From the open publishing newswire: As my child and I wandered through downtown today, we decided to take a detour through Pioneer Square to look at the Christmas tree there. Yeh, I don't know why either. But something about this time of the year makes me nostalgic for those kinds of things. But you know what? We couldn't even get near it. The entire square is currently under occupation. Rude and imposing chain link fences surrounded the square, hung with tarps and plastic. The obligatory white, plastic tents squatted over the whole affair, hiding something within. All around the perimeter, plastic signs blazoned with corporate logos -- mostly advertisements for Clear Channel stations -- hung imploringly from the chain link fences. Only the top of the tree was visible, poking up through the middle of it all.

From the open publishing newswire: December 4th is the date that the chicago police along with the f.b.i. murdered chicago black panther party chairman FRED HAMPTON while he slept in his bed.
It is also the birthday of STEW ALBERT longtime revolutionary activist who died in portland this year.Stew passed away in his home from cancer on feb 1 this year.
Stew was a POWERFULL force in our and any community he lived in. He was well loved and will be missed by so many. He spoke at red and black cafe in 2001 and the tape of that awesome speech will be played, as well as a reading from his book Who the hell is Stew Albert. In the speech Stew tells his story of working with the black panther party the yippies S.D.S the weatherunderground and how we can learn from the lessons of buried revolutionary history.

From the open publishing newswire:

You can't go anywhere in Caracas, these days, with out seeing banners reading, "Chavez No Se Va!!" Elections are only 2 days away on Sunday, December 3rd. As of Thursday the schools of Venezuela have been closed and have been taken over by election officials in order to make sure elections will run smoothly. However, many Venezuelans believe that the elections will run no where near to smooth.

I'm based out of a one of the most established community radio station titled, "Radio Negro Premiro." This station, along with many others, is currently hard at work planning electoral coverage.

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photos from pro Chavez rally in Caracas

One week before the Venezuelan presidential elections 2 million Venezuelan citizens from all over the country came to show there support for Hugo Chavez. Apart from the mains stage where Hugo Chavez gave his three hour speech there were over 5 other stages with music and speakers saying Chavez No Se Va.

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related: [ PDX Unionists Back from Venezuela and Colombia | AUDIO INTERVIEW: Pacific NW Labor Delegation - Part 1 | Situation in Venezuela is again critical ]

From the open publishing newswire: My Thursday brunch with the Gorgon went well. I noticed people are getting a little tense. I was confronted by a guy dressed in a very expensive looking suit, about 35 years old, who yelled, "Do you think Bin Laden had anything to do with the war?" I answered, "Did we get him?" He responded, "Catching Bin Laden has nothing to do with war in Iraq." I said, "You got that right, Bin Laden has nothing to do with the occupation of Iraq." "I agree with you, stay and talk to me."---he left muttering something I could not understand.

Other people smiled at my sign...

I will continue my protest at the World Trade Center each Thursday at 11:45 AM until about 1:00 PM, I want someone to challenge this NeoCon who hides as a Republican Moderate.

From the open publishing newswire: Last weekends Schumacher demonstration really made use of one of our usual chants.
1, 2, 3, 4, this is a fur war. We have a big new sign, and Linda came out and stood in front of it with their 50% off sale banner. This led to a debate, and after a while she went back inside. Later, she came back out along with another employee and went across the street with the security guards. This time they had two signs. The funny thing is that we couldn't read them from across the street. They could take sign making lessons from us.

Our two sides spent about 45 minutes debating back and fourth across the street. During most of this time, our side chanted our usual chants while Linda screamed at Matt. Most of her rants were false accusations and trying to find any weakness in our information.

From the open publishing newswire: On November 6, 2006, a lone man in a "V" mask and clothing visited security checkpoints at the White House, the main Treasury Building, the Department of Justice and the Capitol, to deliver a letter and the Petitions for Redress. A short videotape of the encounters has made its way around the Internet, including links from sites such as MySpace.com.

The letter informed the leaders of the Executive and Legislative branches of the federal government that up to 100 people in "V" masks and clothing would gather in silent vigil at those locations on November 14th to await a response to the Petitions for Redress.

From the open publishing newswire: The term Green Scare refers to the Red Scares of the early twentieth century, made famous by the McCarthy hearings and the House Un-American Activities Committee. The Green Scare demonstrates a similar systematic criminalization of dissent as the U.S. government is using all its tactics (e.g., grand juries, specialized legislation, paid agents provocateurs) to target the radical environmental and animal rights movements, those who publicly support them, and others who struggle for a healthy, diverse eco-system and the rights of animals. On December 7th, 2005, the FBI made their first arrests of "Operation Backfire," a multi-state sweep targeting alleged Earth Liberation and Animal Liberation Front activists with charges of conspiracy and arson threatening them with life in prison. Elsewhere, the government has convicted organizers of the Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) campaign - a campaign that ultimately kept Huntingdon off the stock market and can take credit for the divestment of hundreds of their clients and investors. The SHAC 7 are currently serving up to 6 years for violating the "Animal Enterprise Protection Act" by operating a website. In Sacramento, Eric McDavid, waiting in solitary confinement for trial, faces up to 20 years for alleged thought crime. In 2001, Jeff "Free" Luers was convicted of damaging 3 Sports Utility Vehicles that were later restored and sold. He is currently serving his 6th year of a 22 year sentence. This year, on December 7, people all over the world will be organizing and participating in events to raise awareness about the Green Scare and show solidarity with those targeted by it.

• Sun. Dec 3rd, 8:30pm: Eugene, OR @ Sam Bond's Garage, 407 Blair Blvd - "For our Friends, For the Future," a fundraising evening of speakers Kristian Williams and Lauren Regan, music from Mood Area 52 and Peter Wilde, films and more! This event also honors murdered journalist Bradley Will (1970-2006, see friendsofbradwill.org)
• Wed. Dec 6th, 7pm and 9pm: Portland, OR @ Clinton Street Theater 2522 SE Clinton St - Two screenings of Your Mommy Kills Animals, a new documentary by filmmaker Curt Johnson who will be present at the screening for a Q & A session afterwards. all proceeds go to the SHAC 7
• Thurs. Dec 7th, 7-9pm: Seattle, WA @ Araya's Vegetarian Restaurant, 1121 NE 45th St - Seattle in Solidarity with the Green Scare Targets!. Prisoner Letter-Writing Party, Discussion/Networking, Good Food, & Good Times. Don't let us be silenced!
• Fri. Dec 8th, 8pm: Olympia, WA "Green Scare" Benefit @ Solid Gold, 419 Boulevard Rd SE Performances by Bridget Irish, Leonardo, Myello Onyxoxo, Rachel Diamon, Shizunomargot.
• Sat. Dec 9th, 6-11pm: Portland OR: @ Liberty Hall, 311 N Ivy - "Liberating Dissent: Refusing to be Silenced" - A benefit for Green Scare defendants and Grand Jury Resistance, with presentations by Jeff Hogg and Paul Loney, updates on the Green Scare, SHAC 7, and Grand Jury Resistance, Performances by The Rag and Bone Men, Shickey Gnarowitz, Tandemnation, Drunken Boat, Nux Vomica

Resources: cldc.org | olycivlib.org | http://www.greenisthenewred.com | Portland IMC green scare topic page | Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network | ELP Network USA | Jeff "Free" Luers | greenscare.org

Some Non-cooperating Greenscare defendants who have websites: Briana Waters | Daniel McGowan | Eric McDavid | Josh Wolf | Rod Coronado | SHAC 7

From the open publishing newswire: NO HUMAN IS ILLEGAL! STAND UP TO THE MINUTEMEN TOMMORROW!

The minutemen are coming.. This Saturday the 2nd of December, members of "Oregonians For Immigration Reform," and "Oregon Minutemen" will be harassing immigrant day laborers. They'll be at 6th and E. Burnside from 7am till noon.

Along with their usual message of racist fear mongering, they've latched onto the public report back that the PCASC, CBLOC delegation is doing at Carpenters hall Local 247 next Tuesday

(  http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/11/349976.shtml)

and are asking their members to attend. In their statement they cry,"How many American Home builders are struggling because of this Criminal?" Their efforts to capitalize on recent INS charges against a local Labor organizer come across loud and clear. With the same breath that they criminalize and vilify immigrant workers these groups will work to smash our solidarity with labor struggles across the world, and pit our union members against each other.

From the open publishing newswire:

The FBI has just settled on the lawsuit filed by Brandon Mayfield for $2 million. A couple of years ago, you may recall, Mr. Mayfield was topping the FBI's list of "terror" suspects in the wake of the 2004 Madrid bombings...even after Spanish authorities told FBI agents they had the wrong man. Using such shabby "evidence" as a homework assignment written by one of Mr. Mayfield's children, which they acquired via sneak and peek raids of his home, the FBI and the US Government harassed, hounded, and illegally imprisoned Mr. Mayfield. Today, they had to pay.

In filing his lawsuit against the FBI and the US Government, Mayfield decried the secret searches of his home, the tapping of his telephones, and the gross violations of his and his family's privacy that were carried out by FBI agents. Today, the government was forced to apologize for allowing such a bald and unconstitutional abuse of power to go on. The government released a terse, guarded statement that was apparently part of the settlement deal...

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related: [ Brandon Mayfield wins $2 million against Feds | Attorney Brandon Mayfield Settles with FBI for $ 2 mil ]

From the open publishing newswire: Friday, December 1st, is an important day. Not only is it a day of international protest against the inauguration of Felipe Calderon, who stole the election in Mexico, it is also a day to raise consciousness about the continuing massacre and human rights violations against the 'Oaxaca Commune' -- a autonomous government in the Mexican state of Oaxaca of real democracy that the corporate-dominated national government cannot allow to live.

In Portland, a city-wide day of pamphleteering has been organized. To participate is simple: download a pamphlet, make some copies (at home or at Kinkos), and stand outside your local grocery, video, or beer store (anywhere is good)-- or simply drop off some copies at a cafe or restaurant. To help make this action successful, all that is required is a half-hour of your time.

From the open publishing newswire: AUDIO INTERVIEW: The Pacific Northwest Labor Delegation, consisting of 9 representatives from various unions from Portland and across Cascadia touched down in Caracas, Venezuela on the 10th of November. Their two week mission is to meet with other unionists in Venezuela and Colombia and share ideas and stories and build bridges.

Nada, who is one of the delegates, took a few minutes out of the busy schedule to do an interview with PDX IMC Radio to share experiences with those back home in Portland. It's a very lively and informative interview where Nada tries to bring some of the very real Caracas and Bogota of today to life.

photos from pro Chavez rally in Caracas | Reclaim The Media reportback from Caracas
PDX Unionists Report-Back from Venezuela and Colombia Tuesday Dec 5th

www.venezuelanalysis.comPortland Central America Solidarity Committee

From the open publishing newswire: OAXACA: Portrait of a Barricade
Street Confrontations at Melbourne G20 Protest
A Tale Of Colonial Thanks-Taking
Eugene Grand Jury Resister Freed after Six Months

From the open publishing newswire:

On Thursday, November 30, the Portland City Council will hear a resolution filed by Commissioner Randy Leonard to bring the troops home from Iraq and fund local human needs. The resolution will be heard at 2:00 pm in council chambers.

Speakers in favor of the resolution will include Tom Chamberlain, President of Oregon AFL-CIO, Oregon State Representatives Chip Shields and Diane Rosenbaum, local advocates for health care, education and housing as well as veterans and military families.

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Attend City Council Meeting to Urge Withdrawal from Iraq!!!

I cannot think of a more important issue to this nation than the abomination that is the Iraq war. This war has rightly been called 'a sucking chestwound to our nation,' and a 'burning tire around our necks.' This is a chance for you to make a stand someplace where it matters. (Sure, there will be other chances, and I say go for those times as well.) Anyway, I encourage anyone who can get away from work or home a few hours Thurs. to show up in person and express support for the resolution. If you can't come, then call City Council or write. But please come, and please encourage your friends.

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