November 2020 Honduras Coup, Hurricanes and Pandemic Update (tags)
Not only do Hondurans continue to suffer the repression and impoverishment of living under the JOH dictatorship for years following previous coup regimes, and suffer through the pandemic while the regime redirects resources meant for health care and public health to the pockets of politicians and big business; Hondurans are now additionally suffering from two hurricanes that have devastated them. The regime and politicians - who just a week before were visiting communities with their political campaigns - not only are largely absent in rescue, refuge and rebuilding efforts, but actively impeded Hondurans who autonomously organised to help with rescue and food, and equally impeded the entry of donations and rescue volunteers from neighbouring countries. Hurricane Eta arrived in Honduras on 4 November 2020, and Hurricane Iota followed in on 16 November 2020. Amidst the disasters, flooding, and heavy winds that ravaged the people and land and crops, political persecution did not rest in this time; hitmen made an attempt on the life of CNTC (National Confederation of Campesino Workers) treasurer of the Santa Barbara branch, only to five days later assassinate the son of an organiser of the same branch of CNTC. Also in November, ex political prisoner Raúl Alvarez was stabbed by attackers, having been released on bail in August 2019 after imprisonment for 18 months together with Edwin Espinal and towards the end with Rommel. Meanwhile, there have been some absolute heroes this month within communities in Honduras with their autonomous actions of solidarity in both rescue and sharing what they can. All this and more: https://sydneywithhonduras.wordpress.com/2021/01/13/november-2020-honduras-coup-hurricanes-and-pandemic-update/
September 2018 Honduras coup update (tags)
This September 2018 in Honduras. There has been heavy repressions against school students, students and others protesting the celebrating of 'independence' day since independence is not seen or felt, and more attacks against Rio Blanco by DESA hydroelectricity company only within a week or two from when DESA has been in court on trial for its members being assassins of indigenous activist Berta Caceres...
The death of Shaima Alawadi (tags)
The death of a Muslim woman is exposed as domestic violence, and the world is silent
Queer Democrats Demand 100% on Marriage, Choice (tags)
The predominantly Queer San Diego Democrats for Equality passed a sweeping change to its rules for endorsing or rating candidates May 24. The new rules demand that candidates seeking an endorsement or favorable rating from the club support full marriage equality for Queer couples and an eight-point agenda for protecting women's access to abortion.
April 7: Day of Action Against Human Trafficking (tags)
On April 7, 2012 the Radical Feminists of San Diego will mobilize a direct action in solidarity with 2012’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign on a local, national and global level to demand the abolition of human trafficking, the modern-day form of slavery. The event will start at noon on the southeast corner of 30th Street and El Cajon Boulevard in North Park.
UFCW Local 135 Union Stores Not Facing a Strike (tags)
Facing a strike at the three largest grocery chains in southern California ? Ralph's, Albertson's and Vons ? the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 135 prepared this list of stores in San Diego County which they represent and which will NOT be involved in the likely upcoming strike. Since at this time they have not posted this list on their own Web site, http://www.ufcw135.org, Mark Gabrish Conlan and Zenger's Newsmagazine are making it available as a public service. Please help support this action by reposting this list and spreading it far and wide on the Web, and hopefully this will give the union leadership the message that they need to join the 21st century and promote this list on their own Web site.
City Heights Human Rights Fest Draws 500 (tags)
The first annual City Heights Human Rights Festival drew over 500 people to the streets of San Diego’s most ethnically diverse neighborhood Saturday, December 11 for a march down El Cajon Boulevard and a fair in the parking lot of Hoover High School at El Cajon and 44th Street. Besides speeches by local elected officials who represent the area, including City Councilmember Todd Gloria and his former employer, Congressmember Susan Davis, the event also included musical performers, readings and a showing of a short film by the Media Arts Center, I Want My Parents … Back, dealing with immigrant rights and how border enforcement is breaking up families. The event was organized not only to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, passed by the United Nations in 1948, but to call attention to rights abuses all over the world and especially in Viet Nam. The impetus for organizing the event came from local representatives of the Viet Nam Reform Party, which exists clandestinely in Viet Nam and openly among Viet Namese immigrants in countries like ours that guarantee political freedoms. Among their demands is an end to one-party Communist rule in Viet Nam and an end to its ban on independent media.
A Different Kind of Tea: Some Tea Partiers May Support Pot Legalization (tags)
Proposition 19, which would legalize and tax marijuana in California, may have some unexpected supporters in the conservative tea party movement, reports Leo E. Laurence, associate editor of Zenger’s magazine and a former deputy sheriff who's campaigning for the measure as a member of the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (L.E.A.P.).
Two Openly Gay Councilmembers Debate Sales-Tax Increase (tags)
Rival City Councilmembers Todd Gloria and Carl DeMaio — the first two openly Gay men elected to the San Diego City Council — spoke at the Hillcrest Town Council September 14 and debated Proposition D on the November 2 ballot. This would allow the city to raise its sales tax one-half cent for five years to plug the $72 billion hole in its current budget — but only after the city implements 10 “reforms” reducing its pension obligations to workers and making it easier to privatize city jobs. But even in Gloria’s relatively liberal district, the polite but hostile response from the audience made it clear the measure will be a tough sell to city voters.
Crooked Toyota Poway El Cajon Owner Vincent Castro Fighting Workers Comp For Mold Illness (tags)
Vincent Toyota Poway El Cajon owner is involved in criminal conspiracy to limit his liability for workers sickened by mold at the Toyota dealership in El Cajon, California
Queer Pride Town-Hall Draws Small Crowd (tags)
In sharp contrast to the earlier meeting in January, a town-hall called by San Diego LGBT Pride February 22 drew only about 50 people and lasted just 45 minutes. Instead of a bitch-fest aimed at getting rid of the Pride board — whose members resigned and were replaced with respected community veterans who'd served on previous Prides — the February 22 meeting offered constructive discussion about the fate of the annual Pride parade and festival, including concerns from politically oriented Queer activists that by abolishing the annual pre-Pride rally, the former board had betrayed the true meaning of Pride.
Fernando Lopez: Marriage Equality Activist Looks to the Future (tags)
San Diego marriage equality activist Fernando Lopez discusses his own relationship history, his involvement with Marriage Equality USA, the heartbreak of the Proposition 8 defeat and his own critique of the No on 8 strategy, the current Perry v. Schwarzenegger case and his outlook for the future of same-sex marriage in the U.S. A longer version of the interview published in the February-March 2010 issue of Zenger's Newsmagazine.
Foundation for Change Focuses Grants on Immigration, Border Issues (tags)
The San Diego Foundation for Change held its holiday party December 20 and introduced a number of grant recipients as well as an overall theme to their activities this year. They’re focusing on issues relating to immigration and/or the border, doing outreach to immigrants on human rights, health care, personal autonomy (especially for women) and sexual health. They're also working on media outreach projects to improve local coverage of immigrants and teach the immigrants themselves that they shouldn't believe everything they read in the corporate media.
Obama's Medical Marijuana Rhetoric Better Than His Actions (tags)
Despite the much-ballyhooed announcements from the Obama administration that they're going to stop prosecuting medical marijuana patients and providers as long as they abide by the laws of their states, little has changed, attorney Gerald Singleton and activist Dion Markgraaf told Activist San Diego at a meeting April 20. Patients and providers are still being raided, and the Justice Department disappointed medical marijuana advocates by recommending a five-year prison sentence for former Morro Bay dispensary operator Charles Lynch despite the request by the judge in the case for some legal ground to be more lenient.
4/25: Con. Protests New Blackwater Development Near Cal-Mex Border (tags)
“Residents of San Diego County rejected Blackwater’s proposed mercenary training facility in Potrero, and I cannot imagine that San Diegans will feel any differently about Otay Mesa,” said Congressman Filner. “The use of civilian-defense contractors is irresponsible, and should be stopped immediately. Not only are they unaccountable to the Military, the State Department and Congress; they are civilians serving in combat and combat-training. Many have been wounded or have wounded others, and yet, they are not veterans; there is no safety net when they come home. It is criminal to ask civilian men and women to perform the role of the military when they lack the support necessary to return to their civilian lives. The paramilitary-style training conducted at these facilities has no place in our backyards!”
Blackwater California Bid is Withdrawn (tags)
Blackwater Worldwide dropped its plans yesterday to build a military and law enforcement training camp in East County, San Diego, ending a storm of controversy over the security contractor's presence in the county.
Blackwater pulls application for Potrero training center (tags)
Blackwater Worldwide officials have announced they are pulling their application to build a training center on an 842-acre site in the East County community of Potrero.
As Opposition to 'Blackwater West' Grows, Author of Bestseller Blackwater Tours CA (tags)
As Local Residents and Their Congressman Move to Block Plans for ‘Blackwater West’ in California, Jeremy Scahill Author of NY Times Bestseller Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army Launches Book Tour Across State April 26th – May 5th
Video of Minutemen Assault Against Friends of Day Laborers (tags)
This is the video that was given to the media at the Friends of Day Laborer press conference that was held on Saturday, February 11, 2007.
Senators' votes on earlier forced treatment bills spell trouble for AB 2357 opponents (tags)
As the final vote nears for involuntary outpatient commitment bill AB 2357 on the floor of the California Senate, state senators' votes on earlier forced treatment bills spell trouble for AB 2357 opponents. But some advocates remain hopeful that senators will be persuaded to vote "no" at the last minute, others will continue to vote "no", and the bill's course will be reversed.
¡NO MAS! A Day of Anti-Minuteman Protest (tags)
On Saturday, counterprotestors, activists and day laborers, across Southern California coordinated efforts and shut down the Minutemen's attempt at a "secret" day of national anti-immigrant rallies.
ALL OUT! Sat. A.M.--Stop Minutemen Attacks on Day Laborers (tags)
Anti-minutemen counterprotestors needed at all locations.
Lefty Hooligan Breaks it Down for Activists (tags)
You can't tell the players without a program. Lefty Hooligan, an old timer in the left scene, breaks it all down for you. This article is a few years old, but nothing much has changed, and the various organizations discussed are still around. Cults of personality tend to have long lives. Just look at Lyndon Larouche's longevity.