This weekend is an International Weekend of Resistance Against the Green Scare, with events in over 40 cities worldwide to show solidarity and support for those facing charges and harassment in the recent wave of repression against Eco and Animal Rights activists. This month is the sixth year that Jeff “Free” Luers has been in prison, and the 3rd year of International Days of Solidarity with him. There will be an event in SF on Saturday, June 10th at Station 40 (3030 B 16th Street @ Mission). The event will feature bands, speakers such as Black Panther and Grand Jury Resister Richard Brown, and free vegan food. Doors will open at 1:30pm. Donations will benefit political prisoners. There will also be an event in Arcata that evening.

Read more on Indybay's Police and Prisons, Environment, and San Francisco News Pages

There will be a June 9th press conference and rally for Mumia Abu-Jamal from 4-6pm at the Federal Building in San Francisco. The rally is part of an international effort to win new support for Mumia's appeal and to counter the efforts to execute him. The State of Pennsylvania recently filed an appeal seeking to reinstate the order to execute Mumia. Governor Ed Rendell has said that if the appeal is upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, he will sign the third warrant for Mumia's execution. Barring the unlikely intervention of the U.S. Supreme Court, Mumia will have 90 days to live.

Read More On Indybay's Police and SF Pages

Having been the target of numerous anti-war demonstrations, the Oakland Military Recruitment Center on Broadway at 21st Street met a different type of adversary on June 7th. The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (CIRCA) invaded and occupied the military recruitment center in downtown Oakland for about 45 minutes until they were forced out by city police and the center shut down for the day.

Read More on Indybay's East Bay, Anti-War, and Arts + Action News Pages

On June 7th U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren Watada held a press conference in Tacoma, WA to announce his intention to disobey the illegal order to deploy to Iraq in coordinated press conferences in Tacoma, Washington and Honolulu, Hawaii. Ehren Watada is believed to be the first U.S. military officer to publicly refuse orders in the Iraq War due to its illegality. He has tried to resign his commission in protest, and he has now refused redeployment via press conferences in Tacoma and Hawaii. His identity was kept secret until today, so supporters have been calling him "LT." Organizers are requesting that people sign an online petition and be prepared to organize local events in support of Watada.

Read more on Indybay's Antiwar and US News Pages

On June 6th, communities of color at UC Santa Cruz held multiple rallies and confronted Chancellor Denton to demand concrete infrastructural support for diversity at UCSC. While the University has made a rhetorical commitment to diversity, custodians continue to receive up to 30% less in wages than their counterparts at local colleges; the University has actively denied institutional support and failed to recognize the centrality of student initiated outreach and retention programs to making diversity viable at UCSC; and, large numbers of valuable senior faculty of color have been forced to resign due to hostile working environments.

More coverage on Santa Cruz IMC and Indybay's Education and Race pages

Invitations were distributed to Reclaim The Streets of Santa Cruz on June 3rd with a free street party for everyone. Slowly but surely, musicians, artists, chalkers, dancers, bikers, disc tossers, walkers and other party goers began arriving at Pearl Alley in anticipation of Saturday night's "experiment in spontaneous urban uprising." At about 8pm, people drifted into slow-moving traffic on Pacific Avenue to "take over the streets and reclaim community space for community use!"

More coverage on Santa Cruz IMC and Indybay's Arts + Action page

On Saturday, June 3rd, Marriage Equality USA held walks across bridges in California and New York to raise visibility and funds for efforts to win state and federal protections for civil marriage for same-sex couples. For the Golden Gate Bridge Walk for Marriage Equality, people gathered at the western end of Chrissy Field at 9:00am, and vans brought people to the Golden Gate Bridge for the Walk, which began at 9:30. The event ended with a cake reception at noon. The Senate is considering a constitutional anti-marriage amendment and is expected to vote Wednesday June 7th on whether to limit debate and force a final vote.

Read more on Indybay's LGTBQI/Queer and SF News Pages

The City of Emeryville will host a community meeting on Saturday, June 3rd, at 10:00am at the Recreation Center at 43rd Street and San Pablo, across the street from the Arizmendi Bakery. The last item on the agenda is discussion of Starbucks coming to the plaza at 43rd and San Pablo. There is a Starbucks just three blocks away. Emeryville residents are encouraged to go sign up and voice their opinions about having a chain cafe across the plaza from the worker-owned Arizmendi Bakery. When the plaza was built, the city had agreed to reserve spaces for non-corporate, locally-owned businesses. The City Council will be meeting in a closed session on June 6th to decide whether or not to approve the plan.

Read more on Indybay's Global Justice and East Bay News Pages

Lauren Weiner, arrested along with Zachary Jenson and Eric McDavid on January 13, 2006 in Auburn, CA, agreed on May 30th to cooperate with investigators and plead guilty to USC 18 371 "conspiracy to commit an offense or defraud the United States," in exchange for a lesser sentence. She along with Zach and Eric were originally charged with USC 18 844(n) "conspiracy to destroy property by means of fire or explosives", for which they could be jailed a maximum of 20 years. The three were originally arrested with the help of an FBI infiltrator who was planted in the group and was said to have been a driving force behind the alleged "conspiracy."

More coverage on Indybay's Central Valley and Police State pages

On May 23rd, UC Santa Cruz's custodians, part of the union AFSCME, continued their hard-fought wage parity campaign by staging a respectful protest inside Chancellor Denice Denton's Brown Bag event. The workers are frustrated over the Chancellor's lack of support for custodians and their families. While the Chancellor consistently refers to 'market rates' to justify top admin salaries (she earns upwards of $400,000/yr.), she has yet to support custodians whose poverty wages are up to 30% less than neighboring colleges. At the event, AFSCME organizer Julian Posadas announced that some workers were considering a hunger strike and that the Chancellor has June 5th as a deadline to support the workers.

Read more and view photos on Santa Cruz IMC and Indybay's Labor and Education pages

Skidmark Bob of Free Radio Santa Cruz speaks with Ron Anicich, producer of Bad Cop, No Donut!. Ron talks about the Toronto Police raid of CKLN on May 25th during the airing of the Bad Cop, No Donut! - May 25/2006 radio program. Ron was not in the studio at the time of the raid. The police say they were responding to a 9-1-1 call....

Read more and listen to the interview on Santa Cruz IMC and Indybay's Police State page

The South Central Community Farm in Los Angeles has been under consistent attack from the City of LA since the beginning of March. The farm, spanning 14 blocks, is believed to be one of the largest urban community gardens in the United States. On Wednesday, May 24th, the court issued a ruling paving the way for the sheriff to evict the farmers. Farmers and supporters have called for an encampment and defense of the farm by issuing a Red Alert. Supporters are travelling from Northern California and other parts of the country to join the encampment; folk singer Joan Baez and tree-sitting celebrities Julia Butterfly Hill and John Quigley started a tree-sit in the oldest tree on the farm.

Read more on Indybay's California and Environment pages and full coverage at Los Angeles Indymedia

Lakota Elder Madonna Thunder Hawk spoke in San Francisco on Tuesday, May 30th at 6:30pm, at New College of California. (See the Flyer). She is a veteran of every modern Native American struggle, from the occupation of Alcatraz to the siege of Wounded Knee. She is a long-time community organizer with a range of experience in Indian rights protection, cultural preservation, economic development and environmental justice.
Audio interview with Madonna Thunder Hawk and Elizabeth Creely of BACORR
Read More On Indybay's Womyn and San Francisco Pages

Eureka, CA - Local citizens have launched a ballot initiative that will prohibit large out-of-county corporations from making political contributions in Humboldt County elections. The initiative for Fair Elections and Local Democracy - or “Measure T” as it’s known locally - received a record number of signatures to qualify for the June 6, ballot through grassroots campaign organized by the Humboldt Coalition for Community Rights. Proponents of the measure call it a "direct challenge to the legal doctrine that a corporation must be treated as a 'person' with vested constitutional rights."

Read More on the North Coast and Government pages.

On May 18th, students at UC Santa Cruz held the annual Take Back the Night. There were speakers and live performance addressing issues such as prison violence, sterilization, borderline violence, and institutionalized patriarchy. Take Back the Night has been organized at UC Santa Cruz since 1983 - two years after the event was started in San Francisco. Traditionally an empowerment space for women-only, this year's event, controversially, was open to all genders.

Read more and view photos | Santa Cruz Indymedia

The killing of more than 20 Iraqi civilians in an incident last November has become an international scandal after evidence from two official investigations was shown to members of Congress. The killings took place in November in Haditha, a city north-west of Baghdad. A marine was killed by a bomb and then his colleagues moved through the area, shooting five men standing next to a taxi and then entering at least two homes containing women and children where the killings continued.

Read More On Indybay's Iraq and International Pages

On Saturday, May 23, In Defense of Animals (IDA) and Citizens for Cruelty-Free Entertainment protested in front of the ticketbooths at Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo after winning a Federal Court ruling that stopped Six Flags from banning protestors on Six Flags' grounds. The protesters educated the public about Marine World's history of premature animal deaths, including the inherent cruelty of using animals at the amusement park, and urged Six Flags to stop exhibiting animals and focus solely on rides and other forms of entertainment.

Read More on Indybay's Animal Liberation News Page