Thursday, June 16, 2005

Indymedia spotlight on Colorado Indymedia

As requested by Cedric (and supported by the community) we're going to do a post just on Colorado IndyMedia (we're doing this each week for the month of June). We're doing this to show our support for a site that was hacked and came back even stronger.


We'll note "Midwest Anti-Capitalist Mobilization Against the G8" first (by anonymous poster):


Call for a No Coast anti-war and anti-capitalist mass convergence, July 6-8 of 2005 in Kansas City, Missouri, in solidarity with the mobilization against the Group of Eight G8 summit in Scotland. Destroy the Capitalist War Machine!
Midwest Anti-Capitalist Mobilization Against the G8July 6-8Kansas City, MissouriCall for a No Coast anti-war and anti-capitalist mass convergence, July 6-8 of 2005 in Kansas City, Missouri, in solidarity with the mobilization against the Group of Eight G8 summit in Scotland. From July 6-8, 2005, the annual G8 summit will be held at Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. The G8 is a forum of the rulers of the eight most industrialized, wealthy, and powerful states in the world. Every year they meet to discuss how to further their interests, expand their empire, and tighten their grip on every aspect of our lives. The consequences affect us all, and their economic success comes at our expense.

The G8 exists to manage and maintain a system whose impacts we see all around us: war, genocide, wage slavery, mass poverty, structural racism, famine, environmental destruction, colonial domination in Africa, Asia, & Latin America, social alienation, and accelerating attacks on working people around the world. But resistance is growing across the globe, in struggles as diverse as they are numerous. And in recent years, everywhere the G8 has met huge movements of people have confronted them, both demanding systemic change and fighting for a global social revolution.
In recognition of the call to action by Peoples' Global Action for Global Days of Action to be held against the G8, we are mobilizing for a regional convergence here in Kansas City. We are calling on everyone ready to fight for a better world - workers, students, revolutionaries, anti-capitalists... - from across the North American Mid West and Great Plains to converge and manifest their resistance on the streets. A West Coast regional convergence is being called for in San Francisco (check out: anarchistaction.org/g8), and East Coast in Richmond, Virginia. Our convergence will be in solidarity with those descending upon the streets of Scotland to face the G8 head on. We act in solidarity with revolutionaries taking to the streets to defend working peoples' lives all around the world: the struggle against neoliberal privatization in Bolivia; against transit fare increases in Brazil, Chicago, and San Francisco; against the Minutemen along the border; and against the PG&E power plant in Hunter's Point.
Global capital will show the full force of its domestic military capabilities in Scotland - we can confront these summits on our own terms, and this mobilization is a step in that direction. Coming soon: Check here for updates concerning ride shares and housing! Capitalism is everywhere, but so are we - we will converge in our city and fight it on our own terms!

From there, we'll note denverthree's "BREAKING NEWS: End The Coverup, Say Members Of Congress:"

BREAKING NEWS: Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, Rep. Dianna DeGette, and Rep. Mark Udall Call On Secret Service To End Potential "Cover Up" Of Denver Three Information
Letter to Secret Service: "It has been nearly three months since three individuals were removed from President Bush's Social Security town hall in Denver... The lack of information from the Secret Service and the White House and their unresponsiveness toward this matter gives the appearance of either disinterest or a cover up."

Key facts, documented below:·
Denver Three were kicked out of a presidential "town hall conversation" because of the bumper sticker on their car · The person who kicked them out was an event staffer on the official White House host committee·
Similar incidents occurred in ND, AZ, and NH – citizens removed on the basis of viewpoint alone· White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan was asked about this twice in his daily briefings. He promised to supply reporters with the "marching orders" given to event staffers, but never did.
Check www.denverthree.org for updates

For our final item, we'll note Glen Newell's "Boycott to Buddies: Donkey Den Settlement reached" which updates on a story we noted last week:

The organizers of the Donkey Den Boycott announced today that an agreement had been reached with Tosh Berman, and all involved feel that a very positive conclusion has been reached reprinting from BocottDonkeyDen's letter to their supporters, recieved via email this afternoon.
Boycotts to Buddies?!?! Donkey Den owner Tosh Berman and protest leader Zoe Williams held a press conference yesterday evening to announce an agreement between the club and its opposition, and the end of the boycott. The press conference replaced the protest that was originally planned.
Ms. Williams and Berman spoke earlier on Saturday, and developed an agreement that they believe is a positive outcome for the Donkey Den and its opposition, as well as the broader community.
The Donkey Den is changing their menu, removing the "Ho-Made Fries" (now "homemade") and the "Donkey Punch Burger" (now the "Boycotted Burger"). Berman has also agreed to remove all Tijuana references and images suggesting the infamous "donkey shows". Mr. Berman acknowledged that people had been hurt by the language of the menus and imagery.
In addition to announcing the end of the boycott, Berman and Williams discussed plans to create a positive impact on the community from the recent controversy. Berman has agreed to host benefits for organizations working to end violence against women, and ensure that his establishment is safe for all patrons. The first Donkey Den benefit is scheduled for July 6, for the Auraria Vagina Monologues. All proceeds will benefit organizations working to end sex trafficking, rape, domestic violence, genital mutilation, and other forms of violence against women and girls.
Once the press conference ended, Berman stood out in the rain to answer questions and speak with the roughly fifteen protesters who had shown up for the press conference.
We are pleased to see an end to this controversy, and thank our supporters for all their efforts. We applaud the Donkey Den for the steps they are taking, and look forward to working together to make positive changes in our community. One of the things we're planning is a "safe club" program for nightclubs in the Denver area who demonstrate that they meet criteria for offering a safe environment to women. More details will be available soon. If you'd like to be involved in the development of this program, please contact us. Thanks.

The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.