Farewell to the fallen in Berkeley

Today, I am mourning the loss of the Oak Grove in Berkeley, CA. I was there yesterday to witness the destruction of most of those beautiful trees, and needless to say I was filled with anger. Today only one tree stands, the one my brothers have been protecting. Those warriors are staying till the end. I wish there was more I could have done to prevent this massacre, not only of the trees but all the life that existed in that place. What a shameful day for UC Berkeley.

RNC protest images

Much thanks and love to all those who stood up and spoke against the tyrannical republican party despite police repression, intimidation and brutality. Your courage gives me hope and inspiration. We must fight this corrupt system with all our capabilities-whether your strictly non-violent or confrontational. Peace be with you all. I will continue to post more pictures and video in the future.

p.s. I did not take any of these pictures, unfortunately I wasn't able to attend so these come from various news sources and other sites.

How the sham of the electoral system is affecting my life

Normally I don't go out of my way to write personal feelings on my blog, but I want to clear things up for folks who still have faith in the two party system. I'd also like to hear from anybody who has experienced similar problems in their life. I will not be voting on this election, nor any in the conceivable future because I know whatever the outcome is, they will not be speaking for me. This has become troublesome since Bush has left eight years of destruction behind him. My own boyfriend gets angry about this and it has caused animosity between us considering the U.S. is handing us a set of charismatic yet ingenuous candidates and a set of far right reactionaries to choose from. My boyfriend sees my not voting as basically voting for McCain, and reacts to me by mocking me and saying he's going to be voting for McCain because the Republicans can clean up their own mess. Of course with or without my vote, either McCain or Obama will be granted the title of President and the American people will leave their voting booths feeling that sense of satisfaction of having "participated" in democracy. But any of us who are truly striving for freedom know that that democracy is only a facade. It gives me anxiety to have to defend my position to those closest to me, including my family, who are raised to believe that you either vote or shut your mouth. All I can do is support those who are fighting and fight as much as I can myself. The other night I watched a program on PBS titled The Last Abortion Clinic that was filmed in 2005. A woman working for a pro-choice group made the statement that she sometimes fantisized that Roe vs. Wade would be overturned, then maybe there would be no more pretending that we still have abortion rights. The documentary profiled what fundamentalist groups have done in different states to erode at Roe v Wade for a long time, and how little women understand that there is still a fight to be won. If McCain is elected, maybe it will be a wake up call to those who don't wish to participate in direct democracy, if Obama is elected I fear that people will once again be lured into the false sense of freedom the Democratic Party provides. Some may view that statement as a check mark next to McCains box from myself, but I can assure you it isn't. I simply want people to know the fight will continue and should continue no matter who ends up in the Oval Office.

Written with a heavy heart.

Police raids on activists

St. Paul police officers attempted to enter a house on Iglehart Ave. Saturday. Sara Coffey of the National Lawyers Guild was stopped outside the house, handcuffed and detained. She helped police negotiate with those inside.

Well, it appears the intimidation and smearing of the protesters has already begun:

"Aided by informants planted in protest groups, authorities raided at least six buildings across St. Paul and Minneapolis to stop an "anarchist" plan to disrupt this week's Republican National Convention."

Fanning the flames of Paranoia within radical communities is an effective technique used time and time again by federal and state police. Informants are generally planted not just to gain information on the activists but also to act as provocateurs and frequently push for and engage in the more destructive actions of a group-not that there isn't a place for destruction-it is not to further advance the desires of change seeking radicals but to destroy the group from the inside as well as externally through raids such as this:

"The raids began Friday night when Ramsey County sheriff's deputies, guns drawn, used a battering ram to get through a door and into the former Smith Theater on St. Paul's West Side that was being used as a gathering space by a protest group. About 60 people were inside 627 Smith Av. S. watching a movie and eating when the raid began. No one was arrested, but everyone inside was handcuffed and interviewed."

How much more proof do Americans need? We do not live in a democracy. We do not have a voice-or at least one that is ever heard or considered. Voting will not change this fact, only reinforce the blinders that we have covering our eyes. My spirit is with those brave warriors converging on the RNC.

Here is a link to the full article

Move protest footage

Here's more video footage of police violence in Denver:



Police confirm Denver officer on shoving tape
By Carlos Illescas
The Denver Post

It was a Denver police officer who was videotaped shoving a Code Pink protester to the ground with his baton on Tuesday, police confirmed today.

Denver police spokesman John White would not reveal the name of the officer but did say he is with the Denver Police Department.

The officer is accused of manhandling Alicia Forrest to the ground on Tuesday morning as she tried to question the officer. The incident happened as police were trying to gain control after a man was denouncing homosexuality at Civic Center.

Forrest was arrested for interference.

Police in Denver roughing up reporters

Here's the full article concerning police restricting reporting of the DNC protests:

"DENVER, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- A press freedom organization is accusing Denver police of roughing up journalists covering a protest at the Democratic National Convention.

Reporters Without Borders says it is unclear what prompted police to step up their level of force during a demonstration that began outside the Pepsi Center on the opening night of the convention.

"We understand the security issues surrounding the Democratic National Convention but we urge the Denver police and other law enforcement authorities to show restraint toward journalists covering demonstrations and not be an obstacle to the news gathering process," Reports Without Borders said.

Officers were observed trying to prevent photographers from recording the incidents.

USA Today videographer Garrett Hubbard was one of the people identified as being roughed up by police as he tried to film the demonstration from a sidewalk."

I posted the USA today video in the previous entry.

DNC protest videos

Here are some videos of the DNC protests: