[Onthebarricades] On the Barricades part 3

Mon Apr 4 04:20:16 PDT 2005

SNC-Lavalin Declares War on Homes not Bombs!

Report from Matthew Behrens of Homes not Bombs

Dozens of Police, Mounted Units, Police Wagons Greet Toronto Vigil of 10 People Protesting Production of Canadian Bullets for U.S. Forces in Iraq, Afghanistan.... (Photos http://johnb.smugmug.com/gallery/446372)

TORONTO, MARCH 21, 2005 -- All the 10 or so members of Homes not Bombs wanted to do today was have a dialogue on ending SNC-Lavalin's participation in the war crimes being committed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

SNC-Lavalin profits handily from its Quebec-based SNC-TEC subsidiary, which is providing hundreds of millions of bullets to U.S. occupation forces across the globe.

But SNC-Lavalin management would have none of it, preferring to treat Homes not Bombs as a security threat.  In their largest display of force yet, some three dozen Metro Police, eight wearing riot visors and riding horses -- backed up with two police wagons ready to cart folks away

-- were on hand early today at the Etobicoke offices of the firm, which has been the site of two prior, peaceful protests.

All this for a group of ten people with placards and flyers calling for an end to the profits being made from war crimes. And just to make sure we got the point, police immediately accosted the small group as we walked towards the western driveway to the offices. The officer in charge told us that the company had pre-issued trespass notices against us "that would be enforced," and another officer took it upon himself to single out one demonstrator, grabbing him by the arm, without explanation, and  proceeding to shove him around. The officer then threatened to attack another demonstrator for standing on the sidewalk.

"Move, how many times do I have to tell you, you're blocking the driveway!" he thundered at her.

She reminded him that his police cars were in fact blocking the driveway and that she was simply standing on the sidewalk. Despite his repeated thundering at her, she stood her ground, staring him down until he backed off.

Indeed, police cars blocked both entrances, and a row of squad cars was lined up at the front entrance to the building, perhaps to prevent a repeat of the scene on Martin Luther King Day, when a group of about 50 people, including some recently returned from first-hand witnessing in Iraq,  had paraded around the grounds and a smaller group of about 10 had tried to enter the building for a dialogue. That day, police had seemed unprepared, and made no arrests.

Why was there such a display of force today? Were the police simply embarrassed by their lack of preparation last time out (only to be made even more embarrassed with today's show of firepower for the small vigil)?

Or has the campaign to get SNC-Lavalin to divest itself of its bulletmaker or, better yet, transform itself into something socially useful, begun to have an effect inside corporate boardrooms?

Bullet production certainly has been cause for a great deal of dialogue inside the building, according to employees who ventured out for lunch and discussed the issue with the demonstrators.

And if SNC-Lavalin was trying to deflect attention away from itself because of its unsavoury practices, this was certainly not the way to do it.The huge police presence also meant many passersby slowed down to see what was going on and, having found out, honked enthusiastically their support for our vigil.

While some employees refused to look at us, others nodded in silent support, and a few were vocal in their words of encouragement. Some said they were unaware there was to be a protest, so there was concern when police on horseback started circling the building this morning. Once that occurred, the company did much of the work for us, by explaining once again in an internal email that SNC's profiting from bullets was the cause of our demo.

Some employees stood out on the front porch for a short time while we called out to them to have a dialogue on divestment, but apparently a senior manager ordered them back inside. It is that kind of treatment--not even allowing employees the right on their break to speak with us--that has contributed to a certain amount of discomfort within the company.

Indeed, one employee told us of a personal decision to give notice in a few weeks time, declaring that the bullet contract was one more reason to leave the company, in addition to concerns about what the individual described as shoddy environmental practices by the firm in its engineering and mining projects and poor treatment of employees.

As we left the armed encampment that was SNC-Lavalin this afternoon, we vowed to return, to once again expose the lie that Canada is not involved in the crimes taking place in Iraq, and to challenge a complacent population which seems to have bought that lie in much the same way as many have swallowed the line that Paul Martin's announcement on star wars means Canada is not involved in space warfare (when in fact it is official Canadian government policy to view space as the fourth medium of warfare).

Stay tuned. Better yet, if you are one of those people who has enough money to have investments, make sure none of your money is going to SNC-Lavalin. If it is, divestment provides a perfect way to express your displeasure at their profiting from war crimes.

New York City Marches Against The War:

Harlem The Heart Of The Action;

Slimy UFPJ Leaders Refuse To Endorse March Focused On People Of Color

27 Mar 2005 From: New York City Labor Against The War

Subject: 3.19: New York City Labor Against The War Report on NYC Demo

On March 19, 15,000 antiwar protesters stretched for 15 blocks as they marched from Harlem to Central Park in New York City.

In New York City, it was the largest antiwar protest since March 20, 2004, when 100,000 turned out on the first anniversary of the invasion of Iraq; much of the antiwar movement subsequently collapsed into support for pro-war presidential candidate John Kerry.

The demonstration successfully defeated the city's policy of denying permits for antiwar protests in Central Park and on Fifth Avenue.

But the March 19 demonstration, organized by the Troops Out Now Coalition, was most notable as the first large antiwar march to emerge from Harlem, and for its strong representation of African Americans, Latinos, Arabs, Muslims and Asians -- many of them immigrants -- from communities most directly impacted by the war, both abroad and at home.

The protest began with a rally at Marcus Garvey Park.  It rallied again at the military recruitment station on 125 Street, traveled through Central and East Harlem, and ended with a main rally in Central Park's East Meadow. 

Afterwards, thousands marched through the wealthy Upper Eastside to deliver the same message to the home of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The Troops Out Now Coalition was initiated last fall by the International Action Center, and by trade unionists and community activists of color of the Million Worker March.

These include Brenda Stokely, president of AFSCME DC 1707, co-convener of New York City Labor Against the War, and co-chair of the Million Worker March; Nellie Bailey, of the Harlem Tenants Council; Christopher Silvera, chair of the Teamsters Black Caucus, and secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 808; TWU Local 100 activists Charles Jenkins and Richard McKnight; Una Muzak, owner of Liberation Bookstore in Harlem; and Gil Banks, cofounder of Harlem Fight Back.

Labor endorsements and contingents came from AFSCME DC 1707 Local 205; AFSCME DC 37 Locals 375, 1930 and 262; AFM Local 1000; Association of Mexican American Workers; Black Telephone Workers for Justice; Coalition of Black Trade Unionists-NY; Guyanese-American Workers United; National Writers Union/UAW Local 1981; Educators Against the War; Postal Workers Against the War; Transit Workers Against the War; New Jersey Labor Against the War, 1199ers for Peace and Justice; NY Taxi Workers Alliance; and Troy Area Labor Council.

At the rally, NYCLAW co-convener Brenda Stokely told marchers that: "It is very important that the demonstration began in Harlem.  Not only because the people of Harlem, and especially its young people, have had rain on them the costs of militarism, war and racism.  Harlem is also important as a symbol of resistance.  Every nationality in New York was represented in the march from Marcus Garvey Park to Central Park."

Also participating in the protest were many activists affiliated with United for Peace and Justice.

UFPJ's leadership, however, rejected repeated invitations to cosponsor, endorse or publicize the event.  [If only John Kerry had decided to come these "leaders" might have changed their minds.  As he was calling for more troops in Iraq and the destruction of Falluja in the election campaign, too many of them were busy kissing his ass as their perverted notion of a "peace" candidate.]

BOSTON
Like many others across the world, on March 20 - a global day of action--thousands of Bostonians gathered on the Boston Common to protest the continuing US occupation of Iraq. The crowd size was large enough to make it difficult to estimate, with figures running between two and five thousand. Local activists, veterans of the invasion and occupation of Iraq and those with loved ones in the military spoke out powerfully against the war, mixed with a multicultural cast of musicians. The plan had been to close the rally
with direct action, blockading the entrance to a near-by military recruiting station. In response, the military recruiting station simply never opened for the day. Instead, the final speaker, Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner, urged everyone still at the rally (a couple hundred people -- the rally ran far over time) to join an unpermitted march originally planned by a group of young anarchists. The march snaked through the
streets of downtown Boston before returning to Boston Common. There, some of the police began unprovoked attacks on activists, shoving people to the ground and arresting five. A stand-off ensued, with the police eventually pulling back. Plans are underway to
support those arrested in court. I got to the Common around 12:30, a half-hour before
the rally was scheduled to happen, to see what was going on with the group of young anarchists who had called for an unpermitted march at 12:30. One of them, Cameron Pond, explained, why they were not planning to go the large rally: "I would rather take
to the streets. People won't take us as seriously if we don't take direct action. We can't keep waiting for the right moment - nothing will happen. The right moment is now. We have to forcibly take our victory, by being out there and being loud." He also, however, expressed a wish for greater unity among the various factions of the left: "'Personally, I would rather have the rally and the march combined...The conservatives have unity in their bloc, while we have disunity on our side."' There were also two small groups of
counter-protesters, at most a half-dozen each. One group consisted of young Republicans, another of young, openly avowed fascists, dressed up like jack-booted thugs. They were kept at the margins of the rally. Most of the speakers were strong though. The first speaker was Shalom Keller, a twenty-three year-old veteran who spent six months in Afghanistan and a year in Iraq, participating in the initial invasion. What he saw and experienced turned him against the war. Anguish and rage in his voice, he recalled how, during the invasion of Iraq, "'I saw a four year old girl begging for food. I was told
not give her any bread, because others would come after us to feed her. Well, it's two years later and no one's come to feed her yet!"' He also said, "'People I know personally are dead!"' naming those in his unit who have died in this senseless war. Finally, he decried those in the military who have justified the war on Christian fundamentalist grounds as a crusade for Christ. Removing his hat to reveal a yarmulke, Keller shouted, "'Do I look like I'm fighting a crusade for Christ here?! I'm kind of Jewish."' Rose Gonzalez, of Military Families Speak Out, told the gathered crowd about her mother: "'Like many others, she joined the National Guard, thinking that they would help her by paying for an education and a mortgage for a house. Currently, at forty-seven years old, she is deployed in Iraq--deployed long after he have found no weapons of mass destruction, long after it's been proved there is no connection between bin Laden and Hussein, long after Hussein has been captured, long after we were promised
the war would be over. Why is she still there?"' Near the Bandstand was a wall with the names of photos of US soldiers who have died in Iraq, reinforcing the speakers' message about the war's grim toll. According to the Department of Defense's website, 1,509 American soldiers have died in the invasion and occupation of Iraq and 5,871 have been seriously wounded. Renowned radical historian Howard Zinn put the current peace
movement's efforts in historical perspective, while lambasting the Bush administration's claims that this is a war for democracy: "'When Vietnam Veterans Against the War was formed, that was an important turning point in the struggle against the Vietnam War. Now that veterans are returning and speaking out against the Iraq War, more and more people are seeing the truth. Bush has stolen the wealth of this country and put into the war. Bush has said that the soldiers are fighting for liberty. That is not true. They are fighting for Bush, for Cheney, for Halliburton, and for Bechtel--and they are not worth dying for. You don't bring liberty to a country with napalm and cluster bombs. You don't bring democracy by breaking into houses and terrorizing civilians. Bush has said this is a war on terrorism. War is terrorism." The final speaker, City Councilor Turner, a respected, long-time civil rights activist and African-American community organizer, highlighted the connection between poverty and war: "Our government is not acting in the interests of our people. It's not just what's happening overseas. It's taking place in our communities as well. They're taking money and giving it to the military-industrial-prison complex to protect American business, while cutting social services at home." Several times in his speech, he urged people to join the unpermitted march after the rally. Unfortunately, the rally had stretched well beyond its schedule end time of 3:00 to 4:20, so only a few hundred people remained. Most of these people proceeded to march, resulting in higher numbers than the anarchist youth could have gotten on their own. The gathering stopped briefly in front of the military recruiting center to celebrate the fact that it had shut down for the day in anticipation of the direct action, while an activist marching band played. Turner and the anarchists then proceeded to lead the group on a march through downtown Boston, snaking along various streets, including through the shopping district of Downtown Crossing, where hundred of people saw and heard the anti-war banners and chants. Some people simply looked on in puzzlement, a few flipped us off, while others made V-signs or honked in support (including a few folks trapped in the traffic by the march). It was refreshing to see such a disparate group of progressive activists--in terms of race, generation and political beliefs--working together in a fairly militant action. The original plan had been for the march to go from the Common to Harvard Square. Police blocked the way, eventually directing the crowd back to the Common. At first, the police seemed like they were nonetheless going to be relatively mellow, simply stopping traffic and steering the march by parking their motorcycles in various intersections. The police presence became increasingly heavy though, with police in paramilitary uniforms and giant batons appearing and walking alongside the march, with legal observers trailing them in turn. When the march returned to the Common at 4:45, there were paddy wagons parked there and the police were evidently trying to stop the march from further movement with their motorcycles. According to numerous witnesses, some of the cops than flipped out as some of the marchers tried to move forward, shoving numerous people to the ground (including two senior citizens) and arresting five people (including an Indymedia writer), in some cases violently piling on top of them, all without provocation. That it was the police that were out of line is clear in light of the fact of the behavior of the other cops, who sent some of the responsible officers away to cool off. A tense stand-off between the protesters and the police followed. It became clear exactly how unpopular the police already were with the predominantly student crowd, as people called out things, "'You killed our classmate Victoria Snelgrove,"' referring to a Emerson College student killed by riot police using "'non-lethal"' weapons as she peacefully celebrated the victory of the Red Sox in the World Series. The stand-off continued for a while. At 5:00, about thirty of the anarchists and other young protesters further de-escalated the situation by sitting down on the ground, adopting a less confrontational pose but also refusing to back down by going away. They sang civil rights songs, effectively changing the atmosphere. Eventually, the police, realizing that their continued presence would only be a provocation, backed down and moved away from the protesters.

TROOP NEWS

20+ FT. BRAGG ACTIVE DUTY TROOPS COME TO FAYETTEVILLE RALLY

IRAQ VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR

Anti-War Rally: Fayetteville, NC 3.19.05

Diane Green Lent, Photographer.  http://dianelent.com/fayetteville1.html

NC Peace and Justice Org. & March 21, 2005 By Kevin Maurer, Staff writer, The Fayetteville (NC) Observer & 03/19/05 By The Associated Press & March 20, 2005, By Allison Williams, Staff writer, The Fayetteville (NC) Observer

On Saturday, March 19, 2005, over 4000 people gathering in Fayetteville for a wonderful march and rally spearheaded by vets and military families.  People came from all over: Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, Minnesota, DC, Hawaii, New York. Speakers like Lou Plummer, veteran from Fayetteville, and Mike Hoffman, founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War, electrified the audience.  [Which is more than the occupation has done for Baghdad.]

At least 20 active duty GIs defied orders from Ft Bragg to come to listen.

Joshua Despain and Hart Viges wore camouflage jackets with 82nd Airborne Division patches.  Both men said they served in Iraq and have left the Army.

''It was a very positive event.  We raised public awareness that not everybody believes that you are either with us or against us," said Charlie Anderson, a member of Iraq Veterans Against The War.  Anderson was a hospital corpsman with the Marines during the war.  He lives in Virginia Beach, Va.

Kara Hollingsworth, a member of the Military Families group who spoke at the rally, said she was nervous about taking part in Saturday's protest.  She was afraid that she would be viewed as a traitor because her husband is serving his second tour in Iraq with Fort Bragg's 35th Signal Brigade. 

''We are all part of the same community, and we all want the best for our soldiers," Hollingsworth said. "We want the same things, but we don't agree on how." 

She said her husband is supportive of her stand against the war, but he has a job to do as a soldier. 

Perry O'Brien, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, said he saw a number of Fort Bragg soldiers in the crowd at the rally.  He said he knows of a number of active-duty soldiers against the war and it is up to veterans to give these soldiers a voice. 

''It helps them to know that veterans are not abandoning them," O'Brien said.  ''We are not just waving flags and watching them die."

Michael Hoffman, a co-Founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War who invaded Iraq in 2003 with the Marines, be didn't think anti-war protests undermine the morale of troops facing danger, Hoffman said. 

"I've been in Iraq, I've been shot at, you're not thinking about the protests, you're not thinking about yellow ribbons, you're thinking about 'how am I going to get out of this?"' he said. 

Anne Roesler, a college professor from California who is a member of the Military Families group, is staying in her son's apartment.  It has been empty since he left Fort Bragg for Iraq. 

Roesler, who was wearing a pair of her son's desert camouflage pants at the rally, said her son and other soldiers support her for speaking out against the war.

And the efforts are paying off, she said. 

''If you had asked me six months ago, I would said I wasn't sure," she said. "Now, there's a definite shift in the wind.''

Fayetteville:

"The Largest Anti-War Protest Ever In This Heavily Military Town"

20 March 2005 By Scott Galindez, t r u t h o u t Report

Fayetteville, NC -- The second anniversary of the war was the impetus for major demonstrations throughout the world. In the United States, over 800 communities held events calling for an end to the occupation.

CNN, however, reported that in the United States "barely a ripple was made while large protests took place in Europe."  The New York Times reported that protests in the United States ranged from 350 people in Times Square to thousands in San Francisco. Later in the same story, the Times reported that several thousand marched from Harlem to Central Park. If thousands marched in New York, why did the Times highlight the 350 in Times Square?

CNN's report was worse . nothing about US protests.

While they only saw a ripple, a huge wave passed them by.  If CNN had been in Fayetteville, North Carolina, they would have seen what could be a major turning point in the anti-war movement.  The largest Anti-war protest ever in this heavily military town took place.

The march was led by two banners carried by family members of soldiers who died or served in Iraq. 

The first banner said "The World Still Says No to War" and the second banner was "Bring the Troops Home Now." 

A few feet behind was a banner carried by Veterans of the Iraq War. One of those veterans, Sergeant Camillo Mejia, recently served 9 months in jail for refusing to return to Iraq after leave.  Mejia told the crowd: "After going to war and seeing its ugly face, I could no longer be a part of it."

Following the Iraq Veterans was Military Families Speak Out. "I can't remain silent on these issues, slap a yellow ribbon on my car and call it supporting our troops," said Kara Hollingsworth, the wife of a soldier serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.  "I support our troops by making sure they are not put in harm's way unless absolutely necessary."

Many veterans of past wars were also among the ranks.  Sections of the march resembled army units marching in formation calling cadence.

Speaker after speaker told stories of loved ones they had lost during the war and the now 2-year-old occupation of Iraq.  Flag-draped mock coffins were carried by many.

The March was part of a series of events aimed at breathing new life into the anti-war movement.  The first-ever Iraq Veterans Against the War national conference is also taking place, along with a Conference of Military Families Speak Out.  A third major conference of Southern anti-war organizers is also taking place in Fayetteville.

CNN missed the boat . perhaps a good thing for them, since they were only prepared for a ripple and not the giant wave that formed in Fayetteville.

Anti-War March Attracts Thousands

Mar. 20, 2005 By JONATHAN FINER, THE WASHINGTON POST

Here at the heart of one of the nation's most deeply rooted military communities, nearly 3,000 peace activists, war veterans and their family members gathered Saturday to call for an end to the Iraq conflict on the second anniversary of the day it began.

They marched beating drums and chanting slogans through quiet suburban streets to a wooded park a few miles from Fort Bragg, which is home to the Army's 82nd Airborne Division and the U.S. Special Operations Command.

Among the dozens of speakers who declared their opposition to the war, the loudest applause and only standing ovation were for Michael Hoffman, who served as a Marine artilleryman during the invasion of Iraq and who last July founded a group called Iraq Veterans Against the War.

"Two years ago today, many of us standing on this stage were ready to wage destruction on Iraq," said Hoffman, 25, wearing the top of his desert camouflage uniform and a pin that said: "Bush lied."

"We know that the only solution to the problem that we have created is to end the occupation now," he said.

In Fayetteville, home to a small but entrenched peace activist community, organizers said the protest was the largest gathering of any kind since 1970, when a few thousand antiwar activists converged in the same park to protest the Vietnam War.

The protest leaders - including representatives of several of the most prominent antiwar groups to emerge since the Iraq conflict began - said they selected this town along the Cape Fear River because so many of its approximately 125,000 citizens have personally felt the impact of the ongoing conflict.

More than 10,000 soldiers from Fort Bragg are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, and since 2002, about 80 service personnel with ties to the region or its bases have been killed, according to the Fayetteville Observer.

"It was important to come here because there is hardly a single family in Fayetteville that does not have some connection to the military," said Lou Plummer, a local activist and veteran of the North Carolina National Guard. "When you're at church, when you're in the grocery store, when you visit your children at school, there will be someone there who is on active duty, or with a family member on active duty, or a veteran of the military."

Plummer's son Drew was discharged from the Navy after deserting his unit last year.  On Saturday afternoon, both men addressed the crowd, which the Fayetteville Police Department estimated at more than 2,800 people.

Across the street were a few dozen demonstrators who objected to the antiwar message. Some were members of local military families, while others said they had traveled to Fayetteville as part of a group organized by the conservative group Free Republic through its Web site.

"You're traitors to our country. Go home!  You don't belong in Fayetteville," shouted Tammy Harris, who waved a small American flag, as did her four children, as the demonstrators paraded past.

Chris Dodds, 36, an Army veteran who lives just outside of town, held a sign that read "Protest policy in D.C. - Support the military in Fayetteville."

"All we are here are families, and they should be supported. There's no policy being made here. They should take the protests somewhere else," Dodds said.

The speeches began when the procession reached Rowan Street Park just after midday.

Pat Elder, an antiwar activist from Bethesda, Md., laid out 100 cardboard coffins draped in U.S. flags to symbolize the war dead. Another organization distributed dozens of "peace parasols," black umbrellas adorned with painted messages. Earlier, costumed puppeteers danced to drumbeats in a dramatic interpretation of the Pablo Picasso painting, Guernica, which depicts the Spanish Civil War.

Celeste Zappala, 58, of Philadelphia, wore a sandwich board with a large photograph of her son, Sherwood Baker, a Pennsylvania National Guard sergeant who was killed in an explosion in Baghdad last April.

A co-founder of the group Gold Star Families for Peace, composed of family members of servicemen killed in Iraq, she said the rallies force the public to pay attention to the human cost of the conflict.

"It's really important for people to understand that those who lost children and spouses are devastated, and you can't just turn off the war when you turn off the television," she said.

Others who spoke included Daniel Berg, the father of Nick Berg, a civilian contractor who was kidnapped and beheaded in Iraq last year, and Camilo Mejia, a deserter who turned himself in to military authorities last March.  He said he had served nine months in the brig at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and was discharged last month.

Many speakers directed their remarks to soldiers still serving in the military.

"There is nothing more important today than building links and giving aid and comfort to the members of the armed forces who are turning against the war in greater numbers," said Thomas Barton, a union organizer from New York and the editor of GI Special, an antiwar e-mail bulletin.

"The rebellion in the armed forces of the United States will stop the war," he said.

Joshua Despain, who said he deserted his army unit soon after it returned from Iraq in April of 2004, drove 11 hours from Panama City, Fla. to be at the rally.  He was discharged from the 82nd Airborne and now works as a security guard.

"Basically, after a while I didn't buy any of it," said Despain, 23, who wore jeans, his uniform top and a red military beret.  "I saw the Iraqi people as no threat and couldn't see why people were getting killed for this. I wanted to share what I had been through with the others."

Asked for a reaction, Major Rich Patterson, spokesman for XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, said, "Some of our fellow citizens are concerned over the conflict in Iraq , and it is important that they be able to peacefully express that concern."

CANADA:  Halifax M19 gathers 400
http://maritimes.buffaloimc.org:8080/news/2005/03/9939.php
March by Food Not Bombs in Fredericton
http://maritimes.buffaloimc.org:8080/news/2005/03/9945.php
http://maritimes.buffaloimc.org:8080/news/2005/03/9914.php
Demo at militarist corporate HQ
http://maritimes.buffaloimc.org:8080/news/2005/03/9897.php
Peace demo in Winnipeg - hundreds show up
http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?id=27&type=F&PHPSESSID=28bba3a70b3758b11657cf5ccdee321d

VANCOUVER: First peace march of the day
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/03/313713.shtml

AZERBAIJAN:  Prison revolt over poor conditions and demanding resignation of boss

Hundreds of prisoners occupied the prison roof in protests

Several prisoners allegedly tried to commit suicide as part of the protest

One banner read, "The warden is a bloodsucker"

After promising not to use force, soldiers and pigs attacked with water cannons

Shooting and explosions were also heard as troops attacked the protesters

Several soldiers were injured in clashes as the protest was violently smashed

Prior to the attack, the prisoners' protest had been entirely peaceful

Inmates at another prison also held a solidarity protest

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/02/abdfff33-c950-4327-bba3-22555d7e8674.html

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apasia_story.asp?category=1104&slug=Azerbaijan%20Prison%20Revolt

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/16/content_416875.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4803464,00.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4802373,00.html

http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=117476

http://www.bakutoday.net/view.php?d=12426

http://www.bakutoday.net/view.php?d=12428

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/02/5869989a-d4a5-4e37-ab10-47a2d59a8aff.html

http://www.bakutoday.net/view.php?d=12423

ARGENTINA:  Massive prison uprising at overcrowded Cordoba prison

The uprising started as a protest against poor conditions

Sixty people, mostly screws, were held hostage before an end to the crisis was negotiated

Prisoners overpowered guards, took their weapons and held them hostage, parading them on the roof

They also took control of the entire prison, and started fires

Eight people were killed in clashes between screws and prisoners - 5 prisoners, 2 screws and a pig

Later, prisoners with faces covered threw stones at cops surrounding the prison, and threatened to push a guard off the roof if the pigs attacked

The prisoners demanded an amnesty and reductions of sentences to reduce overcrowding

http://www.plenglish.com/Article.asp?ID=%7BD54010FD-9607-440D-9DDF-0091DF9584CE%7D&language=EN

http://www.guardian.co.uk/argentina/story/0,11439,1411409,00.html

http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2005/02/12/eight_die_in_argentine_prison_riot/

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N11556995.htm

AFGHANISTAN:  Uprising at Kandahar prison - pigs shoot one as prisoners storm the main gate

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/22/content_2730310.htm

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,12629671%255E1702,00.html

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_23-3-2005_pg4_23

SALINAS VALLEY:  Prisoners blockade themselves into cells

Guards spend days trying to drag them all out

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/11089315.htm

DONCASTER:  Prison uprising - prisoners repel screws and erect barricades

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4332536

BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA:  Another prison uprising

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/story.html?id=d50fe608-defc-4fac-98ab-07b398f80ba0

BRAZIL: Uprising at youth detention centre due to cutbacks

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/03/28/brazil10378_txt.htm

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/a90a464d8963b8de2b13470416ac1773.htm

Uprising at Sao Paolo prison - 1 guard killed, others held hostage during clashes

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4358951.stm

MEXICO:  Uprising at juvenile detention centre in protest against poor food
http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=93ddb27ebcb14cc8

US:  New Year prison uprising at Bayside prison discussed
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--prisonbrawl0228feb28,0,3980637.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey

MOZAMBIQUE:  Prison uprising - guards open fire, 14 escape (but later captured)

The uprising was started by guards stealing personal items during searches

http://allafrica.com/stories/200503100367.html

BAWALPUR, PAKISTAN:  Prisoners fight cops who baton-charge them after they allegedly attacked a head screw
The baton-charge prompted a general uprising by many of the prisoners
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_27-2-2005_pg1_5

LIBERIA/SIERRA LEONE:  Refugees revolt and take hostage several officials in a protest over undelivered food
http://allafrica.com/stories/200502230160.html

BURUNDI/DR CONGO: Refugee killed as UN troops open fire on "mob" at refugee camp

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/HMYT-6B2N7K?OpenDocument

http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/southern_africa/0,2172,101096,00.html

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1683949,00.html

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/DDAD-6B2PKY?OpenDocument

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4400811.stm

NEW CALEDONIA:  Police attack squatters near Noumea - squatters defend their camp with bricks, machetes and other missiles

http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/s1317888.htm

KENYA:  Street children protest - police attack with teargas

One child dies after jumping into a river to flee police

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=87&art_id=qw1109571664631B252

SRI LANKA:  Clashes with police as army truck hits civilian; police repression leads to further protests - roads blocked

Protesters pelt soldiers after being attacked with tear gas

In one incident, an army base was blockaded, and army vehicle movements were disrupted

Six military posts and a government party office were destroyed

Roads were blocked and barricaded with burning debris

Soldiers shot dead one civilian during the clashes

The unrest was in response to alleged sexual harassment of an elderly woman by troops

In a related incident, villagers blocked roads after a cemetery was desecrated and demanded withdrawal of troops

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14437

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14452

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2005/03/13/new38.html

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14446

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14393

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14384

LIVERPOOL OINKERS BOMBED
CAR BOMBINGS WAR ON POLICE
Senior (that's real pigs to you and me) police believe that they are being victimised by revenge attacks on there police stations. Three bombs at separate pig stations have been set off by local teenagers, one bomb blowing a hole in the wall at a station in Liverpool, the other two bombs were placed using industrial fireworks behind the petrol tanks of patrol cars. Officers believe that the campaign is being orchestrated by a north Liverpool gang based behind bars, as they can't believe that the locals hate them so much to blow them up. Bizarrely the police are hoping witnesses will come forward but if any one has information do not to bother ringing the police station as its been blown up! (from Class War)

QUEBEC:  Students rally to save bursaries

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050311/QUESTUDENTS11/TPNational/Canada

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=e784eb64-f360-4f56-9dda-c83583512ce5

http://www.940news.com/news.php?cat=9&id=n031211A

http://www.enrager.net/newswire/stories.php?story=05/03/24/7902592
http://www.enrager.net/newswire/stories.php?story=05/03/24/7915471
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/queb-m15.shtml

http://www.themilitant.com/2005/6913/691311.html

http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=d8c8cfc3-f38d-4a00-b523-9f0e232df167

http://www.gateway.ualberta.ca/view.php?aid=4292

University building occupied; police attack and make mass arrests, attack violently

Other buildings are also occupied in the ongoing resistance

http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=fd747789-22a9-4504-9557-231afe6d9d77

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/EdmontonSun/News/2005/03/12/958603-sun.html

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/03/08/student-protest050308.html

Students release mice in Charest's office to protest reforms

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/02/03/charest-mice050203.html

Students block traffic near national assembly - two arrested

http://montreal.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=qc-studarrest20050324

Mock crucifixion used as protest

http://www.940news.com/news.php?cat=9&id=n032506A

Riot cops targeted by protesters; others camp-out outside the education ministry

Cops break one student's leg during a violent attack on the protesters

http://montreal.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=qc-protest20050322

Port blockaded

http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/news/shownews.jsp?content=n032227A

http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/politics/news/shownews.jsp?content=n032215A

Six students arrested, one injured after protest at Port of Montreal
Wednesday, March 23 2005 @ 11:08 AM PST
Montreal riot police arrested six protesters on Tuesday, after students erected roadblocks barring truckers access to the Port of Montreal's two entrances. Montreal riot police arrested six protesters on Tuesday, after students erected roadblocks barring truckers access to the Port of Montreal's two entrances. The blockade began at around seven-thirty in the morning and ended around one in the afternoon when Montreal riot police were called in to dismantle the demonstration. Montreal police spokesman Miguel Alston said
protesters began throwing objects, including rocks and pieces of wood at officers. "Police then moved in and made six arrests," said Alston. He said he could not confirm whether reports one of the students arrested suffered a leg injury during his arrest, as reported by the CBC. Alston said the students who were arrested could face charges ranging from assault, assault with a weapon and illegal assembly. Coalition de l'Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante Élargie spokesperson Héloise Moysan-Lapointe said police charged down students in the street who were heading to the metro station Assomption. "The arrests were extremely brutal and we have to condemn police brutality," she said. The blockade was organized by members of the Cégep du Vieux-Montreal and Cégep St-Laurent under the umbrella of CASSEE's week of planned economic disruption to draw attention to the $103 million cut from Québec's
post-secondary bursary program. Hundreds of students took part in the protest and
Moysan-Lapointe said the arrests will do little to dampen the spirit of the student movement. "There are more surprise actions planned for this week," she said. "We're scared of a crackdown, but we will continue to demonstrate." Moysan-Lapointe said she hoped students participating in the march organized by CASSEE in Québec city on
Thursday will not suffer a police backlash because of today's events. "We're hoping the Québec government will not use police brutality to try and break up the student movement," said Moysan-Lapointe. "It will not work, the student movement has ways of making itself heard." Moysan-Lapointe said CASSEE considered the blockade a success. The organisation's new tactics are to disrupt the economic functioning of companies tied to the Québec government. Moysan-Lapointe said trucks could not enter the port of Montreal for at least five hours on Tuesday. CBC reported truckers were furious with the roadblock, as more than 70 trucks were stuck on Boucherville Street, in Montreal's East end. Truckers criticized the students and said they were losing money because of the blockade.
asse-solidarité.qc.ca
http://www.cmaq.net/en/node.php?id=20362

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