Feature Archives

On June 11th in Tel Aviv, a group of queer Israeli activists protested the cynical use of gay rights by a conservative American group called StandWithUs (SWU). The activists disrupted an event called I-Pride, organized by SWU, exploiting queer issues to support Israel’s existence as an apartheid state and its occupation over Palestinians.

On June 5th, Peruvian national police attacked a roadblock near the city of Bagua in northwestern Peru, killing at least sixty people. Several thousand indigenous protesters had been blocking the main road to protest measures the government has taken to sell their ancestral land to energy companies. On June 16th, over 30 people converged outside the Peruvian Consulate in San Francisco to amplify their concerns with the Peruvian and US Government's complacency in protecting indigenous rights.

On June 15th, hundreds of thousands protested in the streets of Tehran in the largest demonstration in Iran's 30-year history, and opposition candidate Mousavi made his first public appearance since the election. Clashes broke out between police and groups protesting the election results early Saturday morning. Police stormed dorms at the University of Tehran on Sunday, with several deaths and many arrests reported. Demonstrators called for the election to be canceled after it was announced that President Ahmadinejad won over 62 percent of the vote.

On June 5th, a sniper in the Israeli military killed 36 year old Yousef Akil Srour, shooting him in the chest with 0.22 caliber live ammunition. Srour is the 5th Palestinian to be killed by the Israeli army in Ni’lin during a demonstration against the theft of his land for the construction of the Annexation Wall. Israeli occupation forces have murdered five Ni’lin residents during demonstrations against the confiscation of their land and critically injured one international solidarity activist - Tristan Anderson.

On May 19, Melissa C. Roxas was abducted along with two Filipino companions, Juanito Carabeo and John Edward Jandoc from a house, in La Paz, Philippines. Melissa Roxas is a well known community and cultural activist and human rights advocate. She is a member of the cultural group Habi-Arts and of BAYAN-USA, the progressive alliance of Filipino organizations. Roxas and her companions were taken by suspected elements of the Philippine Armed Forces, who accused them of being members of New People's Army, the military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

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 Saturday May 30th, members of Anarchists Against the Wall, international and Palestinian activists, came to Safa, West Bank, to help Palestinian farmers work their land. In recent years, farmers have been under a constant harassment by settlers who have been violently attacking them and destroying and stealing their crops. After working for a couple of hours, the Israeli military declared the area a "closed military zone" and started to attack and arrest Palestinians and solidarity activists.