[olympiaworkers] Did Housekeeper’s Union Membership Allow Her to Speak Out Against Strauss-Kahn?

By Akito Yoshikane In These Times

Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arrest has not only upended the geopolitical
world. It has also shed light on the seedy undercurrents of the hotel
industry.

Hotel workers, many of whom are immigrant women, have long remained mum
about their own tales of sexual assault for fear of losing their jobs,
especially in a business that emphasizes servility and discretion. But the
32-year-old housekeeper from Guinea that spoke out against the now
ex-chief of the International Monetary Fund didn't have to worry about
such reprisals, thanks in part to protections afforded from her union
membership.

The workers at the Sofitel Hotel, where the alleged rape occured, are
represented by the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council. And as Adele
M. Stan points out for Alternet, the housekeeper could not be fired for
coming forward due to the union's contract with the hotel.

The housekeeper, a single mother who legally immigrated to the United
States just several years ago, spoke out against Strauss-Kahn, who held
one of the most powerful political positions in the world before his
resignation.

The labor provisions in her union contract – such as job security and
grievance channels – provide safeguards to address workplace issues that
compromise a safe environment. It also facilitates accountability from not
only the patrons, but management, as recent reports have shown that some
hotels have tried to sweep illicit incidents under the rug in the past,
even leveraging a worker's immigration status.

Meanwhile, Strauss-Kahn currently remains on house arrest in New York and
awaits trial on charges of rape and sexual abuse. The 62-year-old French
national has maintained his innocence and says the encounter was
consensual.

The strong local presence of unions has allowed hotel workers to enjoy far
more rights than others in the industry. New York City hotel workers are
the most unionized in the world, with a membership rate of 75 percent,
according to the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, which represents
more than 300,000 non-managerial members. But in the United States,
overall union membership in the hotel industry is just 8 percent,
according to the Department of Labor.

In a business where accommodating the customer is paramount, many of the
workers are hesitant to report incidents, fearing they will be fired for
causing trouble, or that the hotel will simply believe the patron's
account instead of the worker. In the wake of the Strauss-Kahn's arrest,
the New York hotel union describes the current state of the industry in an
editorial on their website:

[The workers] can be disciplined or penalized, or fired or simply denied
work, without cause, at any time. Those non-union workers who happen also
to be undocumented immigrants – a large proportion of the total workforce
in the U.S. hospitality industry – live almost entirely without the
protection of law.

For these reasons, employers generally feel free to mistreat employees, to
cheat them, to disregard their safety, to rob them of their dignity, and
to violate even the few pitiful legal rights that exist in theory, knowing
they can do so with impunity. So, employees in this industry, throughout
the world, are normally too afraid to complain about anything.

The incident has put a spotlight on the nature of housekeeping, which is
usually the most physically demanding in the hotel business. Housekeepers
clean anywhere from 10 to 14 rooms a day, folding, scrubbing, vacuuming,
and emptying trash. And on top of the labor, there is the added dimension
of cleaning a room alone. Workers in the industry have come out with their
own accounts of sexual assault, ranging from indecent exposure, explicit
comments, and more, suggesting these incidents are more common than
previously thought or reported.

In response to the heightened attention, New York lawmakers have
introduced legislation to provide "personal security buttons" to hotel
workers. But it's easy to forget that unions and collective bargaining
were also just as important in providing safeguards, even as these rights
are subject to increasing rollbacks across the country.

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/7354/did_housekeepers_union_membership_allow_her_to_speak_out_against_strau/

[olympiaworkers] Peltier March Report

THE MAY 21ST REGIONAL LEONARD PELTIER MARCH AND RALLY IN TACOMA

March web site has photos http://leonardpeltiermarch.wordpress.com/

The sound of drums could be heard from miles around, as a few hundred marched for Leonard Peltier in Tacoma. Most of the marchers were Native people, many Puyallups and other Salish people, the Native Student Alliance, Portland America Indian Movement, other Native people and Tacoma, Puyallup and Portland Chapters of the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee. Along with non-Native allies from the Jericho Movement, Industrial Workers of the World, Jobs With Justice, peace and justice activists, labor activists and a few anarchists. Once the march reached downtown, the drums and the Leonard Peltier Honor song vibrated off the buildings. The march was a long one from Puyallup land to downtown Tacoma, with the all Native security team looking out for the well-being of all the marchers.

The police were out in force, again, trying to make some kind of political statement against the march. They threaten anyone who lagged behind and to that I explained that we had a permit to march, even those that might be a little slow. Even though, as we had done in the past, only marched in one lane of the street, the police blocked both lands. So those who were in cars that could not get by, only have the police to blame. Near the court house the police tired to move the march on to the sidewalk, but we marched around them. When they told me to move on to the sidewalk, I told them we had a permit to march from Portland Ave. Park to the court house and that is what we were going to do and that is what we did. I heard reports of the police calling Native people "Chief" and "Tonto" and other harassing remarks. They gave out a number of traffic tickets, including to people who parked in two hour zones, some of them had been parked there for less than two hours. We just did what we came there to do and viewed the police actions as proving our point. .

The rally at the federal court house started off with the Leonard Peltier Honor song with the Portland AIM Drum and the with our MC Mattilaja, Yu'Pik/Yakama of the Tacoma Chapter LPDOC introducing the speakers. Michael One Road of both Portland AIM and Portland Chapter of LPDOC gave the opening. Then Deeahop Conway, Puyallup, daughter of a long time activists and member of the Tacoma Chapter LPDOC gave a welcoming to Puyallup land. Then Ramona Bennett, Puyallup and long time activists spoke about the history of Native activism in Tacoma and a personal recollection of Leonard Peltier, who she had known well before he went to prison. After Ramona a line of Coastal Salish drummers and singer, lead by Albert Combs, did a Salish song. Then Arthur J. Miller, Northwest Regional Organizer for the LPDOC, gave a background on Leonard's case and an appeal for the new clemency campaign. Followed by Chauncey Peltier, son of Leonard, spoke about his father. Peter Bohmer spoke about the history of FBI repression and how such repression as that of Leonard Peltier and all others are connected. Then David Duenas, Puyallup, son of a early Leonard support organizer, gave the closing words on Leonard support and Native resistance. The ending words came from Keith Johnson, Alaskan Tribal Elder and long time Native Elder of the Northwest Leonard Peltier Support Movement. And then Portland AIM ended the rally with the Peltier Honor song as they had began the rally.

The march and rally was a good start for the northwest Leonard Peltier Clemency Campaign, but we still have a lot of work to do. We have learned from the past clemency campaign that the only thing that will free Leonard is overwhelming public support, for those that stand against Leonard will also be out there organizing. We have not had a public march for Leonard in the northwest since 2007, which was the 14^th yearly march in Tacoma and part of a regional campaign of 63 marches. There are many young activists we need to educate about the importance of Leonard's case. We must make connections to other movements, for those behind the repression of Transnational Native people, AIM and Leonard Peltier, are also those that many other people are struggling against.

All the work of many people for the march and rally, was not just for the turnout, but also to get Leonard's name, case, clemency campaign and why it is important to all, and that was done. Leonard's case is important because:

1. Leonard has stood strong in prison since 1976 for all of us.

2. Leonard's case is the continuation of over 500 years of Native resistance to genocide and the continuing theft of Native land.

3. Leonard's case is all about the resistance to the abuse of Mother Earth.

4. Leonard's case is about the repression of social activists and represents the danger to anyone who disagrees with the policies of the government and corporations.

5. Leonard's case is important, also because it should connect to all those that the government, corporations and the media seek to blame for the wrong doing of a few who believe that their greed, at the expence of the many and Mother Earth, is more important than the well-being of all.

   We wish to thank everyone who came out for the march, rally and helped get the word out. Our movement is a grass roots movement and everything everyone did to help made up the whole of what this effort became.

   Our clemency campaign will continue. Please sign and return to us the petitions. Please get resolutions supporting clemency fro your organizations such as unions, churches, human rights groups and others (please send up copies). Please organize educational events and benefits. WE still will need donations for the NW Leonard Peltier Clemency Campaign. Please write out checks to: Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee (marked NW Campaign) and send them to: Tacoma Chapter, LPDOC, P.O. Box 5464, Tacoma, WA 98415-0464.

   The next northwest regional Leonard Peltier Clemency March will be in Portland in November. That you all very much.

   For the Well-Being of All                                  Arthur J. Miller                                              Northwest Regional Organizer                               Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee

[olympiaworkers] Reminder, next Saturday Leonard Peltier March

PLEASE POST WIDELY
From:Tacoma Chapter of the Leonard Peltier Defense/Offense Committee, P.O.
Box 5464, Tacoma, WA 98415-0464 bayou@blarg.net

NEXT SATURDAY! MAY 21, 2011
REGIONAL LEONARD PELTIER CLEMENCY MARCH, TACOMA, WA

Many hand drums needed for the march. Let all know by the beat of the drum
that we are there for our brother Leonard Peltier.

Leonard Peltier (of the Anishinabe, Dakota, and Lakota Nations), long time
Native Activist and member of the American Indian Movement. Leonard Peltier,
an innocent man who was convicted for the 1975 shooting deaths of two agents
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. prosecutors have repeatedly
admitted that they did not and cannot prove Peltier's guilt, and the
appellate courts have cited numerous instances of investigative and
prosecutorial misconduct in this case. As late as November 2003, the 10th
Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledged that "…Much of the government's
behavior at the Pine Ridge Reservation and its prosecution of Mr. Peltier is
to be condemned. The government withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses.
These facts are not disputed." The trial of the first two AIM members in
this case were found not guilty for reason of self-defense.

Greetings All,

Next Saturday, May 21, 2011, will be our Regional Leonard Peltier Clemency
March and Rally. We wish to thank the many people who have helped by getting
the word out by; handing out fliers, posting the posters and fliers, e-mail,
web sites, facebook, mail, phone, word of mouth and other means. This is
truly a great example of grassroots organizing, of people coming together
for a purpose. What everyone has done, all together, has made what this
effort has become. This has not been just about getting a good turnout, but
also getting Leonard's name, case and clemency campaign out to as many
people as possible. We want to personally thank all of you.

Leonard knows about all of this, as do people across the country and in
different parts of the world. The event will be video taped and used by
Peltier supporters to help promote the clemency campaign.

We still have some days left to give it all that we can. We are letting the
people and the government know that we will not quietly let Leonard die in
prison. We will not let the truth about what happened be forgotten. We
believe that with overwhelming public support that we can free Leonard
Peltier.

The government, the mass media and pop culture like to blame the people for
the problems of the world and those that stand up, they like to bury them
forgotten as if they did not ever exist. Even though the Native people of
this land faced genocidal policies and the continuing theft of their land,
they are still here. Leonard Peltier is the continuation of over 500 years
of resistance for survival.

The government. Media and pop culture likes to divide the struggles of the
people, but we know that they are all connected. Be it working people
standing up against those that blame them for economic problems, while at
the same time the rich get richer. Be it the poor, immigrants, people of
color, women, people of other lands, environmentalists, peace activists, and
many others who are demonized in order to cover-up the abuse and greed of
some. We understand what is being done to all of us. They said what they
done is in the interests of America. We say that it is time to let all know
that America is also the people and the land, those so-called interests that
many bad things are being justified with, are not our true interests and we
have a voice that will be heard.

Supporting Leonard Peltier is supporting a man who has stood strong for the
people while in prison since 1976. Supporting Leonard Peltier is about the
truth of what has been done to the Native people of this land, saying we
will have no part in that and we will not be silent about it. Supporting
Leonard Peltier is about making the connections between all struggling
people, that we face the same antagonists, and together we must stand for a
better world and the well-being of all.

We personally welcome you all to the May 21, 2011 Regional Leonard Peltier
Clemency March and Rally, which we are using to start our new clemency
campaign. We thank all of you for your support.

In Solidarity TACOMA
CHAPTER OF THE LPDOC

As individual fingers we can easily be broken, but all together we make a
mighty fist. -- Sitting Bull

REGIONAL MARCH AND RALLY FOR CLEMENCY FOR LEONARD PELTIER

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2011, TACOMA, WA.

12:00 NOON: MARCH FOR JUSTICE Portland Ave. Park (on Portland Ave. between
E. 35th & E. Fairbanks. Take Portland Ave. exit off I-5 and head east)

1:00 PM: RALLY FOR JUSTICE U.S. Federal Court House, 1717-Pacific Ave.

SPEAKERS:

Co-MCs Matilaja:
Yu'Pik/Yakama, Tacoma Chapter LPDOC Steve Hapy: Tacoma Chapter LPDOC
Drum: Albert Combs: Coastal Salish drum song Keynote Speaker: Ramona
Bennett: Puyallup Tribal Member, Long time Native Activist Dorothy
Ackerman: Lakota Elder Chauncey Peltier: Son of Leonard
Peltier Deeahop Conway, Tacoma Chapter LPDOC Peter Bohmer, long-term
activist, member of Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace, and faculty at
the Evergreen State College Juan Jose Bocanegra:
Coordinator/Organizer, The Committee for Immigration Reform and Social
Justice (El Comite Pro Reforma Migratoria y Justicia Social)
David Duenas: Puyallup Arthur J. Miller:
Northwest Regional Organizer LPDOC
Michael One Road: Portland Chapter LPDOC

CAR POOLS: OLYMPIA: There will be a carpool leaving from the parking lot at
Harrison and Division at 10:15 am. SEATTLE: Meet at the Red Apple parking
lot at 23rd and Jackson. Will be leaving at 10:30 am. PORTLAND, people
interested in carpooling, transportation will meet up outside of KBOO Radio
Station (20 SE 8th, Portland, OR 97124) before embarking to Tacoma between
9:00-9:30am. Please RSVP if you either need transportation from Portland or
are willing to share your vehicle to carpool oregon.jericho@gmail.com
(503)-750-0523.

For donations: Please make checks payable to the Leonard Peltier
Defense/Offense Committee (mark them for NW March) and send them to: Tacoma
LPODC, P.O. Box 5464, Tacoma, WA 98415. Thank you

MORE INFORMATION:

Here is the link to the radio interview with Susan Morales, member of the
Tacoma Chapter, LPDOC and long time Native activist, speaking about Leonard
Peltier and the May 21st Peltier Clemency rally.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/04/12/18676966.php Tacoma LPDOC on
facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100002154914197
March web site: http://leonardpeltiermarch.wordpress.com/ March
facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=171758766206652&mid=42d0320G261c90f7G6833270G42&bcode=wTZ1uifo&n_m=bayou%40blarg.net
March information packet
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/04/11/leonard_peltier_infopack.pdf
March poster http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/04/13/peltier_poster.pdf
March Flier
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/04/07/peltier_flier.pdf

Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee: www.whoisleonardpeltier.info

Video of the 2004 Tacoma Leonard Peltier March, the year we won the right to
get a march permit: http://blip.tv/file/5135286

[olympiaworkers] Riots, strikes, sabotage and sit ins in Karachi

Libcom.org May 12 2011

Some information, gleaned from the bourgeois press, about recent events in
Karachi.

Quote:

Riots break out against power outages, failure

KARACHI - Riots broke out in different parts of the city on Wednesday
over unabated electricity loadshedding, as a tug-of-war between CBA
union and administration of KESC has led the consumers of the utility
to misery.
According to details, the strike of Karachi Electricity Supply Company
(KESC) employees has badly affected the supply of electricity in the
city. The KESC workers are not removing technical faults in time in
different parts of the city. The loadshedding duration has reached to
8 to 12 hours in different parts of the city while 24 to 36 hours
power failures have also been witnessed in different areas. The
citizens are also deprived of water as Karachi Water and Sewerage
Board claimed that pumping station were closed due to power failure.
The areas including Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Tariq Road, Gulshan-e-Maimaar,
Sohrab Goth, Surjani Town, New Karachi, Kornagi 3 and 5, Nazimbad No
7, and Malir are the worst hit areas and people there came to streets,
burnt tyres and resorted to intense aerial firing causing an halt to
all private and commercial activities in these respective areas.
The President of the CBA union, Ikhlaq Ahmed while talking to The
Nation said that workers were not involved in any such conspiracy. He
said that workers of KESC were trying to save their jobs, adding, "I
don't know why KESC management are not paying heed to the worst
loadshedding in different areas. Our employees first complete their
duties and later join the protest in front of Karachi Press Club."
He said that company's assets were in trillions of rupees, whereby it
could be sold out in Rs 16 millions and twenties department are being
tried to have been outsourced. He termed that it is corporate
techniques to have the city paralysed, as the load shedding time is
accumulating and industries are being shifted from Pakistan to other
countries.
However, according to KESC press release, the KESC employees could not
attend to faults for the past three days since its various offices had
been occupied by protesting workers and their aides. The release
further said this certainly required the government's intervention and
support of the law-enforcement agencies, adding that the government
agencies should act fast and swift in order to help the utility resume
its normal power supply functions and maintenance and repair work in
the metropolis as soon as possible.

- from here.

2 newspaper articles from May 10th:
Quote:

The Karachi Electric Supply Company on Tuesday failed to restore power
supply to many city areas even after a passage of over 36 hours as it
remained engaged in a tug of war with workers protesting against their
placement in a surplus pool.
As the KESC claimed that it could not attend to faults for the past
three days since its various offices had been "occupied" by protesting
workers and their "aides", power consumers wondered as to how the
power utility was implementing the loadshedding schedule across the
city, and that too in such an effective manner.
The top management of the KESC appears to have enlisted the support of
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, who ordered the law-enforcement
agencies to get the KESC installations vacated from "occupants".
The KESC management demanded that the governor direct the
law-enforcement agencies to protect its assets, offices, equipment and
employees from what it described as the "hooliganism" of attackers.
Dr Ibad directed the Rangers and the police to take appropriate action
against those responsible for causing damage to the power utility's
installations.
He said that strict punitive action should be taken against those
elements that were causing difficulties to the people.
While the governor was extending all-out support to the KESC, Sindh
Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was extremely perturbed over the
situation, which has been gradually getting out of control and leading
towards a possible breakdown of law and order......
The KESC on Tuesday appreciated the governor's role and said that a
private company could not be expected to resist "armed attacks by
organised gangsters".
This certainly required the government's intervention and support of
the law-enforcement agencies, it said, adding that the government
agencies should act fast and swift in order to help the utility resume
its normal power supply functions and maintenance and repair work in
the metropolis as soon as possible.
It claimed that the "union's violent sabotage action is in clear
violation of trade union ethics, city`s peace and the orders of the
Sindh High Court which had already declared the union`s protest
illegal and unjustified".
"No employees have been sacked and no such action had been taken to
demand any kind of protest, let alone a series of criminal and
disruptive attacks which have completely disturbed the power supply
and maintenance system in the whole city. The union people have hugely
crossed their limits," according to the KESC press release.
"Armed masked men have been attacking the utility`s offices,
ransacking office equipment and vehicles, assaulting its officers,
engineers and employees, and have completely blocked the repair,
maintenance and other work on public requests and complaints for three
days," it added.
Giving details, it stated that armed masked men attacked three
assistant executive engineers opposite Korangi Industrial Model Zone
IBC on Tuesday afternoon to stop them from working while they were
about to enter their office. The general manager of the IBC
Gulistan-i-Jauhar was also attacked outside his office but he had a
narrow escape. Work was also blocked in the SITE area, including the
power supply to industrial units, since morning as armed men had
forcefully closed all KESC offices in the SITE area. They also
forcefully closed C Division offices of the KESC in Hadi Market Centre
and a deputy general manager in the KESC`s Gadap office was forced to
vacate his office on Monday at gunpoint. Five officers who intervened
were beaten up with iron rods.
A total of 312 cable faults could not be repaired throughout the city
because of the sabotage, said the KESC statement.
However, the protesting workers of the KESC rejected the management`s
allegations saying that neither they were on strike nor they had
stopped anyone from working. They reiterated their stance that the
management was not taking any work from them and had hired people to
do their job who were occupying their places.

- from here.
Quote:

KESC accuses protesting workers of disrupting power supply

The Karachi Electric Supply Company on Monday alleged that its
workers, who are observing a strike under the aegis of the power
utility's Collective Bargaining Unit (CBA), have resorted to
sabotaging the power supply to a number of areas.
A statement from the company said that the workers, while demanding
proper job assignments for around 4,000 employees, sabotaged supply
systems and seriously disrupted routine operations as well as the
public services provided by the KESC.
As workers continued with their hunger strike outside the Karachi
Press Club (KPC), the suffering of KESC consumers multiplied as on one
hand they were forced to endure prolonged loadshedding, while on the
other, faults and tripping of the distribution system could not be
rectified. The power utility alleged that workers were stopped from
performing their duties by the protesting elements within the company.
Public service operation and the dealing of various offices and
centres of the KESC were also suspended, causing a tremendous amount
of inconvenience for power consumers.
The protesting KESC workers, under aegis of their various
representative associations including the CBA, have been demanding
proper assignment of duties and work positing to around 4,000 workers
of the power utility. These workers had earlier been sacked by the
KESC as part of its planned downsizing, but were later reinstated
after a protest drive.
In a statement, the KESC accused the CBA of deliberately switching off
substations and other supply networks, causing blackouts in several
areas of the city including SITE, Lyari, Old Town, Mangho Pir, Orangi,
New Challi, Defence, PECHS, Gurumandar, as well as Mazar-e-Quaid. The
City Courts also suffered a prolonged power outage.
The statement said the protestors also sabotaged 10 high-tension
cables feeding power to around 20,000 houses of PECHS, Garden and
adjoining areas. Since Saturday morning, the KESC has been facing
acute problems with drivers and MTLs (KESC repair vehicles).
According to sources privy to the workers' protest movement, the
leaders and labourers of the power utility stepped up their
demonstrations and also extended their actions to the company's
offices after some of the protestors, who were on hunger strike, were
denied KESC's health facilities to treat their deteriorating
condition.
Meanwhile, the President of the KESC Labour Union flatly denied the
allegations that the CBA or other leaders had called for workers to
boycott their official duties and assignments.
"We have been sitting outside the Karachi Press Club and observing a
hunger strike to press for our demands. As a show of solidarity with
their colleagues, other workers of the KESC have started converging on
the Press Club," said the leader of the CBA. He added that the workers
started coming to the Press Club as they were concerned about the
health of their representatives and leaders who were on hunger strike
for the last few days.
He said that there was no call to stop work and operations in the
power utility, nor was there any attempt to sabotage substations in
various parts of the city. "We have been just sitting outside Press
Club so it is impossible for us to carry out such extreme actions,"
said Baloch.....

The statement said the CBA Union's so-called protest, violent
disruption and sabotage has no justification and "is in clear
violation of the Sindh High Court's order of May 7 which had declared
the Union's ongoing protest as illegal and unjustified."
The power utility said that since the morning of May 9, 2011, CBA
Union office bearers and activists, along with some external allies,
illegally blocked the utility's operational activities in various
parts of the city. The miscreants forcefully stopped on-duty staff
from work, halted maintenance and did not allow on-duty employees from
using office equipment and vehicles at most of the utility's offices,
bringing KESC's essential operations to a standstill across the city.

- from
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=46002&Cat=4&dt=5/10/2011

Superintendant among five cops injured in clash with flood affectees
Quote:

KARACHI: At least five policemen, including the Superintendent Police
(SP) Keamari Town Tariq Mughal, were injured during a protest
demonstration staged by the flood affectees within the jurisdiction of
Mauripur police station on Monday.
The protesters, who took to the streets to express their growing
disenchantment against the unfriendly attitude of authorities,
scuffled with the police personnel. They burnt tyres on the road and
pelted stones on policemen and vehicles at Maripur Road, which
resulted in injuries to five policemen, including SP Keamari Town,
Sub-Inspector Azam Khan, Head Constable Mumtaz, constables Kumar and
Naeem.
When contacted, SHO Mauripur Nasrullah dispelled the impression that
the protesters were flood affectees, saying although the registration
process of flood affectees was completed, the influx was still in
progress from rural Sindh.
He said that the protest was aimed at pressing the authorities
concerned to allot the land of camp-city to the inhabitants besides
demanding essential edibles for the new settlers. Instead of going
back to their hometown, the politically motivated protesters were
demanding the land of camp-city to be allocated to them. He said that
several government officials, including town police officer, executive
district officer and deputy district officer reached the spot and
tried to negotiate with the protesters who refused to cooperate. The
police fired teargas to disperse the enraged protesters during the
clash. staff report

- from Signalfire.

[olympiaworkers] ARISE! Zombie march on the capital! Friday the 13th, Sylvester Park 1:30!

Day of the living night: Zombie hordes to descend on State Capitol this Friday the 13th

---

What: Zombie Slow March on the State Capitol
When: Friday the 13th at 1:30
Where: Event begins at Sylvester Park in Olympia at 1:30, with march to Capitol. March ends at Zombie headquarters — the State Capitol
Why: The only reason that motivates Zombie behavior: Brain-sucking action!

Tim Eyman and State Senator Don Benton have been invited but not yet confirmed whether they will attend.

---

On this Friday, May 13th, zombies will rise from graves, mausoleums, and PAC contribution lists across the state for a Monster Mash Budget Slash slow zombie march on their headquarters — the State Capitol. Together, Washington State Zombies will raise their grunting voices and rotting fists to ensure that the darkness of the brutal state budget continues to descend without mercy on the people of the state. Their single demand: that ideas with brains, hearts, and spines never see the light of day.

This zombie rising is timed at a moment when the state's political process is not-moving at pace suggesting the Legislature itself is in a classic zombie stupor. After two months when the House and Senate engaged in a slashing competition to see who could bury poor people, immigrants, and the elderly deeper underground and close their ears more firmly to the cries, there have been no real signs of life for weeks now.

A perfect day for a zombie march

Despite a state budget debate that reflects the key zombie priorities of government — bleed support for the poor, cut gaping holes in services for working families, and protect the flow of money into bank vaults — zombies are marching out of concern that the complete evisceration of the hearts, brains, and spines of the state's elected leaders could endanger key parts of the zombie food chain.

Zombie concerns were raised further with the recent release of a statewide poll commissioned by KING-5 which suggests more than half of humans in the state may be interested in making it easier to close tax loopholes for critical economic activities like big bank profiteering and elective cosmetic surgery. Some doubt whether their usual communications effort – "uhhhhhh, tax bad, uhhhhhhhh, waste fraud tax" — will win the day in yet another debate. (BP, Tesoro, and JP Morgan Chase will surely contribute to the cause once more.)

Long-time zombie leader Tim Eyman and Zombie overlord candidate Don Benton have both been invited to join the march. Even if they cannot make it there in the material plane, we know they are with us in spirit.

In fact they are our inspiration.

It is from these and other zombie leaders in state government that we got the idea to showboat before the public in order to take attention away from brutal state budget cuts. The state budget is simply a distraction from where attentions belong: empty-skulled issues like the issuing of drivers licenses, tolls on bridges which are not built, and red-light cameras on main zombie thoroughfares.

Let us not be distracted by brains. Let us consume them!

###
More information:

• Click here to read our official invitation to Zombie overlord candidate Don Benton.
• Click here to read our official invitation to Zombie monarch Tim Eyman.
• For more information on the Zombie march, visit the Facebook event page.
• For more information on Undead Olympia, email info@undeadolympia.com
  

MONSTER MASH BUDGET $LA$H!

Friday the 13th! BEWARE! ZOMBIES AT THE CAPITAL!
ZOMBIE WALK! Thinking minds will soon be turned to mash thanks to the privatization of higher education in Washington! The government is leaving the youth little hope or opportunities as the Vampire Gregoire and her corporate monsters drain every drop of money from services and higher education.

ALL STUDENTS! WALK OUT AT NOON! HIGHSCHOOL to DOCTORATE!

Sylvester Park @ 1:30 for a slow ZOMBIE MARCH on the Capital! Food served at the park and celebration afterwards. Get all painted up at Zombie stations in Sylvester Park.

Not a student? FEWER WILL BE AFTER THESE CUTS! But this Zombie march is for everyone! March if you to believe an all cuts budget is UNACCEPTABLE & INEXCUSABLE! The banks, corporations and filthy rich aren't hurting, only the good working people are made to suffer! We all have family and friends, if not ourselves, who will be affected by this bad budget! Come sing and dance to the Monster Mash Budget Slash!

Wear your best Zombie attire! Our zombie demands? What else?
BRAINS! BRAINS! BRAINS!

For more info call 360-545-3267

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=117433595004682 

Inspired by UNDEAD OLYMPIA, http://www.undeadolympia.com/

[olympiaworkers] May 21st March internet links

Here is the link to the radio interview with Susan Morales, member of the Tacoma Chapter, LPDOC and long time Native activist, speaking about Leonard Peltier and the May 21st Peltier Clemency rally. http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/04/12/18676966.php              

Tacoma LPDOC on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100002154914197

 

March web site

http://leonardpeltiermarch.wordpress.com/

 

March facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=171758766206652&mid=42d0320G261c90f7G6833270G42&bcode=wTZ1uifo&n_m=bayou%40blarg.net

 

March information packet http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/04/11/leonard_peltier_infopack.pdf

 

March poster

http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/04/13/peltier_poster.pdf

March Flier
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/04/07/peltier_flier.pdf

[olympiaworkers] NW Latin American SOLIDARITY Saturday, featuring Eva Golinger!

NW Latin American SOLIDARITY Saturday!
Saturday May 7th, Evergreen State College, Seminar 2 D1105, Olympia, WA: FREE
10:30- 11:00 Gathering with coffee and pastries.
11:00- 12:15 James Jordan, from the Alliance For Global Justice, on the US Prison Industrial Complex's prison networks built in Colombia.
12:15- 1:00 Lunch break.
1:00- 2:30 Power Panel on the decade of refounding. Updates on Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Peter Bohmer, Josh Elliot, Rick Fellows & guests!
2:45- 3:15 B Media Collective of Portland will be showing how Venezuelan grassroots community media, like the videos they have produced, create open society in Venezuela and how that media model can create a more open, participatory and educated society here.
3:30- 5:00 Eva Golinger, author of the Chavez Code takes us through the Web of Wikileaks and FOIA requests to the truth on Chavez and the Empire's plans for Venezuela.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=348223136319

LATER in the Evening! $5-10
Venezuela & Colombia: Love or Hate?
7:00- 9:00 @ Urban Onion Ballroom, 116 Legion Way, Videos, Music, Speakers and Food. Benefit for Media Island. 
What the corporate media and the corporate government doesn't want you to know about Venezuela and Colombia. Come hear from radical journalists about on the ground accounts in these countries.
Eva Golinger, author of the Chavez Code takes us through the Web of Wikileaks and FOIA requests to the truth on Chavez and the Empire's plans for Venezuela.
James Jordan, from the Alliance For Global Justice, on the US Prison Industrial Complex's prison networks built in Colombia.
The B Media Collective of Portland will be showing how Venezuelan grassroots community media, like the videos they have produced, create open society in Venezuela and how that media model can create a more open, participatory and educated society here. The truth is getting harder to hide. 360-545-3267 
http://www.nwlasconference.wordpress.com/

Also go to the Pow Wow at Evergreen the same day!
http://blogs.evergreen.edu/powwow

[olympiaworkers] Solidarity needed

Please post widely

Facebook solidarity needed for the May 21^st Regional Leonard Peltier Clemency March

Greetings All

I am rather new to the facebook stuff, but I am seeing that it is a means to get the word out to a lot of people. The organizing for the Peltier march is not just to get a good turnout, but also to get Leonard's name, case and clemency campaign out in public view as far as possible. That is where facebook becomes very useful. If people send out the information below as an event to their "friends" and ask them to do the same, not only will that help with the turnout but it will also get out information on Leonard all over the place. There seems to be two ways of doing this. First to set up the march as an event yourselves. Following is a simple way of doing that which was sent to me.

"Make sure you are seeing the 'title' page [click on the facebook logo in the top left corner after you logged in to be sure] underneath your profile picture the third or forth line should say 'create event' -> click on that -> fill in the info -> you need to select all addresses individually as far as I know, but then you can also post it publicly so anyone can see. Done."

  A person in Portland and one in Tacoma set up a march facebook page which is doing that. If you can't figure out how to do it on the your page just clink on that you are coming and then on the left it says "Invite friends" click there and you can invite everyone on your "friends" list. That facebook page is at:

http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=171758766206652&mid=42d0320G261c90f7G6833270G42&bcode=wTZ1uifo&n_m=bayou%40blarg.net

Ok here is what to send out if you would.

Please post widely

Facebook solidarity needed for the May 21^st Regional Leonard Peltier Clemency March

Greetings All

I am rather new to the facebook stuff, but I am seeing that it is a means to get the word out to a lot of people. The organizing for the Peltier march is not just to get a good turnout, but also to get Leonard's name, case and clemency campaign out in public view as far as possible. That is where facebook becomes very useful. If people send out the information below as an event to their "friends" and ask them to do the same, not only will that help with the turnout but it will also get out information on Leonard all over the place. There seems to be two ways of doing this. First to set up the march as an event yourselves. Following is a simple way of doing that which was sent to me.

"Make sure you are seeing the 'title' page [click on the facebook logo in the top left corner after you logged in to be sure] underneath your profile picture the third or forth line should say 'create event' -> click on that -> fill in the info -> you need to select all addresses individually as far as I know, but then you can also post it publicly so anyone can see. Done."

  A person in Portland and one in Tacoma set up a march facebook page which is doing that. If you can't figure out how to do it on the your page just clink on that you are coming and then on the left it says "Invite friends" click there and you can invite everyone on your "friends" list. That facebook page is at:

http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=171758766206652&mid=42d0320G261c90f7G6833270G42&bcode=wTZ1uifo&n_m=bayou%40blarg.net

Ok here is what to send out if you would.

May 21, 2011, Regional Leonard Peltier Clemency March and Rally

March and Rally for Clemency for Native activist and AIM member in prison since 1976. 12:00 NOON: MARCH FOR JUSTICE Portland Ave. Park (on Portland Ave. between E. 35^th & E. Fairbanks. Take Portland Ave. exit off I-5 and head east) 1:00 PM: RALLY FOR JUSTICE U.S. Federal Court House, 1717-Pacific Ave. CAR POOLS: OLYMPIA: There will be a carpool leaving from the parking lot at Harrison and Division at 10:15 am. SEATTLE: Meet at the Red Apple parking lot at 23^rd and Jackson. Will be leaving at 10:30 am. PORTLAND, people interested in carpooling, transportation will meet up outside of KBOO Radio Station (20 SE 8^th, Portland, OR 97124) before embarking to Tacoma between 9:00-9:30am. Please RSVP if you either need transportation from Portland or are willing to share your vehicle to carpool oregon.jericho@gmail.com  (503)-750-0523. Information packet: http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/04/11/leonard_peltier_infopack.pdf

poster: http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/04/13/peltier_poster.pdf
Flier http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/04/07/peltier_flier.pdf

March facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=171758766206652&mid=42d0320G261c90f7G6833270G42&bcode=wTZ1uifo&n_m=bayou%40blarg.net.: March web site:http://leonardpeltiermarch.wordpress.com/ Tacoma chapter, LPDOC facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100002154914197 For more information: www.whoisleonardpeltier.info E-mail contact: bayou@blarg.net

Please if you can, get the above event message out all over the facebook network. Thank you.

Arthur J. Miller                                                         

Northwest Regional Organizer                                            Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee