Feature Archives

Votergate protesters in San Francisco are going to attempt to arouse their local senate member to raise awareness of "electile dysfunction" this week. There will be a "Pro Democracy/Count Every Vote Rally" on Monday, January 3rd from 12:00 Noon to 1:30 pm, at U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer's San Francisco Office, 1700 Montgomery St (near Chestnut & Embarcadero). Petitions signed by thousands of people who want Senator Boxer to challenge the results of the November 2, 2004 presidential election before Congress on January 6th will be presented to Boxer representatives in the San Francisco and Fresno offices. (Poor News Network Report | Video | Report from Fresno) Speakers at the San Francisco rally included long-time civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, as well as representatives of East Bay Votes, the Gray Panthers, U.S. Labor Against the War, the San Francisco Labor Council, and the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club. Read more. Rev. Jesse Jackson will also lead a rally on the 3rd to challenge the vote in Columbus, Ohio. There will be a Verifygra Rally at Senator Boxer's San Francisco office on Thursday, January 6th from 12:00 Noon to 1:30 pm.

On January 6th, 2005 there will be a "Block Bush Insurrection Rally" at the U.S. Capitol. That day is when the electoral votes, which will have been sealed and sent to the President of the U.S. Senate, are to be read aloud to both Houses of Congress. The No Stolen Elections campaign says that if one member of the House and one member of the Senate object to the certification of the vote, then all members of Congress will finally discuss these issues so they are urging people to call their Congresspeople and Senators. Locally and nationwide, voters are concerned about voter suppression and disenfranchisement, especially in African-American and Hispanic communities. Folks Don't Get It: On African-American voter disenfranchisement in the 2004 election | Against the House: It's a Rigged Game

US Voting Integrity Project | 51 Capital March.com | Contest the Vote | Voter Bill of Rights from Code Pink's website

A gathering of people who are opposed to the "Votergate" scandal took place outside of the San Francisco office of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi on December 6th. While a delegation went into the building, there was an open mic outside of the Federal Building. Speakers exposed presidential candidate John Kerry's lack of action in support of counting all of the votes that were cast in November. Photos | Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

12/14/2004: On the day after the electors cast their votes in state capitols nationwide, at the regular meeting of the Berkeley City Council, half of the public speakers expressed concern for democracy, given problems on November 2nd, 2004 that included suppression of the the efforts of people of color and students to vote in counties all over the country. The Berkeley City Council adopted the "Resolution Supporting the Request that the Government Accountability Office Immediately Undertake an Investigation of Voting Irregularities in the 2004 Elections." Drafted by Berkeley's Peace and Justice Commission, the Resolution also lists 17 measures to improve elections. Read more | Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club | Reign of Error

A protest was held in Sacramento on Monday, December 13th during the meeting at which California's delegates to the electoral college were deciding how they would vote. Past Indybay Votergate Coverage: 11/11 | 11/29

12/17/2004: Amendment II of the US Bill of Rights says: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
In November of 2005, San Francisco voters will face a ballot initiative that will ask them if they want to ban handgun ownership by everyone except law enforcement officers, members of the military and security guards. The measure would prohibit the sale, manufacture, or distribution of handguns, and the transfer of gun licenses. If the initiative passes, San Francisco residents would have 90 days to give up any firearms that they keep in their homes or businesses. The measure was submitted this week to the Department of Elections by several city supervisors who are concerned about violence caused by handgun use. Washington, D.C. is the only major American city that currently bans handgun possession by private citizens. Organizations such as Gun Owners of California have already called the proposed ban illegal.

The Second Amendment Foundation has condemed the proposed measure. The organization pointed out that a 1982 handun ban under Mayor Dianne Feinstein lasted only three months before it was overturned by the California State Court of Appeals. Twenty days after the ban was enacted, SAF took Feinstein and the city to court, and defeated the ban on Oct. 30 of that year. The city appealed that decision to the California Supreme Court, which allowed the Appeals Court ruling to stand in January 1983.

The Second Amendment Foundation and today hailed a report from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel that concludes the Second Amendment "secures an individual right to keep and bear arms." The 93-page document, which is dated through Aug. 24. It details research by Assistant Attorneys General Steven G. Bradbury, Howard C. Nielson, Jr. and C. Kevin Marshall, who studied the history of legislation and court cases related to the Second Amendment. They note that, "our examination of the original meaning of the Amendment provides extensive reasons to conclude that the Second Amendment secures an individual right, and no persuasive basis for either the collective-right or quasi- collective-right views."

Read more | National Rifle Association | Handgun Free DC | Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms | Second Amendment Foundation | Gun Owners of California | Pink Pistols

11/29/2004: The Wellstone Democratic Club of Silicon Valley and The Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley organized a protest against the mainstream media and its "near complete silence concerning voting irregularities in the 2004 presidential election" today. In response to allegations that they were conspiracy theorists, several speakers pointed out that the voting irregularities in the election needed to be investigated regardless of whether an investigation would swing the election to John Kerry. Speakers said that part of the bedrock of a Democracy is verifiable election results that can be trusted.

After the rally in front of KGO the protesters marched to the offices of California Senator Barbara Boxer. Boxer was out of town, but her staffers said that they supported the rally.
Report | Photos: 1 | 2

Related: No Stolen Elections Update | Next Event in the Campaign: 12/6: Demonstration at Office of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi | Report from 11/10 Votergate Protest

Breaking News Reports from the protests in San Francisco. Pirate Cat TV and Radio and Enemy Combatant Radio provided live coverage of the NION and ANSWER rallies and marches. For links to additional reporting nationwide, see US Indymedia and Freeway Blogger

Many forms of protest were called for January 20th, 2005, the date of George Bush's inauguration into his second term, from a general strike to a total boycott of the US to specific street protests. A call was put out for student walkouts on January 20th. A call for a General Strike on January 20th was also announced well in advance of the date.
2+2=Five: One person's call to action

In San Francisco, Not in Our Name Sonoma County staged a "mock inauguration" in front of the San Francisco Federal Building. Photos NION Bay Area held a rally at 4 pm at Powell & Market and hundreds of people marched from there to an ANSWER Coalition rally at Civic Center. After about an hour of speakers, the crowd of several thousand people marched down Market street to Justin Herman Plaza. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 Report: 1 | 2 | 3
Also in San Francisco, Veterans for Peace held an all-day vigil in protest of Coronation Day. For nearly ten-hours, the names of Iraqis and US troops killed in the current unjust war and occupation were read aloud. Photos

In Eureka, over 100 people rallied at the court house calling to "Impeach Bush." Photos
In Fresno, several dozen people rallied on PeaceCorner. Video
In Humboldt and Mendocino, there were reports of several demonstrations.
In Palo Alto, an Inauguration Day Peace Protest gathered at 5pm. Photos: 1 | 2
In San Jose, a Protest for Peace gathered at 5pm at the Federal Building and marched to Cesar Chavez Plaza. Photos
In Sacramento, a Counter Coronation was held on the 20th. Photos | Report
In Modesto, a Still Not Our President! Counter-Inaugural was held in on January 21st.
In Santa Cruz, 400 protesters turned out for a march and rally. Photos | Video | Santa Cruz Indymedia Coverage

Not in Our Name called for people to hold up banners and signs during the morning commute with the theme "Not Our President." Posts to Indybay indicate that "freewayblogging" was rampant: Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Video: 1

In spite of permit difficulties, ANSWER and thousands of people were in the streets of Washington, DC along the route Bush will take to the inauguration ceremony. The website Counter-Inaugural.org said that "a coalition of social, political, and religious activists have come together to protest the coronation of George W. Bush." 11/24 Counter Inaugural update ReDefeatBush sponsored several events in Washington, DC, including a CounterInaugural Ball. Anarchist Call to Action in DC. Perspective: Why I am protesting J20 Organizing 1/19 report from DC Photos and report from anti-fascist and anarchist protests DC. Free Radio Santa Cruz Audio of Inauguration Protest Call-ins Reclaim the Streets in San Diego DC Indymedia Protests also took place in many other cities around the US.

11/11 Updates: Bev Harris is working on recounts in several states. 1 | 2 | 3
The Bay Area has joined the movement to "Investigate Votergate." The Democracy Defense Committee called for a rally and civil disobedience at the San Francisco Federal Building on Wednesday, November 10, to "expose voter suppression and fraud and have ALL the votes counted before the Electoral College meets in mid-December." Groups such as Global Exchange, Code Pink, and Beyond Voting were represented at the rally. Photos: 1 | 2 | Video

There have been many reports of fraudulent activities related to the 2004 presidential election. According to Investigate Votergate's announcement, "what's coming out about election suppression and fraud goes way past whether it's too late to find enough votes to save Kerry...."

"Fighting for fair elections is fundamental not just for the future, but for the present. There was no mandate. While all the evidence is not in, we should be sounding the alarm that it appears that the 2004 election had problems at least as serious as 2000, and that these problems should be fully aired in the next couple of weeks. The electoral votes are counted in early December, which could provide a moment of genuine drama if the results are clearly askew." Some who are following the issue believe that the most difficult aspect of the struggle for fair elections will be to prove electronic voting fraud. Many have noticed that exit polls and voting results differed widely-- exit polls seemed to inducate a clear Kerry victory. Read more
No Stolen Elections has called for the world to "Turn Every Light on Ohio" | Call to Act Now to Unhijack the Presidential Election