Justice  12/25-00 IMC post  TURKEY: UPDATE ON PRISON SITUATION   

27 Dead, Fasts Continue, Turkish security forces stormed 20 prisons on 19 December at about 4.30am, to end hunger strikes by political prisoners. At least 27 prisoners have died in the course of the assalt, which is still under way in two of the prisons. More than 1,200 political prisoners have been on hunger strike since 20 October, in protest at plans to move them to new prisons where they will be housed in small cells, rather than dormitories that hold up to 60 prisoners. They think that they will be locked up alone or in small groups in these new prisons, and therefore isolated and at greater risk of assault or torture. Some 200 of the hunger strikers were on *death fast* (taking water, but no sugar), and many of them were reportedly close to death at the time of the raids.
Media  12/24-00 IMC post  LOCK-OUT WBAI   In a dramatic escalation of the struggle between WBAI supporters and the Pacifica Foundation, in what some are calling a coup, Utrice Leid was declared interim station manager and last night changed all the locks at the station. Leid is replacing Valerie Van Isler, who was recently canned by Pacifica when she finally began to stand up against their increasing corporatization of the community supported radio station.  Also fired was Program Director and long-time morning show host Bernard White. 100's of listeners protested this coup. The protesters have added elections to their list of demands.

Protest  12/11-00 IMC post  Protests Intensify Outside Summit    Police and protesters have clashed outside the venue of the latest European Union summit in Nice as EU leaders gathered to hammer out the future of the block. A Banque Nationale de Paris office has been set alight - a street away from where European leaders were meeting for three days of talks that are expected to lead to major reforms and pave the way for expanding the European Union. When fire services arrived to put out the blaze in the French city they were pelted with rocks, but were able to retreat when police bombarded activists with tear gas and concussion grenades. Twenty police officers were injured and seven protesters arrested in the clashes.
Conflict  12/11-00 IMC post  Riot Cops Beat Human Rights Activists  The crackdown began hours after King Mohammed VI gave a televised address to coincide with UN Human Rights Day, in which he promised to build a constitutional and democratic monarchy. Batons were used to disperse hundreds of protestors from a banned Islamic group who had gathered outside parliament to mark United Nations Human Rights Day. A BBC correspondent in Rabat is reporting that dozens of protestors were beaten before being herded into buses where they were beaten again. Hundreds of arrests have been reported. This follows on the heels of violence used agaist people demonstrating for democracy on Saturday.

12/4-00 IMC post   INDEPENDENCE OPPOSITION ATTACKED   Situation in West Paupa Worsens   At least nine people have been killed in the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya (West Papua) after pro-independence supporters clashed with police. Seven people were killed in the town of Merauke when police opened fire on separatists carrying bows and arrows. The deaths come a day after celebrations across the province marking the 39th anniversary of the unofficial declaration of independence from Dutch colonial rule. read more | background information

Justice  11/22-00 IMC post  FREE LEONARD PELTIER     Clemency Petition Reaches Clinton  President Clinton has publicly confirmed that Leonard's clemency petition has reached his office, and that it will be decided one way or the other in the very near future. Quite possibly, a decision could be made over the Thanksgiving holiday. Supporters are asking for a massive response to the FBI and police's attempts to sway Clinton away from clemency. Get the latest information from freepeltier.org
Internet  11/17-00 IMC post  FBI the INTERNET & YOU  Carnivore More Powerful Than Claimed  The FBI released additional documents about its controversial Carnivore technology Thursday, and critics immediately lambasted it as proof that the email-tapping program is more powerful and invasive than the government has disclosed. The Electronic Privacy Information Center, which sued the FBI for the information through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), said the batch of paperwork indicates that Carnivore can capture and archive "unfiltered" Internet traffic--contrary to FBI assertions. Critics have been arguing that Carnivore is just one more part of a cyber world that is increasingly watched.  read more
Protest  11/16-00 IMC post  Dam Actions In INDIA  Indian Activists Storm IMF Over a thousand environmental protesters today stormed police barricades in New Delhi, and marched up to the offices of the World Bank, demanding they be allowed to meet with visiting Bank president James Wolfensohn. The Supreme Court handed down a ruling on October 18 rejecting a six year old court appeal against the Rs 370 billion Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat, western India. Proponents of the dam say it will produce much needed electricity and flood control. Critics point to the hundreds of thousands of people who will be displaced by the rising water and have nowhere to go as well as disrupting food production. There has been an international campaign against the dam projects. Walking nearly nine kilometers in New Delhi to the World Bank's offices, protestors shouted slogans against the global project lender and demanded that it "quit India." read more
Political  11/08-00  Election Opinion  Is this any way to elect a president?   The Electoral College needs the outcome of all the states to determine the presidency. The popular vote for the State of Florida must be reconciled before these electoral delegates can vote. Can our great nation elect the next president using a possibly flawed mechanical system of voting? I have spoken with a source in Palm Beach County and claims that a large number of voters had complaints about the ballot are true. Many voters in Florida found themselves facing a ballot that was awkward at best. The problem revolved around poor design that had some people leaving the voting booth unsure for whom they had voted. It is quite possible that a few thousand votes could alter the outcome of this election. Without laying blame, I believe this situation needs to be resolved, if not the election will stand historically as another signpost, along the road of decline in the value of the rights of all Americans. Will the powers to be, be able to remedy this obviously delicate situation? A challenge to this vote may be necessary, unless the Florida State officials have a fair solution. One possibility is that the voters in Palm Beach County recast their votes. America could also consider formatting a national ballot, one that would be the same in all states, alleviating the possibility of future faulty ballots.   Whatever the outcome, rest assured that our political system is being looked at by the world. The engine of Democracy's future is at stake, let us not lose sight of that. Nations expected to follow in our pathway, need to see that freedom & justice for all means just that in America.

Political  11/08-00  Election Update  National Election To Close To Call  Gore rescinds concession call to George Bush early this morning, as Florida officials claim their election has a margin less than 1000 votes between the two presidential candidates. Several Florida counties have not reported their full absentee ballots & finally there are still oversees ballots which can arrive up to 10 days from Election Day. An electoral race this close in most states would require a recount. Florida will recount the vote. The Electoral College, which elects the president, will need the outcome of Florida to determine the presidency.

Protest  11/06-00 IMC post   Austrian anti-nuclear activists sealed off the border with the Czech Republic Sunday, the fourth day of renewed blockades aimed at forcing the Czech government to shut down a recently activated nuclear power plant. International opinion is increasingly negative toward the new plant which is now online. There are reports of news crews being denied access to the demonstrators. Dialog between Austria and the Czech Republic is increasingly under strain due to the protests. The current blockade started Thursday at three border crossings closest to the nuclear plant in Temelin, 30 miles from the border with Austria. The blockade was gradually extended over the next three days and the last of the 15 crossing points was closed for traffic at noon Sunday

Environment  11/04-00 IMC post  Oxy Begins Test Drilling  On Friday, just outside of U'wa land, Occidental Petroleum began test drilling. Leaders of the U'wa Indian tribe have protested the Occidental Petroleum Corp. project for years, at one point even threatening a mass suicide should the company be allowed to drill in the area near Colombia's eastern border with Venezuela. An international campaign against Occidental and its main financier, Fidelity has been continually targeting Al Gore (who is invested in Oxy, as well as Ralph Nader) to speak out on behalf of the U'wa.

Conflict  11/1-00 IMC post-Israel   The Bombing of Beit Jala  Dear Friends, I felt that there is no use in telling anybody what is happening here tonight because I lost hope in anybody being able to do anything, and because there is nothing fair on this earth. I am so angry and so frustrated at everything and everybody! Since 4:30 pm, we have been under heavy shelling by Israeli tanks and helicopters. The shelling was targeting all houses and residential areas in Beit Jala.  expanded articles

Conflict   10/16-00 IMC post-Israel Bryan Atinsky   Middle East Summit Opens in the Sinai, Egypt  A summit, aimed at ending the ongoing violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians, began today in the Sinai Peninsula town of Sharam el-Sheikh, Egypt. 

10/16-00 IMC post-Israel  CONFLICT DEEPENS IN PALESTINE  Violent confrontation ripped through the West Bank again today. Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian police man. Gun fire exchanges have become the norm.  expanded articles

Praha S26      police use chemical weapons on demonstrators during S26.

Arts   September 2000 will be remembered for the Woodstock Film Festival which put together an eclectic mix of independent filmmakers and enthusiastic film watchers. Suddenly getting your fix in doses of film from all over the world, was just a ticket away.   expanded article

  8/4  R2K & IMC post   BRUTAL TREATMENT CONTINUES AGAINST JAILED PROTESTERS - UNPRECEDENTED CRACKDOWN HIGHLIGHTS SYSTEMATIC ATTACK ON DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES OF PEACEFUL PROTEST AND PEOPLE OF CONSCIENCE

  8/2  IMC post   RALPH NADER CRASHES REPUBLICAN PARTY WITH DEMOCRACY NOW!

Tibet   5/25  IMC post    The Bank Information Center to appear in the Financial Times
World Bank 'broke rules' in Tibet land plan by Sathnam Sanghera - Washington
Protest  5/25  IMC post   People required to buy passes to visit public lands By SCOTT MORRELL

   4/18 IMF & World Bank Protests Washington DC     

HUNDREDS WILLINGLY ARRESTED IN PROTESTS AGAINST POLICIES OF THE WORLD BANK AND IMF - JUBILANT PROTESTORS PEACEFULLY CROSS POLICE LINES     

Internet  2/10  Internet battlefield now showing it's colors, as hackers are said to have taken down .....