Feature Archives

from the newswire: Independent journalist and author of 'Blackwater-Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army', a New York times bestseller, gave a fervent speech Thurs. May 3 at the United Methodist Church on J and 21st streets in Sacramento.
Investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill, a correspondent for the independent radio and television news show Democracy Now, and frequent contributor to The Nation, went into detail with the crowded room about his investigation into the private contractor security company Blackwater USA.
“It’s sort of an inappropriate term because when you hear the term contractor I think what comes to mind is construction worker, people that are building something, a bridge or a building or a hospital. I think it’s an odd term for heavily armed men running around war zones with no laws governing their presence,” Scahill said....continued

On April 21st, activists from the Arcata People Project established an encampment in Arcata California. According to an organizer, the protest aimed to "reclaim common spaces and create awareness about the issue of homelessness in the country and the fact that folks just don't have a place to sleep and be safe." On April 25th, police raided the protest encampment and several homeless rights activists were attacked and arrested by the police. Homeless protesters are continuing their protest on the lawn in front of The Arcata City Hall, where they intend to stay until the city gives back the property siezed by the police in Wednesday's raid.

Eric McDavid has now been in jail, pre-trial, for 15 months. He has been in Total Separation, or solitary, that entire time. Since their arrest, his co-defendants (Zachary Jenson and Lauren Weiner) have agreed to testify against him, in a case that has been based on the reports from a paid FBI informant. In contrast, Eric has stood by his principles during his incarceration - including enduring a grueling two week hunger strike to get vegan meals. A hearing in his case has been scheduled for April 16th in Sacramento. May 5th and 6th, 2007 will be a weekend of international solidarity to help raise awareness about his case, as well as funds for his legal expenses.

Tomás writes: In the influential and time-honored book The Art of War, Sun Tzu instructs that one of the most effective methods used to defeat an enemy is to “cause division among them.” The book further instructs, “Seduce them with the prospects of gain, send interlopers in among them, have rhetoricians use fast talk to ingratiate themselves with their leaders and followers, and divide up their organization and power.” It is when the enemy is divided that it is at its weakest and susceptible to attack and defeat.

On April 2nd, the US Supreme Court refused to grant review to a lower court ruling which upheld the constitutionality of the habeas corpus-stripping provision of the Military Commissions Act. The Australian David Hicks was the first Guantanamo prisoner to plead guilty; in exchange for being released in nine months he was ordered to not talk to the press until after the upcoming Australian elections. Several higher profile detainees were transfered from more secretive CIA run prisons to Guantanamo last September; Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Abd al-Nashiri both confessed to a series of "terrorist" attacks, but al-Nashiri admitted that he only confessed to avoid additional torture.

On April 3rd, independent reporter Josh Wolf was freed from federal custody after spending 7 1/2 months in prison for refusing to turn over video footage to a federal grand jury. That morning, Josh wrote on his blog, "During the course of this saga I have repeatedly offered to allow a judge to be the arbiter over whether or not my video material has any evidentiary value. Today, you the public have the opportunity to be the judge and I am confident you will see, as I do, that there is nothing of value in this unpublished footage."

Free Skool Santa Cruz writes: The police state is global. It extends from the US global war on terror, to the nationwide war against animal rights and environmental activists, right down to the local police crackdown on undesirables -- an effort to "clean up" the streets of Santa Cruz of the young, the very old, immigrants, the unemployed, homeless, the insane, and anyone who resists.

The police and the military are the armed thugs of the ruling class. We offer you another tool to add to your arsenal of resistance... Read More and Download Resources

more resources: Midnight Special Law Collective 510-261-4843 || ACLU of Northern California 415-621-2493 || National Lawyers Guild 415-285-5067