AFTA resisters organize in Tucson and South America

Starting next Tuesday, November 30, trade representatives from the Andean countries of Perú, Ecuador and Colombia will meet with U.S. trade officials, led by the purveyor of economic terrorism himself – Robert Zoellick – to begin hashing out the finalities of a new bilateral Andean Free Trade Agreement. AFTA began to take shape last March, strengthening a previous agreement called the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) initiated by Bush in September of 2002. Colombia’s government has been the core in trying to bring AFTA to life for the Andean countries – mainly due to the recent failure of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) talks.

During next week’s talks in Tucson, actions have been planned both here and in the Andean countries of South America, including a large action in Colombia on Monday, the 29th. Indymedia will be coordinating our coverage of all these events among all the regional sites, as well as a new site set up specifically for AFTA. To keep up on all that is going on, visit these sites:

• NoAFTA.org – Calendar of anti-AFTA events, teach-ins, press releases and general AFTA info
• arizona.indymedia.org – Coverage of anti-AFTA actions in Tucson
• colombia.indymedia.org – Coverage of anti-AFTA actions in Colobmia
• ecuador.indymedia.org – Coverage of anti-AFTA actions in Ecuador
• peru.indymedia.org – Coverage of anti-AFTA actions in Peru

TPD officer P. Tosca fires pepper spray bullets into crowd

Tucson police made it a point to harass and repress an energetic but peaceful march on November 3. Cops immediately targeted known activists, including Keith McHenry, founder of Food Not Bombs, who was singled out and arrested within the first 15 minutes of the march. TPD indiscriminately used a new weapon – an air rifle that fires small paint-ball style bullets filled with CS gas – against marchers. Although TPD claims to have only fired four pepper balls, more than four welts have been documented. More than 200 people marched, of which five were arrested.

March organizers reacted by calling for a protest the very next day in front of Tucson’s main police station. The National Lawyer’s Guild has been working to collect information on TPD’s use of provocative violence and is considering the possibility of legal action.

Wednesday’s rally was held in conjunction with rallies across the country and world expressing extreme dissatisfaction with the U.S. government its domestic oppression and global imperialism. People spoke out against the occupation of Iraq, the treatment of migrants, harassment of indigenous peoples and many other causes.

OtherMedia: Channel 4 (video) | Daily Wildcat |

Protests occur throughout ASU and Tempe with only a couple arrests

Nearly a thousand people joined in a march organized by the October 13 Alliance in Tempe on Wednesday afternoon. The march left from Daley Park and worked its way over to Mill Avenue where the procession filed by Gammage Auditorium – which was securely surrounded by two fences, the first topped with barbed wire. (photos)

Police escorted the march on bike, foot, horse and motorcycle. As of Wednesday night, only two people were arrested (as of this writing, only one was confirmed by the AzCLU hotline). The AzCLU trained about 50 legal observers to watch over the march, as well as staffed a legal hotline for arrestees to call. Christie and Marla, two members of the street medic team that attended the march, said the worse problem they encountered were thirsty protestors.

When the march arrived at the Hayden Square, they met a handful of Bush supporters and a CNN stage where a live show was being aired covering the debates. Protestors soon surrounded the stage and yelled at the panel of CNN anchors, including Wolf Blitzer (they especially made fun of them when their make-up artists came out to spruce them up.) Liberals and radicals clashed with groups like the protest warriors while the nude block formed a large dancing circle in the middle of the mayhem.

See the updated story at http://arizona.indymedia.org/features/O13_Debates/

Tempe will become a police state, AZ Indymedia to set up a newsroom

The final debate held before the November presidential elections will be in Tempe, Arizona on Wednesday October 13, 2004. The Monsoon Anarchist Collective is active in organizing against the debates and has issued a call to action inviting anarchists, anti-authoritarians, and radicals to join us in Phoenix to bring the real debate into the streets. (Phoenix Anarchist site, October 13 Alliance)

The debate will be held in Gammage Auditorium, located at the southwest corner of the Arizona State University campus. Nearly a quarter mile of the streets (Apache and Forest) in two directions will be closed from October 12th until the 14th. Gammage will be protected by chain link fence topped with barbwire along with an 8-foot high security wall that will also be used at the two previous debates.

Convergence Space: A convergence space has been set up at Gentle Strength Co-op (234 W. University, one block west of Mill Ave.) in Tempe. It will be open from the evening of Friday Oct 8 thru Thursday Oct 14. Arizona IMC will be setting up a small newsroom in the convergence center to help Indymedia Journalists to cover the debate actions. (more info) Also, all debate coverage should be posted to the O13 section on AZ-IMC.

There have been a few events going on around the Debate including a kick-off concert, potluck and discussion, magickal activism training, electoral politics forum, and a free (for all) market. There will also be a discussion with Jim Hightower, a Know-Your-Rights forum with Eleanor Eisenberg (AZCLU) and Phoenix Copwatch, a "Support the Truth" Forum with music, a panel discussion, an unemployment line protest, a LGBTQ action, demonstrations and a march. Check the October 13 Alliance Calendar, the AZ Indymedia Calendar, and the Phoenix Anarchist webpage for additional information.

The Arizona Libertarian Party, Inc. is suing ASU and the Commision on the Presidential Debates to stop the debates from happening because they exclude the Libertarian Candidate who is on the ballot. See here for more details.

Tucson Activist Arrested in New York

Upcoming Benefit: Radical folk singer David Rovics will be headlining a benefit show raising money for Josh Banno and Rod Coronado (who was arrested in Sabino Canyon last spring during the mountain lion hunts). The show will be held in Tucson at 7 Black Cats at 206 E. Congress, 6:00 pm on Sunday, October 10. (more info, half-sheet flier about Josh, half-sheet about the benefit)

Yusuke "Josh" Banno of Tucson is being held on $200,000 bail for multiple felonies after being arrested during a protest at the Republican National Convention on August 29. Despite witnesses that say he was not involved in setting a fire, police targetted Banno for arrest after a dragon prop caught on fire in a feeder march during the protest. A post to indymedia stated, "it seemed like a random, spontaneous arrest. It took place behind the dragon, on the sidewalk, away from the heat and flames."

A Defense committee was formed by Josh's friends to help support him. On the website are donation options and a press release as well as other information. In another indymedia post, it was reported that another Arizonan was also arrested at the same time, who has an arraignment on Thursday.

Solidarity Bike Ride in Tempe

Over 5,000 bicyclists were involved in a Critical Mass in New York City on August 28 as part of the RNC protests. Hundreds of people were arrested, several brutalized by police. Fifteen bicyclists from across the Valley (AZ) met in Tempe, AZ, on the following day, to demonstrate solidarity with NYC bicyclists by participating in a local Critical Mass.

Although is was a mere 15 people, the presence was something new to most Tempe motorists; even fellow bicyclists were surprised to see a small flock of bikes slowing traffic and creating backups for unsuspecting drivers. Most passers-by were very supportive (aside from those in vehicles) and had great enthusiasm for the cause. However, the majority of the people were not the usual crowd of folks out on a Saturday night. See full text of Tempe Critical Mass report here.

Flagstaff holds Solidarity Demonstration

There will be a rally in solidarity with RNC protesters on Thursday, September 2 at 4:30 in front of City Hall in Flagstaff.

White Supremacist on Protect Arizona Now Advisory Board

There's more to Protect Arizona Now's Proposition 200, which may be on Arizona's ballot in November, than making it harder for non-citizens to vote and use state services. Opponents have been convinced from the beginning that there have been racist motivations behind the initiative, and now PAN can boast indisputable associations with a known white supremacist. Not only has PAN had support and significant financial contributions by groups with connections to anti-immigrant militias and white nationalists, the organization has also recently chosen Virginia Abernethy to be the Chair on their national advisory board.

A report from the Center for New Community was recently published detailing Abernethy’s participation in groups such as the Council of Conservative Citizens (racist as well as homophobic), the Carrying Capacity Network, and in the editorial board of Occidental Quarterly. “The European identity of the United States and its people should be maintained. Immigration into the United States should be restricted to selected people of European Ancestry,” states the Occidental Quarterly’s “A Statement of Principle”.

Evidence clearly suggests that people behind Prop 200 have concerns beyond just fraud and tax dollars. The website for Citizens Against Illegal Immigration, of which PAN director Kathy McKee is involved, lists "the destruction of our language and our culture" as a concern regarding illegal immigration, and also says, "Every day you wait, another 3,000-5,000 illegal aliens invade our state and our country."

Groups that support PAN include Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), whose “weekly television show has featured prominent white nationalists and far-right conspiracy theorists. They also provide major funding for Glenn Spencer's American Border Patrol and other anti-immigrant groups (source).”

Many people feel that it is unacceptable to have a proposition on the ballot that is backed by white supremacists and white nationalists. Currently groups are organizing against Proposition 200 all around the state of Arizona. "It is an anti-immigrant measure that will create division, fear, and hate in our communities, and will only serve to chip away at the human rights and civil liberties of all individuals," states Derechos Humanos' website.

Communities Against Pan
Stop "Protect Arizona Now" Resource Page
Derechos Humanos
Defeat Prop 200

Actions held in conjunction with DNC, Cheney's visit

Beginning on Monday, July 26, protestors met at the intersection of Speedway and Swan to show their disgust with John Kerry and US politics in general. The action, held in solidarity with actions at the DNC in Boston (1|2, Boston IMC), kicked off a week of protests throughout Tucson.

On Thursday evening, about a dozen gathered to protest outside of the Carpenter’s Union Hall where Pima County Democrats were watching the final speeches of the DNC, including John Kerry’s. A few democrats were very upset, although many took time to talk and listen to the activists. The protestor’s message was simple: voting for Kerry (or Bush) is still voting for the war, and all the other atrocious things that presidents do. “Better than Bush” is a weak argument. “Changing the system from within” will never work, and indeed it hardly ever has. (1|2)

The grand finale was Saturday’s three actions coinciding with a visit from Vice President Dick Cheney. Saturday morning had two actions, one at the republican headquarters and the other at the freeway exit for the fairgrounds where Cheney was speaking. Although the fairgrounds action was small, it took over a dozen Pima County Sheriff cars to “lock down the protestors” for one-and-a-half hours while Cheney’s motorcade and hundreds of Bush supporters drove by and heckled. (1|2) Later that afternoon, over a hundred gathered for another action in front of the republican headquarters on Oracle Rd. to support John Kerry.

Fighting for Maricopa County Inmates' Rights

On June 24th at 7:30 a.m. several Durango Jail inmates went on a hunger strike to demand healthier food and three meals a day instead of the two they're being served currently (CBS 5 report). The hunger strike ended within a few days, but was supported on the outside by members of the Monsoon Anarchist Collective, Mothers Against Arpaio, Phoenix Copwatch and was also joined by friends and family members who were waiting in the visiter's center at the jail. This first outside protest occured on the Saturday following the start of the hunger strike outside of Durango Jail (see the call, summary, and photos).

Protests continue for the human rights of local inmates. The Monsoon Anarchist Collective called for protests on July 12th and July 19th and made several demands including three healthy meals a day for inmates, the end to persecution of hunger strikers, the closure of Tent City due to human rights violations (see Amnesty International's report), and they also call for a people's review board.

The July 12th protest was held in front of the Wells Fargo Building in downtown Phoenix where Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office is. Sheriff Joe has been the center of recent local coverage, highlighting corruption and lies. Protesters got positive response from passers by and heard from an inmate on work-release about the poor conditions including vermin, not enough water, poor health, deaths, having to work for free, and inmates not knowing enough about the law or their rights.

The July 19th protest will be held at Estrella Jail at 9 am (more details here).