IndyMedia

A comprehensive view of censored and under-reported realities from the battle zone, front lines and the global scene

In this report:
- Israeli navy attacks humanitarian aid ship from Cyprus to Gaza; ship rammed and fired upon.
- Overview of the global protests against the Israeli attacks on Palestine.
- Summary of the military situation, including views of the Resistance and civil society.
- Gaza has run out of medicines; How you can help with humanitarian aid.
- Legal and Diplomatic developments.

As hundreds of thousands of people all over the globe are protesting the US-armed and funded Israeli acts of war and zionist genocide against the Palestinian population of Gaza, the slaughter continues with more bombings, siege and a blockade, plus a threatened ground war.

~ Israeli Navy Attacks Civilian Mercy Ship ~

The Free Gaza Movement issued this statement on the fate of its humanitarian ship, The Dignity, that was subjected to live fire from Israeli ships and then rammed. Three hours ago this statement was issued by the organization:
"(Larnaca, Cyprus, 10:00 am) On Tuesday, December 30, at 5 a.m., several Israeli gunboats intercepted the Dignity as she was heading on a mission of mercy to Gaza. One gunboat rammed into the boat on the port bow side, heavily damaging her. The report from the passengers and journalists on board is that she is taking on water and appears to have engine problems. When attacked, the Dignity was clearly in international waters, 90 miles off the coast of Gaza.

The Palestinian Resistance has issued a general call for an all out response to the Israeli massacre of Gaza - military, political and diplomatic action is already underway. Popular mobilizations in solidarity with the Palestinian people are sprouting up everywhere, both organized and spontaneous: within Israel itself, and in every country of the world, communities are mobilizing for demonstrations and other solidarity actions.

War in Gaza: while Israel and Hamas fight over who has bigger and longer, killing and hurting hundreds in Gaza and dozens in Israel, a recent public poll showed 46% Israelies oppose the strike on Gaza. Now they go to the streets: emergency public meeting and protest march against the war - today (27.12.2008), 6PM, Tel Aviv.

International solidarity actions link his struggle to that of all political prisoners

On Friday, Dec. 19, 2008, death-row journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal filed his appeal to the US Supreme Court, asking it to consider his case for a new guilt-phase trial. One month before, the Philadelphia DA filed its separate appeal to the court asking to have Abu-Jamal executed without a new sentencing-phase trial. Both are appealing the March 27, 2008 rulings by the US Third Circuit Court.

At this critical stage in Abu-Jamal's case, supporters organized a week of global solidarity actions that began on December 6, the day of the main protest in Philadelphia.

On Saturday 6th of December at around 10pm, two Greek policemen were in patrol in a central street by Exarchia square, in the center of Athens. They had a verbal argument with some young people who were there. During the argument, one of the cops pulled his gun and shot a 16-year-old guy twice. The victim was moved to Evangelismos Hospital to be found dead. According to eye-witnesses, the cop had been swearing against the young man, showing his genitals, before shooting him.

Runners from the Northern and Southern routes of the Peace and Dignity Journey, a sacred journey starting in Tierra del Fuego and Alaska and traveling on foot thousands of kilometers through hundreds of indigenous communities, met Friday on a bridge crossing the Panama Canal in the Kuna Nation.

The goals of the journey, which has taken place every four years (starting in 1992), include strengthening and sharing indigenous culture, bringing peace to all Nations, and uniting indigenous peoples -- thereby fulfilling the Prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor. This year's run honored indigenous Sacred Sites, many of which are threatened by resource extraction or development.

San Diego contributed five runners, Gaby and Oscar (Southern route) and Ymoat, Arturo and Abel (Northern route), who used blog posts, video, audio and photos to document the traditions and struggles of the communities through which they passed, as well as their own experiences on the journey, from an indigenous perspective. Peace and Dignity Journeys Links: Media and Runners' Blog || Abel's Blog || Main Website || Myspace

"As economies crumble around the globe, states are becoming increasingly repressive, especially against those who are its political opponents and resisters. This isn't a regional observation, but a global one. That tendency is seen in the prosecution and unjust sentencing of men and women from Atenco, Mexico." Audio, Video & Photos | Audio Download

For more, visit the Atenco 13 website. Watch the video about The Atenco 13, "Romper el Cerco" (Breaking the Siege), viewable in parts at Salón Chingón. Also watch Manu Chao's visit to Atenco.

RELATED: View photos from the April 19, 2008 solidarity protest for Mumia, outside the US Embassy here. | | Dec. 6 Intl. Day of Action for Mumia | | Statement from San Romero de Las Américas Church | | FreeMumia.com

Celebrations over the historic election of the first black president have been interspersed with emotional protests against a series of bans on bay marriage, and calls to remember the bigger picture.

In California, voters approved a proposition by 52.5 percent to amend the state constitution to ban same sex marriage. Similar bills also passed in Arizona and Florida.

"I haven't seen so many Americans smiling - in the street, on the bus, at the stores, in school, even smiling at work so early in the morning - not since the seventies".

"Homemade fireworks broke out all over the neighborhood last night, just as the news were reporting the final vote counts", said TT., a New York born Hellene Cypriot of the Diaspora, presently in Oregon.

A moral victory - if not a social~political victory - is beginning to dawn within the awareness and the self-perception of Americans this morning: that tens of millions of "white" Americans actually voted for a Black presidential candidate, an African American who during the campaign was accused of everything from being a secret Al Qaida supporter, a "secret Jew", a crypto-terrorist, and even a Socialist (heaven forbid). And that the millions of socially disenfranchised African Americans, in alliance with all of the ethnic, religious and cultural "minorities", all of whom together plus progressive Euro-Americans constitute the real majority of the US, can be empowered through unity, organization, common mobilizations and campaigns.

All of a sudden, the mood of the people and the joyous feeling of a symbolic multi-racial unity, even despite the fact that Obama has clearly shown that as Head of State he will be the best servant of the Corporate Empire's ruling class, makes the previously unthinkable perhaps possible:
that America might regain its moral compass, that the people might actually begin to recreate their social reality.

Well, the world needs that new social reality - desperately. In this last decade, the US Government and its global Corporate Empire have driven the globe closer to the precipice of catastrophe than ever before. Millions of people put to the slaughter and the planet's ecology turned to ruin are testimony enough. If social and political changes are going to help the world turn again to Peace and Justice, the people of the United States are going to have to start making fundamental and effective changes well beyond electoral and symbolic gestures. But those are important, too, and they are welcome.

Here's what our correspondent reports from the US:

Election Night, USA
Special to Cyprus IndyMedia, by Mitchel Cohen
November 5, 2008

Third Ship Breaks the Gaza Blockade
Israeli Gunboats Open Fire on Palestinian Fishing Boats

LARNACA, Cyprus, Oct. 29 - The Free Gaza Movement is delighted to announce that our third boat, the Dignity, carrying 27 crew and passengers, arrived in Gaza at 8:10 Gaza time, in spite of Israeli threats to stop them. In the pouring rain, the boat pulled into port amid cheers from the people of Gaza and tears from the passengers.

David Schermerhorn, a crew member called an hour before the boat entered Gazan waters to say, "There is a rainbow stretching across the Mediterranean from where we are right now."

HEMPSTEAD, NY — Ten members of the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), a group of military veterans who are calling for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, were arrested along with at least five civilians outside the final presidential debate at Hofstra University on Wednesday, October 15. The group had been trying to get answers for their questions from the candidates. "Neither of the candidates has shown real support for service members and veterans," said Jason Lemieux, a former Sergeant in the US Marine Corps who served three tours in Iraq, and member of IVAW.

The veterans and their supporters were met by riot police as well as police on horseback. After a tense standoff for five minutes, police used their horses to attack the crowd, knocking over and trampling several — including Army Sergeant Nick Morgan (pictured), who suffered a broken cheekbone.

After a successful initial breaking of Israel's siege on Gaza on August 24th when the Free Gaza Movement's boats, "Liberty" and "Free Gaza", both reached their destination greeted by thousand of welcomers in Gaza the struggle continues to open all borders as promised.

While the boats returned to Cyprus August 29th carrying a number of Palestinians out of Gaza a few activists stayed and continue to support Palestinians who are breaking the siege by land and sea. In the Northern Strip at Erez checkpoint activists joined a 64 years old Palestinian woman in her courageous attempts to cross into Israel in order to receive emergency medical attention preventing impending paralysis; she is now receiving treatment in Jerusalem. In the south, a demonstration was held in Rafah to replant olive trees uprooted by the Israeli military.

Most of the efforts focus on the waters as activists join Gaza's fishermen on a daily basis in their struggle to fish for a living while Israel's military attempts to keep them on the shores using arrests, bullets and other explosives, along with boat destruction. On September 17th, Vittorio Arrigoni, an Italian Human Rights worker was injured when shards of glass broke off of the boat he was accompanying by the Israeli Navy's water canon. "I have 10 stitches in my back", he says, "but by Friday or Saturday I'll be back at sea".

The Republican National Convention (RNC) wrapped up Thursday, September 4, with a sharp escalation in brutal arrests outside the Xcel Center in St. Paul, MN — and a still small voice of resistance inside. After being denied access to convention delegates, at least one member of the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) and two members of Code Pink were able to sneak into the Convention Center and disrupt Presidential Candidate John McCain's acceptance speech with an anti-war message.

Demonstrations and protests were held around the world on August 30th for the global day of action to 'Drop the Charges' against the 20 people arrested in the nationwide State Terror Raids of 15 October 2007 in Aotearoa / New Zealand. The deposition hearing (i.e. the pre-trial) starts in the Auckland District Court on Monday, 1 September 2008. [ Report | Photos ]

On Monday, October 15th 2007, more than 300 police carried out dawn raids on dozens of houses all over Aotearoa / New Zealand. Police claim the raids were in response to 'concrete terrorist threats' from indigenous activists. The reality, however, included heavily armed police terrorising an entire township. To date, no evidence of the so-called terrorist plot has been revealed.

Police arrested 17 indigenous, anarchist, environmental and anti-war activists, including people from T¨±hoe, Te Atiawa, Maniapoto, Ng¨¡ Puhi and Pakeha. Police wanted to charge 12 people under the Terrorism Suppression Act (TSA), however the Solicitor-General denied the police permission to proceed. After four weeks in jail everyone was released on bail. On Tuesday, February 19th 2008, police raided further properties, arresting 3 more men. All were released on bail with strict conditions that same day. A woman was arrested on Thursday April 17th, 2008, and also faces charges under the Arms Act.

Links: October 15th Solidarity | Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe | AoCafe | Civil Rights Defence | Te Kotahi a Tuhoe | T¨±hoe: History of resistance | Tu Kotahi - Freedom Fighting Anthems

“We demand security against kidnapping, too!”

On Tueday August 26, demonstrators accompanied lawyers presenting an appeal against the new sentences handed down last week in the Atenco case without one piece of solid evidence against anyone. Judge Alberto Cervantes, who admitted that the determination of the sentences "came from higher up" has suddenly been replaced. At the same time, there's a buildup in the harrasment of the prisoner support camp outside Molino de Flores prison. The Peoples' Front in Defense of the Land has announced a series of actions.

Former Boston Indymedia journalist and media activist, Bryan Conley, founder of grassroots media videoblog Alive in Baghdad, is one of six US citizens detained in China for covering actions of Students for Free Tibet during the Olympics. The other five pro-Tibet activists are Jeffrey Rae, Jeff Goldin, Michael Liss, Tom Grant, and James Powderly. On August 21, the Chinese government handed them and four other European activists a 10-day detention sentence.

Related: Statement by Eowyn Rieke, wife of Brian Conley | Interview with Eowyng Reike | Free Tibet 2008

Iceland has a reputation for clean energy, and is usually the textbook example of clean, green geothermal energy. But recently, aluminium corporations ALCOA, RioTinto-Alcan and Century Aluminium are pushing for large scale, intensive geothermal development to power new smelters on the subartic island, destroying large tracts of silent, empty, undeveloped wilderness. And this is not enough. If all the heavy industry plans are executed, all major glacial rivers would also be dammed.

As the UK Camp for Climate Action 2008 managed to breach the security fences at Kingsnorth Power Station, despite a huge police presence, activists across the world are setting up similar camps and convergences to build resistance to the ever demanding fossil fuel industry and more importantly, to tackle the root causes of climate change, through direct action.

The Climate Camp in the UK took place in Kent this year, near Kingsnorth power station. Its owners (German owned EON) want to expand the plant and this would mean the first new coal fired power station in the UK for over 30 years. A site was occupied about a mile from the power station and although the police illegally confiscated a lot of essential materials for the camp (and raided it twice) they didn't manage to stop up to 2,000 from taking direct action against the development. People from across Europe and beyond joined the camp and took part in blockades, bannerdrops and pickets across the South East region. During the main day of action on 9th August, activists managed to breach both security fences at the power plant in an effort of olympic proportions which saw the plant besieged by land, sea and air.

Coverage of the UK camp: Indymedia UK | Full UK Climate Camp 2008 Coverage | Climate Camp Radio | Vision On TV daily news shows | the very latest: UK Climate Camp timeline

Climate Camps: UK | Belgium | Germany | Quebec | Australia | New Zealand | Climate Convergence US | Climate Convergence South East | Climate Convergence North East | Climate Convergence West

Collected features: Climate Camp: Kingsnorth Power Station Breached | Climate Camp: How The Police Radicalized An Entire Generation | Climate Camp: Down With the Eastside | Climate Camp Day 6: Action Spreads Across South East | Heathrow to Kingsnorth Climate Caravan 2008 | Climate Camp: Site Taken | Carry on Camping | Vandaag: Bestorming E.ON-kolencentrale UK (Nederlands) | Eco-activistas tomaron planta de carbon en Kingsnorth (Español)

For almost 4 months residents of Ni'ilin Village in the occupied West Bank, along with their Israeli and international supporters, have been trying to defend their lands through grassroots popular resistance, which includes almost daily demonstrations, attempts to block bulldozers and clashes. After losing much of its land in 1948 and due to the massive construction of settlements on its lands since 1967, Ni'ilin is now left with merely 7,000 dunams (1,700 acres).

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a narrow escape from justice, with the assistance of the New Zealand Police, in Auckland on Saturday 26 July. The police can now consider themselves accessories to war crimes. Rice met with government leaders in Auckland but was chased by 150 protesters spurred on by a bounty of $10,000. They called for her arrest, under the Geneva Convention, for war crimes and for her role in authorising the use of torture.

Photos: [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ]
Links: Condi Must Go | Our World is Not For Sale | Uriohau: Haere Atu Condoleezza | TV3 Video Coverage
Rice Bounty: AUSA offers $5000 for citizen's arrest of Rice | AUSA to lodge police complaint over Rice visit | AUSA: Further Development Regarding Citizen's Arrest | VUWSA Doubles Bounty On Condy's Head