Books 4 Prisoners Fundraiser Event
colectivo zapatista and groundwork books,

Books 4 Prisoners Fundraiser Event
Saturday September 30
All Day!!!

Sponsored by Colectivo Zapatista de San Diego and Groundwork Books
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Black, Immigrant Rights Movements Compared
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s Newsmagazine,

Veteran civil rights activist and International Socialist Organization (ISO) member Joel Geier spoke to the San Diego ISO September 23 on the history of the African-American civil rights movement and the lessons it has to offer modern-day activists, particularly those working to secure legal status and decent wages for immigrant workers. Geier said that the failures of the civil rights movement — particularly their inability to improve the economic status of most African-Americans — point to the need for political clarity, organization and structure within activist movements.
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Waving the Bloody Shirt
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s Newsmagazine,

"Waving the bloody shirt" was a campaign tactic used by the Republican party after the Civil War. Republican orators traveled around the country to remind voters of which major party had supported slavery and tried to appease the South — and which had stood up to it and won the Civil War. Today the Republican party is once again "waving the bloody shirt" in its constant use of 9/11 and the so-called "war on terror" to scare voters into electing Republicans — and new polls suggest that the tactic is working once again, as it did in 2002 and 2004, and that Republicans will be able to keep control of Congress in this year's election despite their abysmal record of failure in Iraq, Katrina, etc.
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Int’l. Law Professor Speaks on Lebanon
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s Newsmagazine,

San Diego State University international relations and international law professor Jonathan Graubart spoke September 21 at the House of Pacific Relations in Balboa Park and analyzed the recent conflict between Israel and Lebanon in terms of international law. He concluded that while Israel's adversaries, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, committed some violations of international law, Israel's violations were far broader and more serious — especially the collective punishment of Lebanese killed, injured or made homeless by Israel's bombings of Lebanese civilians.
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Activist Compares Civil Rights, Immigrant Rts
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s Newsmagazine,

Veteran civil rights activist Joel Geier spoke at the City Heights Recreation Center September 23 under the auspices of the International Socialist Organization. He gave a comparison of the civil rights movement of the 1960's with the immigrant rights movement of today, and said that both the civil rights movement's successes and failures have lessons for the activists of today. He stressed the need for political clarity within activist organizations and clear lines of leadership and structure in order to build a movement that can withstand both political setbacks and government repression.
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“Buster” Wentzel: San Diego’s Bi Mr. Leather
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s Newsmagazine,

ADAM “BUSTER” WENTZEL isn’t your average Mr. Leather San Diego. Like his predecessors, he’s a hard-working volunteer and community fundraiser — but unlike them, he’s openly Bisexual and his top priority is outreach and mentoring the younger generation. In this interview, from the October 2006 issue of Zenger's Newsmagazine, he discusses being Bisexual and "HIV positive," his commitment to youth outreach and community organizing, and his potential future.
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SDIMC Climate Justice Film Screening and Discussion
sdimc volunteer,

Climate Justice Film Screening/Discussion
Wednesday, September 27 -- 7PM
Voz Alta, 1544 Broadway, Downtown $3-5 donation

Featuring . . .
**The Power of Community – How Cuba Survived Peak Oil**
With the collapse of the Soviet Union and an end to subsidized oil imports, Cuba faced its peak oil crisis a decade before the rest of the world. This film documents the response of Cubans in turning away from a fossil-fuel economy toward community-based, organic farming methods and public and pedal-powered transportation.

With . . .
**Corporate Climate Change Resistance Video Shorts**
Reports from the UK Climate Camp, which shut down the massive Drax power station for a day, and the occupation of a Shell gas station.

**Discussion of the G8+5 Climate Meeting in Mexico City**
The Oct 3-4 G8+5 climate talks to negotiate the new “Kyoto Treaty” are being held in Mexico City. They are expected to rubber stamp the G8's decision to invest trillions in fossil fuels in St Petersberg in July and a reliance on failed market based carbon trading to reduce emissions. The discussion will cover a summary of climate change and its effects, and resistance to the G8+5 meeting in Mexico City.
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San Diego Side of the First Cross-Border Encuentro: Part One
queer-j brad,

As part of the First Cross-Border Encuentro of La Otra Campaña, the Colectivo Zapatista de San Diego organized a meeting on the San Diego side at Voz Alta. On Friday, Sept 15, about 20 compañer@s watched a film about the Zapatistas and La Otra, and participated in a discussion regarding Zapatismo, listening, women in revolutionary movements, organizing in San Diego and other topics. A partial transcript of the discussion follows.

"One thing I learned from the Zapatistas is that over here in the Estados Unidos we overanalyze a lot of things. If something didn't work, it's like WHY DIDNT IT WORK? ~~~ One thing we do have to learn from each other here is how to listen, how to step back and listen. ~~~ It is hard to really believe in something right now. With organizing and mobilizations, we lose momentum in a lot of things we do, and this movement seems like it continues its momentum in terms of its organizing. ~~~ We do live in a patriarchical society and world. I think it is very important for us mujeres to say ya basta, it's time to speak up and for people to listen. ~~~ Sometimes it is not so much like women's problems, but fucking machismo. And you know machismo is just like egocentrism. The taking up of space from other people and not stepping back, ever. ~~~ A lot of the time movements take into consideration women as a question or something that is secondary. In the Zapatista movement, they play a primary role. ~~~ There are a lot of people who are like "oh, the Zapatistas are coming, wow, let's go!" Yeah that's also a part of it, so we can also learn from them, but it's how can we bring it back home? ~~~ These people in business suits making all these big decisions, and those kinds of ways of thinking are in me."

"Every time through history, we analyze history, every time we change the political structure of a country, it's through revolution. ~~~ Another thing that we lack is the basic understanding of collectivity. You said the Zapatistas should take power, but when I think about the compañer@s that I have worked with all my life, seriously, I don't trust any of the organizations that I work with, even though I have given my life to them, to take power. ~~~ On this side we are inside the belly of the beast. So, what can we do here, so that we can build an anti-capitalist movement here, that can parallel and support the movement that is being created in Mexico? ~~~ I don't think that revolution should be the next step. What good is it to be killing each other. Who is going to be left for us to build our world? ~~~ You gotta have your good times, you can't fight a revolution just being bitter about things, you have to have your culture, you have to have your music, you gotta apply all of these things within your revolution, or its not worth having. If we start building community, the struggle will come within that, and we will be there together."

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Mindwalk 50: Net Neutrality & Israeli Apartheid
U,

Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra and Ted Kennedy on the same page? Yeah, guess so. All in favor of maintaining Net Neutrality. David Gregory gets barked at by GWB about the Geneva Convention. Huey P. Newton reminds us the people have the power set to the theme music from Blade. Audio posted on IMC of "El Enemigo Comun" the common enemy. Burroughs fills in a little time as a "Private Asshole". We close with CBC reporting on what Israeli TV decided not to ban from the people of Israel, mixed with Israeli soldiers shooting rubber bullets at Anti-Apartheid activists in Bilin 11/8/06.

Download Audio Here

Upstart Radio

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"Planet of Slums" Author Speaks in San Diego
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s Newsmagazine,

Mike Davis, author of several best-selling books on urban corruption and apocalypse, spoke at the First Unitarian-Universalist Church Wednesday, September 13 and outlined the basic themes of his new book, "Planet of Slums." His argument was that one billion or more people worldwide now live in slum conditions, that they exist almost totally outside the organized world economy, and that the breakdown of any sense of community and the rise of the "Washington consensus" and the structural adjustment programs it imposed on the Third World have pretty much wiped out any chance for these people to work themselves up economically and better their lives.

Previous Coverage, Incl Audio/Transcript | UN-HABITAT Report: Challenge of Slums | Challenge of Slums: Case Studies | Mike Davis: Planet of Slums | Mike Davis: Slum Ecology | Reviews: 1 2 3 | Interviews: 1 2a 2b 3 (audio)
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Video of Operation W.T.F (Where's the Fence)
General Giggles of the CIRCA Boredom Patrol,

The Boredom Patrol of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army goes to a local home depot in san diego, california, where the Minutemen are trying to keep day laborers from feeding their families.

High quality download (with 2 minutes more footage!)

Low quality youtube video

CIRCA-SD | Friends of Day Laborers | CIRCA | CIRCA contra los Minutemen action sep 9

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San Diego Side of Cross-Border Encuentro
zapatista collective of san diego,

The Other Campaign will be holding a meeting in Tijuana Fri Sept 15 - Sun Sept 17 (more information here). A two day satellite event will create a space where people on the San Diego side can hook up to the actual encounter happening in Tijuana. Everyone interested in the Other Campaign is welcome.

Voz Alta, 1544 Broadway, one block from city college in downtown san diego

Friday, September 15, 2006, 6-9pm
Sunday September 17, 9am-1pm


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Roots of Resistance Camp
repost from Project Steev/detritus on flickr/lotu5,

From Project Steev:"This past weekend I and 4 other Tucson activists drove to San Diego for the Roots of Resistance Summer Camp. The Organic Collective had organized it to get people, mostly border activists, to come and share skills and talk about plans. It was a really great time and really inspiring... I took a few photos, not only of the camp but our brief visit to the border wall on the beach - where there are gaps in the wall right now big enough that people can easily squeeze through, and do. Mexicans were casually slipping over and wandering the sand, but a border patrol truck on the hill was making sure no one went too far. We played soccer and talked with some of the Tijuanans for awhile. It was really cool. The whole weekend was just really really awesome.

From lotu5:"I spent this past weekend at the o.r.g.a.n.i.c. collective's Roots of Resistance Camp, rootcamp. It was an amazing experience, with people there from Arizona, Los Angeles, Orange County and lots of new and old faces from San Diego."

event announcement

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Primer Encuentro Transfronterizo de Adherentes a La Otra Campaña/First Cross-Border Encuentro of The Other Campaign
La Otra Campaña/The Other Campaign,

Las organizaciones, grupos, colectivos y personas en lo individual que a ambos lados de la frontera México-Estados Unidos forman parte de La Campaña Nacional con Otra Política por un Programa Nacional de Lucha de Izquierda y por una Nueva Constitución (La Otra Campaña), convocan a comp@s adherentes y simpatizantes a la Sexta Declaración de la Selva Lacandona, a chambeadores, jóvenes, indígenas, luchadores sociales, intelectuales, artistas, y a todas y todos aquellos que se identifiquen con las luchas desde la izquierda y desde abajo, a participar en el Primer Encuentro Transfronterizo que tendrá lugar en Tijuana, B.C. México, los días 15, 16 y 17 de septiembre de 2006.
leer mas

The organizations, groups, collectives and individuals from both sides of the US-Mexico border who are part of the National Campaign with the Other Politics for a National Program of Leftist Struggle and for a New Constitution (The Other Campaign), call to friends and adherents and sympathizers of the 6th Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, to workers, youth, indigenous, those in social struggle, intellectuals, artists and all those out there who identify with struggles from the left and from below to participate in the First Cross-Border Encuentro, taking place in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, on the 15, 16 and 17 of September, 2006.
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UPDATE:
New locations in Tijuana:
Friday:
Sótano de Rita
Av. Revolución casi esquina con calle 4a.

Saturday-Sunday:
MULTIKULTI
Av. Constitución (paralela a la Av. Revolución) entre 6a y 7a

La Otra San Diego with Borderlands HackLab and San Diego Indymedia might be presenting an audio or video simulcast of some of the events in Tijuana. radioActive sanDiego might be broadcasting from the event. More details available soon...
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First Cross-Border Encuentro of The Other Campaign
The Other Campaign,

The organizations, groups, collectives and individuals from both sides of the US-Mexico border who are part of the National Campaign with the Other Politics for a National Program of Leftist Struggle and for a New Constitution (The Other Campaign), call to friends and adherents and sympathizers of the 6th Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, to workers, youth, indigenous, those in social struggle, intellectuals, artists and all those out there who identify with struggles from the left and from below to participate in the First Cross-Border Encuentro, taking place in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, on the 15, 16 and 17 of September, 2006.

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San Diego IndyMedia Events for September
sdimc volunteer,

Wed Sept 13, 7-9pm - SDIMC 101. An introduction to the San Diego Independent Media Center. We will jointly write a story about a recent event, post it to the website, make it a feature, and practice stuff. FREE

Fri Sept 15-Sun Sept 17 - FIRST CROSS BORDER ENCUENTRO - La Otra in Tijuana and San Diego. Video Simulcast - in San Diego at Voz Alta - Details to follow shortly...

(UPDATED)
Wed Sept 20, 8-10pm - Borderlands hackLab and sandiego indymedia present OPEN HACK NITE, a DIY space for hackers, artists, activists+media makers. This month, workshops on pirate radio, lighted signs for bikes + video streaming. FREE

(UPDATED)
Wed Sept 27, 7PM - FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION: Romper el Cerca/Breaking the Siege (atrocities and human rights violations in San Salvedor Atenco) and video shorts from the recent UK Climate Camp. Local activists will discuss Atenco, the Zapatista Other Campaign and the upcoming G8+5 climate talks in Mexico City. $3-$5 donation requested.

All Events at Voz Alta, 1544 Broadway, one block from City College, downtown San Diego.
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CIRCA Photos
kilo,

Photos and videos from the CIRCA contra los Minutemen action on Saturday, September 9.
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National Latino Congreso Endorses Public Camp
89now,

The National Latino Congreso is meeting in Los Angeles for the comprehensive Latino political gathering since 1977. Today, delegates unanimously endorsed a resolution specifically calling for public financing of election campaigns in California.
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"Border War" Protest Video
qjb,

Human rights activists from Border Angels, Friends of Day Laborers and other groups gathered at the AMC Mission Valley to protest the opening of the propaganda film Border War, which was produced by the extreme right wing group, Citizens United and directed by Kevin Knoblock, whose other "credits" are Celsius 41.11 and a bio of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Enrique Morones of Border Angels, who appeared in the movie, talked to the corporate media about the humanity and goodness of migrants, and the need to transcend the racist rhetoric of the right wing to find ways to ensure human rights for everyone.

Floyd Brown, the "Chair of the Board" of Citizens United, provoked a confrontation for the corporate cameras by badgering a human rights activist who was writing the message "No One is Illegal" on a sign. Floydie-boy has a long history as a racist, including producing the Willie Horton ad in 1988, widely credited with boosting Bush I into the presidency. Although he started strong and indeed produced a spectacle, he wasn't able to think beyond simple racist code words and eventually was chased from the limelight by cross-bearing humanitarians.

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David Rovics Performs in San Diego Sept. 8
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s Newsmagazine,

America’s political folksingers have been fanning the flames of discontent for at least 100 years, from the IWW’s Joe Hill (convicted on trumped-up charges and executed in 1915) to Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger in the 1940’s, Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs in the 1960’s, Utah Phillips and Fred Small in the 1980’s, and now Roy Zimmerman, Dave Lippman, Charlie King, the Prince Myshkins — and David Rovics, who’ll be bringing his songs and stage raps to San Diego Friday, September 8, 7 p.m. at the Sherman Heights Community Center, 2258 Island Avenue.
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UCSD Student Comes to Terms with Being Bi
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s Newsmagazine,

REDENTOR “RED” GALURA didn’t know there was a word for “Bisexual” when he moved from the Philippines to the U.S. at 15, but he knew he was one. Today he’s a UCSD student and intern at the campus LGBT Resource Center, where he’s out, proud and Bi.
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Resistance to Minutemen in Socal
sdimc volunteer, adapted from LA-IMC and US-IMC feature,

As cities across the country celebrate Labor Day Weekend & the beginning of fall with a week of demonstrations calling for fair and comprehensive immigration policy reform, and respect for all workers, resistance to vigilante rascist minutemen continues in southern California.

UPDATE: Charges against No More Deaths humanitarian activists dismissed (AZ-IMC)

UPDATE-2: Workers Repel Minutemen Incursion in Wilmington (LA-IMC)
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The Pride Beatings
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s Newsmagazine,

On the surface, the reaction of the city and the police to the assaults that took place outside the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Pride Festival July 30 seem fine; mayor Jerry Sanders made appropriately supportive remarks and three suspects were in custody within days of the incident. But a closer look reveals both city officials and members of the Queer community more concerned about damage control and protecting the profits of Queer businesses and the estimated $21 million the city takes in from the Pride events than in actually protecting the lives and safety of Queers in San Diego.

Links: Bigots Bash Queers | Security Guard Attacked Aug 1 | John Robert Wear Murder | Transgender Day of Remembrance
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“Creating Chaos” Teach-In Explores Middle East
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s Newsmagazine,

A teach-in called "Creating Chaos" in Golden Hill August 25, sponsored by the Middle East Cultural and Information Center (MECIC), featured three Arab-American speakers who challenged the view of Middle Eastern politics, especially the Israel-Lebanon war and the U.S. occupation of Iraq, commonly presented in the mainstream U.S. media. The speakers said the chaos created in the wake of the U.S. conquest of Iraq was deliberate and denounced the American peace movement for refusing to support the armed struggles of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in occupied Palestine and the resistance in Iraq.
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Queer Demos Prioritize Busby Race
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s Newsmagazine,

Despite her disappointing five-point loss to Republican lobbyist Brian Bilbray in the June 6 special election to fill the Congressional seat left vacant by Randy "Duke" Cunningham's bribery conviction, Francine Busby got a heroine's welcome from the predominantly Queer San Diego Democratic Club August 24. The club voted to make hers a priority campaign, which means they will make special efforts to mobilize volunteers and donate money for her rematch against Bilbray this Movember.
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Anti-Nuke Play at Cygnet Theatre
Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger's Newsmagazine,

Michael Frayn's 1998 play "Copenhagen," through September 24 at Cygnet Theatre, deals with the meeting of Werner Heisenberg, German physicist in charge of Hitler's atomic weapons program, with Danish physicist Niels Bohr in Copenhagen in September 1941. The dilemmas raised by the play — the responsibility scientists have for the uses, negative and positive, to which their discoveries are put and whether they owe allegiance to their nations or all humankind — are all too relevant today.
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March and Rally to Save Worker Pensions
kilo,

Calling all members of the SD activist community!

UCSD workers are rallying to save their pensions. The UC administrators and regents are forcing workers to pay contributions for their pensions while giving themselves raises and extravagant bonuses. Their budget priorities do not reflect the values of economic justice that we wish to see for all members of the UC and San Diego community.
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Starbucks Adds Rats in the Cupboards to Rats in the Boardroom
nobux,

(with apologies to rats for comparing them to corporate monsters)

The primary role of Starbucks in society seems to be to destroy local businesses and exploit workers in this country and others in the pursuit of obscene profits.

Starbucks serves milk containing genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone, a danger to dairy cow and human health, and only a tiny percentage of their coffee, 3,7%, is fair trade.

Starbucks is strongly anti-union, squashing workers' rights by intimidating and firing union organizers for the nascent Industrial Workers of the World Starbucks Workers Union, including the recent termination of IWW barista Daniel Gross. The IWW filed a complaint with OSHA over unsafe working conditions associated with rats and roaches at 44 NYC Sbux outlets.

Starbucks attacks local businesses with buy-outs, "cluster bombing" tactics, and market cannibalization. Starbucks outlets recently opened across from popular local businesses in two central San Diego locations: Urban Grind in Hillcrest and Claire de Lune in North Park. The Ocean Beach Grassroots Organization has been fighting Starbucks and other chain stores for years.

The Starbucks website lists over 200 stores in San Diego County.

I think you know what to do.

IWW Starbucks Workers Union | Starbucks Delocator | ihatestarbucks | In Defense of Rats
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A World Beyond Capitalism Conference.NoCharge
diversity,

The Second Annual International Multiracial Alliance Building Peace Conference, known as the 2006 A World Beyond Capitalism Conference is set to begin August 26th in Portland. It will continue from August 26th-28th, 2006. There is no charge for anything!  http://aworldbeyondcapitalism.org
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Food Not Bombs Come Eat or Come Volunteer
San Diego Food Not Bombs,

Hey everyone,
Come on out this Sunday and eat with us at 1pm at the park! Food Not Bombs always needs volunteers. We will be cooking Sunday at 11am at the Stockton House When we finish cooking (around 1pm) we will head over to the Park in North Park (at Polk & Oregon) Let us know if you have any questions. Feel free to call the stockton house at 233-4284.

A map to the park in North Park:
 http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Oregon%20St%20&%20Polk%20Ave,%20San%20Diego,%20CA%2092104

Peace,
FNB
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