Feature Archives

On August 2nd, there was a memorial die-in in front of the Federal Building in San Francisco to honor Hal Carlstad. Hal died on June 12th. He was a consummate anti-death penalty, anti-war, environmental, and civil rights activist. He was a frequent protester on behalf of People's Park, nuclear disarmament, Cuba, Haiti, Palestine, and El Salvador.

On Monday August 6th, there was memorial ceremony and nonviolent direct action at the Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab, to mark the 62nd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The commemoration culminated with an air raid siren and a moment of silence and reflection at 8:15 AM, the exact time of day the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. 29 people, including Daniel Ellsberg, were arrested for blocking entry into the labs.

Following Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's refusal to consider the impeachment of George Bush, Cindy Sheehan has announced she plans to challenge Pelosi for her seat in Congress. Sheehan writes, "At the end of this day, Speaker Pelosi has not supported impeachment and has not upheld her oath of office to 'protect and defend' the Constitution... The Middle East is rapidly falling apart under this regime and our country is sliding rapidly into a state of one-branch tyranny while our 'heroes,' the Democrats, fiddle."

While voters are calling Congress this week to "end the war," activists in Sacramento are using a near-antique red phone booth-- strategically placed at the Farmers Market Tuesday-- to call their Congressional representatives.

On Wednesday July 18th, the US Senate abandoned an effort to impose restrictions on the Bush administration’s conduct of the war in Iraq after losing a procedural vote Wednesday to halt a Republican filibuster. The night before the vote, Bay Area activists with MoveOn.org protested the Republican filibuster.

Corbin Harney, Spiritual Leader of the Western Shoshone Nation, crossed over at 11:00 a.m. in the morning of July 10th, in a house on a sacred mountain near Santa Rosa, California (Turtle Island). He dedicated his life to ending nuclear testing and dumping. That battle claimed his life through cancer.

On June 24, Alberto Tovar, a recent graduate of Cal-State Monterey Bay and a Salinas local, was arrested for challenging military recruiters at a Día de la Famila celebration in Salinas. Tovar asked why recruiters promise kids health and educational benefits if they sign up, but don’t talk to them about the risks of combat. Tovar faces numerous charges, including "disturbing the peace," "criminal trespass," and "possession of a dangerous/deadly weapon" (a trendy bracelet from Hot Topic). The Monterey County D.A. also added "disorderly conduct for public intoxication" even though Tovar was never tested to see if he had been drinking. Alberto is asking for his supporters to donate to his Legal Defense Fund.