Something That Comes Together At Protests

[curt]

The Black Bloc & Violence vs.Useless Symbolic, Peaceful Demonstrations. Want a Revolution? Well, get ready for some very ugly times. It aint gonna be pretty.

[Mouse]

Another unspeakable act of cultural terrorism
in Farnham, Surrey,

where natural beauty and ancient cultural riches
are laid waste
and bare
and scrubbed empty

as though someone was intent
on removing the very spirit of the place
as very spirit
and very spirit
and very spirit
is hacked away.

[waldopaper]

Dear mum... your poetry and art just become more beautiful as time goes on. I can't get enough... and it's hard to respond... just keep it coming. I click the pictures... I read the words... and what is between the lines is truly overwhelming.

And that's GOOD!

[Mark]

From my email:

press release

FORWARDED
--

For Immediate Release
August 28, 2009

Contact: Melissa Minnich, 412-592-1671

Anne Lynch, 412-552-9720

Broad Formation Mounts Mobilization for G-20 Summit

Fight Over First Amendment Rights Ensues

Pittsburgh, PA - Since learning of White House plans to hold the next G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh on September 24-25, scores of activists and organizations from multiple sectors of society have been quickly gearing up for a mobilization. They are simultaneously fighting to safeguard their right to free speech and assembly. The mobilization is expected to be the largest expression of political dissent in Pittsburgh in more than a generation.

"Anyone who has lost a job, a home, a loved one to war, or lived without adequate healthcare, water, or food has been directly affected by policies set by the G-20," says Jessica Benner of the Thomas Merton Center Antiwar Committee, which is organizing a "Peoples' March to the G-20," on Friday, Sept. 25.

An extraordinary array of groups from peace & justice, women's, religious, environmental, Indigenous, African-American, anarchist and student movements - from Pittsburgh and around the globe - are planning marches, rallies, civil disobedience, direct action, educational forums and "tent cities."
(See attached summary of events.)

"Our week-long tent city will represent the millions of refugees who have been displaced by war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Gaza, and for whom the G-20 turns a blind eye," says Edith Bell, a member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

As in recent summits and political conventions in the U.S., the Dept. of Homeland Security has claimed jurisdiction. The authorities are delaying or attempting to deny permits and proposing restrictions on free speech, while securing $18 million dollars for 4,000 police and weaponry as well as waging an information warfare campaign that equates protest with terrorism.

Organizers have launched a campaign to protect the public's 1st amendment rights and have called on the Mayor and City Council to stand up to the Federal takeover of Pittsburgh. "We invite all those who believe in free speech and civil liberties to join us to fight for the right to demonstrate," says Michelle Gaffey, a Duquesne University graduate student. "Free speech and dissent are the foundation of a democratic society." Lawyers from the ACLU, Center for Constitutional Rights, and National Lawyers Guild are preparing lawsuits.

"The State's attempt to suppress dissent calls to mind why we're protesting in the first place," says David Meieran of the 3 Rivers Climate Convergence, which is planning an environmental justice camp and protests focusing on the coal industry as the International Coal Conference directly precedes the G-20 Summit. "The closed-door G-20 Summits make policies that benefit corporations at the expense of people, democracy, and the planet."

Future releases will contain updates around developing stories about the G-20 summit mobilization as keynote speakers are confirmed, organizations announce plans to mobilize, etc.

For more information visit www.g20media.org.

Peoples' Summit, an alternative to the G20, will discuss global problems and
possible solutions, organized by a partnership of educators and social
advocacy groups (Sept. 19, 21, 22).

. Contact: Paul LeBlanc, 412-760-9716, [e-mail]

. www.peoplessummit.com

Bail Out the People, caravans of unemployed workers will set up a tent city
at the Monumental Baptist Church on Sept. 20-25 and march to the
Convention
Center on Sept. 20.

. Contact: Karen Black, 412-780-3813, [e-mail]

. www.bailoutpeople.org

Women's Tent City: Real People, Real Needs and feeder march, organized by
Pittsburgh chapters of CodePink, the Women's International League for
Peace
and Freedom, and other groups (Sept. 20-25)

. Contact: Francine Porter, 412-389-3216, [e-mail]

. codepinkalert.org/pittsburgh

Three Rivers Climate Convergence, a partnership of local, regional and
national groups and individuals who are organizing a climate justice camp,
coal/climate protests, a feeder marches, and educational events (Sept.
20-25).

. Contact: Kim Teplitzky, 267-307-4707, [e-mail]

. www.3riversconvergence.org

G6 Billion Project, Interfaith journey and witness on behalf of the more
that 6 billion people of the world (Sept. 20 witness downtown - Sept 21
International Day of peace vigil)

. Contact: Wanda Guthrie, 412-596-0066, [e-mail]

. www.g6billion.org

International Peace, Justice, & Empowerment Summit, organized by the
National Council For Urban Peace, Justice and Empowerment (Sept. 22-23)

. Contact: T Rashad Byrdsong, 412-371-3689 x14,
[e-mail]

Peoples' Voices, organized by the Institute for Policy Studies, The Nation
Magazine, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE),
Pittsburgh United, and others. They are organizing a panel discussion
(Sept.
23), a "Peoples' Tribunal" (Sept. 24), and other events.

. Contact: Robin Alexander, 412-471-8919,
[e-mail]

. www.pittsburghunited.org/g20

Music Camp is holding an informal Open Mic for musicians, poets/spoken
word, and other artists in the Southside Riverfront Park (take 18th St.,
cross train railroad toward the river, make a right and pass the
Birmingham Bridge), free and organized by artists and members of the
community, on Sat. Sept. 19 at 1pm - Music Camp from Sept. 18-26.

. Contact: [e-mail]

Pittsburgh G20 Resistance Project is providing mobilization support and
organizing a march starting in Lawrenceville on Sept. 24 and decentralized
actions that end at 11:30am on Sept. 25.

. Contact: [e-mail]

. www.resistg20.org

SDS Concert, featuring Anti-Flag, State Radio, and Ryan Harvey, organized
by Students for a Democratic Society (Sept. 24)

. studentpowerinthefaceofempire.wordpress.com



Peoples' March to the G20, a rally and mass march from Oakland to downtown
organized by the Thomas Merton Center and its Antiwar Committee (Sept.
25),
endorsed by over 55 groups.

. Contact: Pete Shell, 412-422-7435, [e-mail]

. www.pittsburghendthewar.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This should be interesting. A quick google of "Pittsburgh protests" shows that the authorities there haven't had too many opportunities to justify and increase their Homeland Security crowd control budget, so I'm sure they'll take full advantage of this one. Seeing as it is Pennsylvania, I have to wonder if they'll take a page from Philadelphia and drop the bomb.

The optimum outcome for the protestors, as far as I can determine, would be to shut down the G-20 meeting. It isn't as if there is any possibility of the globalists taking heed of public protests in the U.S.--that's why they pay Homeland Security the big bucks.

[pan]

Street Report From the G20

Monday 28 September 2009

by: Bill Quigley, t r u t h o u t | Perspective


Downtown Pittsburgh was like an militarized zone during the G20.

The G20 in Pittsburgh showed us how pitifully fearful our leaders have become.

What no terrorist could do to us, our own leaders did.

Out of fear of the possibility of a terrorist attack, authorities militarize our towns, scare our people away, stop daily life and quash our constitutional rights.

For days, downtown Pittsburgh, home to the G20, was a turned into a militarized, people-free ghost town. Sirens screamed day and night.

[SNIP]

[pan]

Cops dressed as black bloc

[Mark]

Too funny. Provocateur-inspired protesters infiltrated by provocateurs.

When Peter Camejo ran for Government of California as a socialist, the FBI inserted 72 infiltrators into his campaign, including his campaign co-chair. They spent more money on his campaign than his campaign ever managed to raise. And this was in the '70s before the advent of Homeland Security and the billions spent on crowd control gear and training for federal and local law enforcement. The expected ratio of infiltrators and provocateurs to bona fide dissidents and activists in any organization questioning the status quo, is seven to one.

Without the infiltrators and provocateurs there would be no Socialist Workers Party, no Green Party, no Libertarian Party, no We Are Change, and no Black Bloc. About the only ones that aren't dominated by government agents are the Peace and Freedom Party and ACORN, because they work primarily with very low income people and the infiltrators won't wear cheap enough shoes to avoid being spotted.

But most of the genuine protesters are voters--they vote to delegate their authority to and legitimize a police state, and then they go out and protest what they just voted for. Schizoids. Notice in the comments on that last link how so many are urging people to vote, to run for office, and to support the Constitution. They have no idea that the Constitution was written to deny us a voice in government and that our elections are a sham. Then they have a lot of survivalists who want to shoot it out with the police state, as if they're unaware that they're outgunned. The U.S. is the biggest arms dealer in the world--who do they think they're buying their guns from? How does expanding the market for firearms help anyone except the arms dealers?

If they were really opposed to corporate rule, they'd stop voting for it, the government would no longer be able to claim the consent of the governed, and there would be the possibility of change.