July 9, 2009 — Elk River Municipal Utilities yesterday rejected a proposal to become a partial owner in Big Stone II. Elk River’s rejection was the same day as a decision by Basin Electric Power in South Dakota to pull plans for a new coal-fired power plant.

Elk River's disavowal of coal is part of a trend. A string of 100 coal plants--with Intermountain Power coal plant in Utah as the landmark number 100-- have been defeated or abandoned since the beginning of the coal rush in 2001. Activists calling for a transition away from coal call this a significant milestone in the shift to clean energy. Read More | | | Past Coverage: Elk River City Council Tables Coal Decision, Big Stone II Goes Back to Utilities Commission July 8 | Elk River Municipal Power to Decide: Invest in Big Stone II Coal Burner?

A press conference was held at the Independent Media Center on June 25, 2009, where community leaders spoke out about the police shooting of Toto Kaiyewu, a medical student from Carbondale. When Kaiyewu was passing through Villa Grove, a former “sundown town,” he was profiled by a local cop, stopped, and a chase ensued that ended with police gunning him down on I-74.

Those who addressed the media were (from left to right) Patsy Howell, reading a statement from the Muslim American Society, Tracy Parsons, who called the actions of the authorities “deplorable,” Erma Bridgewater, long-time community activist, and Aaron Ammons of CU Citizens for Peace and Justice, who called for changes to make this “more than just another black male killed by the police.” Read More

Past Coverage: Adding Insult to Injury: State’s Attorney Releases Medical Records of “Toto” Kaiyewu | Racial Profiling Incident Leads to Police Shooting of “Toto” Kaiyewu

On July 6th forest defenders from Cascadia and across the country set up road blockades at the Umpcoos Ridge timber sale to save some of the last native forests in Oregon from clearcutting. The Elliot State Forest is one of the few remaining intact coastal forest ecosystems, and provides critical habit for Spotted Owls, Coho Salmon, and Marbled Murrelets.

Logging has been halted in the forest but the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), the state patrol, and the Douglass County Sheriffs have begun extracting people from the blockades using heavy handed police state tactics. So far over 23 people have been confirmed arrested in police raids on the blockade.

** We just got word that the remaining people in the forest have been arrested and the blockade taken down. These remaining 8 people will be processed today. All of these people desperately need your support! Read More | | | Past Coverage: Elliot Free State Locks Down, Resists Police Raid | Road Blockade Stops Logging In Elliott State Forest: Call For Action

"There is no more apt theme for this conference at this fear-driven moment in political history."

With those words, journalist and scholar Charles E. Cobb Jr. kicked off his keynote address Friday to the national Free Minds Free People Conference in Houston, which took place at the city's convention center from June 25 to 28. The gathering drew a diverse crowd of about 400 U.S. teachers, high school and college students, researchers, parents, and community-based activists/educators build a movement developing and promoting education for liberation by engaging youth of color and low-income youth in the fight for social justice.

The second Free Minds conference, with the first taking place in Chicago in 2007, this year's event was organized by Houston's S.H.A.P.E. Community Center, The Brotherhood/Sister Sol of New York, Chicago Freedom School and the Education for Liberation Network. [Read Full Article]

Free Minds Free People Conference Highlights from the Houston Indymedia Radio Show

On July 7th, California State prosecutors were forced to admit that they have insufficient evidence against the San Francisco 8. Charges against four of the defendants were dropped and Jalil Muntaqim pled no contest to conspiracy to commit voluntary manslaughter. He received credit for time served and 3 years probation. He will return to New York to fight for parole. Those for whom charges were dismissed were Ray Boudreaux, Richard Brown, Hank Jones, and Harold Taylor. Read More & Past Coverage | Background on the SF8 Case

On June 28th, the Honduran military ousted the democratically elected government of Honduras, detaining and then exiling President Manuel Zelaya to Costa Rica. Indybay reported that the crisis began when the military, Congress, and the Honduran Supreme Court rejected an opinion poll that was to be conducted on a new Constitution. General Romeo Orlando Vasquez Velasquez, along with other military leaders, graduated from the infamous School of the Americas (SOA), now called WHINSEC.

The following week, rallies took place in many cities in the United States; on Monday June 29th an emergency rally and press conference took place in San Francisco, while in Los Angeles demonstrators gathered at the Honduran consulate to express their displeasure with the coup d'état against the democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya, and in New York city, an emergency rally was held on at the UN. On July 1st, people gathered in front of the State Department in Washington DC to demand the U.S. cuts off all US aid to Honduras until President Zelaya returns safely to office, and in Chicago a demonstration took place at the Honduran consulate. On July 3rd People from across Texas gathered in Houston to protest at the Honduran Consulate and in Boston, local leaders of the Honduran community paid a visit to Senator John Kerry's office to demand public statements against the coup.

Since the coup, the new Honduran government under Roberto Michelleti has been internationally isolated and so far unrecognized by any country. On July 5, thousands of protesters had gathered at the airport waiting the return of president elect Manuel Zelaya but his plane was prevented from landing in the Honduras capital. The military fired shots and tear gas at the protesters. Two deaths and at least 30 injured people were reported.

LISTEN: Live broadcast from Honduras

More coverage: Rochester IMC | Narco News | Americas Mexico Blog | Honduras Resists | TriniCenter Updates | Hands Off Venezuela | En español: aporrea.org | ALER | Escuche: Radio Progreso

Coverage From Latin American Indymedias: Honduras | Argentina | Colombia | Bolivia | Puerto Rico

In post-Katrina New Orleans, anarchist truths found fertile, if toxic grounds to take root and grow. New paths were walked on. Antiauthoritarian principles emerged as important guides for both reconstruction and the struggle against disaster capitalism. A million or more equally important stories can now be told about mutual aid, cooperation, subversion of authority, disruption of state and capitalist plans. And yet Brandon Darby's morality tale has become a media darling, due in no small part to his perfect and full adoption of his role as a state agent, regardless of whether it was official in 2006, or whether the FBI is still cutting him paychecks. We owe it to ourselves to tell these other stories of New Orleans, St. Paul and beyond. Read More

photo taken in October 2005 in New Orleans by unknown photographer.

Related: Months After RNC, Three More Protesters Charged | Support the Texas 2 | Washington DC rally‏ against FBI entrapment

Past Coverage: 5/25 Texas Two sentenced to four and two years in prison | 5/24 Brandon Darby Doesn't Tell a Good Story on NPR | 3/18 David McKay Pleads Guilty in Minneapolis Court | 3/17 (with updates) David McKay may take plea deal in FBI entrapment case

There is a massive campaign underway to “turn on the pumps” and deliver additional water to corporate agribusiness in the western Central Valley. Agribusiness interests and their allies claim environmental and water activists care more about fish than people and are demanding more water, now!

Corporate agriculture’s campaign is being run by Burson-Marsteller (B-M), the astroturfing Public Relations firm that has been hired by the California Latino Water Coalition. MSNBC talk show host Rachel Maddow, in a March telecast, called B-M “the PR firm from hell” and said it had been hired to improve the “image” of AIG, the company that has received $170 billion in taxpayer bailout money. B-M has also represented the private security firm Blackwater, Union Carbide in the Bhopal India incident, and Babcock & Wilcox, manufacturers of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. Read More

From the newswire: A growing number of Native Hawaiians and their allies are opposing adoption of the newest version of the “Akaka Bill,” now called the “Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009.” For nine years, previous versions of this bill have also been strongly opposed by Native Hawaiians. Back in the islands, some call it "Fakehood" . . .

However, as Native Hawaiians and other descendents of Hawaiian Nationals (descendents of citizens of the Kingdom of Hawai'i) increasingly learn the truth behind the occupation of their stolen country, yet another version of the pernicious "Akaka Bill" rears it's ugly head . . . Read Full Article by Amy Marsh, plus anonymous author

On Monday June 29th, the City of Grand Junction tried to pass two emergency ordinances outlawing "soliciting," also known as flying a sign or spanging. What stopped the city from moving forward with these laws was a strong, large, and loud group of homeless people and younger radicals.

No one came to support the law, and over a hundred people came to oppose it. Solidarity Not Charity (our FNB out here in GJ) provided food and water serving on the city halls lawn. Live tunes were provided by, local band Fast Food Kings, and out-of-towners Chicken Little, who were hell a cool about relocating from the infoshop to city hall to play. Read more>>

RELATED: CU Tent Community! (Urbana-Champaign)

Back in February, the community of the Inland Empire, a vast tract of land east of Los Angeles generally encompassing San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, marched on the Border Patrol's Riverside office to demand an end to the racist quota system and family separation. Things quieted down, but only temporarily. Recently, quotas have been increased, and attacks on day labor corners, bus stations, and even on buses in transit have caught numerous individuals who are accused of being in the country without authorization. In the course of these raids, numerous abuses have occurred. Agents often engage in racial profiling and intimidation, and at least one minor was deported without his parents being informed. Roundup of Reports From LA.Indymedia Newswire | Related: Democrats and Republicans Join Hands over Immigration

On Friday, June 26, the Chicago lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police held a reunion party to commemorate police veterans from the 1968 Democratic National Convention — the police who beat and harrassed Convention protesters, who attacked Puerto Rican activists in a 1966 uprising, and who assassinated two Black Panther organizers in an overnight raid.

In the wake of these shameful actions, and ongoing present-day police brutality and malfeasance by Chicago police, community activists and members of Chicago Copwatch assembled to rally at Chicago's Union Park. They then marched three blocks away to the Fraternal Order of Police lodge where the reunion was held.

The marchers were hemmed in just down the street from the lodge, but that didn't stop activists from starting a second rally, complete with protest picket and with speeches. Right after one speech ended, the rally got a major shot in the arm. Chicago Critical Mass, the once-a-month roving bicycle-theatrical-protest, included the Chicago Copwatch protest in their route, which meant that for nearly 20 minutes, thousands of bicyclists eluded the police blockade and joined in witness to the protest. Watch Video

Additional Coverage: Chicago 68 Demonstration Getting More attention | Links to Corporate Media Coverage of the Chicago Copwatch '68 Reunion Protest

Denver, CO (Sunday June 28, 2009) — I arrive outside the regional EPA office just after 2pm. It's the second day of PrideFest, and the far end of the 16th Street Mall is nearly deserted. On the far side of the street, a trumpet player sits on a bench, improvising a slow, sad tune. His name is Joe Ferrone, and his song is an elegy for Appalachia.

Joe and I are here because of the EPA's recent approval of 42 new mountaintop removal sites and Mountain Justice's subsequent call to action.... read more

Yesterday, June 27th, white supremacists attempted to distribute hate literature in downtown Houston. Antifascists mobilized to confront the gathering and sent a clear message to the fascists - not in our city! White supremacists intended to hold a memorial for a dead nazi creepball David Lane. Dave was a member of an armed white supremacist group called "the Order," and kicked the bucket in federal prison in 2007 where he was serving time for the murder of Jewish radio host Allen Berg.

When the so-called "Aryan Front Line Skinheads" declared their intention to distribute copies of Dave's racist rants in the Houston area, antifascists immediately went on the alert. The boneheads tried to be clever by waiting until 11pm the night before to post an actual location, but antifa were already standing by. The call went out, and in the morning our scouts were on location at the downtown federal building where the fascist goons planned to gather. Antifascists from around the city began gathering in a downtown park at 10 am. By eleven there were over 40 of us, and still no sign of the nazis. [Read Full Article with Photos | Antiracistaction.net]

Related: Rose City Antifa: Statement on Anti-Semites and their Collaborators

Workers charged Rite Aid with abusive and illegal treatment at the company's annual meeting

Veteran Rite Aid employee Angel Warner from the company's massive million-square-foot distribution center in the high-desert community of Lancaster, California, stood up for employees at the company's annual meeting.

On June 25, opponents of torture marched on the Department of Justice, demanding that a special prosecutor to investigate torture by Bush officials. The DOJ agreed to accept their letter-but refused to send anyone but a public affairs spokeman to meet with activists. Read More & VIDEO | WSQT Broadcast Audio

UPDATE: 5 Arrested during 24-hour vigil held by Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition

Related: Torture Accountability Action Day in Harvard Square

Recently, members of Rochester Indymedia sat in on the latest iteration of Tyquan Rivera's court case. We were moved to witness this process because of the disturbing imbalance in the corporate media coverage of the proceedings we'd seen thus far. We found the experience to be a strange brew of truth being lost between the lines of the prosecution’s witness testimonies mixed up with absurdly dysfunctional, if not incompetent, corporate media behavior. We'd like to share some of our observations that day with our Indymedia readers.

June 11, 2009—Tyquan Rivera was in Judge Joseph Valentino’s Supreme Court for a pretrial hearing regarding testimony from witnesses who saw Rivera near the scene of the shooting of Rochester police officer Anthony DiPonzio on January 31, 2009, or knew him before the shooting. Rivera, 15-years-old, was charged earlier this year with attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the first degree. If convicted, Rivera could be imprisoned for up to 10 years. By virtue of being 14-years-old when the shooting occurred, he was spared being tried as an adult. District Attorney Mike Green was arguing the case for the state; Defense Attorney Culver Bar was present to represent Rivera... Read More

Additional Information: Digging for Truth in the Tyquan Rivera Case | Let’s Not Retreat into Cocoons of Expedient Simplicity and Pretentiousness | | | Audio: Eye-witness account of police brutality before Tyquan Rivera allegedly shot into police as read on WDKX on February 4th, 2009 | | | Related: AARM Holds Second Event on the Media and Racism | Racism and the Media Community Discussion a Success | Facts about Juvenile Injustice | Rally Against Gang Enhancements and the Overcriminalization of Youth

UPDATE JULY 1: ALEX SÁNCHEZ DENIED BAIL

The FBI is alleging that Sanchez, who has dedicated the past 11 years to gang prevention and education, is a "shot-caller" with the Mara Salvatrucha. Despite Sanchez's hardly being mentioned in the indictment, mainstream media reports are focused on the allegation that he was involved in "conspiracy and racketeering." Community organizations who know Alex have rushed to his defense, declaring their confidence in his innocence and denouncing the arrest as part of a wave of repression against activists.

From the newswire: Homies Unidos activist Alex Sanchez arrested by repost | | Homies Unidos Statement on Arrest of Executive Director Alex Sanchez by Homies Unidos | | CISPES letter of solidarity with Alex Sanchez and Homies Unidos by Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador | | EPCC letter of Solidarity with Alex Sanchez and Homies Unidos by Echo Park Community Coalition | | Union Del Barrio In Support of Alex Sanchez & Nativo Lopez by Unión del Barrio

Alex Sanchez's supporters have organized a meeting to coordinate the efforts to exonerate him this Sunday, June 28 at 6:00 at the CARECEN office. From the calendar: Community meeting in Defense of Alex Sanchez | | UPDATE: Community Meets to Show Support for Alex Sánchez by Juan Carrillo and Oriel Siu

Nurses, doctors, and other health care advocates protested in front of the Fairmont Hotel on June 22 to voice objection to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius' visit to San Francisco. Earlier this month Secretary Sebelius said that a Single Payer plan is "not part of the discussion" in health care reform debates and that dismantling private health care coverage is a "bad direction to go." Sebelius was at the Fairmont as guest speaker for a Democratic fundraiser held by Nancy Pelosi. Photos | Video | Single Payer Now

The Chicago Police Department have had a long sordid history of malfeasance and subsequent legal ramifications. Recent developments posted to Chicago Indymedia have revealed new lows even for Chicago's infamous police.

Exhibit A — Federal Jury Awards Victim Largest-Ever Amount in Chicago Cop Frame-up: A Federal jury awarded the largest-ever compensation for a wrongful conviction in Chicago history — $21 million in compensatory damages — against a Chicago detective who framed a Humboldt Park resident. That resident, Juan Johnson, was sentenced to 30 years in prison over a murder for whose evidence a Chicago police detective wholly fabricated. Read more

Exhibit B — CPD Hit With $625,000 Fine for Violent Police Assault During Traffic Stop: "A federal jury yesterday awarded 41-year-old Curtis Mason $625,000 in compensatory damages for a brutal beating he received at the hands of at least five Chicago police officers during a January 13, 2007 traffic stop on Chicago's south side. " The Police Department declined to discipline the accused officers over the assault and the Cook County States Attorney's Office did not prosecute them criminally. Read more

Exhibit C — Officer in Publicized Bartender Beating Case Receives Only Probation: In a case of Chicago police malfeasance which has received considerable Chicago corporate media coverage, the Chicago police officer who was caught on camera in a public beating was released on probation by a Cook County judge. Read more

It so happens that the Chicago lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police will hold a 1968 Riot Cop Reunion (the police involved in the 1968 DNC crackdown and in political assassinations), but Chicago Copwatch is organizing a protest and march.