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Breaking News at this hour...

A press conference will be held on Thursday, 1/18/07, at 10:00 AM, in
the Conference Room at the Native American House, 1204 W. Nevada Street,
Urbana.
January 18, 2007

RESOLUTION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE
DEMANDING RETURN OF LAKOTA REGALIA USED IN PERFORMANCE OF "CHIEF
ILLINIWEK," AND IN SUPPORT OF REQUEST BY PEORIA TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA THAT

Pro-Chief Students Issue Call for Racism and Violence against American Indians at University of Illinois
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As concerned citizens of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and as faculty in the university's American Indian Studies Program and staff at the Native American House, we wish to call attention to a recent incident of university students explicitly advocating racist violence against American Indians in general and against one American Indian student in particular.

Several Urbana IMC members are traveling to Narobi, Kenya this month to support an Indymedia convergence during the seventh annual World Social Forum which runs January 20-25th. Media activists from Africa and around the world will be reporting in the World Social Forum, providing hands-on media production workshops, building two low-power radio stations in Kenya, and creating solidarity across borders.

The UC-IMC is trying to gather $1000 to support this Indymedia convergence. Your donation will help pay for needed radio & computer equipment, travel for African media activists, and set up costs for the media center (Note: Donations will not be used for travel expenses for UCIMC members). Please consider making a tax-deductible donation here. Donations of working computers - especially laptops - as well as hand-held tape recorders, cameras, video camcorders, or wireless access points, are also needed. Please contact chyn (at) ucimc.org to contribute.

Urbana is on the verge of establishing independent civilian oversight of its police. But the new Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) contract with the City has placed severe limits on this grassroots effort. Concerned citizens meet this Tuesday, January 9 at 7:00 pm to strategize.

The Champaign County Coalition for Citizen Police Review has been pushing for civilian oversight of police locally for at least six years, since efforts to establish oversight failed in Champaign following a spate of violent incidents involving questionable police conduct. In one case local police broke a man’s neck by knealing on his neck and pulling back on his head.

Witnesses Appear in Post-trial Motion for Patrick Thompson
By Brian Dolinar

A motion for a retrial filed by attorney Robert Kirchner on behalf of Patrick Thompson was heard Thursday, January 5, 2007. Nearly 50 of Thompson’s supporters were in the courtroom. In July 2006, Thompson was found guilty of home invasion and sexual abuse. Thompson is facing 6-30 years for what his supporters believe is retribution for his political activism. Patrick Thompson is one of the videographers that created the controversial documentary Citizen’s Watch in 2004 that exposed the unfair treatment of the black community by local police.

No Great Bodily Harm: Another Continuance For Sgt. Myers

No major developments occurred on January 3, 2007 in the prosecution of Sgt. William Alan Myers, 14 year veteran of the Sheriff’s office, currently charged with using a Taser on an inmate who was fully restrained and hooded. Sgt. Myers’ attorney Tony Novak was granted a continuance until February 2, 2007.

By the time Court Watchers arrived at 11 a.m. the continuance had already been granted, but we went down to the State’s Attorney’s office to get some of our questions answered. Julia Rietz refused to speak with me personally, but granted a conversation with C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice founder Aaron Ammons. The following material comes second-hand and any factual errors are the unfortunate result of my being shut out of the conversation. We invite Julia Rietz to attend a CUCPJ meeting that takes place every Saturday, 4 p.m. at the IMC to answer all of our questions.

Patrick Thompson’s Motion For Retrial This Week

Community Court Watch calls everyone to the courtroom:

Thursday, January 4th at 9 a.m. in courtroom A

Patrick Thompson is one of the videographers that created the controversial documentary, Citizen’s Watch in 2004. In July, Thompson was found guilty of home invasion and sexual abuse, charges we believe to be retaliation for his political activism. Thompson is facing 6-30 years in prison. This for an alleged crime for which there are no witnesses and no physical evidence.

December 15, 2006 - Parkland College, Champaign, IL

They called it a"congressional field hearing" to examine Tim Johnson's and disgraced House Speaker Dennis Hastert's “Protection of University Governance Act of 2006” (HR 5289). It ended up being a stacked Republican attempt to shame the NCAA for pushing us closer to ending the use of a racist mascot at UIUC.

However, Bernard Franklin of the NCAA held his ground and received support from Professor Steven Kaufman and Democratic congressman, Danny K Davis (IL). Not one American Indian was present as an official witness despite ample representation available at UIUC's Native American House and American Indian Studies program. (See the below interview of Professor Debbie Reese for more on this subject).

University Repays Thousands it Owes Graduate Employees

by Graduate Employees' Organaziation

Last week, 43 graduate employees at the University of Illinois received a much deserved pay raise. In accordance with the ruling of an independent arbitrator, the University of Illinois administration paid these graduate employees up to 15 months of back wages and will begin paying them an additional 9% each month. This adjustment in pay will correct the administration’s misreading of the wage language in its labor agreement with the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO), American Federation of Teachers Local 6300.

please forward widely...

FREE SPEECH UNDER ATTACK AT UIUC

RSO threatened by university library staff for distributing anti-war material (see details below)

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
-We need your support in order to help expand the amount of space available for registered student organizations (RSOs), campus unions, and Champaign-Urbana community members to table on campus.
-We wish to see the upper level of the Undergraduate Library Atrium Plaza made available for tabling and distributing literature and information.