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Add an EventNative American Smashes Statue of Columbus in San Jose
Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, March 12, 2001
Native American Smashes Statue of Columbus in San Jose
San Jose, CA: Wielding a sledgehammer, justice activist James Cosner smashed a life-size statue of Christopher Columbus in front of dozens of witnesses at City Hall in San Jose, California on Thursday, March 8th. As the seven-types of marble chips flew from the blows, Cosner shouted "Genocide!" "This man rode our backs!" "This man murdered us!"
Most Americans do not know the murderous history of Christopher Columbus. Examining primary historical sources by Bartholomew De Las Casas, the biographer of Columbus' son, Columbus made four voyages to the New World. He encountered the Arawaks, who occupied Haiti. An early census of the Arawak was 1.1 million, not counting children. According to a conservative estimate over 3 million Arawak lived on Haiti in pre-Columbian times. Columbus kidnapped , enslaved, and murdered the Arawak people. He ruled with severe discipline ordering the cutting off of ears or nose as punishment for minor crimes. When the Arawaks fought back, Columbus used the excuse to wage war. On March 24th, 1495 Columbus set out to conquer the Arawaks. With 20 hunting dogs, horses, and guns Columbus set upon the Arawaks, tearing them up with dogs and mowing them down with volleys of bullets, and running them over with horses. Reporting back to Queen Isabel of Spain, Columbus boasted "In the name of the holy trinity, we can send from here all the slaves that Brazil will hold." The Spaniards hunted Indians for sport and murdered them for dog food.
Seeking gold, he enslaved the remaining Arawaks to work the mines. Those who refused had their hands cut off. Conditions for the Arawak become so intolerable that as many as 100 at a time would commit suicide. Women were known to kill their newborn babies, rather than have them raised in such hideous circumstances. Columbus would reward his officers with women to rape. Girls 10 to 12 were especially desired for rape. When Columbus' son took over in 1505, he continued the slaughter. Only some 12,000 remained by 1516. By 1555 not a single Arawak remained. Haiti remains one of the primary instances of genocide in human history to be followed by more instances of genocide in Puerto Rico and Cuba.
The presence of the statue prominently placed in City Hall in San Jose has been reviled by native Americans as a sick reminder of the ruthless slaughter and conquest of indigenous people in the New World.
Having smuggled the sledgehammer into City Hall, Cosner struck the marble statue breaking off the arm, both legs, and cracking pits into the face. He cracked off the top of the scroll held by Columbus, so that the torso only remained standing by the flowing waves of the marble cape, which was still connected to the pedestal. One passerby, Jaime Nava approached Cosner and tried to talk him into stopping. As Nava tried to calm Cosner, plainclothes officer Chris Galios, Mayor Ron Gonzales' bodyguard, arrived and tried to persuade Cosner to stop. But it was only when three uniformed officers came through the front door with their guns drawn that Cosner ceased. Nava used his body to shield Cosner, who had backed against a wall. Officers then handcuffed Cosner, who told them: "I'm not fighting. I'm very calm. I'm very calm." San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzalez, vowed to restore the statue which will then be moved in front of the new City Hall when it opens downtown.
Cosner, a native American who has been active in protests against the injustice committed against the homeless in Santa Cruz under the Sleeping Ban, in the struggle to free Mumia Abu Jamal, and against the bombing in Yugoslavia. In 1996, he was one of six people who locked down at City Hall to protest the Sleeping Ban in Santa Cruz. In 1999 he was arrested in Rep. Sam Farr's office to protest the bombing of Yugoslavia. He was arrested at another protest on May 22nd in front of the McPherson Center where a democratic fundraiser took place as the bombs fell in Belgrade. He, along with Steve Argue, became one of the Santa Cruz 5. Later in 1999, he attended the protests in Seattle against the WTO. Cosner remains in the Santa Clara County Jail, booked on suspicion of vandalism, making terrorist threats and destruction of a civic monument. His bail, originally set at $4,000 has been raised to $50,000. He will be arraigned on Monday afternoon.
Story by Becky Johnson
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Capitalism should know that its rule is resented. Without justice there should be no peace.
Like statues of General Lee of the Confederacy or other reactionary trophies, anyone brave enough to desecrate these little temples of America's bloody victories *should* be desecrated.
Did you know that Phelan Avenue, the street that City College of San Francisco sits on, is named after a famous racist? Phelan wrote a booklet, "Keep California White."
and didnt leif erickson discover vinland?
history is war by other means.
thinking of you james...
It is outrageous that "Colombus Day" is a national holiday in light of the fact that Columbus was responsible for one of the clearest, most brutal incidences of genocide. In 1992 an International Tribunal of Indigenous People and Oppressed Nations was held in San Francisco highlighting the fact that the oppression that began 500 years previously with Colombus continues to this day. Noam Chomsky writes quite clearly about it in his book,"Year 501-The Conquest Continues."
Certainly Jim must have known that the Zapatistas were en route to Mexico City, gathering the support of the Indigenous People's Congress, countless indigenous people and members of liberation struggles from around the world when he damaged a statue representing the being most directly responsible for the decimation of the indigenous people of the Americas.
Surely Jim knew that people are organizing and mobilizing now throughout the Americas against the heads of state who are at this moment, secretly handing over sovereignty and unprecedented power to the transnational corporations through the "F.T.A.A.." He did not harm a single person. In the past century more people were killed by their own governments than in any foreign war. The worst offenders of human rights were trained in Fort Benning Georgia by the U.S. government. Those who massacre and kill indigenous people generally get away with impunity and are rarely or never held accountable.
The government wants to throw the book at Jim, charge him with committing a "hate crime." Intuitively, I believe his crime was a "love crime." He loves life, nature, people, and does what he can to bring "truth" to light. How else can we right "wrongs," if no one points out the injustice that has been committed.
There is no beginning to the expression, "Ya Basta!" "Enough!" For injustice has been with us since the birth of empires. But the cry grows louder and stronger, with the Zapatistas, with The 50 Years is Enough Coalition Against the World Bank, with the Jubilee 2000 Campaign against the Third World Debt, with the NO to the WTO effort by thousands of people throughout the world. Jim's voice is one strong clear loud, "Ya Basta" against the obscene reverence a dysfunctional society pays to "false idols" whose crimes have been whitewashed to serve the interests of the ruling class.
The greatest threat to the U.S. government, the rule of, by and for corporations, is an informed public. The smoke and mirrors of the mainstream press try to hold the illusion of legitimacy around the worst criminals in our society. Truth will thin the smoke. Thank-all who speak truth to power, who tell the stories that need to be told, to Jim Costner, the Zapatistas, the activists, the independant journalists, the Independant Media Center.
from; http://www.unitednativeamerica.com/issues/statue.htm I edited this a little as I thought might be appropriate as this person isn't posting here, you can check the above link. I agree wholeheartedly. Here's the links, Send a few e-mails!, & Pass it On!
"A local activist (Santa Cruz, CA) is being charged with a hate crime for destroying a statue of Christopher Columbus at San Jose city hall. Please take a few minutes to read the rest of this email and then let the Santa Clara District Attorney know what you think and how you feel. Please excuse the length and formatting.
DA's office web page, http://www.santaclara-da.org/contactus.html
Email DA, Robert Baker at rbaker@da.co.scl.ca.us tell him about Columbus.
District Attorney, http://www.santaclara-da.org/site/0,4760,sid=12602,00.html Santa Clara County, California
Mayor Ron Gonzales of the City of San José. http://www.sjmayor.org/ Please email this Mayor, mayoremail@ci.sj.ca.us [& ?] Email@ci.sj.ca.us he wants to rebuild the statue!!! Tell them the city should Not rebuild it. They would not have a statue of HITLER in the city. "