RPD Surveillance of Picket Raises Concerns
On Saturday, October 16, 2010, members of the Community Education Task Force and anti-mayoral control allies picketed the Monroe County Democratic Committee on University Ave. in order to demonstrate their unequivocal disapproval of the Duffy-Morelle-Gantt-Cuomo-led and continued efforts to push mayoral control of the Rochester City School District down the throats of the people.
Video
Demonstrators Speak Out Against War and Police Brutality on Anniversary
October 7, 2010 demonstrators gathered to dance music on the Main Street bridge for “Funk the War 4.†The event was to express ongoing disapproval of the US occupation of Afghanistan which began nine years ago on this date. It was also the anniversary of a violent police assault on a similar demonstration one year ago on that same bridge. Twelve people were arrested in 2009 and two were injured requiring hospitalization.
Dispatches from Colombia Reportback
Alix Lozano, leader of the Mennonite church of Colombia, along with Eloy Garcia and Christopher Knestrick, members of the Christian Peacemaker Team in Colombia, spoke about their work and the situation in the South American country at the October meeting of the Rochester Committee on Latin America.
Local Activists Stand in Support of Midwest FBI Raid Targets
Some twenty local concerned citizens turned out in the rain September 27 to stand in support of Midwestern activists raided and harassed by the FBI the previous Friday. Besides the weather, the low turnout was largely due to the fact that the rally was organized on very short notice. The raids did not occur until most reporters had gone home for the weekend and reporting was sparse.
Another Demonstration will be held
Wednesday Sept 29th at 5pm
at the Federal Building
100 State Street,
Rochester
New Animal Rights Group Hatching: RAAR
What's the sound of activists in Rochester fighting for the welfare of animals? RAAR!
Rochester Activists for Animal Rights describe themselves as a newly formed group dedicated to change the prevailing attitudes about animals. The group aims to cultivate compassion for all animals, including people, while employing a diversity of tactics.
Recently, the group launched it's first public event: a fundraisers/dinner/movie screening at the Flying Squirrel Community Space. Around 50 people came to share a vegan dinner followed by a screening of the movie Earthlings, a graphic documentary surveying the abuse of animals across the globe.
I talked with Kristine Deuvall, Kathy Caldwell, and Amy Holland, three members of the group. We discussed the fundraiser, the movie, and what they hope to do with the group. RAAR meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month from 5:00-6:30 at the Flying Squirrel Community Space, 285 Clarissa St.
Click "More" for the group interview
Army Colonel (Ret.) and diplomat Ann Wright to Speak in Rochester
During the run up to the Iraq war, Army Colonel (Ret.) and diplomat Ann Wright resigned her State Department post. She was one among dozens of government insiders and active-duty military personnel who leaked documents, spoke out, resigned, or refused to deploy in protest of government actions they felt were illegal. Come here her speak in Rochester!
Thursday, September 23
12:00 PM Interview (live) with Bob Smith on WXXI 1370 AM Connection
2:00 PM Interfaith Center, 11 Franklin Street, Geneseo, NY, speaking on “What are we doing in Iraq and Afghanistan? How does it affect Iraqi, Afghan, and U.S. women?â€
7:00 PM Rochester Institute of Technology, Bamboo Room, Campus Center, 1 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY, speaking on “Gaza Flotilla Survivor Tells Her Storyâ€
Friday, September 24
12:30-1:20 PM Medaille Hall, Nazareth College, 4245 East Ave., Rochester, NY, speaking on "Costs of War"
7:00 PM First Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Rd. S., Rochester, NY, speaking on "Afghanistan: The Need to Dissent"
Additional Information: Mary A. Wright's resignation letter | DN! Army Vet Ann Wright Running "Field Operations for Peace, Not War" | Breaking Through Diplomacy's Glass Ceiling, by Ann Wright (.pdf) | Tomdispatch Interview: Ann Wright on Service to Country | Wiki: Ann Wright
A People's History of the United States: The Working Class
Flying Squirrel Community Space was home to a talk on Thursday September 9 hosted by Progressives In Action. The subject was “A People's History of the United States: The Working Class.†Brian Lenzo was the featured speaker. Lenzo is a regular contributor to the blog The Sitch (www.thesitch.com), a member of the International Socialist Organization, and accompanied a humanitarian mission to Gaza in 2009. But the talk was not about deplorable conditions is some far-off place. It was about conditions becoming deplorable for working Americans right here in Western New York.
Much of the discussion referenced the work of the late Howard Zinn (1922-2010) A People's History of the United States. Zinn's purpose in writing the book was “to provide history not just to enrich your life but to give you the tools to deal with the struggles of today.†What can we learn from working class struggles in American history and apply it to today? First of all, that things have not changed as much as we might think, or as much as we would like.
The Fight Against Mayoral Control: Celebrating Victories, Pushing Forward
The Community Education Task Force (CETF) has a lot to celebrate. At the beginning of the year, it seemed inevitable that the mayor would control the Rochester City School District, rather than an elected Board of Education. However, after a defeat in the NY State Senate, the plan is off the table — for the time being at least.
Victories like this can be rare for grassroots community groups, but the CETF is not resting (although they did throw a party in Genesee Valley Park with free food, games, and music). They hope to use their current momentum to promote bottom-up control of the city schools.
At the CETF's Free Food For Free Minds party, I talked with several members of the CETF about the past eight months and their plans for the future.
Video Report: Community Gathers to Remember the Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagaski
For nearly 30 years, on August 6, Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace have met at the traffic circle in Avon, NY to hold vigil in remembrance of the victims and survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during World War II.
Video Report:
Additional Information: Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace | Please Sign this Petition to President Obama for Nuclear Weapons Abolition | US and Russian leaders hail nuclear arms treaty | Study: Fallujah’s health fallout ‘worse’ than Hiroshima, Nagasaki
July-August AARM Newsletter OUT NOW!
Greetings! Thank you for checking out the latest issue of the Activists Against Racism Movement (AARM) Newsletter. We are committed to keeping the Rochester community informed of anti-racist activity in the city and surrounding areas on a regular basis. Look for this newsletter each month. 