On Monday, May 12, 2008, the third trial of Patrick Thompson began with no coverage in the mainstream media. The local press took great interest in 2004 when two black activists, Patrick Thompson and Martel Miller, produced the copwatch video Citzen’s Watch and, as a result, were charged with felony eavesdropping.

Upon the recommendation of Assistant State’s Attorney Rob Scales, Judge John R. Kennedy agreed to a sentence of 100 hours community service for Brian Chesley. Chesley was convicted by an all-white jury of obstructing and resisting a peace officer.

On April 18 2006, in response to what school officials called an increase in the severity of physical confrontations between students, the Champaign City Council passed a resolution to approve an intergovernmental agreement with unit 4 school district that would put police officers in unit 4 schools.

Nearly a year ago, on March 30, 2007, when a 17 year-old black youth was stopped in Douglass Park, pepper sprayed, and sent to the hospital by Champaign police, it put the issue of police brutality in the spotlight just two weeks before an election for several seats on the Champaign City Council.

Douglass Park Police Brutality Case set for March 25

From the IMC Newsroom

Today marks the fifth year anniversary of the start of the U.S. imperialist war of aggression in Iraq. Across the country thousands of people gathered to voice their opposition to the ongoing war, which has claimed the lives of over a million Iraqis and nearly 4,000 Americans. I attended the protest and march in Chicago.

For people living in the Douglass Park neighborhood, the vacant lot at 5th and Hill has a distinctively toxic legacy. People with a connection to the neighborhood have long suspected that the site was a source of problems. As they have come to lean more about the site’s history, they have found it difficult to get answers from Ameren, the company responsible for the site.

Support Iraq Veterans Against the War
Two Winter Soldier Events in the Champaign-Urbana Area

1. CENTRAL ILLINOIS IRAQ VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR (IVAW) presents a showing of:
"Winter Soldier"

WHERE: Wisegarver Lounge, Illinois Disciples Foundation, corner of Wright and Springfield Streets, Champaign.

WHEN: Monday, March 10, 2008. Film to begin at 7:00pm. Please plan to arrive early.

Despite decade of focused development work, Guatemala remains one of the poorest countries in Latin America. Much of the failure of development projects in Guatemala can be traced to the inattention at all levels to the phenomenon of “indigeneity.”

Chicago, IL- Sick and terminally ill patients might soon be able to seek relief if Illinois lawmakers can pass the Alternative Treatment for Serious Diseases Causing Chronic Pain and Debilitating Conditions Act.