From the open publishing newswire: "This is all part of a larger government effort to quell political dissent," says Jordan Kushner, an attorney who represented Ganley and other Critical Mass arrestees. "The Joint Terrorism Task Force is another example of using the buzzword 'terrorism' as a basis to clamp down on people's freedoms and push forward a more authoritarian government."

Related: Earlier post about Marie Mason Case: The National Lawyers Guild has established a hotline, 888-NLG-ECOL, for individuals arrested, subpoenaed or questioned for offenses related to environmental or animal activism. We encourage people to call the NLG hot line if you are contacted by law enforcement and would like to consult with an attorney on these matters.

From the open publishing newswire: Much of America's understanding of the early relationship between the Indian and the European is conveyed through the story of Thanksgiving. Proclaimed a holiday in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln, this fairy tale of a feast was allowed to exist in the American imagination pretty much untouched until 1970, the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. That is when Frank B. James, president of the Federated Eastern Indian League, prepared a speech for a Plymouth banquet that exposed the Pilgrims for having committed, among other crimes, the robbery of the graves of the Wampanoags. He wrote:

"We welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people."

But white Massachusetts officials told him he could not deliver such a speech and offered to write him another. Instead, James declined to speak, and on Thanksgiving Day hundreds of Indians from around the country came to protest. It was the first National Day of Mourning, a day to mark the losses Native Americans suffered as the early settlers prospered. This true story of "Thanksgiving" is what whites did not want Mr. James to tell.

From the open publishing newswire: A federal judge in Oregon ruled Wednesday that a key provision of the USA Patriot Act is unconstitutional. Judge Ann Aiken found that it allows search warrants to be issued without probable cause. Police arrested Portland attorney, Brandon Mayfield, in 2004 after one of his fingerprints was mistakenly linked to the Madrid train bombings.

The FBI released him after two weeks and apologized. But Mayfield challenged the provision in the Patriot Act that made it easy for the FBI to define him as an "agent of a foreign power" and search his home without probable cause. His attorney, Elden Rosenthal, says this new ruling protects bedrock law.

Elden Rosenthal: "The right of every American to know that the FBI and the Justice Department cannot sneak into your home or office, copy your computer files, photograph your home and your personal documents, unless there is probable cause that a crime has been committed, that right is fundamental to what we understand America is all about." The Justice Department is expected to appeal the ruling.

Getting our rights back one case at a time....

From the open publishing newswire: NEW YORK - Media activist Alex Jones was arrested by New York Police Department officers while filming a documentary about the sixth anniversary of September 11th and joining the protest against the official version of what happened on 9/11.

According to Infowars sources Jones was singled out by police from the head of a crowd of about 400 9/11 Truth Activists and protesters. He was verbally accosted and forced by the police officers to present identification which he was not carrying at the time. More news as it develops... http://infowars.com

From the open publishing newswire: The teachers follow the protests of Tehran's bus drivers. The billions of dollars of oil revenue generated after the sharp increase in oil prices during the latest Iraq war has only resulted in high inflation.

(New York, April 14, 2007) - The Hamedan Teachers Association is one of 34 local professional organizations that work under the umbrella of the National Council of Teachers Association. During the last two months, Teachers Associations nationwide have been active in organizing peaceful demonstrations to rally the government for better wages and benefits. As a result of these activities, Iranian authorities have banned the Hamedan Teachers Association, cracked down on these gatherings, and have arrested teachers in several cities.

The Iranian authorities should immediately lift the ban on the Hamedan Teachers Association and release teachers detained as a result of their work with the association, Human Rights Watch said today. " The government's banning of the Hamedan Teachers Association and the arrest of its members demonstrate Iran's flagrant disregard for its own laws and its obligations under international human rights law. " ~Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch

From the open publishing newswire: At a time when many US citizens feel powerless to stop the criminal direction of 'their' government, the examples of revolutionary movements elsewhere give not only hope, but practical education towards organizing a society where humans outrank profit on the list of social priorities. The 'Oaxaca Commune' in Mexico is such an example. The Mexican federal government has taken severe action in repressing this popular movement, but further organizing and revolutionary momentum has already begun. The huge successes of the movement and its continued political evolution should thus be an inspiration for all those interested in social progress. The scant coverage given by the New York Times simply discounted the events as the actions of wayward 'anarchists and protesters'.

A recent event in Portland Oregon highlighted the interest that average people have in the ongoing events in Oaxaca, showcasing the dormant political energy that many are desperately trying to direct into action. On February 4th, an art show was held at Liberty Hall that displayed the revolutionary street art that emerged from the streets of Oaxaca. In Oaxaca, the most widely used art is stencil, practical because it is easily transported around the city and quickly spray-painted onto buildings. The stencil art varies considerably, from mere political slogans to juxtaposed images of past revolutionary figures. The reception to the Portland art show was astonishing— the venue was filled far beyond capacity. The Oaxaca-Oregon solidarity group— including WIL members who helped organize the event— used the turnout as a tool for political education: presentations were given about the effects of NAFTA on the region, and how the accumulated discontent paved the way for open insurrection.

From the open publishing newswire: Fourteen protestors have been arrested at a demonstration in support of Wiradjuri Traditional Owners who want the Lake Cowal Gold Mine stopped.

Around 100 Aboriginal and environmental supporters demonstrated at the Lake Cowal Gold mine, 47 kms from West Wyalong over Easter to protest against the desecration of traditional Wiradjuri lands and environmental damage caused by gold mining.

Some of the demonstrators locked themselves onto pieces of machinery, shutting down mine operations, while others occupied the mine's offices.

From the open publishing newswire: Lawyer's for imprisoned vBlogger, Josh Wolf, and the federal prosecutor filed separate motions to release Wolf from coercive custody before U.S. Magistrate Joseph Spero, on Monday, fueling speculation that the 24 year old journalist will be freed as soon as today. Though Wolf's representatives are still under a gag order imposed by the magistrate at at the beginning of mediation last month, another clear indication of progress came when Wolf released his unedited video on his blog site this morning.

The unedited video was the target of the federal grand jury subpoena that caused him to be held at the federal holding facility, in Dublin CA, now at 226 days, a record amount of time for any coercive action against a journalist in the United States history.

From the open publishing newswire: "AMY GOODMAN: Jeremy Scahill, yesterday you talked about being in New Orleans after Katrina, seeing the Blackwater guards come in, being paid $350 [a day] by Blackwater, but Blackwater charging $950. What about other places in the United States, deploying here, like the border?

JEREMY SCAHILL: Well, Blackwater really viewed New Orleans as an opportunity to begin a whole new division, and they started, after Hurricane Katrina, a domestic operations division. Blackwater representatives, a few months ago, met with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger about doing disaster response in the event of an earthquake. The company has simultaneously applied for operating licenses in all of the coastal states of the United States. Their new training facility, they call it -- I call it a private military base -- is opening up now in Illinois. In fact, they just released yesterday their new training schedule, and there's grassroots resistance in Illinois happening to the opening of this private military base in Mount Carroll, Illinois, which is a few hours outside of Chicago. Blackwater is also struggling to open a new facility in San Diego -- near San Diego, California. Once again, local people are rising up and saying, "We don't want these men with heavy weapons coming into our community. We don't want the rattle of machinegun fire." So Blackwater really, I think, views the domestic feeding trough in the United States as a frontier to conquer.

Democracy Now! transcript

From the open publishing newswire: It's no small boon to the U.S. government that the story of 9/11-related Israeli espionage has been thus relegated: the story doesn't fit in the clean lines of the official narrative of the attacks. It brings up concerns not only about Israel's obligation not to spy inside the borders of the United States, its major benefactor, but about its possible failure to have provided the U.S. adequate warning of an impending devastating attack on American soil. Furthermore, the available evidence undermines the carefully cultivated image of sanctity that defines the U.S.- Israel relationship. These are all factors that help explain the story's disappearance, and they are compelling reasons to revisit it now.

From the open publishing newswire: FEBRUARY 20, 2007: Cucap?s, Quilihuas and Zapatistas united In defense of the original peoples and Mother Earth... UNIOS, the Good Government Council of the Chiapas Highlands and through its Sixth Commission, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation... WE CONVOKE

... The activities and mobilizations that for the survival of the original peoples of mexico, respect for indigenous culture and the defense of mother nature will occur in Mexican territory during the months of February, March, April and May 2007 under the banner: THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN DEFENSE OF LIFE, CULTURE AND NATURE: BELOW AND TO THE LEFT... To Be Installed February 26 in El Mayor, Baja California; March 13 in Huitepec, Near San Crist?bal de Las Casas, Chiapas

We invite the alternative and free media to be present and, with their knowledge and abilities, link both encampments and contribute that way to the defense of nature and its original guardians, the Indian peoples, and the unity of the Northwest and Southwest of the Mexico from below. We invite the national and international press to report and broadcast, first hand, the life conditions and history of the Indian peoples of the Northwest of Mexico for whom the evil governments only have disrespect and oblivion.

FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR ATENCO!
FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR OAXACA!
From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast ~Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos

Narco News Translation

From the open publishing newswire: A staff committee has recommended that the current I-5 bridge that crosses the Columbia River between Portland, OR, and Vancouver, WA, be replaced with a much larger bridge. If approved, this will significantly increase traffic pressures in both cities. Since a decision is going to be made soon, now is the time for community groups to make their voices heard.

In the last few weeks, the staff working on the Columbia River Crossing project have put forward three options (described at the following website:  http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org/staffRecommendation.aspx
1) No Build Option.
2) A bridge with 10 or 12 lanes, with two of those lanes dedicated to bus transit
3) A bridge with 10 or 12 lanes, with two of those lanes dedicated to light rail transit.

The current I-5 bridge has 6 lanes. Therefore, the viable options being advanced by the staff (options 2 and 3) represent a doubling of the number of lanes over the Columbia River. This proposal poses a significant threat to the residents of North/Northeast Portland

From the open publishing newswire: In a meeting on Wednesday, February 14 with the retired workers of the IVSS (Instituto Venezolano de los Seguros Sociales - Venezuelan Institute of Social Security), in the Venezuela room of the Circulo Militar, the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez declared (quoting Marx) that "the workers cannot be turned into the slaves of work, into the slaves of capital. Capital must be subordinated to the workers." Reflecting upon this Chavez ordered a review of the 8-hour day, as well as saying that the working day should be reduced to allow the workers time for education. "I ask for the full support of the working class and of the genuinely revolutionary trade unions... I call upon the working class to once and for all play its rightful role in this revolution."