Feature Archives

2/20/04: Peace Bakersfield hosted members of Steps for Peace (a group sponsored by Kucinich that are walking across the U.S. in order to promote peace and Kucinich), when they were in Bakersfield on February 15th and 16th. Two Anti-War demonstrations are held in Bakersfield every week. Pesticide Action Network, an environmental justice group is also active in the area. In Lamont, which is just South of Bakersfield, more than 150 people were poisoned by pesticide drift. Find out what happened and what the community is doing to fight back.

2/27/04: Food Not Bombs in Modesto has several exciting events planned in March and April. Also, the DAAA Collective (Direct Action Anti-Authoritarians) in Modesto has announced that it is launching a new sub-collective: Critical Mass!
Photo's from Fridays Ride Report from DAAA on Modesto Critical-Mass event.

2/15/04: Some 1,000 people gathered at the state Capitol on Saturday at a rally for same-sex marriage that felt as much like a wedding celebration as it did a political demonstration. Energized by the unexpected wedding spree at San Francisco City Hall on Valentine’s Day weekend, activists exuding wedded bliss called for the passage of a California same-sex marriage bill and opposed a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. See a video of remarks by Molly McKay, Marriage Equality California Executive Director, at the February 14th State Capitol Freedom To Marry Rally.

7/3/04: An Outdoor Drunk Tank is being established in Fresno to humiliate the homeless in Fresno. The director of the Rescue Mission says that the razor wire is only there to keep people from breaking in. Background information and pictures are available here . Attacks against the homeless took place earlier this year in Fresno as you can see in this story where the police move in to dismantle an encampment in the downtown area. Dramatic photos illustrate the destruction that has taken place. An earlier story provides some background on the situation. Meanwhile, questions about these attacks on Fresno’s homeless are being asked as Indymedia reporters interview spokespersons from the H Street encampment. More information is available here

1/27/04: Tired of corporate media moguls ignoring stories in the Central Valley, media democracy activists met in Sacramento to organize an Indymedia Center for the area. An earlier meeting in Fresno confirmed that Central Valley community journalists are committed to building an alternative media network in the region to help get the truth out. The Central Valley Indymedia Center will cover stories from Bakersfield to as far in the North Valley as there are journalists willing to post stories to this site. The next Central Valley Indymedia meeting will take place Saturday, February 28 at 909 12th St. in Sacramento.

1/11/2004: Last year the Sheriff’s department infiltrated Peace Fresno, allegedly looking for terrorists. At the same time, a Fresno City Council member sent an email saying that if he had a dirty bomb he could eliminate all of the liberals in Fresno, and an aide sent an email that suggested sending “over some officers to 'Cap' these guys” (Human Relations Commission members). Messages threatening violence against peace activists were posted on the Free Republic web site. The HRC sent out a press release warning the community about that threat of violence. In response, Free Republic filed a million dollar lawsuit against the City of Fresno, and the mayor and conservatives on the City Council attacked the HRC. Now the city has settled that lawsuit by forcing the chair of the HRC to resign and giving the Freepers $60,000. Read more

Madera is a small county in the middle of the Central Valley with chronic double digit unemployment and massive poverty. But now, homecare workers are organizing to improve their lives. The workers, there are currently over 1,000 of them, receive minimum wage and no benefits. Service Employee International Union Local 250 has been at the forefront of the struggle to bring better wages and benefits for homecare workers in Madera and throughout the State of California. Unionized homecare workers in San Francisco, Yolo, Contra Costa, and Sacramento earn at least $9.50 an hour with benefits. More