Feature Archives

John Ross is an author, journalist, poet, activist and human shield. He read new poetry on December 1, 2003 at the Universalist Unitarian Church in Berkeley.
He has reported recently from Chiapas, Iraq, and Palestine. He travelled to Iraq to stand in solidarity with the people there, before the United States began its bombing campaign there, he was in Cancun for the WTO ministerial, and he recently travelled to Palestine to harvest olives.
Ross began his reading by talking about the olive harvest, and then discussed the connections between the Palestinian struggles, and struggles throughout the world.
Audio:   1 | 2 | 3

4/28/2001:Jim Redden, author of Snitch Culture, and Paulina Borsook, author of Cyberselfish, joined local artists Los Cybrids at the LAB on April 28 for the second of a series of performalogues dealing with the Internet and its discontents, "The Webopticon: Arquitectura of Control." Details

Columbus avenue in front of City Lights and Vesuvio Cafe was closed on 6/8 for a street fair to celebrate the bookstore's anniversary. In 1957 City Lights publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti was the defendant in a landmark obscenity case over the publication of Alan Ginsberg's poem "Howl." Ferlinghetti's victory in this case allowed for greater freedom of speech in publishing.

Photos | City Lights | Allen Ginsberg

Manu Chao and basque musician Fermin Muguruza's tour has been suspended after a campaign against the basque artist was taking place. Some reactionary politicians from the governing party in Spain, the conservative and post francoist Popular Party together with the association in support of the victims of terrorism, claimed Fermin Muguruza was a Basque Separatism supporter and militant in now illegal party Batasuna. Read: Entire Feature

Fall, 2003Everyone's favorite radio monopolizer, Clear Channel, sponsored Halloween in the Castro this year. Clear Channel are the same folks who brought us this spring's pro-war rallies and own over 1200 radio stations; Along with Wells Fargo and a host of other companies, they officially sponsored the event, which included 14 gated entryways, a search upon entrance, and a three dollar "donation." A resolution introduced by Supervisor Bevan Dufty on July 1, 2003, was adopted by the Board of Supervisors to make Halloween in the Castro an official City event. This opened avenues for corporate sponsors of the notorious spontaneous street party. Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | See halloweensf.com for details

On Mon 5/6, the SF Board of Supervisors will decide whether Clear Channel, through its subsidiary Adshel, will be allowed to control the city's proposed new "pedmounts," kiosks to replace newsracks. Media activists will be there to raise hell against yet another Clear Channel monopoly. The corporation would have the right to decide what publications are distributed through the new news racks, pay no fees to cover the City's administrative costs, and be permitted to put enormous ads on the backs of the racks. A press conference denouncing the move will be held at City Hall at noon.

Action alert | Bay Guardian article | Media Alliance on KMEL/Davey D. | Salon.com on Clear Channel

The Senate is on the verge of passing legislation that would give federal prosecutors extraordinary powers to shut down raves or other musical events in yet another backwards step in the so-called "War on Drugs." The bill would increase the poorly-named "crack house statute," enabling the government to shut down clubs where drugs are found even if the owner isn't involved in any way. The legislation ostensibly is aimed at "protecting children" and "reducing drug use," but instead is another form of regulating where and how mostly young people can converge and enjoy themselves. Additionally, organizations doing harm reduction work in the rave community could potentially be barred from giving out the information that ravers need to stay safe. Details

Dancesafe | Drug Policy Alliance | Full text of bill