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local and national features
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Apr 26 2012
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Project Homeless Connect Santa Cruz: "Social Justice for Homeless" |
One Day of Charity in Santa Cruz: A Band-Aid Event or A Transformational Experience?On April 17th, the third annual Project Homeless Connect Santa Cruz was held inside and outside the Civic Auditorium on Church Street in Santa Cruz. Hundreds of people, most of whom are experiencing homelessness, and therefore typically marginalized and criminalized in our community, were provided with a wide range of services and some goods. According to Project Homeless Connect, which includes corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies, the organization began in San Francisco in 2004 "when Mayor Gavin Newsom challenged his county workers to create a better system of care for the homeless community."
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Apr 07 2012
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Occupy SF Liberates Vacant Building to Establish Social Center |
On Sunday, April 1st, Occupy SF working groups and affinity groups occupied a vacant building at 888 Turk Street, The idea was to liberate a vacant building and convert it into a social center, shelter and food bank for the people. The SF Commune stated that they initiated the occupation "to provide a perpetual, autonomous headquarters for the Occupy SF movement." The building has space for food preparation and distribution, bedrooms for housing, event rooms for General Assemblies and art projects, classrooms and space for medical services. When San Francisco police raided the building on April 2nd, over 50 people were arrested.
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Apr 02 2012
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Portland protest against the criminalization of homelessness on 'No Fooling Day' |
Street Roots, Right 2 Survive and Sisters of the Road held a protest in Pioneer Square downtown Portland on a national day of action, 'No Fooling Day' to stand up against the ongoing criminalization of people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Portland, OR, 04/01/2011 — READ MORE & PHOTOSRELATED COVERAGE: Reportback from the “End the Camping Ban” Rally and March | Gary Johnson Convicted for Sleeping Outside Santa Cruz Courthouse | Demonstrators Call for an End to Laws Restricting Acts of Compassion
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Mar 12 2012
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The Deplorable, County-made, Reality of Burials Without Dignity |
Oatka Cemetery—the Monroe County cemetery for the poor and homeless—is about 15 miles from downtown Rochester, NY. Three of us took a drive down Scottsville Road past the airport, past R.I.T., into the country, and finally through the Village of Scottsville to a small cemetery known as a “potter's field.”
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Feb 25 2012
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"Sissy ni watumishi wa community / We are servants of the community" — Nyagah wa Kamau / Stephen Nyash, RIP |
Kenya Indymedia has reported that on Tuesday, February 21, radio journalist and organizer Stephen Nyash was shot dead in the Korogocho ghetto of Nairobi, where he had lived and worked for most of his life. Korogocho is the third largest slum in the world [1]. At writing, the motive for his murder is not clear.Nyash was one of the founders of KOCH FM [2], a close partner of Kenya Indymedia. He was also a leader in "Koch Hope" and "Ghetto Films," which worked to empower the slumdwellers of Korogocho. He brought this wealth of experience to the fourth IMC-Africa Convergence in Senegal last March as a representative of Kenya Indymedia. He was also integral in organizing a "Conference of People" held in Korogocho to coincide with the Conference of Parties (COP-17) gathering on climate change. Fellow organizer John Bwakali writes, "From the moment that he knew about Kenya Indymedia, Nyash became not just an active participant but fellow leader of the movement… Upon return [from Senegal], he immersed himself into the vision and work of Kenya Indymedia." Read John's Full Reflection HERE [3] and his audio interview with Nyash [4] on the fight against State injustices.
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Jan 14 2012
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Occupy Brings Foreclosure Defense Movement To Baltimore, Deutsch Bank Proceeds With Eviction |
The movement to physically stop evictions and foreclosures made its debut in Baltimore on Tuesday, January 10th outside of the West Baltimore home of Lila Kara. Nearly 100 people associated with Occupy Baltimore assembled early in the morning to stop a Deutsch Bank foreclosure order against her house. Those assembled included neighbors, some facing foreclosure themselves, and participants from Occupy Our Homes, a working group of Occupy Baltimore. Though initially proclaiming victory after a no-show, Sheriff’s officers and a representative assumed to be with Deutsch Bank who refused to identify herself proceeded with the eviction process on Wednesday morning, arriving unannounced. Workers changed the locks on the property and took inventory of Kara’s belongings, while about 20 people assembled in protest. Read Full Indyreader report. | DC Indymedia report on day one.
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Nov 01 2011
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Occupy Atlanta and Peachtree-Pine Taskforce for the Homeless Join Forces |
[On] October 28th, some occupiers from Atlanta escalated the campaign to saving the Peachtree-Pine Taskforce for the Homeless. The Taskforce is under pressure from the City of Atlanta, Central Atlanta Progress, Emory University and other corporate structures in the city who are trying to foreclose the shelter which sits in a very expensive area and is, ostensibly, very valuable real estate.Over the past few weeks, the occupiers marched in solidarity with the residents at the shelter, including a march to the Emory Medical Hospital in Midtown which ended in protesters attempting to force their way into the administrative building and clashing with police.
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Jul 28 2011
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Soon To Be Displaced Residents Protest Outside of Housing Authority |
As Ed Bland arrived at work on Wednesday morning, July 27, 2011, he was greeted by a group of protesters. Residents at two public housing units, Dunbar Court and Joann Dorsey Homes, stood outside of the offices Champaign County Housing Authority calling on Bland, executive director, to answer their questions. They chanted, “Mr. Bland, What’s Your Plan?” The coming demolition of Dunbar and Dorsey signals the end of traditional public housing in Champaign-Urbana.
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Jul 20 2011
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Police Accountability Work Across the US |
Indymedia centerers in Rochester, Urbana-Champaign, and Santa Cruz, are critically examining current police policies and reporting on initiatives to make them more accountable.
Rochester: City Council member Adam McFadden wrote a memo to Mayor Thomas S. Richards, Police Chief James Sheppard, and City Council President Lovely A. Warren warning them that the "City of Rochester has lost control of its police force."
Urbana-Champaign: City council chambers were full at a combined meeting of the Urbana Human Relations Commission (HRC) and Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB) on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, at 5:30 p.m. to address racial profiling numbers collected by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The meeting was the result of a chorus of voices asking for a public conversation about racial profiling in Urbana. The “racial disparity index,”, for Urbana police rose from 1.56 in 2009 to 1.7 in 2010, the highest in the twin cities.
Santa Cruz: Six months ago, SCPD adopted Predictive Policing. What does it mean? How will we resist it?. In addition, Bad Cop focuses on police accountability, know your rights education, and the dissemination of effective tactics to utilize while documenting police in Santa Cruz County. "We seek to document the abuse of authority and highlight the double standard that some grant to those with badges. By documenting police actions – whether they are illegal, immoral or just a waste of time and resources – we encourage transparency and hold police accountable. If you are familiar with CopWatch projects, this is a way of documenting what we see when we are watching."
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Jun 16 2011
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Homeless Camp out at Rose Parade for right 2 survive |
Right 2 Survive put out a call to pitch a tent in downtown Portland to support the rights of the homeless to survive. This peaceful direct action raised awareness that there are not enough shelters or resources for the homeless. On any given day, there are 1,500 people sleeping in the streets, with nowhere to go, but city laws forbid them to set up tents. For 1 day only before the Rose Parade, the city allows everyone to camp out. For homeless activists, it's unfair that people are allowed to camp out for fun, but not for survival. For most people, being homeless is one of their biggest fears. Yet millions of Americans have experienced homelessness. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty reported in 2007 that about 3.5 million people have experienced being homeless, 1.5 million of them children. [...] Read More
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May 24 2011
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March to Save Homeless Services |
Empower DC's audio coverage of May 18 March to Save Homeless Services. Many people marched to protest Mayor Gray's budget cuts.
After marching along E street to the Wilson Building on Pennsylvania Avenue, the group met with a “Reality Tour” event organized by Save Our Safety Net DC. The group joined with activists interested in restoring funding for all social service programs, and not just homeless services. Read More, Pics & Audio
After marching along E street to the Wilson Building on Pennsylvania Avenue, the group met with a “Reality Tour” event organized by Save Our Safety Net DC. The group joined with activists interested in restoring funding for all social service programs, and not just homeless services. Read More, Pics & Audio
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Dec 12 2010
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Unemployed Oregonians speak out against looming cuts |
Organised by the Sunnyside Self-Help Employment Group, Oregonians held a press conference in Director Park to speak out against the looming cuts and the affect this will have on people in the Northwest. Portland, OR, USA, 29/11/2010. The conference today focused on the issues surrounding the fact that just 4 days after Thanksgiving, Tuesday November 30th, Federal Unemployment Insurance Extension Benefits and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) will expire for millions of Americans. Countrywide over 20 million Americans are unemployed. If Congress does not act by the deadline over 2 million will be cut off from exiting employment benefits, with 7500 families affected in Oregon alone. Read More | homepage: http://www.alexmilantracy.com
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Dec 11 2010
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Homeless March in Ashland, Oregon |
Ashland, Oregon — SHOUTOUT posted 12/6/10 — Dear Concerned and Active Citizen Base: The recent uprising of Ashland's houseless population demands a just, safe, and sane rectification of a endemic social dysfunction, namely the criminalization of homelessness and the necessary acts that accompany that status. It is inevitable that this core social issue gets faced in a way that brings to light the full import of the crisis. Disabled, elderly, youth, family, temporary and chronic homelessness and poverty have reached a critical mass. Now is the time to deal with homelessness and poverty in a peaceable, orderly way so that violence can be ruled out as a viable alternative. THE PUBLIC COMMONS CAN BE RECLAIMED BY THE WILL OF AN ORGANIZED, EDUCATED, NON-VIOLENT PUBLIC
Thanks for being awake.
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Nov 23 2010
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Need Shelter? Must Show Proof of Residency |
On Monday [November 8], Ward 6 D.C. Councilmember Tommy Wells held a hearing on Bill 18-1059, the “Homeless Services Reform Amendment Act of 2010.” Wells’ legislation seeks to establish a residency requirement for shelter and homeless services in the District of Columbia. Wells, who chairs the Committee on Human Services, said the act was an attempt to “responsibly ration” District resources in an effort to “prioritize our resources for District residents.”Patty Mullahy Fugere has served as Director of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless since 1991. Responding to Wells’ proposed legislation, Fugere said, “It’s a bill that seeks to impose a residency verification requirement before accessing a whole range of homeless services during severe weather. That means that before an outreach worker could give a blanket to someone staying on the street, before a meal program could serve breakfast to someone who is homeless, before somebody who is seeking to come in and spend the night outside of the frigid elements, they would have to prove and verify that they were District residents.” Read More | Audio | Patty Mullahy Fugere & Nassim Moshiree | Audio Part II
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Nov 06 2010
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VFW Post Announces Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners Canceled |
Veterans of Foreign Wars "Bill Motto" Post 5888 announced that it is unable to hold Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinners, this year, at the Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building. For 24 years, this event has helped needy people, veterans, seniors, students and lonely residents during holidays which are based in giving.