Feature Archives

It was announced today that the Doha Development Agenda negotiations of the World Trade Organization will be suspended. WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy told heads of delegations in the informal July 24th meeting that he will recommend a “time out” to the General Council on July 27th. He did not suggest how long the talks will be suspended, but he said that countries need time to review the situation, and that if the political will to continue exists, the WTO will come back together to discuss all subjects in the Doha round.

In October, Modern Times Bookstore, an independent, collectively owned and operated progressive bookstore in San Francisco's Mission District, will be celebrating its 35th anniversary. For a while, it had seemed as though the bookstore would suffer the fate of many other local bookstores that have closed recently, such as Changemakers in Oakland, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place for Books in SF, and Cody's on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley. A new collaboration with New College of California is one of the reasons for the store's security.

Anti-G8 activist Gabriel Meyers went back to court on Thursday, July 20th for a pretrial hearing. One year ago, at a San Francisco protest against the Group of 8, a police officer received a head injury. Three people were originally arrested and charged in connection with the incident. It soon became clear that none of the three were involved. Nevertheless, SF prosecutors, in collaboration with the SF police department, are proceeding to trial against Gabriel Meyers. A recent interview with Gabe

Russian social activists are calling upon the world to protest massive violations of basic freedoms in Russia that occurred in the leadup to the G8 meeting and on July 15th. They are asking for support for imprisoned activists and journalists.
On July 15th, the "Group of 8" (G8) richest industrialized countries began a three-day gathering in St. Petersburg, Russia to plot their continued commodification and domination of the planet. The intended focus of the gathering was "Energy Security," which promopted people to declare that July 15th would be an International Day of Direct Action against Climate Change and the G8. The Davis Anti-Biotech Coalition will be distributing info about SB 1056 at 9am on Monday, July 17th outside of the USDA building in Davis. Protests are also being held in London, Washington, DC, and Russia.

It was a sunny afternoon on Sunday, July 9th, and as part of the international days of solidarity with the South Central Farm (SCF) in Los Angeles, around 60 people paraded through downtown Santa Cruz, carrying colorful anti-development signs and banners, handing out leaflets, taping posters up everywhere, and playing improvised drums.

A majority of sidewalk onlookers were curious and willing to read the handouts, and a few joined in. The rally began at the clocktower and grew in numbers until spilling out on to Front St. Comfortably filling most of the asphalt, the assembly proceeded down Front to Laurel Street, turning to come back northward up the crowded Pacific Avenue drag and finally ending in a courtyard area across from the Post Office. Marchers congregated in the courtyard to listen to speakers, announcements, and a statement from the farmers, broadcasted from the mobile bike cart PA system.

Speakers touched on the topics of public space in Santa Cruz, the current status of the S.C. Farm, related historical struggles, local guerilla farming plans, memories of past spaces lost to developers, the Radcliff Elementary School Garden, local areas threatened by development, and an introduction to seedballs. A large quantity of the clay-based balls, made up of native wildflower seeds, were distributed among the crowd. People went their separate ways with the "seed bombs" in hand, placing them thoughtfully throughout the city as a small guerilla gardening action. Add a comment to this report back

Audio: SCF Statement of Solidarity with Santa Cruz Rally || Santa Cruz Solidarity with South Central Farmers

Photos: Signs of Solidarity with the South Central Farm || Developers Don't Give A Fuck About Us

see also: Days of Solidarity Follow Plowing Under of South Central Farm

Teachers and students are starting a community garden on an unused parcel of land on the otherwise barren Radcliff Elementary School campus in downtown Watsonville, CA. Beds have been dug, and the garden is almost ready to be planted, once a sufficient amount of resources have been gathered. While school administrators have been consulted about the garden, it has yet to receive any official financial assistance.

Organizers who have been following the recent tragic eviction of the South Central Farm in Los Angeles see the establishment of this new garden as a continuation of a common effort towards community self-reliance and getting back in touch with the land beneath our feet. In light of this weekend's call for action in solidarity with the South Central Farmers facing eviction (July 7-10), Teachers For Class War! are requesting donations of tools, soil, seeds, and other supplies to assist in the creation of a valuable community resource. Read the list of needed supplies

At 8:30am Friday morning, demonstrators staged a blockade at a central Santa Cruz intersection as a gesture of solidarity with the hundreds of families who lost their land in Tuesday's forced eviction of the South Central Farm in Los Angeles. Holding signs both large and small, the 30 or so demonstrators blocked traffic at the intersection with A-frames, a stray sofa, and at least four dumpsters rolled in from nearby businesses. At about the same time that the blockade began, a 20+ foot banner was unfurled over a Hwy 1 overpass reading "Remember South Central Farm--Fuck Ralph Horowitz--Fuck LAPD--SouthCentralFarmers.com"