Feature Archives

Joe Tougas writes: Is there a growing movement in China against capitalism after the curtain has been pulled back to reveal where that road leads? Growing inequality, less access to education, healthcare, housing, and the economic crisis all seem to be leading Chinese folks to be less than enamored with capitalism. Some are looking back to Mao as a model to provide an alternative to following the U.S. over the cliff.

On May 27th, mayor of Richmond Gayle McLaughlin attended the Chevron Shareholder's meeting, along with delegates representing Nigeria, Burma, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Philippines, and Canada. The delegates introduced to the meeting this year's alternative Chevron annual report: The True Cost of Chevron. The annual report documents the ecological and human damage caused by mismanagement of infrastructure, laborers, and the environment.

Joe Tougas writes: On International Workers’ Day, 2009, after living in Beijing for five months without leaving the city, I finally made it into the country. I traveled with a British national and three Chinese folks to a small village about four hours northeast of Beijing, called Hong Xing Cun, or Red Star.

On May 23-24, the Soupstock Food Not Bombs Convergence will be held in San Francisco. Soupstock will include a concert and a conference celebrating 29 years of Food Not Bombs. The convergence will feature movies, speakers, panels and group discussions, providing a forum for reflection on the past, present and future of the movement.

Anonymous communiques posted to Indybay report that on the evening on May 1st approximately fifty people marched through the streets surrounding Union Square in San Francisco. Blockades were made and the windows of numerous businesses were smashed. The action was completed in about ten minutes. Total damage is reported to be in the tens of thousands of dollars. No arrests have yet been reported.

On May 1st, International Workers Day, rallies and marches were held in the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Cruz County, and the Central Valley. Demonstrators called for action in defense of jobs, families, immigrants, and unions.

On Thursday, April 16th, community rights defense organizer and filmmaker, Simon Sedillo, was at AK Press to offer perspectives on global implications of the Oaxacan peoples' struggle for communities in the United States. Through his multimedia presentation, Sedillo created a dialogue on the effects of neoliberalism on indigenous communities, immigrant communities, and communities of color in the US and Mexico. Sedillo will also give his presentation on Monday, April 20th at the Watsonville Cabrillo Center.