The whole beginning of what is mushrooming into the power of the people against the corporate machine began in Eugene Oregon on June 18th 1999. This was just a warm up for Seatle and is continuing to grow. I was there and the police were extremely violent. The tactics are now reoccurring every where. They tell you to disperse to break you apart and leave you no way out. Then they attack intimidate and use their instruments of violence. Robert was convicted for attempted murder for throwing a rock! Getting attacked scares the heck out of you and you get a defensive mode. I beg of you and everybody please dont forget Robert, he stood up for what he believed in and was used by the state as an example. Please get the word out and do a story on this and help free #1 political prisoner Robert Thaxton he believed and made a difference look at what has happened since!

eugene is a great place and all, but thinking that the whole movement started in eugene..much less, ignoring all the other political prisoners in the states and beyond, besides robert - yeah what is going on in eugene should be paid attention to, but just as much attention should be paid to the ramparts district, philadelphia, vieques, etc... - we are all in this together, folks in eugene are not the vanguard - don't get me wrong, black block is great and is having a big impact in the movement..but only when differences are broken down, and folks are able to look beyond the immediate and work with folks outside their community

just a few thoughts, and yeah get the word out about eugene and rob, but make sure you pay attention to the overall picture - eugene is not where this started or ended

one love - chuck

in case we forgot, the people with their backs against the walls in southern mexico noticed the globalization coming to a head on january 1, 1994 when ol NAFTA was implemented. Please do not forget about the people who gave their lives in that struggle and continue to struggle daily down south in villages like La Realidad, Francisco Gomez, Pahitiwitz, Zapata, etc.... December 22 will mark the anniversity of the ACTEAL massacre that happened when 45 people where brutally murdered by the para militaries of the PRI who finally lost there world's longest ruling dictatorship this year. That's right, we had the world's longest ruling dictatorship one river away from the US and a great majority of Americans, had no idea. Sure folks in Eugene pulled off some incredible things starting June 18th, but there where many struggles started before them, and there will be many to come..... Please contain the self rightous attitude, there's tooo much work to be done to let are ego's get in way of the work that has to happen.
la luche sigue.........

one other thing about the zapatista's, they didn't just start to appear on January 1st, 1994. There was twelve years of planning that went into their struggle. NAFTA just happen to be the straw that broke the camel's back. The student massacre that happened in Mexico city in the early 70's changed a lot of progressivley minded people and the way that they needed to organize in Mexico. They had no choice, we need to evaluate how privaledged we are here in the US. It feels good to see folks finally rise up and take charge in their own destiny. Lastly, there are Zapatista sympathizers lost in the jail system in Chiapas who last month and probably presently are still facing some of the most inhumane conditions in jail that anyone could face. Not that the jails in Oregon are a cake walk, but we have to be willing to suffer the consequences of our actions and hold are heads high and with dginity when the state comes down on us.....

I understand that this struggle has been going on for a long time and didnt mean what happened in Eugene was any more important. I was just reaching out for people to remember Robert Thaxton, who was used as an example by the state, like many others. I was involved in the so called Riot just comming home from work. The police were terrible This really shocked me. The next big event was WTO seatle. So Eugene is where it began for me. I dont have all the facts but I just wanted people to try to help people like Robert. I am appauled at what is going on at the hands of the state and the little media coverage it gets. I am a vet and as american as apple pie. These unconstitutional repressive actions must and will stop!