Folks from and around Rochester, Ithaca, and Utica met in their respective cities yesterday morning (May 8th) and began their peace march—scheduled to run (or walk) from May 8-17—to Fort Drum located in Watertown, NY. The feeder marches will converge north of Syracuse, NY before moving on to Fort Drum.

According to their website, New York State Marches for Peace, folks from "across the state [are marching to Ft. Drum] to bring support to our active duty soldiers and Iraq Veterans Against the War. This march will be an act of re-birthing civic duty and responsibility to defend our Constitution and strengthen our resolve to stop the damage this unjust, illegal, and immoral war is doing to our families, communities, the world and most of all, soldiers."

Kathy Castania, a local, anti-war activist and one of the organizers of the march, wrote a report back for the Rochester feeder march: The Rochester Feeder March had an “incredibly good start.” With good press coverage at the Storefront, Mike and Brian from IVAW spoke, along with members of Military Families and Vets fro Peace. A heartfelt circle of walkers expressed their hopes for the Walk. The Walk, with media walking along, covered about 12 miles. With “gusto” literatuyre was handed out to many passer-bys and at homes along the way. The evening program had a presentation on PTSD by a conscientious objector from the armed forces and a member of Military Families Speak Out. “We received amazing support and found a very positive attitude on the road. The group of 25 walkers started the day, along with a mini-bus, a u-haul, and two cars. At the end of the day eleven walkers were treated to foot baths at a yoga/healing place.

May 8th Feeder Report for Utica | May 8th Feeder Report Ithaca

Photos/Video: Coming soon!

Zero Tolerance initiative continues its abuses of people of color. Last night (Tuesday, April 29th) an ARM (Rochester's Anti-Racism Movement) member was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after questioning officers who were racially profiling his 16-year-old brother and assuming him "suspicious of dealing drugs" when he got out of a car on his way into Extreme Graphics with his brother, saw a friend and gave him a cultural handshake familiar among black males.

To read the full article, click the "more" button below.

Additional Information: Minority Reporter Newspaper | Rochester's new "Zero Tolerance" initiative | $2.5 million set aside to fund "Zero Tolerance" | Community Speak Out Against "Zero Tolerance" | A Conversation With Tim Donaher, Monroe County Public Defender

An audience of around 50 people attended the May Day rally for workers and immigrant rights at the Liberty Pole on May 1st. A slew of speakers made connections between the immigrant rights movement, the anti-racism movement, and the anti-war movement both regionally and nationally. The rally took place despite a wave of terror launched by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who, days before the rally, raided a Mexican restaurant in Buffalo, NY taking into custody some sixty workers as well as another three farm workers from Wayne County, NY on May 1st, according to the Rochester Alliance for Immigrant Rights.

After the rally there was to be a May Day picnic and outdoor social that had to be relocated because of rain. The Anti-war Storefront on Monroe Avenue generously donated their space for the picnic to take place. Approximately 40 people attended; there was food, hula-hooping, sidewalk soccer, music, dancing, and radical readings from authors such as Emma Goldman, Voltairine de Cleyre, the Haymarket Martyrs, the Industrial Workers of the World, and others.

Photos: Rochester Against War May Day photo gallery | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

The governments of Rochester and Monroe County are at war with their own citizens, and it's about time that we started fighting back. It was bad enough when the county closed down the DIY music shows in the parks, and when the city closed down A/V space. Then the DIY Rochester website (on MySpace) went on "hiatus," and then the Treehouse got shut down. Now I read ("Bar Shots," March 26) that the town of Greece is closing down the Landfill, too. It's time to ask: what is going on here?

See also: Not your neighbor's drunken house party

This past weekend, April 25-27, animal rights advocates from around the region (ARA-UNY) were at the Blue Cross Arena demonstrating against the Shrine Circus.

According to animal advocates, performance attendances on Friday and Saturday seemed very low. After a cop and a clown told advocates that there were no animals being used in performances, further investigation by advocates revealed the circus using "bears, horses, dogs, tigers, and more." The evidence pointed to the fact that police and clowns are very untrustworthy. It was learned that these animals were leased from "Hawthorn Corp," "who, in 2004, were brought up on animal cruelty charges by USDA, and by 2007 had turned all their elephants over to sanctuary," according to the report back.

To read Lois Baum's full report back, click the "more" button below.

Photos of Shriners or people in their employ taking photos of Animal Advocates: 1 | 2 | 3

Additional Information: Cruelty Under the "Big Top" | The Circus: it's modern slavery | List of localities that ban animal circuses | Complete list of animal-free circuses | Circuses.com: The Circus is No Place for Animal Abuse