features archive | newswire | publish | links | about

State Repression Against IMC Grenoble and IMC Nantes

Following the publication of a communiqué claiming responsibility for a fire in a garage at a Grenoble police depot (gendarmerie) during the night of September 20th/21st, Indymedia Grenoble and Indymedia Nantes have been threatened by the French police. The administrators of these sites received emails from the Central Office for the Fight Against Crime Linked to Information Technology and Communication (OCLCTIC) demanding that the concerned articles be removed from the sites in under 24 hours, otherwise rendering the sites liable to blocking and dereferencing.

The communiqué’s authors explained that the garage fire had been carried out as "part of a wave of attacks in solidarity with people currently under trial" such as the Quai de Valmy police car arson. In this Grenoble arson attack, several dozen police vehicles were burned (torched).

Solidarity with Linksunten Indymedia

Linksunten.indymedia.org, the main independent media website in Germany, was banned by the German government's Ministry of Interior on August 25. Maintaining the website and using its logo are now considered criminal offenses in the country. Linksunten volunteers are being prosecuted as a "club," which means that administrators are considered responsible for everything that has been published. Administrators are also being accused of being members of a terrorist association.

Coordination des Groupes Anarchistes writes: This represents a new step in the repression of our activities and ideas in Europe. The last time something of this significance occurred was in 1995, when the German central power banned the newspaper "Radikal", which sparked many demonstrations all over the country, especially in Hamburg. In France, even though some music bands and anti-authoritarian information websites have been threatened for their lyrics or articles, we have never experienced such brutal repression against our means of expression and communication. This attack against a radical and anti-authoritarian information platform should remind us of the need to pay special attention to the defense of our means of communication in front of State repression.

Germany Indymedia is collecting donations in support of Linksunten Indymedia.

Not in Germany, Not Anywhere Else: Repression Can’t Silence Us! | Call for Donations and Demonstrations in Support of Linksunten Indymedia

Related Feature: German Government Shuts Down Linksunten Indymedia: What It Means and What to Do

Linksunten Indymedia Declares “We Will Be Back Soon”

On August 25, the German government raided and shut down Linksunten Indymedia, an integral part of the global Independent Media Center network, and the most widely used German-language platform for radical politics and organizing. In Freiburg, riot police seized computers and harassed those they accuse of maintaining the site, justifying their actions on the grounds that the alleged administrators constitute an illegal organization intent on destroying the German Constitution. This represents a massive escalation in state repression against what the authorities call “left-wing extremism,” disingenuously suggesting an equivalence between those who seek to build communities beyond the reach of state violence and Neo-Nazis organizing to carry out attacks and murders.

In the last couple of years, more and more attention has accumulated around Linksunten Indymedia, which offers a space for people to post anonymously. Before the 2017 G20 summit took place in Hamburg, the corporate media was already focusing on the site, declaring it to be the coordination page of militant anti-G20 protestors. The far-right nationalist party Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland, or AfD) started a campaign against the platform, pushing inquiries about Indymedia in Federal parliament and trying to force local governments to ban the platform and other forms of radical infrastructure.

The heavy-handed approach of shutting down the website and raiding alleged administrators shows how afraid the authorities are that radical ideas are spreading and becoming contagious following the successful demonstrations against the G20 summit in July. German Federal Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière made it clear enough in his press conference that the assault on Indymedia is a form of revenge for the embarrassment the state suffered during the summit. It also shows how dishonest far-right and statist rhetoric is about free speech — in fact, these hypocrites only use that discourse to position themselves to suppress others’ speech.

In response, Linksunten Indymedia released a statement the next day on their banned website declaring, “We will be back soon.” It shows that the media activists still have control over their website, and could be the beginning of a huge Streisand effect. Solidarity demonstrations are taking place across Germany.

(Note: Since Linksunten Indymedia is now banned by the German government, you may want to use Tor or a VPN connection before you visit the website: linksunten.indymedia.org)

Read More (Translations: Spanish | Portuguese) | Indymedia Linksunten Shut Down | Germany: Federal Interior Ministry Bans Linksunten Indymedia | Linksunten Indymedia Announces “We Will Be Back Soon”

See Also: Solidarity with Indymedia Linksunten | Prohibition is An Attack on the Entire Left | Alemania censura la web Indymedia

Related Features: DOJ Demands User Data from Anti-Trump Website (2017) | Indymedia Marks 15 Years of Making Media and Making Trouble (2014) | FBI Seizes European Counter Network Web Server from Riseup Colocation Facility (2012) | Authorities Attempt to Shut Down Indymedia for "Coordination of Rebellion" in Greece (2009) | Israeli Police to Start an Investigation of Indymedia Israel (2009) | Police Seize UK Indymedia Server (Again) (2009)

Indonesian police use Shootings, killings, beatings, arrests on West Papuan independence rallies

Indonesian police have opened fire on peaceful protesters in Jayapura, with at least four gunshot wounds and one death. West Papuan activists and families have been forced to flee to the jungle for safety. Indonesian security forces are conducting scores of raids, sweeps and offensives against West Papuan civilians. The attacks are happening during the visit of National Police Chief General Sutarman with over 200 people arrested across West Papua. Journalists have also been attacked by Indonesian police according to Amnesty International...Read more at San Fransisco Bay Area Indymedia. The Indonesian Police chief says any plans to free Papua from Indonesia won't be tolerated, including Flag raising ceremonies on the West Papuan national Day, December 1st.

Calls for Independence by West Papuans have been made since the sham "Act of Free Choice in 1969". They have suffered a neglected genocide at the hands of the Indonesian military (2004) with continued Repression (2007). Thousands of Papuans took to the streets in 2010 and in 2011 rejecting special autonomy, demanding a referendum on independence. Indonesia plans to build 1,500 km of new roads in the next two years to accelerate ‘development', increase military presence, and open up more illegal logging. Three Papuans highlighted the human rights abuses at the APEC meeting in Bali this year by scaling the Australian Consulate’s fence in the dead of night and hand-delivering a personal plea to open the Indonesian province to world scrutiny.

A new academic law and human rights report A slow-motion genocide: Indonesian rule in West Papua (PDF), details the extent of the genocide and abuse of human rights. (Review by Greenleft) Activists have called for Australia to End pragmatic complicity in West Papua in response to comments by new conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Imprisoned Papuan leader Selpius Bobii also responded saying, "We Live In Terror, Mr Abbott".

Related: Waging Nonviolence: Flotilla unsettles Indonesia’s occupation of West Papua | West Papuan National Day Goes Global | West Papuans to join commemoration of Eureka Rebellion in Ballarat
More Information: West Papua media Alerts | Freedom Flotilla

Civil Society stages mass walkout protest from Warsaw Climate change negotiations

Civil society organisations abandoned the COP19 climate change negotiations in Warsaw on mass. Members from Greenpeace, Oxfam, WWF, Actionaid, Friends of the Earth, the International Trade Union Confederation (statement) and 350.org all started leaving the conference at 2pm. This is an unprecedented action, the first time several major civil society groups have staged a mass walkout.

Friends of the Earth International highlighted that the Warsaw Climate Change negotiations were failing, with Tension high in Warsaw talks as G77+China walk out. The role of Australia and reduced ambition of Japan  have been widely mentioned. Australia and Canada are seen as the major wreckers, but there has been substantial intransigence from much of the developed world to progressing the negotiations forward on finance, ambition, and a loss and damage mechanism. Poland's Coal Summit has shown the fossil fuel corporatism entwined in this COP with widespread dismay at the coal powered negotiations of COP19 and at UNFCCC official Christiania Figueres who gave the keynote speech at the coal summit 

Related: Democracy Now: "Nature Does Not Negotiate": Environmentalists Walk Out of U.N. Climate Summit in Warsaw | "Polluters Talk, We Walk": Civil Society Groups Abandon Warsaw Talks over Inaction on Global Warming | "We Have to Consume Less": Scientists Call For Radical Economic Overhaul to Avert Climate Crisis
Analysis: The Warsaw walkout and the Climate Movement

Canadians and Australians protest climate wrecking policies and pipelines

The weekend of 16th and 17th November saw tens of thousands of people in Canada and Australia out in the streets in over 260 protests against the climate policies of these countries. Australia and Canada are seen as the major wreckers in Warsaw at COP19.

The Saturday protests in Canada occurred from coast to coast to Repulse Bay, Nunavut on the Arctic circle, more than 10,000 people gathered in over 180 events co-ordinated by Defend our Climate. Many protests focussed on stopping further expansion of the Alberta tar sands and pipelines to move the bitumenous oil south to Texas, east through Ontario and Quebec, and west through British Columbia. On Sunday, more than 60,000 people attended climate protests across Australia, protesting the attempt to repeal carbon pricing and clean energy programs by the conservative Government lead by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, elected on 7 September this year, who denied any link between climate change and bushfires as unusually early and intense bushfires raged around Sydney.

Civil Society NGO and local Polish activists also staged a Climate Justice march in Warsaw in association with the COP19 climate change negotiations taking place. Super Typhoon Haiyan set the initial mood at the negotiations with Philippines negotiator Naderev Saño (Yeb Saño) saying "time to take action. We need an emergency climate pathway". There is widespread dismay at the coal powered negotiations in Warsaw with Japan and Australia being particularly singled out.

Related: Australia Indymedia - Tens of Thousands rally for Climate Action across Australia

Typhoon Haiyan causes death and devastation in the Philippines

On November 8 Super Typhoon Haiyan made landfall over Guiuan, Eastern Sama province in the Philippines, destroying coastal communities with ferocious winds and a storm surge of 6-7 metres (up to 20 feet). According to Dr Jeff Masters "Haiyan had winds of 190 - 195 mph (315 km/h) at landfall, making it the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in world history."

Authorities of Tacloban City with a population of 220,000 and capital of Leyte province, gave an early estimate that perhaps 10,000 people died from this one city. Many people were surprised by the huge storm surge tidal waves that inundated much of the city. Many smaller coastal villages were also devastated with most buildings destroyed or suffering severe damage. According to the UN Reliefweb report on 14 November the number of affected people has increased to 11.8 million. The official death count from Typhoon Haiyan is currently 4,460 but with numbers still increasing. There were 921,200 people displaced and 243,600 houses destroyed. A total of 2.5 million people are in need of food assistance.

Related: Climate IMC: Typhoon Haiyan: This is a climate crime | Time for turning tears into anger says Walden Bello | Philippine groups demand action on climate finance, loss and damage in Warsaw climate talks | Ejected from COP19 for expressing solidarity to the Philippines | Youth observers expelled from UN climate change talks for Philippines Solidarity | Indybay: Super typhoon Haiyan is climate wake-up call | They destroy We suffer Statement on Yolanda’s Aftermath
Non-corporate Typhoon Haiyan Relief Efforts: Waves for Water | Haiyan NYC Relief Project | Doctors without Borders | Oxfam International

Mi'kmaq attacked by police and snipers

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and unidentified snipers attack Mi'kmaq women and elderly who were part of an anti-fracking encampment.

Support pours in for Mi'kmaq attacked by police and snipers. Today, Monday, Mi'kmaq Warrior Tyson Peters shot with rubber bullet risks losing his leg after protecting woman from a bullet.

[ From Global IMC Newswire ]

Global Warming impacts escalate as Climate negotiations stall in Doha

Climate Negotiations are over for another year with little progress in Doha by any one's measure as the scientific statements on climate change and the impacts we are already feeling as evidenced in record Arctic melting, and extreme weather events like Hurricane Sandy and Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines, and Cyclone Evan in the South Pacific are growing much stronger.

Some of the latest scientific research shows:

• Sea Level rising 60% faster than IPCC projections
• Methane and CO2 in thawing Arctic permafrost a climate tipping point
• Collapse of Siberia's Coastline is Releasing Huge Amounts of CO2
• Greenland Ice sheet suffers unprecedented surface melt
• Indian Monsoon more likely to fail as global warming accelerates
• Southern Ocean warming impact on Antarctic Ice Sheet Stability and sea level rise

Photos: Photos by World Resources Institute | Photos by Oxfam | The Verb: Climate March in Doha | The Verb: COP18 Actions
Related: Deep emissions cuts urged at climate summit | Towards a Grand Compromise in the Climate Negotiations | COP18, another 'Conference of Polluters' | An open letter to governments and their negotiators | Climate compensation row at Doha | Forest Groups Protest False Solutions | IPCC's Planned Obsolescence: Fifth Assessment Report Will Ignore Crucial Permafrost Carbon Feedback! | Methane and CO2 in thawing Arctic permafrost a climate tipping point

BATTLE OF NOTRE-DAME-DES-LANDES: Megalomaniac Airport Project In Western France

During the weekend of 23-25 November, violent clashes occurred, as military police attacked activists and environmentalists on an area slated for an airport project in Notre-Dame-des-Landes – a village near Nantes, while riot police violently dispersed a support demonstration in the city. The events have forced major media and politicians to publicly admit that there is an issue.

features archive | newswire | publish | links | about

Check out the archive of past featured stories

About these featured stores: The stories highlighted on this page in the center column are published by the www-features working group. We encourage you to get involved or suggest a story to feature. Interested in getting your imc coverage listed in the upcoming events section?

Syndication: Features RSS | Features RSS with content

(c) Independent Media Center. All content is free for reprint and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere, for non-commercial use, unless otherwise noted by author.

UPCOMING IMC COVERAGE

CHOOSE A NEWSWIRE:
  LOCAL FEATURES
  OPEN PUBLISHING

CHOOSE A NEWSWIRE:

RSS