Unconventional Denver, one of two anarchist/anti-authoritarian groups that organized against the Democratic National Convention this summer is once again revving up their organizing efforts in our community. The Unconventional Action Network was formed to help organize against last summer's political conventions and like the successes they saw then, there is a possibility of more.read more

Between the forest and the ocean, among the students and the yuppies, Anarchists in Santa Cruz have fostered a close-knit community dedicated to the destruction of this world and the creation of another. Santa Cruz is a hub of anarchist culture and resistance, with a long history of radical struggle and active anarchist projects spanning decades. From May 7th to 11th, the Santa Cruz Anarchist Convergence will be a four-day event for building community and resistance and sharing radical ideas.

When members of Rochester Indymedia attended demonstrations against the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in Denver, Colorado and St. Paul, Minnesota late last summer, one of the striking conclusions we returned with was how the term "Anarchist" was being used by the media and law enforcement to demonize those organizing to challenge the political oligarchy represented at both conventions. In trying to sort out how law enforcement agencies and government at the local, state and national levels could justify the lock down on these cities and the expenditure of obscene amounts of money for security, it became clear that there has been, throughout American history, an ongoing and confusing narrative about Anarchism. In this episode of Indy TV, we begin an ongoing series exploring the definitions and practices of Anarchism. Our guests are Professor David White of St. John Fisher College and Ben Dean- Kawamura. Professor David White terms himself a "career Anarchist" and was involved with the long-lived project "Anarchist Action of Rochester". Ben Dean-Kawamura is a long time local activist and a member of the Rochester Indymedia collective. Video of Entire Episode

Peoples Party II began early in the 1970's as Black Panther Party chapters were being established all across the United States. The success of the Voting Rights Act and other legislation that was won by the civil rights movement was largely viewed as inadequate to young urban blacks, and youth generally. Many participants in the civil rights movement were beginning to become impatient with the slow pace of reform and the tactics of non-violence which were closely associated with the activism of groups organizing and mobilizing for civil rights in the south. One group that presented these frustrations and made much more radical demands quickly became the vanguard of the black power movement; The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. [Read Full Article]

On the February 20th edition of the Houston IMC Radio Show; BPP vets Sensei and Boko Reflected on the Legacy of People's Party 2 and talked about the (lack of) progress that has been made in Houston since their work in the 1970's [listen]. Longer interviews on Radio Indymedia: Boko Freeman on People's Party 2 and the Black Power Movement in Houston | Veterans of Black Liberation Struggles in Houston Look Back on Peoples Party 2. This article is published in the February 2009 issue of Free Press Houston. Learn More about the Black Panthers in Houston and elsewhere at Its About Time.

Related: Black Panthers History "Honoring Huey P. Newton", Berkeley, 2/22/09: photos & audio

This Saturday, Feb. 28, the Olympia Hackbloc (olyhackbloc.org) will be leading a workshop on security culture, computer security, intelligence, and privacy. This workshop is targeted towards activists, journalists, and members of the general public.

WHEN: Saturday Feb. 28 at 11 AM SHARP till Approx. 3 PM
WHERE: The Evergreen State College
Meet in main floor lobby of the library building, and look for the Hackbloc signs.

Bring your computer.

This month (February 2009) marks the tenth anniversary of Hugo Chávez’s coming to power in Venezuela, and ten years of the “Bolivarian revolution”. This process has included waves of state intervention in the economy and fervent rhetoric against US imperialism. But while some on the left see this Chavista movement as the new “socialism for the 21st century”, a more radical critique has argued that it is actually more like an old-fashioned attempt at modernisation by a technocratic élite (including an ex-situationist as second-in-command of the ministry of information and propaganda); that increased bureaucratic power over capital is not inherently progressive; and that the “revolution” in Venezuela allows for very little working-class control or initiative from below.

* A translation of a March 2008 interview conducted by the French anarchist Charles Reeve with two members of the El Libertario group www.nodo50.org/ellibertario in Caracas, the nation’s capital, which offers some stark insights into the reality of the situation.

This culture has attempted to eradicate all forms of communal struggle. We no longer meet as communities, we meet as spectators at a City Council meeting. In a effort to regain our lost communal power, we are calling a popular assembly in Olympia. We will come together, identify what we wish to work on as a community and begin to discuss solutions and strategies amongst ourselves.

Meeting Number 1:
March 2nd -- 6pm-8pm
First Christian Church
Koinonia Hall, 7th and Franklin (Olympia)

The weekend of January 17-18, members of Common Action, an anarchist organization in the Northwest United States, traveled from across the region to convene in Olympia, WA for our third general assembly. Members representing the cities of Bellingham, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Portland were in attendance.

In preparation for creative nonviolent actions planned in the next few months, this visionary got out beyond his fears of autonomous self-expression in the city, and played around with a spontaneous set of ideas, all beyond the usual imposed narrated "norms" of everyday settler/"citizen" existence.

if you are not familiar with the term 'security culture', now is the time to read up and put it to use. s.c is useful, and even vital for any punk, anarchist, activist, or any politically conscious radical who wants to continue fighting for liberation without giving the police or fbi any information.

Six years of war and occupation of Iraq have come and gone. Lives left tattered amongst the ruins. The US armed forces and their co-conspirators in the military-industrial complex, along with their friends on Wall Street and K Street, continue to occupy Iraq and Afghanistan with impunity. Meanwhile, Obamamania has rendered much of the Left fixated on electoral politics.

On March 19th and the 21st, join the Self-Described Anarchist Collective to manifest our opposition in a Black Bloc style demonstration against war, capitalism and the state.

On Wednesday, February 4th at 7:00 pm at Louden Nelson Community Center in Santa Cruz, Michael Parenti will be speaking on the topic of "The War On Prosperity." This is a benefit for Free Radio Santa Cruz, 101.1 FM. There will be copies of Michael's latest book, "Contrary Notions" available at the event. Parenti is one of the nation's leading progressive political analysts, an internationally known award-winning author and lecturer.

In part to advertise the Economic Town Hall which took place today, January 31, 20079, I was fortunate to bring one of the Plenary speakers on the Public Access program, "A Growing Concern," on the evening before. Martin Hart-Landsberg talks at length about the many causes of the crisis, stating that they are part of our social system, rather than something as simple as a housing bubble or recent examples of corporate greed. Our government and the Media lead us to believe that if we can repair conditions which brought about the "recession," we could then continue on from there and be in good shape. But the truth of the matter is that the social and financial conditions which culminated in this debacle go much further back and are actually at the root of our Capitalistic system itself.

Martin explains how we arrived at this place and what it will take to repair the damage. He says that Obama must be bold and that his stimulus package is far too small and lacking in the vision necessary to bring this country back to prosperity. With a handful of graphs and a wealth of information, Landsberg skillfully demonstrates many of the components of the problem, most of which you won't hear about on Corporate Media reports. Big Surprise, as they have been gorging themselves on this errant and increasingly top heavy economy.

Much of what Martin says on the program formed the foundation of his presentation at the First Unitarian Church the next afternoon. This event was well covered by independent and community media, so please continue to watch this news wire for continuing reports. WATCH VIDEO

UA in the Bay writes: Attention all anarchists, anticapitalists, antiauthoritarians, troublemakers, and rabble-rousers across North America! We're writing to let you all know that UA in the Bay, the Unconventional Action branch in the San Francisco Bay Area, is still alive and kicking and we are calling out to all groups across the country to continue the fight as well!

Fri,1/30 (5-9pm), Sat/Sun 2/1(9-6 pm)

In this 20-hr training, a Portland-based street medic & health collective (until recently called Portland Street Medix) will present a crash course on first aid, emergency care, and caring for our friends & comrades at actions, marches, rallies, and other mobilizations.

Public Forum
Saturday, December 6, 7:30pm
A Marxist Looks at Capitalism’s Meltdown
Speaker: Megan Cornish: Feminist journalist and economic analyst, co-author of Viva La Raza

Do you have any ideas that could benefit humanity? I mean really? Are there any solutions? I've been checking out Indy Media here for about three weeks and it's fascinating. It really is. I've learned a lot, and had some almost productive conversations. I've read some interesting discussions about eliminating poverty, anarchic society, consumerism, pirates and Zimbabwe; it's really been an education. There is no doubt that Portland Indy media has a readership of very intelligent people.

Some of these rules of thumb can be generalized, and perhaps others cannot; nevertheless, they comment on the specific context of the student occupation that lasted two days and won important concessions from the New School, including amnesty. The students agreed to continue the struggle next semester. This is only the beginning...

The North West Anti-Imperialist Direct Action Coalition's founding conference will be December 5th - 7th in Olympia, WA at the Evergreen State College. Attached is a schedule of the events.

An anonymous critic's take on a widely-publicized call for anarchists to celebrate rather than protest at Obama's inauguration.