Spanish Ambassador gets home demo over Spanish 12 case

On the evening of Saturday, June 25th, the conclusion of a DC area conference against the fur trade, animal rights protesters descended on the home of the Spanish ambassador.

DC Direct Action News video:

Faunj’s video in three parts:

They demanded the release of all 12 activists arrested in Spain last week for peaceful aboveground activism.

Interestingly, the arrests of the Spanish 12 appear to have been at the request of Spain’s fur industry, so it’s no surprise that a convention against the fur trade scheduled cooincidently with the news of these arrests would generate a spontanious protest at the Ambassodor’s home.

The DC government and lawyers for corporations targetted by animal rights protesters in DC may have thought they banned “residential picketing” but the First Amendment required the City Council to leave more than enough loopholes to drive a good sized home demo through.

There were no problems with police attacking this protest of making any attempt to stop it, since the law could not legally ban this sort of protest outright.

In fact, had this law been in effect in the middle of the last decade when ANSWER showed up outside Rumsfeld’s home with 1,000 antiwar/antitorture protesters, the only thing they would have had to do differently would have been to shut off the sound truck when it went down his street!

Action Report- Solidarity Demo with the Spanish 12

On Friday, June 24, 2011, staff and volunteers from Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) and the Equal Justice Alliance (EJA) protested outside the Spanish Embassy in Washington DC. This was an international day of action in solidarity with the “Spanish 12”, with protests in 19 countries across the globe, including additional protests organized by FARM/EJA in San Francisco and New York.

The “Spanish 12” animal activists have been recently arrested and charged with “eco-terrorism” for merely working at above-ground animal rights organizations conducting undercover investigations and open rescues.

For the duration of the one-hour protest in DC, activists in front of the Spanish Embassy expressed outrage at the current treatment of animal advocates by the Spanish government by chanting messages and carrying large signs reading “Stop Activist Repression,” “Activism is NOT a crime,” “Protect Free Speech,” “Free the Spanish 12” and “Drop All Charges”. The vocal protesting garnered attention from embassy workers and the secret service.

Prior to the demonstration, Green is the New Red author Will Potter accompanied two FARM activists to deliver a letter addressed to the Spanish Ambassador, Jorge Dezcallar de Mazarredo. The letter and fliers, which the front desk attendant and several Spanish diplomats promised would be given to the Ambassador, demanded that the Spanish 12 get served vegan meals and that all charges be dropped against.

FARM and EJA will continue to speak out against these injustices until the charges against the Spanish 12 are dropped. These arrests mirror the attacks on activists worldwide, including the cases of those recently acquitted in Austria and those in the US who are victims of designer legislation. Activism is not terrorism – we must combat all oppression committed against animals and their activist allies around the world.

Special Thanks to the dedicated volunteers who came out today and stay tuned for more updates and actions on the FARM Blog (www.blog.farmusa.org)!

Until all are free!

Amnesty, Witness Against Torture march for closure of Guantanimo Bay

On June 23, protesters in orange jump suits marched from the White House to the Department of “Justice,” and from there to the Supreme Court, demanding that Guantanimo Bay and the secret prisons be closed.

Video of the protest

Due to the heat, the black hoods were only worn while protesting at the White House, DOJ, or the Supreme Court and were removed for marching. Detainees at Guantanimo Bay receive no such consideration.

Remembered at this protest were three detainees who recently dies at Guantanimo. The government claims they committed suicide by hanging in their cells, but witnesses report they dies outside their cells-and not by their own hand.

Hud Tenants march on Bank of America, demand BofA pay taxes to prevent housing cuts

On the 21st of June, the National Alliance of HUD tenants marched on the Bank of America and the US Treasury, demanding that over $4 billion in tax breaks for the rich be cancelled, and the money be used to restore the proposed cuts in HUD’s housing aid budget.

Bank of America locked their doors in the faces of the HUD tenants, so NAHT took their giant check symbolizing the taxed Bof A should have paid to the US treasury themselves, where again it was refused.

Video of the protest

Due to their corporate tax break, Bank of America did not pay a single dime in corporate income tax last year, according to NAHT. One speaker went so far as to explain that anyone buying a pack of cigarettes paid more tax than Bank of America paid! This of course is because tobacco, liquor, tires, and a few other products carry Federal excise taxes, while Bank of America apparently paid NO taxes of any kind to the Federal government.

This after bank of America took TARP bailout funds, meaning the taxpayers got to pay BofA twice-first with the bailout, then with the tax break when they made billions of someone else’s money.

At the same time the Paul Ryan budget would give the rich, including Bank of America a $4.4 Billion tax break, it would impose a $5.5 Billion cut for HUD. The pretax earnings of Bank of America alone, meaning pretax profits, not gross revenue, would be sufficient to restore 80% of that HUD budget cut.

If the HUD budget cuts go through, the result will be an estimated $600,000 people losing their housing aid and tens of thuosands made homeless.

In other words, in the US as in Greece, the bankers and their wholly-owned subisidiaries in politics are demanding severe cuts in public programs like housing as a condition of continuing to extend credit to the government. That’s what the Paul Ryan budget is all about: Deep cuts in public services in exchange for no disruption of the flow of credit. Otherwise the GOP is threatening to block raising the debt ceiling, forcing an eventual US default on Treasury bonds-just like Greece.

Financial details from NHAT press packet:

CORRECTION AND DETAILS FROM NAHT PRESS PACKET:

Bank of America pretax revenue for 2009: $4.2 Billion
Bank of America total assets: $2.2 TRILLION
Bank of America taxes paid 2009: ZERO
Bank of America bailout funds received 2009: $45 BILLION
Bank of America tax deductions 2009: $2.1 billion
Bank of America foreign tax havens used: 115

Proposed tax breaks for the rich in the Ryan budget: $4.4 Billion

Proposed budget cuts for HUD: $5.5 Billion.

This means if Bank of America and ONLY Bank of America paid taxes at the rate you or I would for that same $4.2 billion in income, a quarter of that HUD budget cut could be restored. Three more such corporations starting to pay taxes would mean no HUD budget cuts would be “needed.”

Locally in DC, NAHT says if corporations “paid their fair share” of taxes in DC, the DC government could have avoided the past round of service cuts and pay freezes-and still ended up with a $400M surplus instead of a deficit!

Belo Monte Dam gets protest at Brazilian Embassy

On the Xingu River in Brazil, authorities are once again trying to build a hydroelectric dam now called Belo Monte.

Video: Protesters outside the Brazilian Embassy in Georgetown against the dam

This dam was formerly known as Kararao-but that turned out to be the word for WAR in the language of an indigenous tribe opposing the dam, a tribe who threatened exactly that. The project has been stopped since 1975 by controversies over indigenous rights and forced displacement, but a license to begin construction was issed on the first of June this year.

On June 20, members of Amazon Watch and other supporters of indigenous rights in Brazil turned up outside the Brazilian Embassy in Georgetown, much to the displeasure of the corporate tenants of that same building.

DC Statehood advocates unveil DC flag tattoos for Flag Day

On June 14, flag day, DC Statehood activists gathering in Dupont Circle unveiled a surprise: DC flag tattoos.

Video: DC Shadow Senator, others show off tattoos and speak out

Speakers, including both Eleanor-Holmes Norton (whose partial vote the GOP revoked) and one of DC’s Shadow Senators (not recognized by the US Senate but recognized here for getting a DC flag tattoo!) warned that the GOP will probably be introducing new DC social policy budget riders as soon as Thursday, the 16th of June.

The US has a long and sordid history of denying voting rights, the DC non-representation scandal being only the latest incarnation. In fact, one of the speakers pointed out that of all the nations on Earth that claim to be democracies, only the US excluded citizens of it’s own capital city from voting or having representation on national issues. Perhaps the current GOP opposition to DC voting rights is driven at least in part by race, as other voting rights violations have been?

Capitol Pride Parade: Cops, politicians march ahead of community groups

The Capitol Pride Parade combined two aspects in 2011: On the one hand, a rainbow of community groups came out to strut their stuff. On the other hand, nearly all of them except the motorcyclists were on the back of the bus behind first the police GLLU unit, then the Mayor, then half the Council.
Video on Liveleak
Dowloadable video from DC Indymedia

Some of the politicians who marched ahead of community groups have brought untold grief to DC’s GLBT communities, especially Jack Evans.

Jack Evans was one of the biggest reasons baseball got a publicy-funded stadium in DC, built on the ruins of the fomer SE Gay neighborhood. Only now are any of the clubs closed by the stadium back in business and recovering, and only two of them, one of them having a float in the parade, far behind Jack Evans of course.

Having the police lead the parade other than traffic control was equally shocking, given that Pride celebrates Stonewall, and Stonewall was a military victory by street queens and hustlers over a police raid on an “illegal” Gay bar in 1969. There were 4 raid on Gay bars in New York that summer, the riot occurred at place called the Stonewall Inn, a place well named in advance of that stone wall or rioters blocking the raid!

Now, 42 years later, we had to sit through cops who could be asked to raid Gay clubs today like the 2009 shut down of the Men’s Parties, and politicians kissing you know what, before the groups that do the real work in the community ever got to march.

There were corporate themed floats as well, but thankfully far fewer than in previous years. Maybe the economy kept them home?

Once the politicians had gone by, the real parade began!

The Spirit of Stonewall could only be felt once groups who truly represent the traditions and heritage Pride stands for appeared, and thankfully they were many. It was particularily appropriate that Zeigfields/Secrets, the first club destroyed by the stadium to reopen, had a presence in the parade, with a trailer featuring both drag queens and go-go boys.

Since transgender folks and “hustlers” or young make hookers were a lot of the fighting power that defeated New York’s riot squad and the BATF at Stonewall, their presence in any Pride parade is crucial to historical continuity!

DC Naked Bike Ride reportback

The World Naked Bike Ride came to DC on June 11, the same day as Capitol Pride. Poor promotion meant only 13 riders showed up, but the riders still took to the streets stripped as close to naked as lawyers felt could be gotten away with.

Video of the ride

The hot weather and summer sun put a premium on sunscreen!

Riders departed from Franklin Square, after among other things a short history lesson on other struggles in the square, especially the Franklin Shelter saga, from myself. The route was an orbit of the Mall, proceeding first to th US Capitol. Throughout the ride tourists snapped vast numbers of photos and were generally quite supportive, with the exception of “oh god” type remarks from a small number who disapproved.

There were NO cop problems on the DC streets or at the Capitol. The White House, the second objective, was another story. Park Police were unable to stop the ride but made it clear to one rider willing to stop long enough to speak to them that the ride would be opposed if an attempt were made to go close to the center of the Penn Ave White House area. A major rally, I think a Syrian rally against that butcher Assad, was underway and I also had misgivings about having the ride approach due to cultural considerations for a people under siege. Anyway, riders withdrew, with one of two objectives reached.

For this ride to take place on the same day the Air Force sponsored the Clarendon Cup bike race gave new meaning to the “Bikes not bombs” slogan used by some riders. After all, the “Bikes AND Bombs” crew had finished racing for the day less than an hour before!

Hopefully better promotion will bring better turnout next year. Many potential riders had been unaware of this year’s date for the ride. Past rides have had much larger turnouts.

Clarendon Cup bike race sponsored by US Air Force, Boeing

The Clarendon Cup bicycle race has run in the streets around the Clarendon Metro station since 1999, but has picked up an unsavory pair of sponsors lately: The US Air Force and Boeing.

Video of the race

It is interesting that the Air Force would be so interested in bicycle racing. Bicycles are the complete opposite of gas-guzzling fighter jets, and the cyclists who have the most in common with fighter pilots would probably be bike messengers, not pro bike racers. The Navy SEALS and other special operations units are known to send recruiters to ultramarathons, Iron Man events, and triathlons. This is due to the fact that extreme athletes have the sort of endurance their program requires, while strength athletes often do not. Why the Air Force, though?

The pro race was fantastic, despite the sponsors. The only sour notes were three crashes, and the words “Rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air” sung in the National Anthem at an Air Force sponsored event.

At the start, three riders broke away, then the first crash threw the main peloton into disarray, slowing them down. The breakaway exploited the slowdown, and lapped the field. This is so uncommon I’ve never seen it before. Although a lapped rider passed by the field is out, a rider lapping the field does not eliminate the field.

On the other hand, a breakaway that laps the field is no longer riding a time trail, out alone in the wind, trying deperately to hold off the charging pack. The three man breakway held on to take all three podium positons, first, second, and third, with everyone else racing for 4th place-for the ENTIRE race! Hilton Clarke of the “United Healthcare” team (These are pro riders on corporate sponsored teams) won first place, his second #1 spot in a row according to Velonews.

A second breakway tried to hold on for 4th and 5th places, but was reeled in and caught just a few laps form the finish.

Cops push dancers out of Jefferson Memorial, too many to arrest

On the 4th of June, one week after the violent arrests of several people for dancing in the Jefferson Memorial, an overwhelming number of dancers returned to the Memorial. Cops pushed them out, but there were too many to arrest without creating a Pershing Park for the Park Police.

DC Direct Action News video of police exclusion tactics and protesters on steps

Video below: Russia Today video from inside the memorial before they too were pushed out.

Police checkpoint tent blocking entry to Jefferson Memorial

Instead, police pushed protesters-and especially the media-out of the memorial, cleared the parking lot, and closed the monument to everyone. They did everything they could to limit the number of witnesses.

With mass arrests out of the question, police waited out the protest, with the tourist-heavy Jefferson Memorial closed for what I would estimate was at least an hour. All the dancers were there to celebrate “freedom” but of course the area was crawling with cops, appropriate considering that Thomas Jefferson was a slaveowner and all of the founding fathers were land thieves equivalent to settlers in Occupied Palestine today.

Arriving shortly after the start, I was unable to enter the monument, finding a police checkpoint tent blocking the only access through all those construction fences. This was just as the cops started shooing people away and announced the area was “closed.”

The obvious trail to bypass the checkpoint, the one leading south and around the memorial, was blocked by two horse cops standing abreast.

A second trail, the one north to the Tidal Basin, dead-ended by the water against construction fences, but the only line-of-sight barrier was a fabric barrier on a fence, which spectators soon tore holes in, allowing people to shoot pictures using long zoom lenses.

It was odd that police went so far out of their way to isolate this protest. Cops didn’t even attempt to hold the bridges into Georgetown against IMF protesters in Fall 2007, even after the chain stores were boarded up. Yet, to control people whose only intention was to shake ass, not kick ass, they closed the area and held all chokepoints against witnesses and reinforcements.