with pancreatic cancer.



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977

RNC Arrestee Updates and How to Show Support!

RNC Arrestee Updates and How to Show Support!
Submitted by coldsnaplegal on Tue, 09/02/2008 to http://tc.indymedia.org

As of 10:30pm today, the arrest tally from Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office was: 284 total; 130 felonies; 51 gross misdemeanors; 103 misdemeanors. The jail is seemingly severely backed up and not everyone has been booked or processed, so these numbers clearly don’t represent the total arrestee count for the day. These numbers also do not necessarily include the numbers of arrestees whose identifications have not been verified.

In regards to the arrestees from this weekend’s raids, five of them are still being held at Ramsey County Jail on probable cause, which means that they might not be able to see a judge until Tuesday or Wednesday. One of the arrestees was released yesterday evening.

Though some people have been cited and released, the majority are still being held in jail. We’ve gotten many reports that people are not getting proper medical attention, are being refused their medication, and/or have been separated from the rest of the group.

Also, there are also many felony charges, which allow the state to hold the protesters for a longer period of time. Felony charges have historically been used as scare tactics against activists, and there is much less precedent for them to hold up in court. More often, these bogus charges are simply used to keep protesters off the streets and as a way to oppress and silence people.

Please show your support and solidarity by calling the Ramsey County Jail at 651.266.9350 and demand that people are given proper medical attention, are given access to their medication, and are not separated from the larger group! Also, demand that arrestees’ charges are dropped and that they are released immediately! You can also call the Ramsey County Sheriff’s office at 651.487.5149 or the St. Paul Mayor’s office at 651.266.8510, as well your city council member, state representatives, etc.

More information about how to support your friends and loved ones here: http://tinyurl.com/5tvh48

Love and Solidarity,
Coldsnap Legal Collective


Also listen to audio about police intimidation tactics before the RNC

http://radio4all.net/index.php/program/29116

Weekly Sedition Police State in Minnesota: Fascism at the RNC

A narrative of the preemptive police state tactics used in the Twin Cities leading up to the Republican National Convention. Raids, disappearances, illegal break-ins... a police state in our own country.

Free the SF 8: court date September 08

START DATE: Monday September 08

TIME: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Location Details: 850 Bryant St., San Francisco
3rd Floor, Dept. 27(?)

Event Type: Court Date This will be a brief hearing, but all of the eight will be in court (including Richard O'Neal, who no longer faces any charges) and they need our support. The court also needs to know that we see the state's agenda for what it is: a political persecution/prosecution designed to slander and make an example of these Black Power movement veterans.

http://www.freethesf8.org

Updated 9-2: Free the Cuban 5 Month Calendar

ENDORSE THE FREE THE CUBAN 5 MONTH!

Initial Endorsers:

• The Popular Education Project to free the Cuban 5
• EL Frente Socialista-Comite de NYC
• International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5
• Al-Awda Right to Return
• The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
• Brigada Vilma Guillois Espin
• The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign
• New York Anarchist Black Cross Federation
• The Philadelphia Cuba Solidarity Coalition
• Nicaragua Solidarity Committee Chicago
• The Cuba Solidarity Committee in Houston
• Puerto Rican Alliance Of Los Angeles
• Radical Women
• Freedom Socialist Party
• The Venceremos Brigade
• December 12^th Movement
• The Orange County KPFK Support Group
• International Action Center
• Troops Out Now Coalition
• Worker’s World Party
• DestroyIndustrY
• Fuerza de la Revolucion
• NYC Jericho Movement
• Cuba Solidarity New York
• Peace and Freedom Party
• All African People’s Revolutionary Party
• African Awareness Association
• DC metro Committee to Free the Cuban Five
• Cuban en focus WBAI radio 99.5fm
• Alliance for Global Justice
• Nicaragua Network
• Venezuela Solidarity Network
• Rev. Luis Barrios, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
• Amigos de CLARIDAD
• October 27^th Committee
• The Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico-New York
• The Puerto Rican Independence Party/NYC
• Critical Resistance Baltimore Chapter
• Baltimore Nonviolence Center
• Journalists for Mumia
• James F. Harrington, Activist
• The July 26 Coalition of Boston
• Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver
• The Workers International League

To organizations and Individuals who believe in the Freedom of the Cuban 5,

In 2006, Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban National Assembly, declared the period of time between September 12-October 8 to be a time to raise awareness around the Cuban 5. Here in NYC The Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5 extends this time to October 12; in order for it to be a full month of events and to include a commemoration of the assassination of Ernest “Che” Guevara. We refer to this period of time as the “Free the Cuban 5 Month!”

September 12^th is the tenth anniversary of the arrest of the Cuban 5 and the Project wants to create a calendar full of events throughout the city, nationally and internationally! Motivated by the negative and unjust decision of the 11^th Circuit Appeals, the Project feels it is time to double our efforts to educate about the case of the Cuban 5 and to garner more support on their behalf.

The Project would like to organize Cuban 5 events in NYC communities that have not had them before. We want to broaden this movement and build Solidarity for the Cuban 5 in as many communities as possible.

The Project is asking organizations and individuals to organize forums, letter writing nights, film screenings, conversations, or fund-raisers for the Cuban 5. The Project will help by providing speakers, films, literature and promotion!

If you are interested in endorsing the Free the Cuban 5 Month AND ORGANIZING AN EVENT, please email us at freethecuban5@gmail.com

So far this is the Calendar events:

Tues. Sept. 9^th-Interview with College Radio University of Maryland College Park Campus at 6pm

Fri. Sept. 12^th -SPECIAL CULTURAL NIGHT FOR THE CUBAN 5! Marking the 10th Anniversary of their Unjust Imprisonment. Bring your family and friends for a night of original and inspiringpoetry for the 5 Heroes, as well as a showcase of artwork by the Cuban 5, including their poetry. Doors open @ 7pm at Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House (800 East Broadway 1 block east of Fraser on Broadway) Admission by donation. Free the Cuban 5 Committee – Vancouver778-889-7664 |cuban5_van@yahoo.com,

http://www.vancubasolidarity.com/freethefivevan.html

Fri. Sept. 12^th- 4:00 - 6:00 pm For 10 Years Five Innocent Men Have Been Unjustly Imprisoned in the U.S. But the media has wrapped this case in a curtain of silence. Break that Silence! FREE THE CUBAN FIVE! Downtown Crossing T Stop (Washington & Winter St., Boston). Get Involved: info@july26.org 617-566-2861 or 617-522-9478

Sat. Sept. 13th-All out to Malcolm X Park in Washington DC at 10am! 10^th anniversary of the arrest of the Cuban 5! For ticket information in NYC contact: 917-887-8710

Sat. Sept. 13th-CINCO ESTRELLAS Y UN CANTO/ FIVE STARS AND ONE SONG Featuring DANNY RIVERA VICTOR VICTOR, The Dynamic CHUCHITO VALDÉS PUERTO RICAN GOLDEN JAZZ ALL STARS 7:30 PM, Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture, 450 Grand Concourses at 149^th Street, Bronx, New York , Admission: $35.00 – VIP $100 (Group, senior and student rates available) Box Office and Information: 718-518-4455

Tues. Sept. 16^th-LETTER WRITING NIGHT IN BROOKLYN at 7pm with the New York Anarchist Black Cross Federation, In Brooklyn 123 Tompkins Avenue, between Myrtle & Vernon Avenues www.123communityspace.org/directions

Sun. Sept. 21^st-People’s Mass with La Iglesia San Romero de Las Americas at 12:30pm at La Iglesia San Romero de Las Americas/UCC at 2410 Amsterdam Avenue 4th Floor New York , NY 10040 Telephone #: 212 - 237-8747

Fri. Sept. 26-Boricuas for the Cuban 5 event at Cemi Underground at 6:30pm 1799 Lexington Avenue @ 112th St. Special Film on the Cuban 5 will be shown: Against The Silence in our own Voices: The Family of the Cuban 5 Speak out! For more information call 212-860-2820

Sun. Sept. 28^th-Poetry/cultural Event at Sista’s Place 456 Nostrand Avenue Brooklyn, NY A or C train to Nostrand (corner of Nostrand & Jefferson Aves., entrance on Jefferson) Sponsored by the December 12^th Movement. For more information contact: 718-398-1766

Fri. Oct 3rd-Venceremos Brigade Galeria Cubana: Report back from the 39^th Contingent to Cuba Summer 2008 at 6pm! Featuring art, video footage, photos, and memories and more! 235 w23rd St (7^th-8th Avenues) Food, drinks for sale! For more information contact: Vbrigade@gmail.com or call 212-560-4360

Wed. Oct. 8th-Concert for the Cuban 5 at 9pm in Durham, NC 119 West St. Durham, NC

Fri. October 10th- 10^th Anniversary Jericho March in NYC for all Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War in New York City at 12pm! Check the Jericho Website: www.jerichony.org and Contact GET INVOLVED! For more information: 718-853-0893, 206-888-4001, and nycjericho@gmail.com

Sun. Oct. 12^th-Free the Cuban 5 event in Baltimore, sponsored by the Critical Resistance Baltimore Chapter; Baltimore Nonviolence Center at 4pm Cork Factory Building Cork Gallery 4th Floor Doorbell #9 302 E Federal. For more information call 443-850-2840

Sat. Nov. 1^st-Cuban 5 event with the Radical Women and the Freedom Socialist Party at Freedom Hall in Harlem at 6:00pm! Freedom Hall 113 w128th St. (Between Malcolm X Blvd./Lenox Ave. and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. Take subways #2 or 3 to 125th St.; #4,5 or 6 to 125th St. and walk west four blocks; A,B, C or D to 125th St. and walk east three blocks. For more information call 212-222-0633

*IN SEPTEMBER CUBAN EN FOCUS WILL FEATURE AN INTERVIEW WITH THE POPULAR EDUCATION PROJECT TO FREE THE CUBAN 5 ABOUT HE FREE THE CUBAN 5 MONTH

*THE VENEZUELA SOLIDARITY NETWORK AND THE NICARAGUA NETWORK WILL BE FORWARDING THIS EMAIL TO THEIR LISTS TO HELP BUILD OUR CALENDAR!

For more information on FREE THE CUBAN 5 MONTH consult The Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5 website: www.freethecuban5.com

Bashir Hameed has passed into paradise

From: nycjericho@gmail.com August 30, 2008

Dear Friends and Comrades:

Florence Hameed, wife of Bashir Hameed, called to say
Bashir passed into paradise this evening (08/30/08) around 8:30 p.m.

Florence knows his prayers have been answered. Bashir is now in paradise
and Allah the Most High has bestowed his blessing and mercy upon him.

____________________________________________________________________________


Florence and family will notify us of burial arrangements.
From: nycjericho@gmail.com
Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008

Dear Friends & Comrades;

I spoke with Florence this a.m. and she asked that all sympathy & condolence
cards be sent to the Hameed Family at 511 Winton Street, Philadelphia, PA
19148

Thank you
Paulette

Are Orleans Parish inmates being evacuated?

***Update*** I just called and spoke to sheriff Gusman who assured me that the
prisoners of Orleans Parish Prison are being evacuated. He also
assured me that their families will be notified of their location. He
directed me to their "evacuation plan" online at http://www. opcso.
org/displaynews. php?file=data/news/2008-08-27. txt which is no more
than an empty assurance to the public that prisoners won't be running
wild in the streets if the hurricane hits. Please take a moment to
call the numbers below to put pressure on the sheriff's department,
and let them know we are watching.More info at:

http://neworleans.indymedia.org/news/2008/08/12951.php
http://www.commongroundrelief.org/gustav
http://gustav08.ning.com/
http://news.infoshop.org/

From:    "sing and dance!" <jenka@indymedia.org>
Date:    Sun, August 31, 2008

friends...family...comrades...

i know my journals have kind of fallen off...i haven't written you all
in a while.

and my reason for writing now is again, somewhat grim.  hurricane
gustav is expected to make landfall in a little over eight hours, just
west of new orleans, through the native nation of houma.  the
government has ordered an evacuation, with the national guard stepping
in to enforce it.  1.9 million people have apparently gotten out, while
tens of thousands continue to be stuck on the highways out of town.
14,000 people without cars were taken out on buses and trains.

FEMA says they have it all figured out, and are doing much better now:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/washington/01fema.html

If you listen to their accounts, all is running like a well-oiled
machine, and things are as they should be.  They omit the computerized
'ID bracelets' that failed dues to computer glitches on saturday, the
hundreds of people left waiting for buses in jefferson parish, the
hospitals that had to get help from the canadian airforce
(http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5g3TZ8yrgA0p6DGLhXEgijqImDMew)
because they had been forgotten by FEMA's evacuation plan....3
hospitalized patients died during evacuation. 80 people have been
killed by Gustav in several Caribbean countries.  But no one was killed
in Cuba, even though the hurricane went straight across the western
part of the island - that country has evacuation down to an art (the US
won't ask them for advice though, even after Katrina's precedent)

And other big questions remain.
Will the levees hold?
"As the US Army Corps of Engineers and local authorities rushed to
shore up levees on the vulnerable West Bank of New Orleans, which
largely escaped Katrinas punch, officials made no promises that
up-armored levees would hold. Of particular concern is the Harvey Canal
in Jefferson Parish, widely seen as a weak point in the system. In
fact, only about one-third of the citys $12 billion new levee system
has been completed. With storm-surge projections of up to 20 feet and
many levees at eight feet, overtopping seems likely if the storm holds
its course."

"Leading experts from the U.S. and the Netherlands say the [levee]
system is riddled with flaws. They say that even a weaker storm than
Katrina could breach the levees if it hit this season." - from an
article in early august...
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/08/new-orleans/online-extra-text/1

Where are they taking people, and what is the plan to get them back
home? After forcing people to leave after Katrina, many were prevented
from returning for 18 months, two years....far from the 'few days' they
were promised

What about the prisoners?
The prison officials at Orleans Parish Prison, if you remember, simply
left the prison during Katrina.  Prisoners drowned in their cells, and
were abandoned for days in cells filled with water.
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/09/22/usdom11773.htm Now, a
desperate call has been made by prisoner support groups in the region
to contact the sheriff and make sure that prisoners are evacuated too:
http://neworleans.indymedia.org/news/2008/08/12951.php

And what about those who can't, or won't (hey - you might be reluctant,
too, if it took you 18 months to get back home last time) evacuate?
"Those who stay will encounter a skeleton crew of law-enforcement
officers who will treat anybody on the street as a suspicious person,
says Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish. The idea is to
guarantee that property will be protected against looters  a main
reason so many residents decided to ride out Katrina. 'If you stay,'
Mr. Broussard warns, 'this will be no Mayberry.' 'Weve learned from
our mistakes,' says New Orleans Police Officer B. Francois. 'And this
time, if we arrest someone, theyre not going to the local jail.
Theyre getting on a bus to Angola,' the infamous rural prison farm."
http://features.csmonitor.com/breaking/2008/08/31/exodus-ahead-of-hurricane-gustav-more-thorough-but-some-wont-go/

"Residents wonder whether by being vigilant -- or hysterical, depending
on one's perspective -- officials are putting themselves in a position
to be able to say 'I told you so' if anyone stays behind. This time
around, Mayor Nagin and all disaster-response spokespeople are making
it clear that if you stay behind and are stranded on your roof waving a
flag made from a bedsheet, it is you who will be held accountable, not
them. Many who are riding out the storm feel that's the motive behind
Nagin's emphatic plea during a press conference Saturday for citizens
to flee 'the mother of all storms,' and 'get their butts out of New
Orleans.'" http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/01/new_orleans/

The law-and-order model that caused so much pain after Katrina is going
to be in force, and even more so, this time around.

Again, as during Katrina, many of those unable to evacuate are elderly
(according to a friend of mine in New Orleans now)

I am in touch with Common Ground Relief, the group I worked with in
2005, formed after Katrina and still going strong.  Some have evacuated
to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and some are hunkered down in New Orleans.
If you want to help, or check for updates, check
http://www.commongroundrelief.org/gustav

You can follow the progress of the storm here:
http://www.noaawatch.gov/2008/gustav.php

Austrian Animal Rights Prisoner to stand in General Election

ELP Information Bulletin (31st August 2008)

Dear friends

ELP has learnt that Dr Martin Balluch, one of the ten Austrian animal rights activists wrongly accused of illegal activity, is going to stand for election as a Green Party candidate in Austria's forth coming General Election!!!

Below is a statement put out by his supporters:

Austrian Imprisoned Animal Rights Campaigner runs as Green Candidate in September Election

After 100 days on remand custody with out concrete charge or evidence, leader of the Austrian Greens Alexander Van der Bellen has visited Dr Martin Balluch in prison and has invited him to run as an independent candidate for the Greens in the upcoming national election on 28th September.

Balluch will be elected at the Green Party congress on Sept 7th. Van der Bellen told the Austrian Standard newspaper "I have invited Balluch to run as a candidate for the Green party, he will be given a place high up on the list of candidates." He went on to say that "this unbelievably precise thinking intellectual has been held now for over 100 days in prison. The Mafia-law being used against animal protectionists goes far outside what is admissible."

Van der Bellen described Balluch's candidateship to the ORF (Austrian TV) as "An _expression of appreciation for the work of non-governmental organisations."


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Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network
BM Box 2407
London
WC1N 3XX
England
www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk