Liberty Bound - A US Citizen's journey of discovery into the lies, oppression, and corruption that has invaded her country since 9/11.

With all the recent press about Michael Moore’s new documentary Fahrenheit 911, very few people have yet to hear about a powerful independent film called Liberty Bound. Very few, that is, except for the large crowd that attended the premiere of the film in Paris on June 23rd.

Christine Rose, the documentary filmmaker, was present to answer questions about the film for over an hour after the screening to an inspired audience of young and old. This is Ms. Rose’s first film; and yet she couldn’t have picked a more powerful subject, or for that matter, a more controversial one. Even though there are similarities among the two films, Rose gets very personal with her investigation. She takes us to her home town and allows us to accompany her on her trip across the US to discover the great loss of liberty the American people have suffered since 9/11. She at once shocks us with her observations, and leaves little doubt that we are living in a different world: a world where the freedoms we once took for granted are becoming more tenuous and harder to hold onto day by day.

With the tremendous success of Moore’s film, which grossed over $21M it’s first weekend out, it's becoming obvious that people all over the world are wanting and needing to see and hear the truth, which is every bit as entertaining and shocking as anything Hollywood releases.

An account of the June 8th protest at the biotech convention in San Francisco.

People who are politically aware follow news events closely and know about the Miami Model. Our country is rapidly becoming a police state and few progressives have any doubts or illusions about that. Conferences and conventions where corporations promote their agendas are closely guarded and to approach one is to step into a danger zone where truncheons can start swinging at any moment.

According to the newspapers, there were between 15 and 18 thousand delegates from 56 countries at this convention. But only a minority of the delegates were involved with gene splicing. Many were from the pharmaceutical industry. There were also patent attorneys, lobbyists and others who make up the corporate teams that manipulate the government, avoid regulations and work out ways to get tax breaks while doing so.

For our part, the protesters came from a broad spectrum of views, ideologies and religions. There were Pagans, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and Muslims. There were socialists as well as a sizable and extremely visible contingent of anarchists. The anarchists were especially noticeable because many of them dressed in black and carried black or black and red flags. There were also a good many protesters like myself who just call themselves "progressives." Numerous organizations and affinity groups were represented. Our project was organized by a coalition called "Reclaim the Commons."

The problem is that biotech corporations are currently unregulated and often find it profitable to ignore matters of community health, community need and planetary sustainability. At the very least, we need regulations based on community good to guide these corporations.

Mostly the delegates avoided us, which is understandable. After all, we weren't here to welcome them to California.

"The seeds will grow
when the empire cracks!
Reclaim the commons.
Take it back!"

[ 6/8 The Mass Arrest: Part II of Protesting Bio 2004 I 6/7 Report from the IMC Space in the Convergence Center and the March To The Mexican Consulate ]

More Indymedia Coverage of Reclaim The Commons [ Articles I Audio I Photos I Videos ]

As of Wednesday, 23 June, 2004, at 7 pm. Santa Cruz Earth First! will be gone - Unless you do something about it!

If any of you want to see Santa Cruz Earth First! continue, then you have to let the group know it.

You MUST come to the meeting on Wednesday, 23 June at 7 pm at 224 Walnut Ave (The HUB) Suite E (Upstairs over the Bike Church) or You MUST send a donation to Santa Cruz Earth First!, POB 344, Santa Cruz, CA 95061 that arrives before the meeting on June 23rd.

Don't send a reply email saying how much you want SCEF! to continue - SHOW UP OR SEND A DONATION!

If you want SCEF! to continue and are willing to participate, support it and be active, and show it, then SCEF! will live on.

A Quick Look Back: History of Santa Cruz Earth First! I SCEF! Fights for Jailed Comrade "Victim" I SC County Jail is Redecorated I Treesitters Needed NOW I EF! Tree-Sit in Ramsey Gulch! I Ramsey II Sitters Threatened at Gun Point I Treesitter Dies Defending Ramsey Gulch Ecosystem I EF! Organizers' Conference I SCEF! Climb Training I Earth First! Radio News (archives)

Santa Barbara Indymedia has been helping to organize this year's Grassroots Radio Conference taking place in Los Olivos, CA from June 24 - 27

The Grassroots Radio Conference brings together media activists and community radio people to share skills and knowledge in everything related to our work. This is the first time that the national conference has been held on the West Coast and the first time that it is being organized by a college radio station. The conference will draw on the DIY approach of community radio, utilizing a non-hierarchical workshop format in which all in attendance can actively participate.

[ Grassroots Radio Conference I KCSB-FM 91.9 I Santa Barbara Indymedia I ECR I Kill Radio I FRSC I Stop the NAB in San Diego ]

Help Sponsor a Freak Radio Santa Cruz DJ!

Felton residents are organizing to buy back their water supply from the multinational RWE AG. This corporation, which touts its services as ‘everything you need from one source - electricity, gas, water, recycling� and which also has interests in nuclear energy, bought Felton’s privately owned water in 2002.

But RWE AG is no match for residents like the 86 year old man who is out walking the hills and knocking on doors.

At a recent board meeting, one speaker pointed to the global impact of RWE AG’s acquisitions; her daughter who lives in London has the same water carrier.

Felton residents would like to acquire their water system and put it in public hands, but Cal-Am is trying to undermine these community efforts while pushing to raise rates. When a water main broke last December in Felton, residents phoned an emergency hotline that led to an operator located in Illinois. The company failed to alert some of the residents to boil their water. The company has also interrupted service without notifying customers.

As of August, RWE-Thames had already gotten over $40 million in rate increases from their America's water division and they are pressing for rate increases in almost every one of their state subsidiaries. They have an aggressive expansion strategy and are planning to build a large ocean water desalination plant on the Monterey Coast, at the mouth of the nationally protected estuary, the Elkhorn Slough.

To find out more about the campaign, contact FLOW (Friends of Locally Owned Water) and Public Citizen at 510-663-0888 or California (at) citizen.org

Here are some pictures from the largest pre-execution date demo to date at San Quentin on 11/19/05.

More than fifty people stood along 41st Ave in Capitola yesterday (Nov 18) holding signs and waving peace flags. Response from passersby was very positive, giving a sense that public support for the war has turned.

* The Venezuelan anarchist movement invites you to participate in the Alternative Social Forum at Caracas in January 2006, a gathering of anti-establishment social movements, in response to the bureaucratic World Social Forum promoted by the Venezuelan government.

We come with different but similar hopes - blowing minds, revolution, political involvement, DIY culture, community, self-reliance, great music, bone-shaking percussion, and a rollicking good time.