Feature Archives

Dharshan Chandramohan writes: Brothers and sisters, I am an ஈழம் தமிழர் — For those of you who don't know, that means that I am Tamil by ethnicity; and that my roots are unshakably and unmistakably planted in the Northern land of the country called Sri Lanka. I have to say this — over and over — because like in Palestine, there are droves of people who claim that I do not exist, that my people are not indigenous to the land that we have lived on for centuries, that they have a legitimate claim — moreover, a religious, sacred claim to that land.

Captain Paul Watson writes: The Oceans are like the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg. As long as it was alive it laid a golden egg each day but then the greedy farmer decided to kill it to get all the gold inside and found nothing and the Goose laid no more golden eggs because it was dead.... We humans have waged an intensive and ruthless exploitation on practically every species of fish in the sea and they are disappearing. If we don't put an end to industrialized fishing vessels and heavy gear very soon, we will kill the oceans and in so doing, we will kill ourselves.

In recent years, attacks against the Peruvian Army have escalated by a new formation of the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso). Long believed to have faded away after the capture of its leader Abimael Guzmán (Presidente Gonzalo) and other top leaders, the Shining Path has recently gained forces and weapons. According to the Defense Minister of Peru, Shining Path rebels killed thirteen soldiers on April 9th in two ambushes in the southeast region of the country.

On April 1st & 2nd, protesters from around the world have converged in London as the G20 Summit got underway Wednesday. Leaders from the world's 20 largest developed and developing nations are meeting in the UK to discuss the global economic crisis largely created by U.S. "financial innovation." Actions, camps and marches have taken place in the week leading up to the summit and have been met with an expectedly large police presence in the city center. Anti-capitalist protesters attacked the Royal Bank of Scotland.

When vote totals came in from the Salvadoran presidential election Sunday, the winner by a slim but significant margin was the candidate of the FMLN, Mauricio Funes. The FMLN website said “Hope won over fear.” The FMLN fought fascism in Central America with a military effort that went on for twelve years. A truce was called in 1992, but the extreme right wing remained in power until now. A San Francisco celebration of the FMLN victory is planned for March 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Women’s Building.

On Monday March 16th, hundreds demonstrated at of the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco to hear speakers in support of Tristan Anderson and the people of Palestine. About 5pm, demonstrators marched to the intersection of Market and 5th. After demonstrating there for about an hour, many in the crowd marched back to the consulate where police attacked protesters with clubs and as many as six people were arrested. Other solidarity events are being held all over the world.

On March 13th, 2009, Tristan Anderson, an Indymedia journalist from Oakland, California, was critically wounded in the village of Ni'lin after Israeli forces shot him in the head with a high-powered tear-gas canister. Tristan is a dedicated activist and reporter who has long been committed to social and environmental justice in the U.S. and abroad in places such as Oaxaca, Iraq, and Palestine. Tristan has posted his reports to Indybay since 2001. Tristan's family reported Sunday that he has moved his fingers in response to a request from a doctor.