WHAT THE FUCK

Apparently, if you shoo bears away, that means you are harrassing hunters

In a decision released today, the Appellate Division affirmed prior
rulings in Vernon Municipal Court and Superior Court in Newton that the
activists, Angela Metler, Albert Kazemian and Janet Piszar, had harassed
hunters, one of whom was an undercover police officer, by encircling
them and hooting and hollering to keep bears away.


The appeal argued their conduct did not constitute physical interference
with hunting and was free speech; that a defense of entrapment was
improperly barred in municipal court; and that the officer and hunters
should not have been viewed by the court as credible witnesses due to
their pro-hunting views. A three-judge appellate panel affirmed the
convictions.

The incident occurred in Wawayanda State Park in Vernon on Dec. 7, 2005,
when an undercover state park police officer was in the woods with two
hunters. There, they encountered five activists; Metler, Kazemian,
Piszar and Theresa Fritzges, and another unidentified woman who got away.

The activists were found guilty in Vernon Municipal Court in 2006 of
disorderly-persons offenses.

NYPD Pigs Beat up Political Rappers from Rebel Diaz

Early this Wednesday (6/18/08) Rodstarz and G1 of the group REBEL DIAZ were up in Bronx on Southern Blvd in Hunts Point, when they noticed the police were harassing a street vendor who was selling fruit. The two went over to witness the cops in action and when they saw the police being abusive they pulled out a cell phone to video tape the incident and asked for the officers badge numbers. Subsequently they were beaten, detained and taken to 41st Precint in the Bronx under the direction of Captain McHugh.

Rodstarz and G1 will be going to criminal court Thursday (6/19/08) and are being charged with obstruction of justice and assault.
Be there in front of Bronx Criminal Court 9AM
215 East 161st. Street Between Sheridan & Sherman Ave, East of the Grand Concourse. Take the 4, B, D to 161st Street Yankee Stadium Station.
See You There, Support Our Brothers!

Please call the 41st precinct 718-542-4771 or arresting Officer MacHugo @ 718-542-8745 to demand:
1. Drop All Charges
2. Release Rebel Diaz!

For more information contact La Peña del Bronx at the
following: e-mail: lapena2006@hotmail.com
Tel:718-292-6137

WWW.REBELDIAZ.COM
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/REBELDIAZ

Wow, well you sure got a lot of nerve.

So I got this email from an address i didn't recognize...which was really weird because i am NOT on the Chris McIntosh support list nor do I correspond or support him any longer.
Anyway, I don't want to support his cause by re-posting, however I feel that this shouldn't be tossed under the rug, especially if some people are convinced by this letter. I'd also like to add that this letter is not in response to something I have written...it was just mailed to me and from the list of addresses, it seems it was also mailed to Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network
So this is the letter sent to me by what I assume is part of Chris's support:

"This is a hard letter to write as I don't know who I am writing to. I saw a request for support of a young man named Kevin,stating he is in a yard with other men serving 20 years and more. The article said Kevin is scared. Well, he should be. As you know Chris has made some statements that have been very upsetting to your community. You said his support campaign has not made a rebuttal to your decision to withdraw support for him. He has no support campaign.
For anyone who knows Chris, they would know he is not racist or sexist. He is impulsive and does do things and says things he regrets once he has had a cool down period. Interesting to me is that there seems to be no sensitivity for the perils of life in a maximum security prison and what it can do to a person who has no outside support. While Chris was in USP Hazelton, West Virginia 2 inmates where murdered, at least 2 guards were hospitalized all in separate incidents. Most of the tension is based on racism. Having never been in prison myself I can only relate second hand what I have been told. In order to survive, literally, you have to make an alliance with a group. Unfortunately many inmates do that based on skin color. Chris has had to fight more than once to not be physically harmed by people of other races, just because he is not the same color as they maybe.

Imagine if you will, living for extended periods of time in a closed community where you can not make eye contact or show any sign of weakness just to avoid being a target. Imagine doing that time for a cause or group of people who are quick to forget you and leave you alone to face the demons of loneliness and fear.
In your statement to withdraw support for Chris you referenced his " failed attempt to burn down McDonalds". Failed attempt? Was the purpose of the action to burn down a building or bring attention to a cause? If burning down a building was the purpose, than the attempt was failed, but if attention to the cause was the purpose I disagree with your evaluation of the outcome of his actions. Chris is serving 8 years for a cause he valued enough to put his personal freedom in jeopardy for. I would hope someone in your community would value individuals enough to find out what Chris is thinking and give him support through his time. Chris does need to be reminded that not all the world is racists and kindness and goodness do still exist, he needs someone who will take the time to reeducate and remind him that life in Maximum Security Federal Prison is not how all the world is. Someone who will take the time to look beyond isolated words and examine the overview of him and who he really is. What was going on in his world when those statements where made? What you will find is a caring, sensitive person, loyal to a fault, someone who can be counted on.
Chris is currently staring his 4th month in isolation. He made it one day on the yard in USP Atwater a maximum security facility 3000 miles from his family, and was jumped by a group of men just for being the new guy. He fought back. What would you do?
I don't know what you will do with this e-mail, I would ask you to post it just to give your community an insight into the reality of prison life, the emotional as well as physical pressures that can make anyone of us do and say things we regret. I hope that some few people would care as much about other humans, specifically Chris in this instance, as they do about animals and the Earth and be willing to invest themselves in the well being of another human. His current address is: Christopher McIntosh 30512-013
USP Atwater
US Penitentiary
PO 019001
Atwater, Ca 95301
Thanks! Kathryn McIntosh"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This argument reminds me so much of the argument in support of snitches, "you've never been in that situation, so what would you do?" as a form of excusing fucked up behavior. So no I've never been in prison, I don't know what it's like to detained for a long period of time. But I do know what it's like to be assaulted by someone who's had violent, mind fucking, disturbing things happen to them in their life. And the fact that they've had awful things happen to them, does not (although at the time it did) excuse the actions they took in harming someone else. Especially when there are a lot of people who have gone through traumatizing experiences as well and have chosen not to perpetuate violence. This goes both for snitches and racists. By supporting Chris McIntosh is not only saying but doing racist and sexist things is to turn one's back on women and people of color as a whole (who don't have the privilege of not being attacked by sexism and racism when confronted with it) but it's also a slap in the face to prisoners who are going through the same if no worse conditions than that and are still anti sexist/ anti-racist. Even within the Prison Industrial Complex Chris has white privilege, and has had had activist support, which is much more than many prisoners get.Yes he's a product of his environment and a horrible one at that, but it was still a choice he made, a choice to perpetuate racism, sexism and speciesm, and for that reason he does not have my solidarity.

and yes, I do think it;s justifiable to have more solidarity with the earth and animals, who do not perpetuate oppression instead are often the target of oppression than someone who is actively a part of it.

Do you wanna stay in bed all day? Do you remember feeling any other way?

Hey look I'm really sorry
I couldn't make it to your party
I know it looks like I'm gonna cry
Got a to-do list behind my eyes so
Go tell your friends I'm still a feminist
But I won't be coming to your benefit

I give up
I give up

I'll be at home today.
-Le Tigre

Reportback from Bash Back! Convergence

so I went to the Bash Back convergence in Chi-Town this weekend which was rad. So I wanted to holla to the organizers of the conference for making it a welcoming space for activists/ anarchists of all experience levels, as well as a safe space for all of us.
So I feel like I shouldnt be the one writing this because I do not know the Chicago area very well so will probably do a shitty job explaining locations and shit. But i didnt see other reportbacks, and I have all these feelings so yeah.

At 9 pm Saturday anti-assmiliationist queers took the streets from Logan Square to the Chicago Police Department in Boys Town. There were about 100 people at least, with pink and black flags chanting "1,2,3,4 bash down those closet doors, 5,6,7,8 we will not assimilate!" "we're queer, we're here, we're anarchists we'll fuck you up!"
many people joined into the protest, as we protested corporate "gay centers", the chicago police department, and other heteronormative oppressive institutions. the cops did not show up for over an HOUR (thank you Cubs game) . However at that time we had finished our last destination (a corporate owend "gay center in boys town that is corproate sponsered by whole foods and HLS) and then attempted to separate the crowd, by not allowing some of us to cross the street. However we refused to leave until we were all united. We headed towards a train station, followed by the Chicago police department, when they though we were going to split off we transformed from an unpermitted protest to an unpermitted dance party. we danced, laughed and were merry for over an hour until we got tired/ saw cops handing out police batons and bounced.


fucking beautiful, one of the best experiences I have had in a while, in and out of radical spaces.

---
and on a totally unrelated note I went vegan as of last week as a result of having a nightmare.

EMERGENCY: Protest on Behalf of Mumia Abu Jamal's LIFE tommorow!

Taken from NYC Independent Media Center
A statement by the Partisan Defense Committee, issued Thursday, March 27, 2008:

“Today the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision upholding Mumia Abu-Jamal’s frame-up conviction. In turning down Mumia’s appeal for a new trial, the Court ordered a new sentencing hearing to decide whether he is again to be sentenced to die or condemned to the living death of life in prison.

The Court’s decision is another slap in the face to all opponents of racist injustice. Recalling the infamous Dred Scott decision, the Court has again declared that a fighter for black freedom like Mumia has no rights that the courts are bound to respect. A former Black Panther Party spokesman, MOVE supporter and renowned journalist, Mumia is an innocent man, framed up for his political beliefs. He should never have spent a day in prison. There must be mass protests, centered on labor’s power, to demand his freedom now.

The PDC and Labor Black Leagues have called protests for tomorrow in different cities. For more information: www.partisandefense.org.”



ALL OUT FOR EMERGENCY PROTEST

Mumia Abu-Jamal Is an Innocent Man!
Free Mumia Now!
Abolish the Racist Death Penalty!

TOMORROW
Friday, March 28
5:00-7:00 p.m.
In front of the Federal Building
Broadway, between Worth & Duane Streets
Manhattan
(4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall, or R, W to City Hall, or 1, 2, 3 to Chambers)

Sponsored by the Partisan Defense Committee and the Labor Black League for Social Defense

For more information, call 212-267-1025 or 212-406-4252
partisandefense@earthlink.net
www.partisandefense.org


The PDC is a class-struggle, non-sectarian legal and social defense organization which champions cases and causes in the interests of the whole of the working people. This purpose is in accordance with the political views of the Spartacist League.
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There is immense evidence that Mumia Abu Jamal is innocent, such as a confession by the man who did kill the cop, bullets not matching, and not to mention a rigged trial by an all white jury. Activists of color are always accused/framed of killing cops to further villianize us, and perpetuate the myth that we are "dangerous" and criminal".
Whether you are affiliated with Spartacists or not, come be in solidarity with Mumia

Indigenous Community Siezes Oil Territory

Bad ass. Achuar people occupy Pluspetrol Territory (big oil company); fighting globalization, imperialism, and enviromental destruction.
Unfortunatley, what was peaceful direct action erupted in police violence, where two people were killed and 12 were injured.
But they fought back.