Indie News

Three activists with Cascade Climate Network and Portland Rising Tide occupied a billboard at the corner of SE 12th and Sandy Blvd. in Portland Sunday afternoon to protest proposals for coal export terminals across the Northwest.The activists altered the billboard with a giant banner that listed five potential coal export sites along the Oregon and Washington coast, while around forty protestors gathered below and spelled "no coal exports" with oversized letters.

Coal corporations including Peabody and Arch Energy are seeking to export up to 100 million tons of coal annually from six separate sites in Oregon and Washington. Last month, with minimal public input, the Port of St Helens approved an option to lease the port to coal companies Ambre Energy and Kinder Morgan. This comes nearly a year after Millenium Bulk Logistics temporarily withdrew an application to export coal from Longview, Washington after internal documents revealed inconsistent figures regarding the intended volume of coal for export.

This event was part of a regional day of coordinated action against Northwest Coal Exports. Actions occurred across Oregon and Washington near sites of proposed export and in Montana near the coal fields of the Powder River Basin.

homepage:  http://www.portlandrisingtide.org ;
 http://www.coalexportaction.org

Taking Aim's Mya Shone and Ralph Schoenman interview Ralph Poynter, husband of attorney Lynne Stewart who is currently a political prisoner in the Carswell Federal Prison facility outside of Fort Worth, TX.
Please watch this important video on Politube for further information about Lynne, her appeal, and these events.

About the Court Argument on the 29th of February(From Lynne's Website)
By Lynne Stewart...

Over 350 people (my estimate) gathered in downtown Portland to make a public statement clear to everyone "We want no war on Iran"
No War on Iran Rally and Protest: 5 clips from 2.12.12. in Portland Oregon

Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.
Part 4.
Part 5.

[Related: US, Iran inching toward talks (Asia Times)]

Well, by now everyone in the Occupy movement is hotly debating "nonviolence" vs. "diversity of tactics", as recently so in, "Chris Hedges and Kristof Lopaur of Occupy Oakland debate black bloc, militancy and tactics," February 8, 2012, on KPFA in Berkeley, California.

Both Lopaur and Hedges made some critically weak, flawed, at times somewhat disingenuous or self-contradictory and, in Lopaur's case, often specious arguments in their radio debate. This so, even though I politically agree with Hedges, and although Hedges' recent commentary, "The Cancer in Occupy," seemed poorly supported journalistically. But, Hedges is dead on about, 'Go do violence under your own name, not the Occupy movement's.'

Read more: daveyd.com | hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com

[ Related: | How violence protects the State | On The Nature of Violence and Nonviolence | Organized Non-violent Civil Disobedience vs. OWS ]

Over 100 people gathered on valentines day outside of the NS Market on SE Division in Portland Or to stand in solidarity and for the just rehiring of a worker - labor activist (Ryan Gaughan) who was fired for a petty issue. Ryan was involved with organizing for workers rights, safety and labor issues at New Seasons where he was employed. He recently had been participating in "coffee talks" where management and workers discuss common important work issues together. Ryan was terminated [for what appears obvious to anyone who looks into this,] for his strong involvement in organizing at his job site, where he has worked at for over 9 years {7 years at this store on Division that terminated him.} Ryan, the community New Seasons customers, friends and labor activists are all asking management to give him his job back.

reposted from green is the new red website:

Two activists with the animal rights group "Negotiation Is Over" (NIO) have been arrested at a protest in Florida. Group founder Camille Marino was arrested on an out of state warrant, and is awaiting extradition to Michigan.

In Michigan, NIO is campaigning against an animal experimenter at Wayne State University named Donal O'Leary, who uses dogs in heart experiments. One of the dogs, the Dalmation pictured above named Queenie, was forced to run on a treadmill with a device implanted in her heart, catheters protruding from her body, and open wounds leaking fluids. Doctors have urged the federal government to investigate O'Leary's violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

Today at approximately 1:30 PM, members of No Coal Eugene dropped a banner reading "STOP THE COAL TRAIN" from the parking garage on 10th and Oak in Eugene, Oregon. This action was done in solidarity with Rocky Mountain Powershift and to bring attention to the coal trains proposed to run through Eugene.

In October 2011, the Port of Coos Bay signed a contract with an anonymous company to ship coal out of the harbor. Coal will be coming from the Powder River Basin in Montana through several cities, including Eugene, to be exported out of Coos Bay to Asian markets. An estimated 15,000 tons of uncovered coal will be on every train. The Sightline Institute estimates that 500 lbs to a ton of coal can escape from a single loaded car. With one or two trains coming through Eugene everyday, Eugenians will be inhaling an unsafe amount of coal dust.
No Coal Eugene is in opposition to the coal trains for three reasons:

 http://nocoaleugene.org/2012/02/18/stop-the-coal-trains-banner-drop-218/

Seeing a waning domestic market for their poisonous product, Big Coal has set its sights on the Asian market, with Washington and Oregon set to be the transfer and staging areas for this environmentally disastrous scheme. Environmentalists should do whatever must be done to thwart vast coal exports from being moved across Washington to the tune of (12) mile-long trains a day before being put on ships docked on the lower reaches of the scenic Columbia River for its trip to Asia. Coal export from Washington and Oregon, two of the cleanest states in the nation, should never be permitted.

Washington and Oregon have only one operating coal-fired power plant each and those plants are slated to be permanently closed not later than 2020 and 2025 respectively.

These closures would make the Pacific Northwest the cleanest corner of the United States in terms of the poisons of coal smoke pollution and its effect on men and the natural environment.

Clearly, the coal is coming unless citizens of Washington and Oregon turn up the heat on their elected officials and raise more hell than their typically erudite and quietly logical style dictates.

The opposition is ruthless. The opposition is well-heeled. The opposition is determined to export 80 million or more tons of coal across Washington and down the Columbia River Gorge to the Pacific each year unless people waken to the threat and take whatever action is necessary to derail this coal train juggernaut that threatens to destroy our home and lifestyle.

in_portland: Portland Trail Blazers vs Clippers ? LaMarcus Aldridge vs Blake Griffin? Who is going to win tonight?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

An offensive division of eviction defense league is investigating the arrest of 5 squatters at vacant homes in Portland, OR on Feb 10th and 13th, 2012.

This counter-investigation has concluded the homes evicted were occupied in an effort to secure safer shelter. In the words of the evicted, the homes were "a better chance of survival." Evidence to the contrary does not support a claim that the homes were occupied to "victimize" the property owner, as stated by the Portland Police Bureau's weak investigation. The police make an injurious leap when referring to occupying as a form "victimizing" of the property owner. The elitist investigation was written to the advantage of capital, and victimizes and criminalizes the squatting. This mis-information would blame all those affected by the accumulation of capital, assisting the interests of property-owners at the expense of the houseless. Shelter is necessary for survival and needs no permission. Yet survival, unpermitted, is called the victimization of the rich. That is the downside-up perspective of Portland Police Bureau.

The counter-investigation has also noted that the motivation to "victimize" a property owner is highly unlikely and poorly constructed. [...]

Recent presentation by Jeff Paterson, Director of the veterans support group, Courage to Resist. Jeff discusses briefly his personal story and many others veterans which led to the founding of Courage to Resist before then speaking at length about the case of Bradley Manning.
This report back consists of two clips.

In the first clip, Jeff discusses his story and the stories of other veterans who stood up and out against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, many of which served prison time for their beliefs.

This clip is about 10 minutes in length.
Courage to Resist

In the second clip, which is about 44 minutes in length, [...]
Saving Private Manning

A decent turnout for Occupy Portland's "No War on Iran!" rally & march today in downtown Portland. How many US cities have held a similar event? Not many, I'd guess.

We will probably have more of these marches before long.

"No More War! Feed the Poor!"

"No More War!! Feed the Poor!!"

PIMC related post: Portland Protests War on Iran

in_portland: Congratulations to LaMarcus Aldridge (@aldridge_12) for making it to the All Star Team. Go #Blazers!

Will you be our valentine? In October, Governor Kitzhaber approved a plan that will nearly double the annual clear cut in the Elliott Rainforest, starting this year. On the 14th, the first land board meeting of 2012, the Governor will also approve the privatization of over 1,000 acres of public forest land in Southern Oregon. Privatization will leave the fate of sensitive wildlife in the hands of ravenous timber barons.

Cascadia Forest Defenders are heading to Salem on the 14th to confront the State Land Board--Governor Kitzhaber, Secretary of State Kate Brown, and Treasurer Ted Wheeler-- about their direct hand in the destruction of Oregon's public forests.

Tuesday Feb 14 7:30am until 12:00pm Oregon Department of State Lands Office, 775 Summer Street, Salem!

for more info visit forestdefensenow.com
[ rides from Eugene and Portland being organized on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/246432292102522/ ]

The Trans-Pacific FTA is being negotiated behind closed doors between a dozen countries throughout the Pacific Rim. Journalists, most Members of Congress and the people most likely to be impacted by these negotiations are barred from reviewing the U.S. proposals, but approximately 600 corporate lobbyists certified as official "citizen advisers" have regular access to both the negotiating documents and the negotiators. Join us as we learn more about this pact; about the impact of past trade deals on our communities; and to send a message to Senator Ron Wyden and other elected officials that we will not accept another business-as-usual trade pact that offshores jobs, reduces the tax base and puts a downward pressure on the wages and benefits of jobs that are left.


Sunday, 2/12 * 3:00 - 4:30pm Redmond, OR
Monday, 2/13 * 6:30 - 8:00pm Eugene, OR
Wednesday, 2/15 * 6:30 - 8:00pm Ashland, OR
Wednesday, 2/22 * 6:00 - 7:30pm Portland, OR
Thursday, 2/23 * 3:00 - 4:00pm Monmouth, OR
Thursday, 2/23 * 6:30 - 8:00pm Salem, OR

Help us promote these events on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/events/213487345409982/

 http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/oregon/fair-trade-events/
phone: 503) 736-9777

From an arrestee:

On Monday night there was a march in Portland in solidarity with Occupy Oakland's call-out for a day of action against police brutality and arrests. The description for Portland's march specifically called for a respect for diversity of tactics including a black bloc and nonviolent direct action. Unfortunately the actual event proved much less tolerant to this diversity of tactics - people utilizing black bloc tactics were physically assaulted by other marchers on multiple occasions, and scapegoated for the 10 arrests the police made.

in_portland: RT @JulieMa: It's official, @Target is moving in downtown #PDX: http://t.co/jp8owYbb via @pdxbizjournal

in_portland: Car sharing . . . it's arrived in Portland http://t.co/cBONEqDr Rent someone's car or rent yours out :)

It is clear from much of the discourse that occurred in the march that occupiers, by and large, have no understanding of anti-oppression politics and very little if any understanding of, and/or affinity for, historical anti-police tactics.

Largely I have hoped to try to bridge this gap in the past, however it has become undeniable now that the behaviour of occupiers at radical marches is not merely frustrating or politically derailing, it has developed a pattern of putting people in the hands of police. This type of behaviour in portland has in the past caused individuals to incur injuries at the hands of belligerent occupiers.

This was the 2.1.12 PIMC Breaking News posts, for the protest at City Hall, for the Right 2 Dream 2 fines to be waived / stopped

>> News post 3.
Right 2 Dream 2 Protest: Cell phone video clips [12] from some of speeches are Here

>> News post 2.
Over 100 supporters show up on city hall steps. Speakers rally for one hour. A few cops outside watching. 50+ then go inside to the weekly city hall meeting.

>> News post 1.
Right 2 Dream 2 - Protest on steps of Portland City Hall 8:30- 9:30 AM Wave The Fines

Videos from protest at city hall