Animal Rights Advocates Demonstrate Against Shrine Circus' Cruelty to Animals
This past weekend, April 25-27, animal rights advocates from around the region (ARA-UNY) were at the Blue Cross Arena demonstrating against the Shrine Circus.
According to animal advocates, performance attendances on Friday and Saturday seemed very low. After a cop and a clown told advocates that there were no animals being used in performances, further investigation by advocates revealed the circus using "bears, horses, dogs, tigers, and more." The evidence pointed to the fact that police and clowns are very untrustworthy. It was learned that these animals were leased from "Hawthorn Corp," "who, in 2004, were brought up on animal cruelty charges by USDA, and by 2007 had turned all their elephants over to sanctuary," according to the report back.
To read Lois Baum's full report back, click the "more" button below.
Photos of Shriners or people in their employ taking photos of Animal Advocates: 1 | 2 | 3
Additional Information: Cruelty Under the "Big Top" | The Circus: it's modern slavery | List of localities that ban animal circuses | Complete list of animal-free circuses | Circuses.com: The Circus is No Place for Animal Abuse
Mail Fraud Case Against Bio-Artist Steven Kurtz Dropped
Buffalo, NY—A process that has taken nearly four years may be coming to an end. On Monday, April 21, Federal Judge Richard J. Arcara ruled to dismiss the indictment against University at Buffalo Professor of Visual Studies Dr. Steven Kurtz.
In June 2004, Professor Kurtz was charged with two counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud stemming from an exchange of $256 worth of harmless bacteria with Dr. Robert Ferrell, Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.
Dr. Kurtz planned to use the bacteria in an educational art exhibit about biotechnology with his award-winning art and theater collective, Critical Art Ensemble.
More information: Background about the case | Critical Art Ensemble Defense Fund | Strange Culture | Buffalo News: UB art professor Steven Kurtz cleared of federal charges
May Day Events/ Celebrations in Rochester
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On May 1st, International workers day, people will be celebrating and furthering resistance to capitalism all over the world. In Rochester on May 1st, there will be a May Day Rally for Workers and Immigrants rights organized by the Rochester Alliance for Immigrants rights. Immediately following the Rally, at 6pm, there will be a people’s potluck gathering over in Manhattan Square Park (corner of Chestnut and Court Streets). There will be an open mic set up for political speeches, poetry, music or what ever act you can think of that celebrates the gains of workers, and resistance to capitalism, there will also be a game of Capture the flag and/or soccer. Please Bring a dish or drink to pass.
Rochester IMC Logo Design Contest
Rochester IMC needs a logo design to use on stickers, posters, flyers, coffee mugs, lawn ornaments, etc. etc. If you have graphical design experience, we need your help!
We're taking submissions over the next 4 weeks or so. In addition to the satisfaction of seeing your logo all over the coolest bikes in Rochester, the winner will receive an RIMC video collection, including footage from our recent interview with Naomi Klein in Toronto.
Please send submissions to ben@rocus.org — any image format is fine. Submissions must be sent by Saturday, June 7th. If you want to help decide on the logo, come to our meeting at the Anti-War storefront Thursday the 12th.
Lawsuit in Greece over Sectarian Prayer in Town Board Meetings
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The question of separation of church and state has come to the Rochester area. A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of two Greece residents by the Americans United For Separation of Church and State against the Town of Greece and its Supervisor, John Auberger, because of the practice of having sectarian prayer as part of the town board meetings. Before the lawsuit was filed, the two Greece residents met with town officials, spoke out at town board meetings and had the Americans United write a letter urging the town to stop praying before town board meetings or choose non sectarian prayers. The Town, however, refused to alter their prayer practice.
Peace Walk to Fort Drum, NY in May 8-17
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From May 8th to May 17th, 2008, New York citizens will be marching across the state to bring support to our active duty soldiers and Iraq Veterans Against the War. This march will be an act to rebirth our civic duty and responsibility to defend our Constitution and strengthen our resolve to stop the damage this unjust, illegal, and immoral war is doing to our families, communities, the world and most of all, soldiers.
Join with Veterans, teachers, students, laborers, farmers, children, young and old to call for an end to war, specifically the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As the United States begins the sixth year of the war on Iraq,
• Over 4,000 U.S. soldiers have been killed and more than 60,000 wounded
• Over 1 million Iraqis have been killed
• It is estimated up to 4 million Iraqis have been made refugees.
The United States spends $275 million per day
on this war.
Support the work of the Different Drummer Café, veterans, and active duty soldiers who are courageously standing up to say this war must end.
In this election year, vote with your lives, vote with your feet, as well as the ballot.
Walkers will be hosted each night by communities en route and will have many outreach opportunities.
This Saturday; Come to Bulk Up Fest: A benefit for Food Not Bombs and Rochester Indymedia..
When: Saturday, April 12; doors open at 5:30pm, bands start at 6pm
Where: Rochester Contemporary Art Center located at 137 East Avenue
How much? $5-$10+ suggested donation
Free Food, Live Music, Art Auction, Raffle
Bands:
Straight, No Chaser
Science vs. Witchcraft
The Bear
Sam Weir
Fewn
Jax Deluca
Tim Avery
And Other Special Guests!
There is an extensive collection of prize items for the Raffle from local business and supporters; you could win 8 weeks of free yoga classes, or gift certificates to New Health Cafe, Javas, Boulder Coffee Co., Record Archive, and Towners Bike shop just to name a few possibilities.
Food Not Bombs: Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to nonviolent social change. Food Not Bombs has no formal leaders and strives to include everyone in its decision making process. Each group recovers food that would otherwise be thrown out and makes fresh hot vegetarian meals that are served in outside in public spaces to anyone without restriction. Each independent group also serves free vegetarian meals at protests and other events.
Indymedia: The Independent Media Center is a network of collectively run media outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth. We work out of a love and inspiration for people who continue to work for a better world, despite corporate media's distortions and unwillingness to cover the efforts to free humanity.
Declaration of Peace Challenges Local Media to Report on Winter Soldier
The weather Wednesday morning on March 19th was cold, rainy and generally terrible, but that didn't stop activists from remembering the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War bright and early. Members of Declaration of Peace Rochester gathered at 9am outside of the Gannett Building, home to the D&C, to express their disappointment at their coverage of the war, especially the lack of reporting on Winter Solider.
Istanbul Indymedia Blocked Inside Turkey
Istanbul Indymedia is currently being blocked inside Turkey by it's Internet service Provider because an order from the Turkish govenment. The block began on Wednesday, March 26th. Indymedia is currently working to circumvent the banning, and already has several alternate ways to access the site.
Istanbul Indymedia reports:
In the first hours of the ban, there was a message on the blocking page which read: “The access to the site has been banned by ‘Telecommunication Communication Presidency' due to court decree of Gaziantep, Araban Criminal Court, dated 21/03/2008 with no: 2008/418-171â€. Whereupon three lawyers from the city center of Gaziantep, moved to Araban district to get the decree of the court, found out that the court had no decree for that number or about the ban of Ä°stanbul Indymedia . After the lawyers went away from Araban to Gaziantep, our site had been unbanned for a while. After a short period, Ä°stanbul Indymedia was banned again, and there was a different message on the ban page which read: “The access to the site has been banned by ‘Telecommunication Communication Presidency' due to court decree of General Staff Presidency Military Court, dated 21/03/2008 with no: 2008/418-171â€. Although the dates and the decree number were the same, Gaziantep, Araban Criminal Court was replaced with General Staff Presidency Military Court. The access to the site is still banned by Turkish Telecommunication Company's DNS servers.
There is an attempt to silence Indymedia in Turkey, but it's only an attempt. The prosecutors of Turkish Republic have not yet learned that censorship in internet is technically impossible. Indymedia continues its broadcasting. You may access to Indymedia by various ways. Some of them are:
- http://istanbul.bbm.indymedia.org address
- Access through http://anonymouse.org/anonwww.html
- By changing the DNS keys of your network connection.
More info:
Initial announcement
Update from Indymedia Istanbul
Wiki page to collect information on the block
Arrests at Rochester Antiwar Demonstration
Seven activists arrested in the street after anti-war march downtown.
A crowd of a few hundred gathered at the liberty pole this evening to commemorate five years of war in Iraq. After listening to speakers, people marched down East Ave, staying mainly on sidewalks with police escorts, ending up outside the IRS building across from the Little Theater. A group of six took action, dragging a flag-draped coffin into the middle of the street, kneeling to pray over it.
Photos: Rochester Against War Gallery | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
Jail Account: My Short Time in Jail
Update! Activists released
Don't forget about the next Rochester Against War meeting this Saturday, March 29th. The topics of discussion will include an assessment of the March 19th rally and march as well as a discussion about civil disobedience and direct action.