Solidarity 69

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Comment by Joe Balkis on July 9, 2012 at 0:28

Anti-NATO protesters held on terrorism charges, extreme bail Call States Attorney Anita Alvarez: 773-674-6209 Demand all charges be dropped against anti-NATO protesters! “Release them all now!” Eight people continue to be held in jail in Chicago, arrested before or during the protests against the NATO summit, according to information provided by the National Lawyers Guild. They face felony charges and even terrorism charges, while the NATO generals responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands have left town to return to their occupation of Afghanistan and plotting for their next war. Of those still being held, five of them have been charged under a State of Illinois law passed after 9/11 that has never been used. The NATO 5 were all targeted by undercover police officers exposed by the National Lawyers Guild. The agents went by the nicknames “Mo” and “Gloves”. The NATO 5 were arrested without any evidence of their involvement in violence, other than the statements of undercover provocateurs. The first arrests took place in an unlawful police raid of a home on Wednesday night, May 16th, in which the police kicked in doors without presenting a warrant, beat up people, shackled protesters hand and foot, and then “disappeared” 11 people for up to 40 hours. The National Lawyers Guild and Occupy Chicago activists faced repeated denials by the CPD in their attempts to locate those arrested. The remaining two were arrested several days later. Again, no evidence has been presented other than the statements of the undercover police. Both men were held longer than the 48 hours required by law before being given access to use of a telephone or to speak with an attorney. The other four still being held were involved in a protest action at the point which the police turned violent, causing over 70 injuries from baton blows, including many serious head injuries. Over 24 had to be treated at area hospitals for broken bones, knocked out teeth, concussions, and wounds requiring stitches or staples. On top of the arrests and charges, the protesters are being held with outrageous bails: $1.5 million for the first three facing terrorism charges; $750,000 and $500,000 for the second two charged under the same state terrorism law; and as high as $250,000 for the remaining men. Bail for one Chicago youth, Raziel Azuara is set at $150,000.  It is the Chicago Police Department that is responsible for the violence; and the CPD and the States Attorney are violating the law and the Constitution. Charges of terrorism, pre-emptive raids and prosecution, charges based on entrapment, and violence against protesters are all standard procedure when the US government declares a National Special Security Event as they did with the NATO summit. These tactics were employed at the Republican National Convention in 2008, resulting in the cases of the RNC 8; the 23 anti-war activists raided by the FBI and subpoenaed to a grand jury for investigation of support for foreign terrorists; and the current trial of Carlos Montes in Los Angeles.  Now in Chicago they’ve added the element of excessive bail, as if the protesters were part of the 1%, rather than the 99%. We must speak out against this repression. We know the charges against the anti-NATO protesters are false. All these prisoners should be free.

Comment by Joe Balkis on July 7, 2012 at 17:20

Thank You for posting Brian & Ian!

Comment by Joe Balkis on July 7, 2012 at 17:17

Rally for an Elected School Board

Join us in Little Village for a rally + canvasing to show support for an Elected Representative School Board

Where? : Amor de Dios Church 2356 S. Sawyer St.

When? : Sat. July 7th 10:00 – 1:00

Who: YOU!

The CPS Board—appointed by the mayor— is not accountable to the people it serves.

The Board is failing our children.

Help Win an Elected Representative School Board

• CPS’s privatization policies—school closings, turnarounds and charters—do NOT improve education. They have been devastating to all children, especially those in African American and Latino communities.

• Class size has increased. Art, music, recess, PE & after school activities have been cut, while high-stakes testing eats up more classroom and learning time.

• CPS has expanded an unequal system: A top tier of selective schools for a few students and a bottom tier of resource-starved neighborhood schools for everyone else.

• CPS makes decisions, like an unfunded longer school day, without public input.

• CPS blames teachers, parents, and students for the problems THEY have created.

• Teacher morale is at an all-time low.

An Elected Board is a Necessary FIRST STEP to Improve Our Schools.

• An elected board would be accountable to the public and could be more diverse, reflecting the people it serves.

• Chicago is the only city in Illinois with an appointed school board.

• Election requirements could mandate specific qualifications and cap campaign expenditures, thus reducing the influence of money and politics on education.

Help Win an Elected Representative School Board for Chicago.

• The Illinois Legislature must pass a law to enact an elected school board.

• Sign a petition to get an advisory referendum for an elected board on the November ballot.

• Volunteer to help Chicago win an elected school board. See our calendar of events for opportunities to collect signatures i...

• Contact your elected officials. Ask them to support a Representative Elected School Board.

• Help Win an Elected Representative School Board

Comment by Joe Balkis on July 6, 2012 at 11:28

Teachers for Social Justice FREEDOM RIDES 2012-JOURNEY FOR EDUCATION JUSTICE FUNDRAISER!!

KOCO is our very close ally, please support! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Young People from the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization have a Leadership Role in a National Effort to Stop Discriminatory School Closings and Phase-outs. Youth and Parents from 10 different cities (and growing) going to Washington in July and September to make their voices heard. THEY NEED YOUR SUPPORT! Friday, July 6th 2012 5-7:30 @ The One and Only AIN'T SHE SWEET CAFÉ 526 E. 43rd Street FREE ADMISSION! (With a Generous Spirit...and checkbook!) Jitu Brown Education Organizer Kenwood Oakland Community Organization 4242 S. Cottage Grove Chicago, Illinois 60653 (773) 548-7500 wk (773) 548-9264 fax (773) 317-6343 cell

Visit the TSJ website!

Comment by Ira Wechsler on July 2, 2012 at 22:57

 Some 300 workers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn rallied and picketed in front of the hospital to protest its planned closing. Two unions UUP,which represents nurses, researchers, and teachers, and CSEA which presents most blue collar and clerical staff had some signs and banners there but did nothing to organize the workers for the event. The Progressive Labor Party organizers within the institution were able through their supporters to move the nurses, some researchers, and maintenance workers to turn people out. They moved beyond the usual trade union rhetoric and pin-pointed these cuts as racist and genocidal.  The workers responded to this positively, both black,white, and Latino. This is just the beginning of the response to class warfare that has been waged by Governor Cuomo and his racist cabal of Wall Street financiers and corporate executives who dominate the Berger Commission and the Committee to Save New York who pushed behind the scenes for the agenda of major hospital closings and cuts in Brooklyn, the most populous and most Black county in New York. This is just the first volley in what will be a continued struggle to build  strike action against the bosses.

Comment by Brian Ross Ashley on June 25, 2012 at 19:11

http://www.unionbook.org/profiles/blogs/down-with-the-coup-we-suppo...

Comment by Joe Balkis on June 25, 2012 at 16:56

Wednesday, June 27, 7 PM to 9 PM Ben Hecht's House Party 5120 S. Kenwood, Chicago A 1920s literary salon organized by A Pocket Guide to Hell. $20 RSVP by 6/25

Wednesday, June 27, 7:30 PM "After Tomorrow" Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago 1932 film directed by Frank Borzage. $5 MORE INFORMATION.

Thursday, June 28, 6:30 PM "Deep Green" Multi-Kulti Center, 1000 N. Milwaukee Ave, 4th Floor, Chicago Showing of documentary followed by discussion. MORE INFORMATION.

Thursday, June 28, 7 PM Can War with Iran be Averted? Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, 303 Dodge Ave, Evanston A conversation with Dr. Trita Parsi and Rabbi Brant Rosen. MORE INFORMATION.

Monday, July 2, 7 PM What's Next for Occupy Wheaton Franciscans Tau Center, 26W171 Roosevelt Rd, Wheaton Occupy Naperville founders and spokespersons will be discussing strategy for what comes next for the Occupy Movement. MORE INFORMATION

Comment by Joe Balkis on June 25, 2012 at 16:55

Picket and leaflet against threats of war: Tuesday, June 26 4:30 to 6:00 pm 130 E. Randolph, National Headquarters of Obama Re-election Campaign Hands Off Syria and Iran! End the Drone Wars! We need jobs, education and healthcare, not endless war!
The growing threats of war against Syria are alarming. Last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Russia not to get in the way of US backed efforts at "regime change" in Syria. The corporate media is making every effort to overwhelm us with calls for another "humanitarian intervention" in Syria while the US continues to arm dictators in Bahrain and dozens of other countries around the world. The drum beat of aggression against Iran grows daily as well. Last week's coup by the U.S. funded and trained Egyptian military, overturning the first popularly elected government in Egypt's recent history, is another ominous warning. The threat of new war is real and has nothing to do with saving lives, as evidenced as well by expanding US drone attacks, a form of anonymous war with untold numbers of civilian casualties.

This event is supported by 8th Day Center for Justice, US Palestinian Community Network, Voices for Creative Non-Violence, and many individuals.

Comment by Joe Balkis on June 25, 2012 at 16:54

Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 26, is the
International Day of Support for Survivors of Torture, which will be marked in
20 cities in this country. Here in Chicago, we will honor the strength of
survivors by demanding an end to torture by closing Tamms prison and justice for
victims of Chicago police torture.

The highlight will be
a noon press conference at the State of Illinois Building (Randolph & Clark,
Chicago) to demand that funding for the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief
Commission be restored. This commission is the last hope for many prisoners
who are victims of Jon Burge and his Chicago Police torture team. Speakers will
include Rob Warden, Executive Director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at
Northwestern Law, and Neil Toppel, members of the Torture Commission. We also
demand the closure of Tamms prison, where hundreds of men continue to suffer the
torture of solitary confinement. A gathering in support of survivors will follow
the press conference.

The day will start at 8 am with banners at
Hollywood & Sheridan and 57th & Lakeshore Drive, and a vigil at Occupy
headquarters (LaSalle & Jackson, Loop). And it will culminate with a dinner
and program hosted by the Heartland Alliance Marjorie Kovler Center at 6 pm at
Coffey Hall, Loyola University, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago. The keynote
address will be given by Jobi Petersen Cates, Director of the Midwest Region,
Human Rights Watch.

Please join us tomorrow, join our Facebook event and invite friends!

Comment by Joe Balkis on June 25, 2012 at 16:53

Stop the Vindictive Political Prosecution of Gregory Koger!

We Say: · Stop the Vindictive Political Prosecution of Gregory Koger! · Videotaping is not a crime! · Former prisoners who stand up against injustice and oppression should be supported, not repressed!

Agree? Then sign this statement here!

At an historical moment when people are stepping forward in dissent and protest around the world from Tunisia to Wall Street, political attacks on those who document these courageous acts are escalating. For nearly 3 years, Gregory Koger has been fighting a completely outrageous political prosecution and 300 day jail sentence for attempting to videotape a statement by Sunsara Taylor opposing the censorship of her talk prior to a public event at the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago.
This prosecution is premised on a dangerous reinterpretation of the trespass law, and the near-maximum sentence Gregory was given is an attack on all former prisoners who turn their lives around, as he has, and their right to challenge the injustices of this society. Read on...

Please sign the above statement here and donate to publish it here - thank you!

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