Mikey Weinstein on Religious Freedom and the Military
Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and author of the book “God on our Side†spoke at the Rochester Institute of Technology on October 17th. He emphasized that the greatest threat to our national security was the Dominionist Fundamentalist Evangelical Christian take over of our military.
Mr. Weinstein also spoke about the proselytizing that goes on within the military, not just amongst the US military personnel, but also in the countries that the US now occupies. Mr. Weinstein stated and that American Fundamentalists Christians had been embedded with the US solders and that they had distributed over 1.8 million of their bibles while in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Video: Mr. Weinstein at RIT
Additional Information: Military Religious Freedom Foundation's Urgent Issues
The FBI Comes Calling, And The Struggle Continues.......
October 22, 2009 - As a follow-up to the news-story below [Mainstream Media Absent as Activists Against Racism Movement Delivers 700 Signatures], I thought the community would be interested in knowing that on Monday afternoon, October 19, 2009 —- I joined the list of U.S. citizens who have received uninvited, unexplainable and unwelcome visits to their homes by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
When the door bell rang, I opened the door, and before agent Rick Rooney from the Buffalo,NY Office (cell phone:716-481-9998 and desk phone: 716-551-3925) could flip his wallet open —- to show me his official identification (the way they do on t.v.) —- I said "FBI, right?" I had been expecting them —- because less than an hour earlier —- I had received a phone call from someone at an address where I haven't lived for over ten (10) years, informing me that "the FBI is looking for you." My half-joking response was —- "they are not looking for me as hard as I am looking for them." Since they had left their names at my former address, my plan was to go to the State Street Federal Building and ask for them by name, but as I stated previously, before I could do so, the door bell rang.
When I opened the door and saw two clean-cut, white men dressed in white shirts and ties (with concealed side-arms) —- I figured who else could this possibly be —- except the FBI. Agent Rooney was accompanied by Agent Leonard Opanashuk from the Rochester, NY Office (phone: 546-2220, ext. 127). Oh, with regard to the concealed side-arms, at one point agent Opanashuk's jacket slipped open, and I was able to get a peek. It appeared that his weapon was hanging from a shoulder holster (like on t.v.). In hind sight, I had wondered if he intentionally displayed the weapon as some sort of intimidation tactic, but that's probably not the case. I was probably just paranoid. If it is the case, it didn't work. I also didn't think about the fact (until later) that as we (me and the FBI Agents) stood in the doorway to my dining room, chit-chatting (as a backdrop) —- a nicely-framed painting of Malcolm X (one of Malcolm's most radical images), hung on the dining room wall. I wondered later, what they thought of the painting. Also, as I continued to reflect on the situation —- I was reminded of information in Malcolm's autobiography, in which he discussed being visited by the FBI numerous times. I just smiled to myself, and said wow —- I'm in good company. Read the rest—click here.
Additional Information: Mainstream Media Absent as Activists Against Racism Movement Delivers 700 Signatures | Rallying Against RICO | Members of the so-called "Wolf Pack" Gang Proclaiming Innocence
Rochester Calls for New Independent Civilian Review Board After October 7th Police Riot
On October 7th , during a march down Main St. commemorating the 8th year of the American military occupation of Afghanistan, several units of Rochester, NY police maneuvered non-violent anti-war protesters into a trap on a bridge over the Genesee River. RPD then beat up local members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and other participants who had nowhere to disperse. In the aftermath of the police riot, a cry from the Rochester public rose for an independent civilian review board for the police—a real civilian review board—not the current one run by BY the police at Rochester's Center for Dispute Settlement (RCDS).
Rochester Indymedia's investigation of the history and current status of civilian review boards has uncovered a disturbing trend nation wide, in which the original social justice movement for oversight of police by citizens in civilian review boards has been hollowed out and co-opted by police departments around the country. Such is the case in Rochester. The complaint process here, according to review board representative Frank Liberti at RCDS, involves the Center taking sworn statements about police misconduct and brutality, and then shipping the paperwork directly to police internal affairs. The Center for Dispute Settlement does have nice offices outside the police department in the Reynolds Arcade, but attractive amenities aside— in Rochester, the police are in charge of policing the police.
Additional Information: Police Brutally Attack Funk the War | Police Attack on Funk the War Still Raising Issues
Related: The FBI Comes Calling, And The Struggle Continues……. | Community Organizing Meeting to Discuss Collective Strategies Against Police Brutality | Cop harassment while driving home tonight
Advocates for Universal Health Care Target MVP Insurance
Advocates for Universal Health Care from the Rochester region joined with communities from all over the country on Wednesday October 28th in day of Action demanding health care for all. In a protest targeting "MVP healthcare" at its office on Alexander Street in Downtown Rochester, 30 activists rallied along the sidewalk with the message that Medicare for all is the best solution to the health care crisis. Meanwhile, inside the building, 4 activists who had intended to deliver a letter they prepared for the vice president of MVP- Lisa Brubaker, were unable to gain access to the offices. When it was clear security would prevent them from entering, the activists sat outside the MVP offices in a courtyard cafe and ordered coffee. They were approached by 10 Rochester police, 6 building security guards and were asked to leave. When they responded that they would stay and finish the coffee they ordered, the 4 activists were arrested.
Video of Demonstration and Interviews with Participants
Mainstream Media Absent as Activists Against Racism Movement Delivers 700 Signatures
On Friday, October 16, 2009, (14th anniversary of the historic Million Man March and 150th anniversary of John Brown's insurrection at Harpers Ferry, WV) AARM members and supporters delivered approximately 700 signatures of outraged Rochester city residents to Federal Prosecuting Attorney Douglas E. Gregory's extravagant home, located in one of Penfield, New York's plushest neighborhoods (24 Dundas Road) --- that is, neighborhoods where houses routinely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The petitions denounced the current racist and absurd use of the RICO statute in a case against 24 poor African-American men and women from one of Rochester, New York's poorest neighborhoods (located in the so-called Northeast Crescent).
Police Attack on Funk the War Still Raising Issues
Police Violence at the Funk the War Demonstration Wednesday has continued to make headlines and spark debate throughout the week.
On Friday, Rochester SDS gave a press conference in front of the public safety building (audio report, text of the statement) in order to correct police and media misinformation about the events. At the conference, they discussed the connections between the police violence on Wednesday, the police brutality experienced daily by people of color and poor people in the city, and the military and economic violence inflicted around the globe.
Another topic discussed at the SDS Press conference is the ongoing police surveillance and harassment of Rochester SDS and others associated with the demonstration. While SDS prepared for their press conference, around a dozen police officers parked next to the building they were at. The officers questioned the activists, videotaped their activities, and collected license plate numbers. The police presence lasted for nearly two hours.
Over the week the police have given many different justifications for their actions, including the following: protesters attacked the cops with drums, protesters blocked a fire truck, protesters pushed officers. Some of these justifications are contradicted by video evidence taped by Rochester IMC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU08tYfTfUY&list=UUeRQqNeJLB-QqvmoCtq1pFQ).
Finally, we have released interviews with quite a few activists present at the protests:
Police Brutally Attack Funk the War
Funk the War, a demonstration to demand an end to the war in Afghanistan and for increased education funding, was violently attacked by police this evening. At least 10 people were arrested, many are still in custody right now. One of the arrestees was reported to be bleeding from her face after being tackled by two cops into the the base of a light pole, she is currently sitting in the back of a police car without access to medical attention.
Currently, many of the arrestees are being held currently in the public safety building (corner of Exchange and Court St, downtown). A group is gathering outside to support them.
Reporters on the scene say that police attacked the crowd using clubs without any warning or orders to disperse. The first arrested was an African-American man who joined up midway into the march. Members of the crown questioned the obvious racism behind this act and some were arrested shortly after.
Those present estimate at least 35 cop cars present, including one state trooper. We will continue to update this as more info comes in.
Update:The current arrest count is 12, everyone has been released from jail. The protester who's face was bruised and cut was pushed by a single police officer, not 2. A second protester went to Rochester General Hospital for stitches because of the police attack. RNews's coverage of the events is extremely misleading and inaccurate. Democrat and Chronicle's coverage is relatively better, but still not very informative.
Update 2:The African-American student who was first arrested was with the march since the start. He didn't join halfway.
Report Back From the G-20 in Pittsburgh
Members of Rocheser Indy Media are in Pittsburgh covering the the G-20 economic summit. The G-20 consists of finance ministers and government officials from the 19 wealthiest countries and the EU. At the summit they will discuss the international economy or basically how to keep the rich, rich and to hell with the masses.
No Ballistics, No DNA, No Fingerprints, No Eyewitness: Somehow Jury Finds 15 Year-old Guilty
This article continues Rochester Indymedia's ongoing coverage of the Tyquan L. Rivera trial. Rivera, 15, a local, youth of color accused and convicted of assault in the first degree and attempted murder in the second degree, was found guilty despite there being no physical evidence or eyewitness testimony against him in the shooting Rochester police officer Anthony DiPonzio last January. Rivera will be sentenced later this fall in Monroe County Supreme Court. Rochester Indymedia reporters decided to cover the proceedings from the beginning to the end after we observed a disturbing imbalance of coverage against Rivera in the corporate media’s stories about the case.
Members of the collective were present in Judge Joseph Valentino’s court every day, all day for weeks of pre-trial evidentiary hearings, jury selection, and Rivera's trial. What emerged over time from our observations was a picture of systemic racism in our county judiciary and law enforcement carried out through a determined use of police intimidation and falsification. The following article recounts many instances in which these tactics were used by local authorities against Rivera and his family, which ultimately culminated in a trial-cum grand media spectacle. Presumably, this spectacle and subsequent legal injustice was staged—complete with live television coverage in the courtroom—to instill the idea, in communities of color, that anyone involved in any sort of altercation with the police, no matter how circumstantial (save passively standing by and taking whatever brutality the police decided to dish out) would result in the loss of one's liberty and way of life.
Specifically, in this article, you'll read about the verdict, the treatment of Wanda Lise—Rivera's mother—by police, an updated time line of events on January 31st, the direction of future articles in the series, and our observations from court.
Additional Information: Oppression Continues in the Courtroom and in the Media: Tyquan Rivera's pretrial hearing | A Child in Chains: A reportback from Tyquan Rivera's pretrial hearing | Media Review of Last Month's Pretrial Hearing | Digging for Truth in the Tyquan Rivera Case | Let’s Not Retreat into Cocoons of Expedient Simplicity and Pretentiousness
Related: Demonstration Against Abuse in Erie County Jails | Rallying Against RICO | Indy TV #27: Davy V on Police Brutality and Fighting back with Video Documentary | AARM Holds Second Event on the Media and Racism | Racism and the Media Community Discussion a Success | Facts about Juvenile Injustice | Activists Against Racism Movement
Indy TV #29: Attorney for AU, Richard Katskee Discusses Greece Lawsuit over Sectarian Prayer
In this episode we talk with Richard Katskee, Assistant Legal Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, about a Greece, NY lawsuit dealing with sectarian prayer at public town meetings.
Watch Indy TV #29