Direct Action / Civil Disobedience

Today, December 20, 2014, the City of Rochester, NY destroyed Sanctuary Village. This was the last stop for people with no place to go. Tents, sleeping bags, tarps, and, personal items were bulldozed into a dumpster. No city official present, including the RPD, would take responsibility for this atrocity, five days before Christmas.

Take Back The Land and allies gathered at Joseph Martinez's home on Alameda St., on December 9th, 2014, demanding that Wells Fargo call off its eviction order. The marshal and the movers failed to appear. At the end of the day, Wells Fargo agreed to negotiate. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

White Coats for Black Lives actions at over 70 Med Schools & Hospitals today, December 10, 2014. University of Rochester Medical School was no exception. This afternoon over 70 students participated in a die-in. ‪#‎WhiteCoats4BlackLives‬ ‪#‎BlackLivesMatter‬ ‪#‎RochesterIndymedia‬ ‪#‎DieIn‬ ‪#‎UniversityofRochester‬

On December 4th, an emergency rally and snake march in response to the non-indictment of Eric Garner's killer, officer Daniel Pantaleo was called for by B.L.A.C.K. (Building Leadership And Community Knowledge). The rally started at Genesee St. and Brooks Ave. at 2pm. From there, the march went down Genesee, cut over to Jefferson, and went up to Main St., where a die-in occurred in the middle of the intersection. After that, demonstrators continued in the street down Main in an eastbound direction eventually rallying at city hall before dispersing.

(PHOTO:  Angela A.

On April 29, 2014, Rochester Indymedia journalist Ted Forsyth and a few other witnesses testified in a court case in Dewitt--just outside of Syracuse--on behalf of John Amidon. Specifically, Amidon was arrested for attempted trespass and wearing a mask (the grim reaper) at an anti-drone demonstration last May. John got up on a barricade and was hauled off of it by Officer Brad Baker. The prosecution claimed Amidon was a potentially violent protester who was jumping the barricade in order to get others to follow. John got on the barricade to do a little dance for the crowd. Forsyth took video of his arrest and Amidon's being hauled off the barricade. The video was used in the trial multiple times.

On April 30th, the next morning, Kathy Manley--Amidon's attorney--sent this email:

"Hi Ted - If you haven't heard yet, we won on both charges. The victory may well not have happened without your video - it was really instrumental - we watched it probably 6 times during the trial and then the judge watched it again while he was deliberating. Without that the judge would likely have believed the cop claiming it looked like John was trying to/ about to cross the barrier.

"You were a great witness. Perhaps you shouldn't have been so sure about how many officers pulled him off them wall but it was an easy mistake to make, and no big deal. Thanks SO MUCH! - Kathy"

In more recent news, Judy Bello reports that, "Mary Anne Grady Flores was sentenced this evening after being convicted of Contempt of Court for violating the Order of Protection taken out by Col. Evans to keep her (and the rest of us- there are 50 outstanding) away from Hancock Base where the Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars has been protesting for the last several years. She was sentenced to 1 year in Jail and a $1000 fine for walking in the road in front of the base during a demonstration despite the fact that she came as an observer and was just taking pictures. She was sent to jail immediately despite the fact that her attorney, Lance Salisbury, has made a request for a stay which will be reviewed next week."

This is a video of a talk titled "Everyday Revolutions" that took place at this year's Left Forum. Speakers included Leina Bocar, Dario Azzellini, Diego Ibañez, &
Marina Sitrin. The talk happened on May 31, 2014.

Millions of people around the globe have been organizing alternative value systems and social relationships to those of capitalism -- revolutionary alternatives -- still within capitalism, but against it -- aiming to overcome it. These alternatives are part of a process of creating everyday revolutions -- beginning to prefigure our desired future while still in the present. These everyday revolutions are one part of a larger anti-capitalist movement. In this panel we will discuss what some of these everyday revolutions look like, as defined by people in movement around the world. The discussion will range from the examples of recuperated workplaces, from Latin America to Europe; the new global movements and the focus on creating horizontal social relationships and the day to day organizing in Brooklyn for housing and self organization. There is no blueprint or academic framework that once met means revolution has been achieved, but rather we see it as an ongoing and changing process in which everyday revolutions is a key element.

Please repost far and wide.

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