For all the coverage of the DNC one thing has been missing both here and on the cable and network news. That thing has been the protests. On the streets of Denver, socialists, anarchists, feminists, environmentalists, anti-war activists, immigrants, liberals, progressives, and all manner of forward thinking people have gathered to stand for things that we believe in. They stand against war, poverty, corporate greed, racism, and sexism. They stand for universal health care, peace, an end to wire tapping, education. These brave men and women have been abused and silence this past week and we have been silent about it.
I came across this video, originally posted by the Rocky Mountain News, on Commondreams, and it made me so furious I had to literally take a breather.
Thankfully, we have not seen mass numbers of arrests in Denver, and with the recent Redneck Assassination Ops, I can understand the need for an increased police presence during the convention, but with reports of secret police weapons caches downtown we have to ask if they are going too far.
I can not help but feel that this video shows a freeze-frame of the slip of our democracy toward a police state....
If you've been paying attention, you just knew this was coming...
The Rocky Mountain News has an article up about last nite's Recreate68/Disrupt The DNC! follies, with several photos and even video. But Denver Police were more than ready for it. The Protest was organized by something called "Unconventional Denver".
It was unclear what prompted police to react so strongly. A spokesman with the Joint Information Center, a clearing house for convention-related security information, said the protesters were causing traffic and pedestrian disturbances.
"The whole mob was running down the street, pulling on trees," said Jeff Cheney, 26, of Denver, who was walking his dog when the incident began. "I think the cops acted as necessary."
I remember standing in line at the supermarket and seeing the headlines in the newspaper. "Oh, God", I said, "They're shooting students."
Before long everybody was hearing about it on the radio. "Four dead in Ohio. Four dead in Ohio".
This is a cross between a Change The World With Music and a Music That Changed The World diary because Neil Young is still doing it. He's playing music today that changes the world tomorrow.
Just as thousands of political protesters descend upon Denver – and Denver police prep their makeshift prison warehouse – the New York Civil Liberties Union today released a startling new video from New York’s arrest-marred protests four years ago. The video offers Denver police a perfect lesson in what not to do in confronting political protesters during a convention.
The filmmaker, Michael Schiller, is the lead plaintiff in one of the NYCLU’s Republican National Convention cases. Schiller was taping protestors near the World Trade Center on August 31, 2004 when the NYPD used netting to form a cordon and arrest en masse hundreds of lawful protestors, as well as some peaceful observers. That day, nearly 1,200 people were arrested across New York City.
Arriving in Denver on Saturday, I took in some of the downtown sights and got a lay of the land. During the next few days I will share some of my experiences and video interviews with notables. As I diaried before, I have a set of questions that I will be asking to those who will allow me the time.
As well, I will share photos from various events and scenes from the convention.
Public protest, in addition to being a guarantee of the First Amendment, can also be a very effective method of generating attention, especially at political conventions, where the press is hungrily searching for anything with a semblance of news.
Now, I live in Arkansas, but there was a period of time in my life when I liked nothing better than to get in an old junker and head across the river to Mississippi to enjoy some music. There is something in that North Mississippi hill country Blues that rings my chime.
So please, "Mississippi Goddam" is a song title. Not my sentiments. But what a song.
Nina Simone - Mississippi Goddam
Thanks to Deoliver47 for turning me on to this recording. It is upbeat and Jazzy and devastating. Extremely powerful especially taken in historical context.
The Republicans have announced that Rudy Giuliani will be the keynote speaker at their convention on Tuesday, September 2nd.
Based on the growing list of no-shows within the Grand Oil Party who fear being seen in public with the parade of has-beens, never-weres, and public disgraces who comprise this cabal, it seems increasingly likely that the protesters outside the Xcel Center will vastly outnumber attendees.
But the Traditional Media will, of course, go out of their way to obscure this reality from the American viewing public. And breaking through their barriers in order to be seen requires some serious efforts at PR.
Follow me after the jump for a strategy that will ensure that, for at least the night of Rudy's triumphant speech, the protesters outside will garner as much or more attention than the travesty inside the hall.
I was fifteen years old. I had my first guitar. I was learning some folk songs. And I was listening to Pete Seeger.
How many thousands of musicians were inspired by Pete Seeger? How many millions have sung his songs?
My favorite Pete Seeger song is "Where Have All The Flowers Gone". I still play it today. In a sense it's a perfect model for music that changed the world because it's a pretty little ditty with a strong antiwar twist at the end. You love it as a pretty song and then you learn from it. Because to change the world you have to change people.
Pete Seeger said it this way.
Some may find them [songs] merely diverting melodies. Others may find them incitements to Red revolution. And who will say if either or both is wrong? Not I.
Whodda thunk that Pakistan has a more vibrant democracy than the good ol' USA? Perhaps there's a slight angle to this argument, but consider the roles of Bush 'the Guardian of Democracy' & Musharraf 'The Generalismo'. Now, consider the following:
Pakistan actually sees demonstrations that aren't composed of vapid demonstrators simply wanting personal attention. In Pakistan the attention often comes from suicide bombers or zealot policemen, yet the heroic lawyers protest on! When's the last time you saw a group of 1000 climbing fences and sucking tear gas in America - other than spoiled brat (F)anarchists?
The protests actually mean something, as witnessed by the resignation of Musharraf on charges that he violated the constitution. Charges? Back in the good ol' USA the we have legislation (FISA again) which officially acknowledges wrongdoing, but there's nary a twitch on the protest line.
Combine the above with news about the dismal state of American electorate involvement and ability and it suggests that we need a kick in the pants. Hmmm...Musharraf '08?
More hmmms...HS civics students graded on protest involvement? Civil disobedience arrests as pre-req for Polisci degrees?
When Woody Guthrie wrote "This Land Is Your Land" the sentiments expressed weren't mainstream. In fact the lyric was considered to be communist. Now the song is sung in every grade school classroom in the nation.
When Arlo Guthrie had his hit, "Alice's Restaurant", it made everybody laugh. But it was more than a funny song. It spoke truths about the draft that could not be conveyed except through music.
There are plenty of good protest songs being written and sung today. But you aren't hearing them on the radio. And they aren't singing them in the schools.
So now we have internet radio. A chance for all voices to be heard even if it's out at the end of the long tail. Add your favorite songs that changed the world in the comments. Please include links or embeds if they are available on the internet. Help me change the world with music.
Denver officials weren't planning to reveal details about where activists would be detained in the event of mass arrests during the Democratic National Convention until after the event had started, but those plans were quickly dashed this week when CBS 4News reporter Rick Sallinger not only revealed that protesters would be locked up in a city-owned warehouse, but he also obtained clear video footage inside the facility, a building that includes barbed wire-topped cages and signs warning of stun-gun use.
The firm has announced an Open House to be held this Thursday, August 14th from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm to celebrate the opening of Schubert Flint's new Irvine office.
If you are able to get over to Irvine this Thursday evening, I've prepared a flyer that you can download, print out and take with you to distribute to the Open House attendees: Schubert Flint Protest Flyer Download (PDF)
